Overview & Reviews

Just about every automotive manufacturer produces a sport-utility vehicle today. But back in the early 1990s, there was only a sprinkling of truck-based, off-road vehicles to whet the appetites of those trendsetters who were ahead of their time in appreciating elevated seating heights and macho styling. The Isuzu Rodeo was one of these pioneers; a midsize SUV with ample room for five passengers and a comfy ride. Compared to more rough-and-tumble models from Jeep or Chevy, the Rodeo was much easier to live with on a day-to-day basis, and it quickly became a best-selling import SUV.

For the second-generation Rodeo, Isuzu concentrated on weight reduction, noise deadening, passenger comfort and improved on-road driving dynamics that all made the Rodeo a more livable daily driver. Thanks to a generous warranty, it was initially one of our top choices in the segment, but quickly found itself outclassed by newer competitors despite some minor updates.

Although a well-maintained used Isuzu Rodeo should satisfy shoppers on a tight budget, those willing to spend a bit more would be better served by more refined SUVs such as the Nissan Pathfinder or Toyota 4Runner.

Most recent Isuzu Rodeo

The second-generation Isuzu Rodeo midsize SUV arrived in 1998 with the same basic shape of its successful predecessor. The spare tire was now attached directly to the hatch (rather than a separate swinging tire carrier), or it could be mounted under the truck for a cleaner tail end design. These two configurations also reduced weight, which was a key design goal for Isuzu's engineers. In total, 285 pounds were shaved off the Rodeo by reducing frame and engine weight, by switching to rack-and-pinion steering and by using a five-link rear suspension design.

This reduced the burden on the four- and six-cylinder engines, which despite going up in power, were hardly known for providing quick acceleration. The standard 2.2-liter inline-4 engine available on the base S model made an anemic 129 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque, and could only be coupled to a five-speed manual. The 3.2-liter V6 available on the S and standard on the LS and LSE produced 205 hp and 214 lb-ft and was mated to either the manual or a four-speed automatic. Rear-wheel drive was standard with four-wheel drive being optional on all trim levels, but only with the V6.

The base S model with the four-cylinder engine was essentially a stripper (though antilock brakes were standard) with only a few options like air-conditioning available. Standard and optional equipment on upper trim levels included alloy wheels, a limited-slip differential, full power accessories, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, keyless entry, moonroof, leather upholstery and a six-speaker stereo with cassette or CD player.

In 2000, the Isuzu Rodeo received more than 200 changes, including an aggressive styling refresh, updated seating and an optional Intelligent Suspension Control (ISC) system that automatically selected one of 17 shock rebound and compression rates depending on road conditions. A new Ironman LS package included sunroof, alloy wheels, ISC, special decals and a Best of Black Sabbath album (wait, that's a different Ironman). A transferable 10-year/120,000-mile powertrain warranty also became standard in 2000 and a two-door Rodeo Sport model was sold from 2001 to 2003.

When that second-generation Rodeo debuted, we considered it one of the top midsize SUVs on the market. We were particularly impressed with its quality interior, silky V6 engine and roomy backseat. After a long-term test and two years later, however, we were no longer so enamored (quite the opposite, really) and thought that in general, recently introduced SUVs were much better choices than the Rodeo.

While the V6 and ample space continued to score points, our long-termer's three breakdowns, shoddy build quality and numerous electrical gremlins were simply unacceptable and we began to view the interior plastics as increasingly cheap compared to those in the newer competition. We also complained about the vehicle's paltry gas mileage, low towing capacity and rough-riding suspension.

Past Isuzu Rodeo models

The original Isuzu Rodeo was introduced for 1991. Like its replacement, it was available with four- and six-cylinder engines and a choice of rear- or four-wheel drive. With its long wheelbase, this Rodeo offered one of the best rides and largest backseats on the market.

Initially, both the 3.1-liter V6 and 2.6-liter inline-4 made only 120 hp. The V6 made 30 more lb-ft of torque, but its upgrade to 175 hp in 1993 was certainly welcome. The four-cylinder remained unchanged. Early Rodeos were also not very safe, receiving poor crash test scores and offering almost no safety equipment. Antilock brakes were standard, but were rear-wheel only with four-wheel ABS becoming an option in 1995. That year also saw front airbags added along with a redesigned dashboard courtesy of Honda, which rebadged the Rodeo as its Passport SUV a year previously. The only other significant changes for the Rodeo occurred in 1996 when Isuzu bumped the V6 up to 190 hp, added a shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system and improved the vehicle's ride quality.

User Reviews:

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  Pretty happy - 2001 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Paul - August 12 - 11:00 am

  I now have over 100k on my Rodeo and its only been in the shop 1 time for a new heater. Its been very reliable. Gas mileage is so-so, seats could be more comfortable, but all in all, Ive been happy with it. Bought it at 0% for 72 months. I plan on buying a new Yukon soon...I hope it is as reliable as my Rodeo has been.

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  Good SUV - 2001 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Solid SUV - July 30 - 5:20 am

  Bought this SUV to replace another one (99) of which was totaled (not my fault!). Very confident in the vehicles safety as I was not injured seriously despite being hit in the drivers side door by a car going 55 mph. There were very few changes to the 01 compared to the 99, but the subtle changes were good, like the rear wiper automatically returns to its off position when the truck is turned off. Overall this was the best SUV for the price that we could find. It doesnt have many of the "frills" of other midsized SUVs but for the price is pretty well equipped. We use it a lot for towing an RV and it performs flawlessly.

