If a good auto reviewer is supposed to be totally unbiased and objective, then I don't expect to come across as a very good car reviewer - at least, not this week.

The Ascender, Isuzu's new 7-seat SUV, is a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Trail Blazer EXT (EXT denotes the long-wheelbase model). About a year or so ago, I drove another Trail Blazer twin, the GMC Envoy. To this day, of all the cars I've reviewed, the Envoy remains my absolute least favorite.

Part of my dislike for the Envoy was the all-electronic interior, which presented a grand total of 86 buttons to the driver and passenger. Also, the Trail Blazer had just been awarded North American Truck of the Year, and I was miffed - that award clearly should have gone to the new-for-2003 Ford Explorer, a superior SUV in every respect.

Whatever the reasons, I really couldn't stand it, and I wasn't expecting the Ascender to be any better.

The Ascender arrived at my office today, and it didn't disappoint. Aside from the grille, there's no attempt to hide the Ascender's GMC roots; though there are fewer buttons, the interior parts are just about identical.

On the drive home, I immediately find lots things to dislike.

The memory seats keep re-adjusting themselves every time I start the car, and I can't figure out how to make them stay where I want them. The gas pedal travel is too far. The rear A/C fan switch is next to the transmission shifter, as if it were an afterthought. When I reach for the 4WD switch, my hand brushes the driver's temperature dial, which kicks the climate control into "auto", which turns the fan on high (GM fans should be labeled "low", "medium", "hurricane".) The wipers, washers, turn signals, cruise control, and high-beams are grouped on one overcrowded turn signal stalk. And the third-row seat headrests block the view out the back window.

As I turn into my street, I realize that perhaps I am being a bit hard on the Ascender. After all, aren't the holidays approaching? I decide to start cataloging the things I do like.

The Ascender's ride is soft, smooth and remarkably quiet. The running boards are the first ones I've ever used that actually make it easier to get into the car (most seem optimally placed to trip the driver). The second-row seats have clearly-labeled latches that make them easy to fold. The long wheelbase means the Ascender gets seven seats plus a useable cargo area. (Besides, I've always thought the long-wheelbase versions of the Envoy and Trail Blazer looked kind of cool.) Yet despite the length, the turning radius is remarkably small.

Hmmm. Surprisingly long list.

I ignore my alarm and leave the house five minutes before I'm due at the office. I am hoping to shorten the 20-minute commute with a little creative driving. Alas, the traffic is not cooperating, though the 5.3 liter V8 - optional on lesser Ascenders, and standard on the top-of-the-line Limited model I'm driving - helps out where it can.

I've even figured out how to make the electric driver's seat stay where I want it.

I'm still not crazy about the Ascender. But I don't hate it as much as I expected to.

Robin calls me at work. She forgot to let the dog out before leaving this morning, and could I go home at lunchtime? No problem.

At noon, I come to the turning point in my Ascender evaluation. What should I drive home - my beloved five-speed, competition-suspension-equipped Accord or the Ascender?

I decide to do my duty as a car reviewer, and I take the Ascender.

On the way home, I begin to settle into the Ascender, to enjoy its comfy leather seats, the pillow-soft ride, easy V8 power, and one-finger-light steering.

Holy crap, I think to myself, I am actually starting to like this car!

At home, Barkley is happy to see me, and even happier to relieve her little Boxer bladder. (Yes, we have a girl dog named Barkley. Don't ask why. I don't know.) The floors are dry, and I have a ride back to the office in the Ascender to look forward to.

We're having Thanksgiving dinner with friends, and it's just like every other Thanksgiving: "We're eating at 4, get here at 2," which means "don't be any later than 1 and we probably won't eat till 6."

Aside from our host's new grandbaby, our kids are the only ones coming, so we pack up plenty of toys and games, plus the ingredients for Robin's cold bean casserole. At the last minute, Robert pipes up: "Dad, can we bring our bikes?"

"If they'll fit," I say.

