I love isuzu. My pops used to drive an Isuzu Rodeo, he passed away when I was younger and every time I see an Isuzu rodeo or any isuzu vehicle it reminds me of him. I think isuzu is super underrated and without him I never would have discovered how cool Isuzu can be. Thank you for reviewing one of these and all the other isuzu cars, you're awesome.
I think most people, especially the younger gen has no idea what they even are (at least in America.) Their swift car is pretty much just a Geo Metro, but it's a very popular tuner car and they can look absolutely amazing if you do them right!
Totally agree. When I was starting as a fabricator I needed a truck and was aiming towards a Ford f100 or something like that. Came across an isuzu pickup single cab, 2,5 TD and after driving it a little fell in love with it! Before that I dint even know about them. It now has 451.000 km (around 281.000 miles) and it just keeps going and going
This is only one vehicle, most Isuzu cars are long gone just because this Isuzu exists doesn’t mean Isuzu cars last😂, but there commercial vehicles that’s a different story those truly last
@@joskjj3625 the engine in my trooper sounds exactly like those box trucks, I always whip my head around when I hear one thinking it's a trooper. I'd say ypu are partially right though, isuzu sold some meh cars in the states but in Europe they sold and still sell many reliable consumer cars and trucks. At some point down the road I kinda want to import an isuzu D'max truck but honestly I'll probably just get an old Mercedes Gd250 or Gd280 surplus from Austria, would work out well for me since my father lives over there and they are old enough that I can import it without bringing anything up to American codes
@@joskjj3625 No they're not, the only Isuzu cars that are not GM/Subaru rebadges are the Trooper, VehiCross and pickups and they're still running in the worst possible conditions from European salt and mud to Asian logging roads through Siberian frost to African heat and clay. Everything they've built in the last 40 years is still on the roads, just not in the US.
@@Master-Baiter I have a first gen timing gear pushrod diesel D-Max sadly the engine is the only good thing about it, the rest is rusty box frames and iffy GM electronics.
@David. Vox Populi well, for now I'm still in love with my isuzu trooper, I've only had it for a few months now. I really like the new d'max arctic truck but import laws and regulations are ridiculous, might as well get the diesel Chevy Colorado but I might try to import an older Mercedes G class gd250 or gd280 maybe, but they are old enough to get around the import regulations and my father lives in Austria so it would be fairly easy and not totally outlandish for me it import a car, who knows depending on how easy exactly it would be for me well see, might even have to start an import business. Lived over there for 8 years myself and got a dual citizenship. Damn I just went on a tangent. Sorry ab that
Thanks for this review of an icon, I have a 2001 Isuzu Bighorn, had it for 15 years , going on now for 350k and still the most reliable vehicle I've had, and that's from being driven on dirt roads of Africa....
Most Isuzus made in the last 40 years are still running the logging roads in Africa & Asia, towing & carrying loads from salty rusty Europe to freezing Siberia. These vehicles have been through all climates and conditions and they're still chugging along, especially the pushrod diesels. Absolute respect to Isuzu and its enormous heritage of reliability and getting the job done, these cars and pickups have paid for themselves 10x over.
You don't see these any more, which is a shame because it was a fine alternative to the 4Runner and the Mitsubishi Montero/Montero Sport. This was sold under at least 13 different makes and models and is really a global car.
Everyone be warned! These are extremely reliable EXCEPT the automatic ones. They put a very very poor GM auto in it that was meant for cars. They all blow up.
Many blow up, not all. My '98 has 160k miles and is still rocking the "Prindle." I've even towed a travel trailer with it, just under 2 tons. It pulls a utility trailer full of dirt, wood or other stuff once in a while, slightly lighter loads, but still work for it, and I am fortunate it has held up. $200 in repairs in over a decade, plus one set of tires. That's it! Now watch it blow up next week... LOL!
Mine hasn't blown up yet at at 133k I've heard bad things about them, I'm not sure of the work history on it before I got it, but if it blows up it'll turn into my parts trooper because like any normal 19 year old I want the stick shift anyways 🤣
I miss Isuzu here in the USA. We are missing out on vehicles like Isuzu Dmax (a mid sized pickup that was based on the Colorado) and the MUX (a Body on Frame SUV based on the Dmax Pickup)
The Chevy Luv (light utility vehicle) pickup with an Isuzu motor was originally manufactured overseas as a Dmax. I had one I bought back in the day for 300 bucks and it just kept going like that there battery rabbit.
I miss the Isuzu brand in America. I like these years of Troopers. I was actually looking at the JDM Bighorn 2 doors and thinking of buying one and importing one to the states. Tuanks for the review. Amazing.