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  THINK ABOUT IT!! - 2000 Isuzu Rodeo
  By CAP - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I PURCHASE MY ISUZU IN 2000 BRAND NEW IT HAS BEEN A DEPENDABLE TRUCK UNTIL MY FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED REPLACE. WARRANTY DID NOT WANT TO COVER IT. SO PLEASE DONT PURCHASE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE RADDLE NOISE FROM ENGINE, CD PLAYER HAS BEEN REPLACE 3X . NOW THE CD PLAYER DOESNT WORK (EXT WARRTY DIDNT COVER IT). BRAKES BADDDDDD!!,BACK WINDSHELD SHATTER ON ITS OWN THE 3RD YEAR (WARRTY DIDNT COVER BECAUSE THE WINDOW WAS TINTED) KEYLESS ENTRY FOB WORK SOME TIME MOSTLY WHEN UP VERYYYYY CLOSE TO TRUCK (REPLACE BATTERIES SEVERAL TIMES ) SO PLASE THINK ABOUT IT!!!

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  3rd Isuzu -- Best Value for an SUV - 2004 Isuzu Rodeo
  By kdive98 - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned three Isuzu Rodeos--a 94, 97, and now an 04. Ive never had a serious problem with them and the previous two that I had were both at 150,000 when I traded them in. Comfortable, reliable, and stylish-- all for a great price. Edmunds missed the mark when they gave this model a poor review!

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  Dont buy this vehicle - 1998 Isuzu Rodeo
  By bill - July 22 - 12:20 am

  This vehicle was a pleasure initially until I realized the extremely poor gas mileage it got, but could live with it. Just before the 5 year warranty was about to expire, the engine began burning about 1 to 2 liters of oil every 5000 kms. ISUZU Canada says this is acceptable and will not honor the warranty. This vehicle is noisy with squeaks, etc and if youre looking for a smooth riding vehicle, this isnt it. My suggestion is to avoid this like the plague and for the cost, buy a Honda!

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  Isuzu has TERRIBLE customer service - 2002 Isuzu Rodeo
  By nomoreisuzu - July 19 - 2:00 am

  Called Isuzu owner relations 3 times. They are no help. Car brike down twice where we had to wait almost a week for parts. WILL NEVER BUY ONE AGAIN..

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  Love the Rodeo, but... - 2003 Isuzu Rodeo
  By skidude - July 3 - 10:00 am

  I am very happy with my new Rodeo. It gets a lot of use in the mountains and I am very happy with its off-road performance. The seats are much more comfortable than older models we tested. Roomy, sporty, attractive and useful. The biggest complaint that we have with our Rodeo is that it is next to impossible to get crossbars for the roof rack. The crossbars were taken off by the Isuzu design group due to noise issues, but were not offered at purchase and arent offered by Isuzu as an upgrade or kit. If you plan on using the rack, ask your dealer about it when you purchase your Rodeo to save the headache of trying to add crossbars later on.

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  RODEO - 2002 Isuzu Rodeo
  By JUDE - July 3 - 10:00 am

  I REALLY DO LOVE THIS VEHICLE. IT IS GREAT FOR GOING OFF ROAD IN SNOW OR MUD. LAST WINTER WAS ONE OF THE SNOWIER ONES IN CT AND NOT ONCE DID I HAVE TO STAY HOME. INSTEAD WE WENT 4 WHEELING FOR CHRISTMAS AND MOUNTAIN CLIMBING ON NEW YEARS. IF IT WASNT FOR MY RODEO WE WOULD HAVE BEEN SNOWED IN. I ALSO HAVE ROOM FOR 3 TEENAGERS,2 ADULTS, SKIIS, SNOW BOARDS AND CLOTHES. WHAT A WONDERFUL WEEKEND IN VERMONT!! THE INTERGRATED SUSPENSION CONTROL SYSTEM IS UNBELIEVABLE, THIS IS WHY I BOUGHT IT. IT FEELS LIKE A CAR BUT HANDLES ALL THE VARRIED TERRAIN. ANOTHER FEATURE I LIKE IS THE POWER BUTTON. NOT THAT THIS SUV NEEDS EXTRA POWER BUT IT HELPS IN NJ TRAFFIC.

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  Great SUV Isuzu Rules - 1999 Isuzu Rodeo
  By Mbz300sdl - June 20 - 2:00 am

  Well what can i say i have owned two Isuzus a 1990 Trooper that has 199,000 miles and a 1999 Rodeo With 102,000 miles these are great suvs I am only 18 years old and have grown up around cars ranging from Fiats to Mercedes (first car-300SDL). Dont get me wrong im not saying that an Isuzu can equal a Mercedes in anything except price but for the money spent there is not better automoblies avalible.

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  I Love this little SUV - 2004 Isuzu Rodeo
  By chasespeed - June 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought my truck used with 30k,and now has just under 50.I love it.Great family vehicle, fun to drive, and actually useful, even tow my race car with it, 4k, trailer and car.I have no complaints dealer of manufacturing wise.