1986 Isuzu Trooper 4x4 review from North America
"The Trooper Rules!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing! This thing has been adult-owned and extremely well taken care of! I love it!
General comments?
My dad bought the exact same Trooper new back in '86.
Back then it was a strange, euro-type looking vehicle that turned heads wherever we went. The whole family loved taking long trips in it and the occasional off-road jaunt! I learned how to drive a stick in that truck as well... wow, what great memories!
Now, the Trooper is not your average vehicle. It handles like an old Jeep Wrangler, but with an extra 1000lbs. or so tacked on. It's a bit top heavy and slow as a pig!
But for some damn reason I love the thing!
It's clean as can be both inside and out. Everything works including the A/C, defroster, rear windshield wiper, etc. The headliner, paint, body and overall exterior and interior are all perfect like it just rolled off the assembly line. I picked it up for $1500, which is a screaming deal, considering that I saw Troopers on craigslist that had twice as many miles, and were beaten to hell, for over $2000!
It got decent gas mileage with the original carb: about 22mpg on the highway and 18/19mpg in the city. But I just installed a Weber carb on it and the gas mileage has gone up to 26 on the highway and 22/23 in the city!!! Weber really makes a great carb - I wasn't sure what kind of improvement I would get, but the Trooper gets way better MPG, and also has much, much better performance and power.
Anyhow, in my opinion, the first generation trooper is the best 4x4 utility vehicle out there.
If you see one BUY IT!
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| Dependable, cheap, easy, what more do you want? |
|
| Best car I ever owned that has multiple uses |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1986 |
| Year of manufacture | 1986 |
| First year of ownership | 2008 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.3L Four Cylinder Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 111892 miles |
| Most recent distance | 112959 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Accord |
| Date of Entry | 3rd February, 2008 |