One little known trick in manual troopers like this '95 is the ability to shift on the fly from 4LO into 4HI, but only from LOW to HI. For instance, clambering around in 2nd gear of 4LO, clear the obstacle that needed low gear, clutch in, throw the transfer case lever from 4LO to 4HI and when you release the clutch you are instantly in 2nd gear 4HI. It's a pretty unique transfer case and if you really like 4wd manuals its a fun one that allows some interesting advantages in certain situations. Owned and wheeled a 95 trooper manual for years and it was a very capable and durable vehicle.
@@dentondunn4346 I'm by no means an expert on the quadratrac but if we compared a jeep grand cherokee with open differentials and a hi/low transfer case versus a Trooper with open differentials and hi/low transfer case I do know for certain the Isuzu will have lower axle gear ratios- the Troopers commonly have 4.56 axle gears and nothing taller than 4.30. Jeeps frequently have 3.83 and 4.10 axle gears. Plus, the trooper has a Dana 60 rear axle, while the jeeps have Dana 35 and Dana 44 differentials. If the quadratrac is fulltime 4wd and still has open axle diffs I think the trooper gives you a pretty comparable level of performance with better gearing, in an auto it will allow 2nd gear winter mode take offs from a stop so that essentially puts them on par with eachother (higher geared jeep in fulltime quadratec 4wd and a trooper taking off in slippery conditions in 2nd gear due to winter mode). No manual grand cherokees so no comparison there. I like the grand cherokees but it's cheap to build a Trooper since you start with high quality heavier duty components and ratios stock...
This car makes me want to drink Hi-C and play Mortal Combat, in all the best ways. I SO WISH these could be re-launched in the states, along with the old Monteros and and old-school Tracker too.
Excellent video! Sound, production, narrative all great. Bonus - it's about the Trooper. I have a 95, equipped as per your subject. It's a tank. 235K. Lifters click and it sounds awful, but just keeps going. Cheers!
I believe that particular car has a body lift. They're great wagons (although that one is crazily rusty). But yes, it was rebadged by so many other companies. I had the 3.2v6 Lotus Bighorn version 23 years ago. It was replaced by a Passat 2.8 v6, then an Audi S4, Mercedes ML63 and I've just bought a '96 Isuzu Bighorn 3.1TD XS as a general hack (I hate the thought of stone-chips when taking the ML63 out to the mountainbike trails). The Bighorn really is a 'do it all' fun-wagon. It'll happily cruise on the motorway but, unless you have the 3.2 v6, don't expect it to perform. Mind you ... the 3.1 TD will happily cruise without needing to stop at every gas station ... unlike the petrol v6! It's just a shame that these were such a "little-known-gem" that nobody makes any aftermarket parts. But great cars to grab for a bargain deal.
@davinp Not sure why you are repeating what is already mentioned in the video, but got it wrong partly. Acura released this in *1995* , meaning I could buy one in *1995* at my local Acura dealer. All you folks know how to do is copy paste, without cross referencing context of the information. Meaning the SLX was sold from 1995 to 1999.
Great to see, thank you for this. Love to see a review of a manual, U.S. spec Trooper. Especially after the first major update for MY 1995, with the new dash and improvements. As you said earlier in the video, the 1995 model year was the first year for airbags. The '95 Trooper was an industry first as well. In October 1994, the Trooper was the first Japanese nameplate in the SUV segment and segment overall after the Range Rover (and Discovery) to have dual airbags. This was only because Land Rover was only "first" by some 6 months, with the RR Classic and Discovery midway through the 1994 model year (SRS RR sold as a '95) The Land Cruiser 80 followed in March 1995 as the next one. Like most old school SRS, design of this passenger airbag is very unsafe today, because it punched towards the passenger during initial deployment. Aside from that, Isuzu isn't giving enough credit for this generation. It started as a rugged bare bones entrant in the 70s, gradually growing into a semi-civilized family vehicle for Middle America. While civilizing the first generation in the mid-80s, which was like trying to extract water from a rock, planning and development of this as a 1992 model began and the target shifted midway to creating the equivalent of Mercedes-Benz 300 Sedan (W124 E-Class) on stilts. Isuzu wanted this to be a luxury vehicle and for the Rodeo to take its place in the existing lineup. A fully loaded Trooper Limited in 1995 cost $80,000 in today's money! And they were even more expensive internationally, due to size and engine displacement in some cases. This generation of Trooper was designed in the Japan Asset Bubble 1980s to be a luxury vehicle, which paid off initially, but Isuzu couldn't top what they did with this vehicle and struggled in the 1990s to devise a solution, to redesign it in a profitable enough business case by 2000. GM ruined any propositions ultimately, with the DOA Ascender. This vehicle was mostly Isuzu JP and USA in the 1980s, as the general body design was fully done with by 1988, even if it wouldn't arrive until early 1992. A love collecting modern classic manuals, so I hope to find one of these soon.
