1990 Isuzu Impulse (Reaction) Motorweek Retro

#acwj
This weeks Motorweek Retro Reaction is the 1990 Isuzu Impulse.
A car I always thought was handsome, it also represents much of what was good and bad about Isuzu. Modestly priced, styled, competitive tech let down by obvious cost-cutting.
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[@Jah216land]

Geo unlocked a memory. Would be very interested in a tracker review. I have a funny "you had to be there" story on that , but yeah, a review would be very amusing for me with the events of that day in mind. I hope you run with that idea.

[@MyHumanWreckage]

One thing I always found fascinating about Isuzu is that their trucks were really well designed and engineered in my opinion, but their cars were lacklustre efforts. Isuzu cars always had a cheapness and never felt “complete”.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Agreed, and well said.

[@warrenny]

Right, right. That's a great way to say it. They probably didn't have the budget to jump in with an Accord or Camry level car, but it seems odd that they went straight to a cheap version of an MX3 or Paseo

[@Scottj2011]

The retro reviews on anything Geo sounds excellent.

[@kristofferhogan5082]

Definitely do a Geo video. Love the way you narrate and think about the times as opposed to looking at the modern interpretation.

[@stoneylonesome4062]

Love these Isuzu videos. I’m a proud owner of a 1991 Isuzu Piazza Rally Sport Turbo with the Irmscher AWD system, Lotus-tuned suspension w/ passive 4WS, 5MT and 5MT. I also own a 1st Gen Piazza RS Turbo with Lotus/Irmscher handling package, and a 2nd Gen- Isuzu Gemini RS Turbo with the same RS Turbo Lotus/Irmscher package as well. Love collecting these cars because they’re still affordable even if rare, and no one knows what they are. My most recent addition is an Isuzu Bellett GT-R which I am restoring the interior of.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Beautiful car. Well done finding her.

[@warrenny]

Great to see so many people enjoy these little pocket rockets. I was never a fan myself. The closest I ever came to thinking of buying a vehicle of this ilk was the Mazda MX3 when it gained a V6 engine. However, as Jon has pointed out, this era produced a super variety of different vehicles, and I went with another style of car.

[@toddgiaro7657]

I totally agree with your assessment of the guy being angry with the shifter! Lol, I thought it was only me noticing how brutal he was with the stick! Lol.

[@avtomad722]

Same here, always bugs me when I see that treatment, unessercary . In the UK I see Mat Watson videos and he does the same here in 2024

[@johnnymason2460]

Jon, the Fiat 500 two-door hatchback actually made 101hp(unless you got the Abarth version which had a turbo and 160hp). The Fiat 500L four-door hatchback used the 160hp 1.4 liter turbo inline four.

[@JTA1961]

Growing up there... most of negatives weren't an issue when it was a company "TRUCK"

[@phantom0456]

I actually think that’s a handsome little coupe, and the performance is also pretty impressive, especially for the day.

[@christopherbradley5575]

I always wanted an Impulse like that. I miss Isuzu. It's really a shame they stopped selling in the US. We still get some of their engines and other parts (thanks Chevy) but not any of their great cars and trucks. Good video.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Nice enough car, but to me Isuzus were always a budget 'brand' & drove like small trucks. We hardly got any Isuzus under the Isuzu name until the Jackaroo [Trooper to you guys]. They were badge engineered here as GM Holden & made some of their most popular vehicles. The Gemini ofc, but we also got the "One Tonne Rodeo!" & the beautiful, if flawed, Piazza. Cheers Jon, hope your cold is getting better. _Google auto-corrected it to "Pizza lol._

[@Kamikazekims]

this is one of the coolest looking japanese cars to me ! i want one so badly

[@johnnymason2460]

Remember, Jon, you did do a reaction to a Retro Review of the 1993 Geo Prizm and Toyota Corolla. That's a good place to start. I'm sure there is a Retro Review on the 1991 Geo Metro convertible(which I would never recommend).

