Shopping for a automobile from a defunct producer generally is a crapshoot, as components availability could also be sketchy. That makes in the present day’s Good Value or No Cube Trooper a little bit of a big gamble since Isuzu is lengthy gone from the U.S. scene. We’ll need to resolve if its value is a wager we’d gladly take.
“You gotta give ‘em that ‘hawk tuah’ and spit on that thang,” You recognize, perhaps if VW had named its 181 the “Thang” right here within the U.S. as an alternative of the “Factor,” it could have been extra widespread. We’ll by no means know. What we do know is that, at $12,000, the 1974 VW Factor we checked out yesterday wasn’t too widespread round right here. That was evident within the 57 % No Cube loss it obtained.
Have you learnt what’s widespread? That’s proper, SUVs and crossovers. Automobile consumers seemingly can’t get sufficient of them. That’s been the case for the previous 30 years or so, ever since Ford launched the wildly widespread Explorer.
It’s unusual, then, that Isuzu, an organization with a mannequin line steeped in SUVs and a protracted historical past of truck constructing behind them, couldn’t make a go of it in such a market. Possibly it was dangerous luck or a voodoo curse, however Isuzu’s speedy decline from a car-maker to a vendor of badge-engineered vehicles made by others to finally pulling up stakes is a tragic and sorry story.
On the brilliant facet, the corporate constructed some strong vehicles alongside the best way, and we have now a type of to debate in the present day. This 2000 Isuzu Trooper rocks 152,500 miles on the clock, and whereas it reveals some dents and scrapes for these miles, it seems to be in fairly good situation total.
In response to the outline within the advert, this Trooper:
has had no accidents, runs and drives very properly. It’s been cared for in and out. Clear California title, simply smog licensed and just lately serviced. The tires are practically new, there aren’t any warning or service lights on. It’s very good and able to go wherever!
Mechanically, this is likely one of the finest Trooper fashions to purchase because it has the later 3.5-liter DOHC V6 making 215 horsepower. That’s paired with a company components bin 4L30E four-speed computerized, Borg-Warner “Torque On Demand” 4WD system, and a tow package deal.
All the things appears authentic right here, proper right down to the two-tier manufacturing unit stereo unit and funky ’90s sample on the mouse fur-upholstered seating. For these demanding a minimal of ostentation, there are energy home windows and locks, cruise management, and dealing A/C.
There’s nothing too fancy right here, though the truck does give off Vary Rover vibes with out that marque’s inherent fame for poor reliability. There aren’t all that many different choices for somebody looking for a fairly roomy two-row SUV with a little bit of a unusual nature and a tragic historical past of company failure. The query for us is whether or not this distinctive beast becoming that invoice is perhaps price its $4,650 asking.
What do you say? Is that this clear, if not pristine, Trooper a go at that $4,650 price ticket? Or does that value make this simply one other Isuzu failure?
You resolve!
Humbolt, California, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
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