I remember back in the late 1990s until the early 2000s Isuzu Trooper sold well in the Philippines, it held its own against Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Pajero. But they never released a new gen which is bummer because a lot of Filipinos really loved it because it was more affordable.
Isuzu Rodeos, Troopers, etc, VERY Underrated ! Luv my '98.. Yea, I've had to do certain Repairs, but Still, They've been making dependable trucks,vans, for Decades...
This looks absolutely gorgeous, especially with that tasteful front ram bar. This is why I don't like crossovers in the least: they have no real purpose or identity. This baby is iconic and you KNOW what it's for.
... Ok...first off, Isuzus had shift on the fly 4wd from the early 90's late 80's. You can shift into 4wd hi range at 70 mph, I wouldn't recommend it but you can. Also Isuzu had the most standard features for any vehicle in its class. Also 2nd Gen went from 92-02 and they had a face lift in 98. And the fog light switches were put in by a previous owner to operate the off-road lights.
despite how rare these were even back in the day where i live. i got to see one of these a few days ago still going strong in the harsh conditions of kurdistan. japanese cars are the definition of indestructible
@@DavidVoxDem they still are durable tho. only japanese cars held well overtime here. even old FJ40 and FJ70 that are constantly abused for smuggling are still going strong. i will always have faith in japanese engineering
Funtime watching your video. That Trooper vehicle is running probably because it has a manual transmission vs the 4L30E which was not heavy duty enough for the Trooper in my opinion. My Isuzu Rodeo is running with a 4L30E likely due to it vehicle is smaller and not as heavy.
Not all push button systems require the vehicle to stop, the super select II system that came out in the second gen pajero still had a physical level but no need to stop the vehicle between 4H and 2H, only be under off memory 80 Km/h, 100 km/h in the 3rd and 4th gen, and even they still had a physical level, much prefer the lever over the push button system
can the back seat easily be dismounted without remove screws? i ask this because i am thinking about buy one pretty well maintained and use it as my sleeping car for the weekend, as i travel a lot around mountains. sorry for my bad english. btw in my country you cannot modify your car, so if the seats are fabric-removable, than no problem. if you need any kind of tool, than problem appears with road authority
I have a 94 Trooper Se with 280000 miles and I go everywhere rockhounding, Damm great rig except it hates hills and passes on the highway thanks to how it's geared but will gleefully climb a mountain off road, Topaz mountain in Utah is a great example
Also, my 02 trooper Ls has a on the fly push button into 4 auto which is like a really weird form of 4 high from what I understand for 4 low it's the same as this one however, stop, neutral shift
In the classic repair manual "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive, a Step-by-Step Guide for the Compleat Idiot", there is an appendix that details how to add a flashing red led to your dashboard to make would-be thieves think you have an aftermarket car alarm system installed. The circuit's pretty much just a red LED, a capacitor, and a few resistors.
Think you answered your own question on those angled switches. Big obstacle, so do you want the switches slightly more ergonomically positioned? I sure do! This is a great looking ride. Any chance that weird switch is for that light bar?
They are excellent candidates for importing the JDM engine and trans for. Every country out side north America had a TD version. The 4jb1-tc 2.8 and 4jg2-tc 3.1 They take these things to Toyota highlucks reliably. . Ive known a few that imported everything related to the 3rd row and added it. As all mounting points where there. There more of a 90s ranger extra cab seat, then a bench. . Sadly the vast majority of the automatics are a GM 4L30-E poo box with horrible reliability. 88 to 91 with the 2.6L has a good Asian warner auto trans. And a very small number in 2004 have the AW auto. Every other auto trans, is that gm poo box.
I love Isuzu trooper I had one sold it and I regretted than I bought another one it took 8 months to find it it’s a great car I love driving my 1996 trooper
I imported a automatic 1996 Isuzu Bighorn with the 3.1 diesel and the automatic is the more reliable Toyota aisin transmission. The v6 gas auto is a crappy gm one.
Consumer Reports loved to do hit pieces on SUVs and trucks. In response to their testing, NHTSA tested the Trooper and found that it was fine. Consumer Reports in the 80s and 90s was known for rigging SUVs to tip over during unrealistic tests.
Nothing wrong with manual suvs don't know if you don't know how to drive them or just a massive hater be ready for tons of backfire from manual truck/suv enthusiasts
