Isuzu Rodeo - Your Thoughts?

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rootaxs

Platinum Member
Oct 22, 2000
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If you or a friend of yours have owned an Isuzu Rodeo at one point in your life (or continue to do so), what can you say about it? Any comments, praises, complaints?

I may get a hand-me-down Rodeo sometime soon and would like to know what to expect. I went to my local Isuzu dealership and took a closer look at the vehicle. Doesn't seem so bad and pick up off the line is pretty good. Nothing like a Maxima but it's still good. My only gripe as far as i can tell in that short period of time was the steering wheel, it took me almost 4 turns of the wheel from side-side (lock-lock).

Thanks
 
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GroundZero

Diamond Member
Oct 17, 2002
3,669
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if it's free you can't go wrong, unless you are going to have to put cash into it. if you have to pay for it.....run!
 
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rootaxs

Platinum Member
Oct 22, 2000
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I'd still like to know what to expect from this particular SUV. It's still in very good condition, but if maintenance and whatnot is high on this then i may as well sell it in favor of something less-maintenance prone.

When you say, if i pay for it i should run... why? Is there something about the Rodeo i should know about?
 
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PunDogg

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2002
4,529
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Yeah a friend my of mine had a rodeo till he wrecked it, I liked the car, roomy, can hold 5 people easy. stylelish somewhat, good power, and accleration. good trunk space, and easy to modify, somewhat. Overall it was a good car. Plus they run for a while before going on you. Well hope u like and have fun with your new car, i just got a new car also, a used camry.
Doggfather
 
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Vette73

Lifer
Jul 5, 2000
21,503
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Originally posted by: rootaxs
If you or a friend of yours have owned an Isuzu Rodeo at one point in your life (or continue to do so), what can you say about it? Any comments, praises, complaints?

I may get a hand-me-down Rodeo sometime soon and would like to know what to expect. I went to my local Isuzu dealership and took a closer look at the vehicle. Doesn't seem so bad and pick up off the line is pretty good. Nothing like a Maxima but it's still good. My only gripe as far as i can tell in that short period of time was the steering wheel, it took me almost 4 turns of the wheel from side-side (lock-lock).

Thanks
Click to expand...


What year is it and what motor?

 
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rootaxs

Platinum Member
Oct 22, 2000
2,487
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Thanks for the comments so far :)

I've read some review online from both professional reviewers and other Rodeo owners, so far i've seen a toss-up between it's good and bad.

The cargo space does seem quite a lot, compared to an Xterra not only does it feel peppier off the line (e.g. light on its feet) the cargo space in the back is also quite larger. Can't say i like how the rear opens up though, but then again i'm not complaining. :)
 
codeyf

codeyf

Lifer
Sep 6, 2000
11,854
3
81
Passport = Rodeo = Passport = Rodeo

My aunt has been a Service manager at a honda dealership in Hawaii for years. She's always said they're great. She also always recommended the Isuzu over the Honda for 2 reasons:

1. They're cheapers, even though they're the same vehicle
2. Isuzu had a better warranty

Mechanically, she said they were very reliable, with the prime customer complaint (on the newer ones) being the gas mileage. Take that with a grain of salt tho, as in Hawaii, i'd say 80+ percent of driving is stop/go in city driving.
 
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isekii

Lifer
Mar 16, 2001
28,578
3
81
My friend owned a 96 Rodeo then bought a new Rodea 2000 I believe~

he'll never go back to a rodeo~

he bought the newer one thinking he got a great deal~ soon to find out it's so damn flimsy~

he actually regrets the purchase of it..
 
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rootaxs

Platinum Member
Oct 22, 2000
2,487
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Originally posted by: Amused
Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth.
Click to expand...


Not that i'm being impolite or anything, it's just that i want to know what kind of upkeep this vehicle will need from me. Plus i also wanted to get some comments from people who've had the experience of owning/driving one before. :)
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
pm michaeld. He owns one.

I have heard that they are very solid vehicles. Hell, they can't be *THAT* bad if honda thought they were good enough to rebadge and sell as their own.
 
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brentman

Senior member
Dec 4, 2002
628
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I saw Pun beat me to this one. I had a 99 Rodeo til I totaled it. If nothing else can be said about this car.. it has one hell of a crash survival ability! I hit a jersey barrier at 50+ headon (stupid ice) and all I got was a bloody nose from the airbag. I actually drove it away from the accident to the collision center where I bought it. It ended up being totaled. I know I would have been killed if I was driving 80% of the vehicles on the road. Thank you Isuzu!

Other than that, it's a nice ride and I loved it. Fun as hell and she'll keep up w/ those silly punks that think they can burn you out of a stop light :)


Enjoy it if you get it.


brentman
 
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Cat13

Golden Member
Nov 14, 1999
1,108
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0
I have had one for about a year now and it has given me no problems at all. I upgraded my shocks which helped smooth out the ride on long trips and it gets good gas milage for an SUV. I can get around 410 miles highway on a tank. Overall I am happy with it.
 
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GroundZero

Diamond Member
Oct 17, 2002
3,669
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i have a friend that had one. he will never own another.
seemed like it was always in the shop. wasn't any good offroad.
iirc, he also said it was prone to rollovers.
 
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rml

Lifer
Jul 6, 2000
15,836
0
0
95.5 and 96 model are very solid

I own a 1995.5 model LS

I put 200,000 miles on it and only have one minor problem covered by warranty.

There was a starter problem after that

It runs very good and I replaced brake-pad at 120,000 miles. I checked brake every year after 80,000 and the shop told me year by year that I have quite some miles left before replacing it. It is very good brake pad compared to other brand

My frien works at Isuzu dealership and told me that the 2000 model is very bad. A lot of problem with electric problem. He said that Isuzu cut corner on that year model making the wire "just long enough", so the wire breaks more often than other year model. They fix that problem at later year model.

In All, based on my own experience, I really like the 95.5 model

96 model has a little bit more horse power than 95.5

*1995.5 model has air bag, newer dashboard than 1995 model
 
R

rootaxs

Platinum Member
Oct 22, 2000
2,487
0
71
vi_edit, good point :)

brentman, that's good to know - safety is definitely an added bonus.

Cat13, which year do you have? Got any links to which shocks you replaced the stock ones with?

GroundZero, has your friend actually beein in a rollover? I've read many reviews but nothing to that effect yet. I'm curious to know, at least if this is a possibility i can look into adding a thicker sway bar.

rml, ElFenix, it's most probably going to be a 2001 model. Do you know of any problems with this year model?
 
Triumph

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
My sister had a 97 year model, I believe. I always liked the styling. Anyway, they took it with them to La Paz, Bolivia where they lived for two years. If you're not familiar with this city or country, well let me explain that La Paz is located at 13,000 feet above sea level, right in the middle of an expansive mountain range, where the roads aren't exactly "ideal", and needless to say there wasn't an Isuzu dealership within 5,000 miles! They never had a problem, and it was very capable for the terrain. They visited lots of places you wouldn't want to go with a car. I'd consider it a good truck; Isuzu doesn't even really build passenger cars, at least not for this country.
 
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