New Isuzu Ascender 2009 , We got our Ascender at about $17k's new. I had been looking for a 7-8 passenger vehicle and been shopping around for weeks. Nissan wanted at least $28k's for their Base model, and the 3rd row could hold a car seat or a toddler, but no adult legs could fit back there, it was a joke. And the same goes for Chevrolet.We are very happy with the room inside, have had several 6' + men in that 3rd row and they have all praised the leg room and they could actually be comfortable. The Dual Air zone is a HUGE BONUS, that was standard, yet with Nissan you have to "upgrade" by another $1,000. Mechanically it has been great, no major problems to spekk of. The only thing that
I guess I do not like, and this is to say for ALL SUV or hatchback vehicles, is the dirt that seems to automatically cling to the back of the car. I am assuming because of the design, but that is nothing that is Isuzu's fault, this is with any SUV. We also havce done road trips from Galveston, TX to Chicago, IL and we have noticed a good mileage for a full size SUV. And everyone has commented to me how nice it looks and not so HUGE like the Tahoe, or Yukon's. Much more compact, yet when they look inside they are confused how there is so much room yet looks smaller than there big SUV's... one friend was so upset that they bough a Tahoe after seeing our Ascender, and how much money they spent compared to us. 
Engine Specs
The 2008 Ascender is a 4-door, 5-passenger sport-utility, available in two trims, the S 2WD and the S 4WD. Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 4.2-liter, I6, 285-horsepower engine that achieves 14-mpg in the city and 20-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
Pros:
Plenty of room, nice ride
Cons:
Transmission lags slightly if the vehicle is fully loaded down.