[@AllCarswithJon]

I really want to do a big one with the Metro, Storm, and Tracker. Haven't (yet) looked to see if they're all available. Sounds like a Friday night with a "cold one" video session. :)

[@donaldwilson2620]

They did a retro review on the Geo Storm GSi years ago. You're going to have to look way back to look for it.

[@Hobotraveler82]

Its an Impulse. I remember these from when I was a kid. Always thought these were good looking cars. Especially this one done up in blue. I mean its blue. My favorite color. I want one. 😊😊

[@bobcoats2708]

Oh man, the Gen 1 with the waffle wheels and pop up headlights for the win! Much more cohesive design than the Gen 2 model. Sadly, it appears that MotorWeek did not review that one. Or at least they haven’t released the retro review.

[@edmondocerza4292]

I was surprised when this car came out. In my opinion the styling was a downgrade from the previous elegantly Ital designed Giorgetto Giugiaro Piazza/impulse. It gave the message of we cost cutting and also axing innovation. Soulless automobile with lost lines and confused proportions. Thanks as always and hope you feel better

[@whoami-eb7cq]

Let's also not forget that italdesign did the styling on the first gen

[@UncleJoeLITE]

PS: 23:55 Mazda "MX-3" was the Eunos 30X here. It had a simply beautiful little 1.8L V6. _

[@blue_lancer_es]

V6*

[@mrgurulittle7000]

Ah, Eunos was a great Mazda brand.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

@@blue_lancer_es My bad. It was a V6. I had a 93 626 with their 2.5 V6, that was a great car too. Thanks.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

@@mrgurulittle7000 Yes, very confusing, it just looked like another Mazda, as they were selling the Astina, 929 & 626 of the same quality.

[@doug6191]

21:35 - There's one option I can think of (technically two, but they're essentially the same car): Toyobaru 86/BRZ.

[@johnnymason2460]

This is the Isuzu Impulse that most people forget about. The first Impulse was more important because it was a sporty car based on the Chevrolet Chevette. The 1991 Impulse RS is more important because it had the same turbo inline four as the 1991 Lotus Elan. Most people are more familiar with the Geo Storm(which should have gotten the turbo inline four at some point).

[@stoneylonesome4062]

The Geo Storm/Asüna Sunfire (Asüna was GM’s Canadian version of Geo, look it up) was supposed to be a budget stripper performance Coupé. There was no way Isuzu would allow the Storm or Sunfire to be as luxurious or as good as the Piazza (Impulse). I have both generations of the Isuzu Piazza (JDM versions). The second generation handles very well, albeit due to its Irmscher-designed AWD system and Lotus-tuned suspension with passive 4 wheel steering; wheels turn with the body roll, like a skateboard - it sounds crude, but it works well, albeit not as well as Hondas active 4WS system on the Prelude.

[@andrewweltlich9065]

I think these look an awful lot like the Oldsmobile Achieva coupe. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

[@ultraviolettp3446]

Have never seen the same thing. Perhaps it is because I was an adult when these were new and there is no resemblance between the two. The Achieva was a hideous blob and hot mess.

[@andrewweltlich9065]

@@ultraviolettp3446 The individual styling elements are different between the 2, but if you take a step back, and just look at the overall shape, they are very similar.

[@user-qi8ns1fo5d]

Here in Australia Isuzu fill offroad market for Holden, like legendary Rodeo ute, SUV Frontera, quality no different rest of Japanese brands although Honda was leading in interior with fit n finish especially luxury. Yes we got Piazza but medium-sized n small cars started coming from Europe like Opel n Vauxhall with more luxury fell before same price but cheaper quality cars from Daewoo.

[@daveroe8612]

Jon, perhaps back then Isuzu was the AMC of the Japanese auto makers.

[@blue_lancer_es]

16:48 but Jon...tonka and lego are indestructible. 😅

[@AllCarswithJon]

True....

[@johncarync]

This generation of Impulse was always way overshadowed by its sibling, the Geo Storm. I did a production number check and the Impulse sold around 3,000 units per year while the Storm sold between 40,000 and 80,000 per year. So you saw 10 Storms to 1 Impulse. Jon, you challenged us to come up with a car that compares with it today. Note that $14K in 1990 is the equivalent of $33K today. What are your thoughts on the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86 (with a base price of $31K) being a viable modern equivalent to the Impulse?

