Latest Isuzu Pooper Crisis -- the Story Continues -- Looking at a Replacement SUV

[BonzaiDuck]

I had made all this preparation with my repair shop to assess my 95 Trooper's roadworthiness and reliability for the 800-mile round-trip visits to the Reno Nevada area.

After they went over the vehicle in September, they would not have found what developed during my first trip north. I hadn't swapped out the cooling-system's thermostat since 2009. It had only accumulated 50,000 miles on the odometer since then, but Riverside is a hot climate, I used the vehicle for lots of short shopping trips, so a failure at this point stands to reason. Otherwise, the time interval is recommended at 10 years for a replacement, and the Trooper has languished for 15 years.

I was losing coolant from the reservoir, and being old with failing brain cells, I didn't really figure out what was happening after the first trip in October. After all -- I'd asked the repair shop owner to have all the fluids checked!

So here I was, having a wonderful trip again on November 24 to see my Bro and Sis-in-law for Thanksgiving, plying my way smoothly up the US 395 N. There were weather reports on Accuweather, and we had been checking them daily. I had the chains; I have the 4-wheel drive. I was using the wonderful cruise-control, resting my legs, tweaking it with the steering-wheel lever. What fun! Playing my Miles Davis and Bach Harpsichord on my mobile concert hall. I was heading into the little town of Lee Vining. The joke about Lee Vining goes this way: "I had the best donut in my life when I passed through Lee Vining!" "If you got it for less than $35, that sounds like a great deal!" On a slightly more serious note: It's a good thing that Lee Vining doesn't have pay toilets.

So -- entering Lee Vining -- kill the cruise-control, slow to 35 mph. Exiting Lee Vining, kick it up to 65 and push the cruise button. Suddenly, I'm looking at the temperature gauge pegging at "H". Pulled off the highway; sun is going down; temperatures are falling way below freezing at 7,000 feet elevation. Radiator feels cold. I was starting to think of the thermostat. The radiator from the fill cap looked empty. Triple-A has some complication about inter-state towing, so they took me to Bridgeport for the night, and I rented a motel room. The idea was to call for another tow to Gardnerville the next morning. Two inches of snow had fallen, but the tow-truck had chains. All of that went just fine but for the $160 per night I paid for lodging.

This ruined my plans to go over the north shore of Tahoe and visit a friend in Grass Valley after Turkey Day. Weather and road conditions would be dicey; I didn't know for sure what else would fail on the old Pooper. Bro and I picked up a new thermostat and liquid gasket from O'Reilly's on Friday, and then road-tested up the hill toward Tahoe on Saturday, to turn around and come back down for an hour's drive total. I was still worried about the Trooper's engine.

Apparently, I'd evaporated exactly 4 (FOUR) quarts of 50-50 antifreeze leaving about 5 quarts of the capacity in the Cooling system.

F****r just takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Over 1,500 miles, it had only consumed about 10 oz of Full-Synthetic -- after 205,000 miles and 30 years.

I JUST LOVE THIS OLD RIDE TOO DAMN MUCH! I don't think I'll be happy with a hybrid Prius or RAV4 Prime to replace the Trooper as "Number One Vehicle". I started looking at 2023 Ford Explorers and Bronco Sports.

Any thoughts about it? The gas mileage on those models seems pretty good for ICE vehicles. They have the features I want: 4WD, Android/Google Play, etc. and they fit in my garage.

No hurry if this old GMC V6 3.2L SOHC just keeps running. It will surely pass smog in another year with room to spare.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

WELL, MAYBE SOMEONE LIKED MY STORY bud didn't say so.

Here's an excerpt I just sent to a friend in e-mail:

Toyota’s hybrid Land Cruiser for 2025, hybrid 4Runner for 2025, and FORD Bronco PHEV 2025 – all seem to have dismal prices and uninspiring gas mileage for hybrids.

Toyota will release a 2026 Compact Cruiser EV with pricing between $35K and $45K. Otherwise the current (or earlier) Ford Bronco Sport – a purely ICE vehicle – gets pretty good gas mileage and is not inordinately expensive. A Bronco Sport Hybrid will arrive in 2027. But is such an investment an adequate recognition of oil and gasoline uncertainties and long-range trends?

What Nissan offers I haven’t yet checked. If you are inclined to look, please share, because they also have a good reputation – for instance my 1995 Pickup SE and your 2001 Xterra. Personally, I think that once someone has driven a mid-size SUV, they don’t want to scale down to a crossover, or sedan. You can get above 50 mpg with a Corolla Hybrid, even so. But that sort of interior space is not adequate for the truly SUV-spoiled. What about you? Are you spoiled like me?

I don’t want to “just let go” of $40,000 or $50,000 next year or even later. A $20,000 car loan might work for the duration before I can just “pay it off,” as a down-payment of $20,000 is not a hardship. Don’t know what the insurance would be.

