1989 Isuzu I-Mark RS review from North America
"A rare sport compact"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
My computer packed it in after 2 yrs. of ownership. I was driving one day and my I-mark suddenly died while I was driving on a main road, then everything shut off. I was able to start it again, about half a block later it coughed then died again. The computer has been replaced and I have had no problems since.
Idle control is a big problem with isuzu's (I-mark, Impulse, Storm, Stylus). My car will sometimes stall for no reason when I'm stopped. The idle has a tendency to be inconsistent, it will idle really high then drop low to the point where it will almost stall or completely stall. That sucks because I'm putting unecessary wear on my starter. Isuzu dealerships could not figure out the problem (dumbasses). My mechanic simply adjusted the THROTTLE LINKAGE and magic! the stalling stopped
and the erratic idle isn't as bad as before. I hope this will solve the stall/idle problems for Isuzu owners.
General comments?
Other than the problems above, this car is very reliable. I've owned it for 8 yrs and all I had to do is regular maintenance oil changes, tune-ups and other. Parts for me, are still easy to find thanks to my mechanic's contacts all throughout canada, u.s., and japan. As for performance it pulls pretty hard after 3000 rpm and I have taken it up to 8000 rpm no problem. I think these lack in the torque department and could use some. The motor is a factory high compression 1.6L DOHC producing 130 hp, but feels like 190 hp. The suspension of these cars cannot be compared, the I-mark suspension was done by Lotus. When you take this car around corners and especially S curves it's awesome! As for races, I have beaten many cars and at the same time have lost too many. These cars have to have the best gas mileage, under $30 to fill it full tank. I am very happy with this car and hope to have forever!
Recommended Reviews:
![]() ![]() | 1989 - I-Mark I couldn't find anywere on the 1.5 A fun, dependable car |
![]() ![]() | V-tech THS..... |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | naturally aspirated 1.6L DOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 8/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 92000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 219000 kilometres |
| Previous car | n/a n/a |
| Date of Entry | 11th June, 2004 |