[@AllCarswithJon]

I know that comparison will come up, and I just don't feel it. Interesting, but not shocking, the sales difference between Storm and Impulse! To me these cheap sporty cars are not the same as the Toyota/Subaru twins of today. Those are front engine, RWD and more small sports car like a Miata. These cars back in the 80s and 90s were FWD usually, based on (typically) mass market small car platforms but hopped up and styled. Off the top of my head maybe the BRZ and GR86 are the closest today, but I'm not feeling it. :)

[@Thatdavemarsh]

Naw, I loved the headlight lids.

[@robertstone9988]

I had a geo storm. Same car. I tried so hard to make it fast. (I wanted a turbo eclipse)

[@JTA1961]

I found a good downhill always helped 😂

[@mrgurulittle7000]

The most unexpected collaboration in this video is your head cold and Diet Coke. lol! Hope you get better.

[@AllCarswithJon]

LOL.

[@davinp]

When Honda and Toyota came to America in the 1970s, the American's noticed that their cars were better build quality than the American automakers

[@overwhamming]

Thanks

[@davinp]

Wow more extreme cost-cutting them GM

[@blue_lancer_es]

In 1990 the Acura with a 1.8 made 130hp also. Same as the 1.8 from mazda.

[@johnnymason2460]

That 1.8 liter engine from Mazda was a V6. Much smoother running engine.

[@blue_lancer_es]

@@johnnymason2460 yes. They had the 1.8 v6 in the mx3 but I'm talking about the 1.8 dohc 4 cyl.

[@johnnymason2460]

@@blue_lancer_es That was in the Protege. It made 127hp at the time.

[@blue_lancer_es]

@@johnnymason2460 are you going to argue over 3horses? My point is that it was a 1.6 and isuzu was making the same power as 2 more established brands with bigger engines.

[@johnnymason2460]

@@blue_lancer_es I am not arguing anything. You are right that horsepower numbers were similar at the time. I simply needed to remind myself of the 1.8 liter I4 engine in the Protege.

[@mrgurulittle7000]

I think this Impulse is an overall good package. Yeah sure it might feel a bit cheap, but in hindsight it’s like you said, what made Isuzu, an Isuzu. Man, I miss Isuzu cars, desperately. They made good cars that I think were unfairly dismissed because they were such a small company with a small presence and weird name. Oh, count me in as a vote for your Geo Retro Review Reaction Binge Watch. Come to think of it, I always thought Geo was GM’s best response to Diamond Star Motors. What do you think?

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm definitely thinking the " Geo Retro Review Reaction Binge Watch" video will be happening sometime. :) Oh, I'm stealing that name. LOL

[@mrgurulittle7000]

@@AllCarswithJonHell yeah!!

[@ultraviolettp3446]

I liked these but then again I was partial to the very inexpensive pickup that was unrefined but basic - what a truck is supposed to be. The Isuzu SUV's were awful - they were uncomfortable and equally cheap on the inside which worked against them.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Yes, but their SUVs were capable too. For all their flaws, I still have a high opinon of the Trooper and Rodeo.

[@samuelgonzalez4099]

John, do you have a video review of Hyundai ironic? Competition for the Prius. Thanks.

[@AllCarswithJon]

No, but that would be fun.

[@mongo64071]

How did Isuzu avoid the 25% chicken tax? The Isuzu doesn’t look any worse than a Saturn

[@AllCarswithJon]

In this case, the chicken tax only applies to trucks.

[@mongo64071]

@@AllCarswithJonright. But motorweek said they were selling more trucks than cars at that time.

[@autochatter]

Isuzu stopping making cars just a few years after this Impulse vid. Of the vehicles they were selling in the U.S. as the 90s wore on, all were pretty much built in the States besides the Trooper and VehiCross. Troopers and SUVs I think we're considered wagons, so not subject to the chicken tax.