Overview & Reviews

The original Isuzu Trooper debuted during the early 1980s. Thanks to the public's nascent demand for SUVs, the Trooper was fairly successful although it was plain and very utilitarian. Its boxy, two-door body has an obvious Land Rover appeal, but early versions were available only with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine and were quite underpowered.

Soon, a four-door model joined the lineup, and a GM-sourced V6 engine became available. As the sport-utility market grew, luxury amenities were added to the Trooper, but by the early 1990s, it was apparent that Isuzu needed to redesign the Trooper so it could remain viable in a market populated by steadily improving competitors.

It's this new "box with round edges" Trooper most people remember. Still truck-based, this wider, longer and taller Trooper added features such as a more powerful V6 and antilock brakes. That design lasted 10 years, and for some of those years Acura sold a rebadged version called the SLX. By the start of the new millennium, however, the Isuzu Trooper had been eclipsed by newer and superior competition and was still suffering from the effects of a negative report published in Consumer Reports magazine. With sales stalled, Isuzu discontinued the model for 2002.

As a used midsize SUV, the second-generation Isuzu Trooper is nicely equipped (in Limited trim) and, thanks to aggressive depreciation, priced affordably. Good off-road ability, excellent outward visibility and a spacious interior are among the Trooper's other positive attributes. Poor on-road handling and mediocre fuel economy are the Trooper's main drawbacks. The best years for the Trooper are the mid-to-late '90s. After that, models like the Ford Explorer or Toyota 4Runner or Sequoia are better choices.

Most Recent Isuzu Trooper

The second-generation Isuzu Trooper was produced from 1992-2002. Isuzu made some important updates for 1998, and it's probably these later Troopers that most used-SUV shoppers will be looking at.

In that year, this five-passenger midsize SUV gained a new, more powerful 3.5-liter 215-horsepower V6 and full-time four-wheel drive became standard. The Trooper also got a slight styling update that made it look more upscale than similar-era SUVs. The Trooper was available in two trim levels, base S and upscale Luxury, with the latter changing its name to Limited the following year. By 2000, an LS midlevel trim was added and once again a rear-wheel-drive version was offered. Only minor feature updates were made for the Trooper's last couple of years.

Our last full test of an Isuzu Trooper was in 1999 and we praised the vehicle's improvements, noting that the new engine added needed power and the interior was surprisingly quiet. We also praised the Trooper's roomy interior and cavernous cargo bay. Still, there's no disguising the fact that the Trooper is a truck. It looks like a truck and it rides like a truck. Anyone expecting a smooth ride and sharp handling will be disappointed.

For earlier years of this generation Trooper, there are a few things to watch out for. These Troopers were not as powerful. Base Trooper S models had a single-overhead-cam V6 that made an adequate 175 hp, while upscale-looking LS models had a dual-overhead-cam V6 that was good for 190 hp. Both engines displace 3.2 liters. In addition to its extra horsepower, the LS also offered ABS as an option, so used shoppers should consider that trim level.

Changes over the years were few, but one of the more noteworthy included the addition of a short-wheelbase two-door Trooper with the RS trim level designation in 1993. A few years later it was dropped. If you live in a cold climate, consider a 1994 or newer Isuzu Trooper, as those models offered the option of heated and powered front seats.

The real bargain is the Trooper Limited version added for the 1995 model year. It included such features as a power sunroof, leather upholstery, heated seats and wood grain trim. Prices for a Limited are only a few hundred dollars more than a lesser equipped Trooper, and all '95 models offered a slightly more compliant ride thanks to a revised suspension. The Trooper lineup for 1996 was minus the two-door RS. Shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive also made its debut that year. By 1997, ABS became standard and the Limited trim was renamed the Luxury model.

Past Isuzu Trooper

The first-generation Trooper ran from 1981-'91. A diesel version was offered as well, and later versions of first-generation Troopers were available with a V6. Early Troopers were available as two- and four-door versions but it was the roomy four-door that became popular with American drivers.

