Faults:

The Motor sputters, but it's probably the fuel injectors. Minor interior problems but easy fixes.

General Comments:

Seeing as I needed an auto that had a lot of room but wasn't a land boat, I looked into an SUV. I'm always driving my friends around so it is nice to have something we can have some fun in. That's when my step-dad got me my isuzu rodeo.

The interior is Grey and felt very nice. I sit up in my car and I still don't hit my head on the roof. The back has plenty of leg room and everybody loves how the seats are "butt heaven." It's nice on gas and comes in stick shift for those who like them. And heat is almost instant. It's got enough cargo space to haul anything and the car handles turns very nicely for an SUV. It's got a nice off road look to it and is just fun to drive.

On the Downside... it's a I4. It's not the fastest on acceleration but it does get up to speed as needed. The wind noise is kindof annoying at high speeds. The stock radio is weak and the interior has a few issues. The car is big enough to handle five people without a problem... but it lacks in the cup holder department. There are three total, but the way they designed it you can only use two at a time or one. Not all 3 together. The glove box is roomy but storage isn't easily found, so hide your receipts somewhere besides your center console. It takes a lot of work to open the back (open the top window, move the wheel, drop the tailgate thing). But the tailgate opens down and not sideways which I found a plus.

Best of all, It hasn't given us any problems off road. It's hit ditches, corn fields, and about any "non-road" surface I can find. The only time It got stuck, I was able to Pull itself nicely. It was a pleasure when I was moving and It's got awsome cargo room.

Faults:

The only problem with this vehicle is the seeping of oil around the head gasket. I had it fixed and still could not keep the oil from seeping. I find in talking to others this is a common issue.

The engine had a clicking as if a lifter were sticking. It was not a result of the engine being low on oil either. It never caused a problem other than irritation. My research reveals this as another another common problem.

General Comments:

This vehicle had good acceleration, is roomy on the interior and actually quite comfortable. Got an Average of 18 mpg which is expected with the V6 engine. Well wotrh the purchase price. Still runs great. I gave it to my 16 year old son.

Faults:

Left dashboard light went out.

Radio display doesn't light up consistently.

General Comments:

After driving this car for 35000 miles, there has been little to no upkeep on this car except to change the oil every 5000 or so miles and to change the shocks and brakes.

There is lots of room for driver and passengers, because the seat rails are limited in their distance. I'm not too tall (5'8"), so it works well for me. I can cram a hell of a lot of stuff, especially with the seats folded down. I'm able to haul 5 people including myself with full backpacking gear comfortably.

The alignment may need to be checked, as at some freeway speeds, can be hard to stay in lane (although this may just be due high winds in areas).

This Rodeo has never left me stranded, a more reliable car that any other my family owns.

As for handling, well, it is an SUV, but it's pretty decent on tight mountain roads.

This being the I4 engine, leaves much to be desired in terms of power, but it does have decent torque.

I average 20 mpg mixed driving, and when driving in I-5 at around 90-95 mph, mpg dropped to about 19.5.

The only reason I would sell it is to get a car with better gas mileage, since I'm a student and commute daily, putting 40+ miles a day on it. And much more on frequent road trips.