[quote=“sulavaca”]I can honestly say that Isuzu is the only Japanese manufacturer that I pretty much hate. I worked on those things for over seven years and compared to Toyota and Mitsubishi I thought they were shit. They spent almost no time designing a technician friendly vehicle and we used to have many more problems with them than other more reliable Japanese brands.
Electrics are generally fine aside from fuel guages, but the engines and their mirriad of oil leaks, transmissions, hubs, brakes, radiators and so on often suffered problems and were difficult to repair as they were rarely easy to get to.
For a fun offroader that offers less comfort on road I would go for a cheap as chips Suzuki Vitara/Escudo (in Taiwan). It won’t offer much at all in terms of load space however.
The Escudos also have their problems and may even be considered less reliable as the Rodeo, but they are far easier to fix, have far cheaper parts and won’t cause half as much swearing. Don’t think about driving them on road however as they are quite crap and guzzle fuel too.
I also don’t recommend changing to larger wheels on wither of the fore mentioned as the steering boxes may both suffer as well as the power steering and certainly handling.
Oh, and if you lose your Escudo keys, then you can open the central locking with a philips screwdriver by removing the right rear light cluster and shorting random terminals until you pop the doors. I found that out by accident.
I still reckon these things shouldn’t be for sale without a good reason for purchase. If you are often requiring the use of one for sports or farming then so be it, but they are crap for anything else.[/quote]
I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum here…I had a the four door Suzuki 10 years ago, and hated the thing so thoroughly (gutless, crap aluminum shortblock, electronic issues, kangaroo ride, pissy a/c) I sold it out of disgust and bought the Rodeo.
Driving a Rodeo in Taiwan though is an entirely pointless exercise without some excuse to actually use it for what it’s designed for. A soccer mom SUV it is not.
The good:
Solid ride:
Brilliantly comfortable high quality leather interior
190HP V6 with a nice torque range
Tons of rear storage…60/40 split rear seat that is more comfortable than a BMW’s. No joke.
Cruise control
Very tough components, well guarded underbelly for offroading
Dana 44 rear axle
5000pd towing capacity
Swing out rear gate with pickup style tailgate which will hold 500pds (two fat dudes with scuba gear) or tailgate party’s on the beach
Freeway ride for long road trips is fantastic (5 big dudes and gear is a cakewalk)
“real” offroad capability
Can sleep in back if under 180cm tall with seats folded down.
Non interference timing belt
As all the imported Rodeo’s here are made in the US, the vin numbers are on the dash, making an engine swap much easier in the event it’s required
The average 3.2L V6 Isuzu engine, despite the valve ticking easily will clock over 320,000km before giving up the ghost. I’m just under 200,000km now.
In an accident, unless your opponent is a bus, gravel truck or 747…I got rear ended at a traffic light by a woman in a mazda 323. She hit me at 40kph without hitting the brakes. She bounced off my spare tire carrier, and her car was totaled. I spent 2,000NT to bend my rear bumper back into place.
If you are an outdoor type, enjoy driving something different and don’t mind the exorbitant fuel tax and mileage, then the Rodeo is perhaps the best deal for a true truck framed SUV in Taiwan.
So, why are they so cheap?
The bad:
You’ll get around 6-6.5km per liter…And less if you put your foot into it, which will be tempting when having to pass that pissant, gutless prius in front of you.
The taxes will cost your 38k per year.
The automatic transmission is a bit weak (see GM430E) and can be a very expensive repair. Don’t ask me how I know that. (freaking General motors…Ironically the Manual transmission for the Rodeo is considered one of the most bulletproof ever made)
The infamous Isuzu hydraulic lifter tick (first generation 3.2l engines which is what you are looking at)
The timing belt tensioning pulley, when it goes out sounds so much like a rod knock that people in the US have actually junked the vehicle base on faulty mechanics advice that didn’t know the vehicle well enough. Most mechanics don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground about Isuzu.
Driveshaft carrier bearings (exacerbated greatly if lifted). This bearing on the 2pc driveshaft (another brilliant contribution by GM) tends to wear out, and at 8,000NT a pop are rather annoying to fix. There is a way around this problem though, and a one off modification will fix this permanently.
Power steering pump: they leak…add fluid and forget about it. They never break.
Your friends will ALWAYS make you drive…and when it comes moving time? Turn off your cell phone.
The vehicle once these items are worked out is turn the key and go reliable. I had to go through the whole menagerie of Isuzu problems to get mine to where it is now. For me it was a labor of love though, as a car junkie/camping/scubadiver this vehicle is a perfect fit for what I do.
Parts for the Rodeo, despite earlier claims here to the contrary, are quite cheap and still readily available.
Mine is a 94, and at 15 years old has fewer rattles and squeaks than most cars half it’s age.
I lifted mine back in 2005, and took this photo right after bringing it home. Not bad for an 11 year old car:
The reason that they are cheap is simple: High fuel tax, shitty mileage or a transmission problem. Stay away from any Rodeo that is even remotely finicky when shifting gears, or take it to a competent mechanic first. Most Rodeo’s that are in the boneyards in Taiwan are the victims of blown GM trannies.
If you are serious about a Rodeo…Send me a PM:
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). There’s also what, about a 600kg difference in weight? Could we do it from 0-30 instead?
I don’t think my wife would be happy if I came home with no car. I have no idea what would happen though. I admit my car is gutless from 0~30, but very good from 30~50 and especially uphill. It is 115ps output which gives it a power to weight ratio exactly the same as a 2.0 liter Camry. Not that they will perform the same. Mine is set up for fuel economy.