User Reviews:

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  Great SUV - 2001 Isuzu Trooper
  By Troopin guy - November 10 - 4:00 pm

  I bought a 2001 Isuzu Trooper Limited with 144k on it and it runs great. Its power heated mirrors come in real handy when its foggy or you want to get into tight spaces. The 4x4 is very reliable for off-roading. THE SUNROOF IS HUGE! It is very smooth and luxurious for long trips and the towing capacity is great too. Its acceleration is better then most vehicles and the winter and power drive modes are very useful. And I love the seats; they are so comfortable and good-looking. Another impressive thing about the Isuzu Trooper is its huge cargo space; it could and will swallow anything (except another TROOPER). I love this vehicle, it is the best. I test drove its successor the Isuzu Ascender and it stinks!

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  STAY AWAY! - 1999 Isuzu Trooper
  By Jeff - November 10 - 9:16 am

  I bought a 1999 Trooper expecting the same performance as I had with my 1992. Boy was I wrong! I ran my 92 Trooper to about 150,000 with very few problems. The engine died at 68,000 on my 99 Trooper costing me over $4,000 to repair. How ironic that my warranty ended at 60,000 miles. Isuzu has known for a while about the inherent engine problems with the 1998 and 1999 Troopers. However, they refuse to do a recall.

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  Excellent Buy - 1999 Isuzu Trooper
  By Koldshower - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I am very satisfied with this vehicle. It rides great and handles much better than the competition. Quality is everywhere.

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  Much better than I originally thought. - 1999 Isuzu Trooper
  By Pyric - October 12 - 6:10 pm

  At first I did not like the Trooper at all. The body roll felt extreme and the acceleration felt weak. However, I found that this was an illusion. The suspension is actually tighter than it feels, so even though the roll is excessive at 30 mph, it does not roll much more at 60. As for the acceleration, the ride is so smooth that it feels slow, but it has nor problem getting a jump on traffic or climbing a hill. As for off-road and bad weather, it performs better than any Ive ever driven.

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  Problems... - 2000 Isuzu Trooper
  By kansastiger - September 17 - 10:00 am

  I have had a lot of problems with this vehicle. It has been in the shop a lot over the last 3 years, torque converter problems, shorted wire in the 4 WD area, to a blown engine. Thats right, my engine started a loud knocking on a trip. Who knows what the problem was, the dealership said it was out of oil, but I religiously change and check my oil. I checked it immediately after the problem started and the oil level was fine. Anyway, Isuzu replaced the engine at their expense, but I was without a vehicle for 10 days. Now I have a rattle coming from the 4 WD area and Isuzu wont fix it since I am out of my warantee period.

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  Trooper; Big Bang for your Buck - 2002 Isuzu Trooper
  By Truxillo - August 28 - 10:00 am

  Our family bought a White LS 4x4. For our family this is not just a car, it truley is a recreation vehicle. We take far out into the mountains, deserts. My wife likes the heated seats, I have gone over logs and my CD player doesnt skip, and we know our two year old is safe in this +2 Ton vehicle (consider the extra $ for low gas mileage an insurance). We paid $25,500.00 for our LS Trooper. An equivelent 4Runner would be about $8K more (that goes into Davids college fund).

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  Solid Truck - 2001 Isuzu Trooper
  By Bill - July 15 - 7:00 am

  This truck is comfortable and fun in one vehicle. I can drive it in a sand pit and the highway. The reliability is amazing. The interior is spacious and comfortable.

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  Solid - 1999 Isuzu Trooper
  By Stronty - June 4 - 10:00 am

  The Trooper is one solid machine, its got plenty of power and gets great mileage between 19 and 20 mpg with the manual transmission- damn good for the amount of power and the size. Visibility is fantastic, even with the stripped down s model you get so much standard, stuff thay toyota and honda charge mucho buck to add at the dealership. Im hard to impress and the Trooper performs admirably. THis is one tough and well built truck.... demand more... the Trooper delivers.

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  Exceeded my expectation - 2002 Isuzu Trooper
  By littlepig - May 29 - 10:00 am

  For some unexpected reason, this Trooper LS is my third new SUV in less than three months. Previous two was Toyota 4Runners. Trooper is more fan to drive, yet not as bumpy as 4Runner. Interior is MUCH more spacious than 4Runner.

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  Why dont they still make them? - 2002 Isuzu Trooper
  By doug - May 7 - 8:26 am

  This is my third trooper and I will hang on to it as long as I can. Through almost 70,000 miles the one mechanical problem has been a $99 transmission problem, covered under warranty of course! The moonroof is amazing and open in some form or another all the time.