1990-1992 Isuzu Impulse: Road Test

Road and engine noise are the major drawbacks of the sporty Isuzu coupes. The early XS model also suffers from insufficient low-end engine torque. In fact, launching an XS smoothly can demand a lot of engine revs and clutch slippage until the car gets rolling fully. An early test XS also exhibited a lumpy idle and poor cold-start drivability, bucking even in mild weather. Exhaust noise at high rpm is a significant problem, too. Still, an XS managed to accelerate to 60 mph in 9.9 seconds, and yielded fuel economy of 22.3 mpg. The larger 1.8-liter engine introduced for 1992 offered the low- and mid-range torque that had been lacking in the 1.6-liter, so you don't have to rev above 4000 rpm to get at the Impulse's usable power. Better yet, the added horsepower was not accompanied by undue torque steer--an undesirable condition in which the front tires of some powerful front-drive cars are jerked to the side during hard acceleration. Stable handling makes the Impulse fun to drive in a spirited manner--though the steering is so quick as to make the car seem "darty" at the first turn of the wheel. The Impulse stays flat on the pavement, and steers with satisfying crispness. An early XS coupe stopped rather well in a simulated panic stop, but erratic rear-wheel lockup marred the experience. The turbocharged all-wheel-drive Impulse RS is a capable little sportster. In the marketplace, however, it was overshadowed by the faster--but more expensive--turbo and AWD versions of the Mitsubishi Eclipse/Plymouth Laser/Eagle Talon trio. Inside, the 2+2 edition is harmed by a small rear seat that's very short on leg room and has literally no head room for anyone over 5-feet tall. The regular hatchback has more head space in back, but is still short on leg room. Limited cargo space is aggravated by a high loading sill.

Value for the Money
Impulse never managed to rank with the best competitors in the small sport coupe league, though it was much better than the Isuzu models of the 1980s.