Otherwise, looking at the mid-size SUV hybrid gas mileages, I’d continue inclining to drive the old Trooper as long as I can. It could likely last for highway duty longer than I will live.

For this “waiting for a PHEV, Hybrid or EV SUV”, I see the problem in this way – employing the concepts of Cost-Benefit Analysis or Capital Budgeting with calculations of Net Present Values and Future Values for purpose of comparison. There is a theoretical optimum purchase-point or date, based on the net-present-value of future gasoline purchases and repairs on the Trooper, versus the net-present-value of a new car purchase outlay and its fuel consumption – all discounted at some interest rate “r” into the present or as would be the case with 72 months of car payments with interest, by dividing each annual expense or purchase price by (1+r)n where n is the number of years (or other time period) out from the present.

Otherwise, it’s a crap shoot for anyone and everyone. And it all varies by how much in miles one drives per year and the average price of gasoline in any of the years between 0 and n. Drive less miles – keep the Trooper longer, gas price increasing next and following years – retire the Trooper sooner. [ Or “Xterra”, etc.] People make predominantly subjective choices, or exigent choices out of “replacement need” versus want. My subjective choice is to love my Trooper and do nothing, with no replacement need and no more “want” than continued availability of gasoline below $6/gallon.

We’re all f****d in the long run, or it would seem so. Billy Bob Thornton has a few choice script lines in “Land Man” explaining things to a lovely unbeatable corporate attorney, including the statement “We haven’t found anything to replace [fossil fuel]” while we’re running out of it. Keep oil prices between $68 and $70 per barrel, he says. And where is that Toyota battery innovation that gets 700 miles between charges? All I’ve seen is an extended range for a PHEV RAV4 – with gasoline plus battery technology. Otherwise a person could get a used PRIUS with even 100,000 odo miles and then replace the battery later for $5,000. But a PRIUS isn’t a Wrangler, Rubicon or anything like them. It ain’t no Bronco or 4Runner. Nor is a RAV4 or Subaru Crossover. It’s more like an enlarged 79 Honda CIVIC CVCC . . .

 

[Greenman]

If you can't find anything you like at price you're willing to pay, keep the trooper. Even if it needs a new engine and transmission it will still be cheaper than buying a new suv.

 

[lxskllr]

I didn't comment cause it sounded like you answered your own question. The Trooper sounds like it's working for you, so just keep it til it isn't. Especially for someone not putting a ton of miles on the road. It's the environmental choice.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

If you can't find anything you like at price you're willing to pay, keep the trooper. Even if it needs a new engine and transmission it will still be cheaper than buying a new suv.

I've been keeping an Excel spreadsheet -- "DATE -- ODO MILEAGE -- REPAIR/MAINTENANCE EXPLANATION -- [REPAIR SHOP]/DIY -- CHARGES/EXPENSE". I'm about $4,000 past the 1995 MSRP of $30,000. That sounds just terrible, until you average out the entire expense history including used-car purchase price over the 22 years I've had the vehicle, and it shows an average per month of $140. This bumped up from a couple years ago at $120/mo as I replaced all the engine sensors and had other work done.

Nothing is likely to happen to the transmission or the engine anytime soon. They've both been well-maintained. I've stopped the Dexron III and 10W-30 leaks, so the drop pan is dry and clean. I bought some belt-dressing this evening because the belts may chirp once in a while when starting cold.

When I was at Autozone this evening to get the belt-dressing, I found myself pulling into a parking space right next to a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo with the same engine -- really good paint (like mine) -- very clean. spoke with the owner who'd had it for only a couple months. I think we're going to both go at least 50,000 miles before problems with the transmissions or engines. Maybe farther than that. Some told me they'd expect 300,000 miles without any engine work.

So -- yeah -- I'm just going to drive it indefinitely. And like I said, vehicles in the same SUV class which are "hybrid" only show 4 to 6 mpg highway better than what I get. Actually, the best option I found was the Ford Bronco Sport, which is not hybrid but fully ICE. If I REALLY wanted to save gas, I could live with a RAV4 Prime or Hybrid, but I wouldn't "love" it. I have a friend who recently bought a Corolla Hybrid, and she gets something like 55 mpg. But I don't want to feel like SPAM in a can. A mid-size SUV sits high above the ground and has some armor on it. The tires are "big enough".

My ongoing plan had been to hold onto the Trooper until we were firmly transitioned to EV and hybrid, but we're NOT firmly so transitioned at the moment. I wanted to avoid investing in another ICE vehicle. Even if I find a newer vehicle I can live with, the Trooper will remain in my possession and use.

Not sure what to do except to be "The King in his counting house, counting all his money" so I won't damage my nest-egg to purchase a newer vehicle. I can put that project off indefinitely.