I fold down the Ascender's rear seat. Do the bikes fit? Hell, we could fit another car back there. The cargo bay includes a small bin concealed under the floor (I use it for the bean casserole's glass container). There's some sort of hard-plastic panel which works as a shelf; I put it at floor level, where it makes loading a bit awkward but protects the Ascender's carpets.

The bulky bikes make for less-than-efficient packing, but with the size of the Ascender's loading bay, it doesn't matter much. I slide Andrew's car seat into the second row; the seatback angle is adjustable, which helps make a snug fit.

Packed and ready to go, we head for the suburbs. (Actually, we live in the suburbs. We head for other suburbs.) On the highway, the Ascender tends to wander; Robin (from the passenger seat) complains that it feels as if it's all over the road. "If I didn't know you, I'd think you were drunk," she says. The Ascender's tracking isn't the greatest, but the car is so relaxing to drive that I hardly notice.

I'm not much of an SUV fan, but by the time we pull up to the house, I'm thinking of this Ascender as a pretty darn good family car. It's got the interior room and presence of a larger SUV with the maneuverability of a smaller one. Nice combination.

I am one of the seven people in Los Angeles County who has to work, so Robin and the kids take the Ascender. At the end of the day, Robin says, "It's nice." Considering that she agreed with me about the Envoy (actually, I think she disliked it more), that's high praise.

That evening I review the sticker price for our top-of-the-line Ascender. This is a Limited with all the bells and whistles, including leather seats, OnStar, and airbags galore. One notable omission from the Ascender's option list is a rear-seat entertainment system. If you've got kids, they come in handy on long trips.

Bottom line: Just shy of $40,000.

Whoa.

Still, that's in line with the Ascender's siblings, the Chevy Trail Blazer and GMC Envoy. The Chevy and the Jimmy do offer an entertainment system, by the way, but they also have a slightly shorter warranty: three years or 36,000 miles. The Ascender offers coverage for three years or 50,000 miles.

Today was like an SUV commercial. First, we drove out to Decker Pond for a hike. Robin drove through windy roads bordered by sheer cliff faces. I'm a pretty bad passenger, and I don't do particularly well with cliff-side roads, but the ride was actually quite tolerable from the passenger's seat

We left Decker Pond and skirted the Pacific. The kids spotted a huge sand-dune running up the side of a cliff, dotted with climbers, so we stopped. There's nothing like climbing sand dunes to tire your kids out. Or so I thought. They were fine, but I was wiped out.

Next stop: Robin's sister's house. We're taking Robin's bicycle to the shop for a couple of new tubes and a tune-up. I know nothing about bikes, so it doesn't occur to me that I can remove the front wheel to make loading the bike easier. Instead, I take advantage of the Ascender's 60/40 split-fold second row seat. Andrew's car seat goes into the center, the right side folds, and the bike tucks into the back with room to spare. Thank goodness for the Ascender's extended wheelbase.

The Ascender's tank is almost empty, so I dump in $20 worth of regular at $1.60 per gallon. That buys about half a tank. According to the Ascender's trip computer, we've been averaging 15.7 MPG, most of it in town. So far, the lousy mileage is the Ascender's biggest downside.

I offer Robin the Ascender for the day, and immediately feel a pang of regret. She takes me up on the offer, and I feel another pang. (Her actual reason for taking the car is the fact that it has seat warmers. "Given the choice between hot ass and cold ass," Robin says, "hot ass wins all the time.")

Amen, sister

Well, well, well.

I came into this review with low expectations, and lo and behold, the Ascender won me over.

I still wouldn't buy one. The Ascender uses too much gas, costs too much, and doesn't exude the sensation of quality that you'll find in other Japanese SUVs. Which makes sense, since this is not a Japanese product; it's a GM, and their build quality still leaves a bit to be desired.

That said, up until now, I never would have recommended an Ascender (or one of its twins, the Chevy Trail Blazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier or Olds Bravada). After a week with the Ascender, I've changed my tune. It's far from faultless, but the Ascender is pretty darn handy - and well worth a look.

Home, James