 

[BoomerD]

Have you considered the Toyota Highlander Hybrid? Not the most exciting vehicle on the road...but decent gas mileage for the size of the vehicle...

2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | Toyota.com

Meet the all-new 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. With functional versatility, remarkable efficiency and spacious seating, every journey is as exciting as the destination.

www.toyota.com

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Have you considered the Toyota Highlander Hybrid? Not the most exciting vehicle on the road...but decent gas mileage for the size of the vehicle...

2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | Toyota.com

Meet the all-new 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. With functional versatility, remarkable efficiency and spacious seating, every journey is as exciting as the destination.

www.toyota.com

ACTUALLY! The only problem I have with the Highlander is its length in inches and my garage. It will still fit, but I was looking for something shorter. AND! You are correct: for a vehicle that size, the gas-mileage for a hybrid is good.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

You seem like a simple man who deserves a Honda 3.5L. Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline. Great AWD system and generally trouble free for 200K miles. A few years had transmission issues and you do have to do the timing belt every 8yrs/100K miles.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

You seem like a simple man who deserves a Honda 3.5L. Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline. Great AWD system and generally trouble free for 200K miles. A few years had transmission issues and you do have to do the timing belt every 8yrs/100K miles.

I HAD A PROFOUND MORNING EPIPHANY. I had to get away from the house; decided to gas up the Trooper at COSTCO ($3.89 per gallon in CA!!!) Tried window-shopping the main store, ended up getting a plastic jar of granulated garlic. Came home.

All this time, I was thinking about being spoiled by the Trooper for a rigid mid-size SUV preference. I realized, despite my panic over a stupid thermostat, the Trooper may have several years of use left. But CITY gas mileage annoys me.

Sure -- I like the big tires, the feel of a solid weighty ride. But now, I'm looking again at the Toyota RAV4 hybrid or even the Prime PHEV. I'm looking at the gas mileage. I'm wondering if I would be better off with just the "hybrid" or with the PHEV. I'll likely buy a 3-year-old pre-owned, or if the mileage is low, older than that.

I can wait on this until mid-summer of 2025. The Trooper would then become the backup ride and possibly -- paradoxically -- a vehicle for long trips. I could wait longer than next year, but given my age and those uncertainties, I'm not sure.

I will still look into your Honda recommendation. Because, as I said, there doesn't seem to be any panic or hurry about this.

 

[NutBucket]

Split the difference with a RAV4 hybrid?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Split the difference with a RAV4 hybrid?

I'm leaning toward that choice. I'm wondering what Trump's tariffs will do to new and used-car prices, because otherwise,, I can take as long as I want to acquire the newer ride.

 

[NutBucket]

I don't think Japan is on his target list...at least initially. But, I could be wrong.

EDIT: Correction, they're made in Canada.

EDIT2: Given you don't drive 20k miles annually, will you ever recoup the extra cost over a non-hybrid?

 

[pete6032]

A newer car will be much safer in a collision. I wouldn't overlook that.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm leaning toward that choice. I'm wondering what Trump's tariffs will do to new and used-car prices, because otherwise,, I can take as long as I want to acquire the newer ride.

While the RAV4 isn’t made in China, lots and lots of the components are…same with pretty much every other car/ truck on the road. The Trump tariffs WILL most likely affect the cost of those.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm leaning toward that choice. I'm wondering what Trump's tariffs will do to new and used-car prices, because otherwise,, I can take as long as I want to acquire the newer ride.

Much like what happened during the pandemic when dealerships were closed to the general public and used car prices went up, up, up…if the tariffs drive new car prices up…used car prices will follow.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. I know mitsu isn't exactly popular but from what little I've head the outlander is suppose to be pretty good, do your own research, and used they are cheap.

 

[Greenman]

Much like what happened during the pandemic when dealerships were closed to the general public and used car prices went up, up, up…if the tariffs drive new car prices up…used car prices will follow.

If that happens I'm selling my ten year old truck the moment I can get what I paid for it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

A newer car will be much safer in a collision. I wouldn't overlook that.

This is why my Isuzu Pooper has its poor CITY EPA mileage: They built it like a tank. I'm not worried about a collision, although it could mean totaling my beloved ride. I installed a grille guard on it that looks like what you find on police SUV cruisers.

All those new features, like grabbing your steering wheel when you're too close to the curb, cause me some concern. My sis-in-law told me about her Subaru Outback -- a 2016 -- which elegantly manages the cruise control without cancelling it when you come up on a vehicle from behind -- that's OK.

I just took it out for lunch today. I just can't help myself saying so: That thing runs so DAMN well! 205,000 miles and counting. I almost want an excuse to go out again. I was going to make the Creamed Corn casserole from the recipe someone posted at Thanksgiving. I need some cream or something . . . .