My 1994 Isuzu Trooper has been to Canada. It's seen an ocean, mountains, and desert. All trips starting from my Central Illinois home.

My Trooper did a 60 mile round trip 5 or 6 days a week for 6 years. It's still going. 200,000 miles and over 13 years since it's assembly means nothing . I still drive it every day and would take a cross country trip in it without a worry.

1994 Isuzu Trooper
I bought my Trooper in 2000 with 75,000 miles on it. Yes, I've driven 135,000 miles in a little over 7 years. I like taking off whenever I want to in a dependable vehicle. As you can see, I've taken off a lot in my Trooper.

The only things I've had done to my Trooper are regular maintenance; oil changes, tune ups, new shocks and the such. I've only had to replace one part, the cellinoid. There are two small oil leaks, which require me to keep an eye on my oil level, but even that is a minor problem which hasn't called for a mechanic yet.

First, a few minor things that I wish were different. The body design is boxy. There aren't any rounded curves to it, so when the wind is blowing hard, I have to keep a good grip on the steering wheel. The Trooper can, and will be, moved around a bit by the wind. Nothing extreme, just something I have to correct my driving for. Although it has a boxy style, I do not have problems with curves or rounding corners. Like any other driving one does, use common sense and a lower speed.

Second is the 4 wheel drive. I have to stop to shift the 4 wheel drive into gear. The same when taking it out of gear. I would love to be able to shift on the go. Oh well...as I said it's a minor thing.

I have been lucky enough to not have to buy parts. I do know that when that time comes it is going to be pricey.

The Good
Once it is in 4 wheel drive I can go places that have left lesser 4X4's stuck. For example: A co-worker called me to see if I thought I could pull his 2005 Dodge 4X4, 1/2 ton truck out of a creek bed. We hooked a couple chains to the available tow hooks on the back of my Trooper to the front of his truck. After shifting into gear I pushed a button, on the floorboard gear shift console, labeled "snow". What the snow button does is give the engine an extra lower gear for pulling or making my way through very sandy or snowy places. We walked his truck right out of the creek.

On the opposite end of the engine spectrum I have a button labeled "power". This is another added gear that when pushed helps rev the rpm's up so it will shift faster. I use this when merging into fast moving highway traffic from an on ramp. I do make sure to disengage each of the mentioned buttons after the task I wanted it for is done.

The V-6, 3.2 Liter engine, with dual overhead cams, has plenty of get up and go. While running on interstates with 75 mph speed limits it kept up with the flow of traffic...which you know wasn't settling for 75 mph...without any problems. There wasn't any shake/shimmy going on.

The brakes do their job and do their job well. Living in whitetail deer country I need to make lots of sudden stops. The four-wheel anti-lock brakes haven't failed me yet.

An added feature, that I haven't seen on many other 4X4's, is the skid plate that covers the underneath of my engine. It will take the brunt of anything hitting the underside. I like this added engine protection.

The windows wrap around the entire vehicle giving me an unobstructed view from all sides. A larger viewing area has allowed me to see things I might have missed otherwise. Like a driver running a stop sign on the right of me as I was passing the intersection. Being able to see to the side allowed me to correct my driving to avoid his.

Inside My 1994 Isuzu Trooper
If you want to see what my Trooper looks like, look at the picture provided. It is the same style and color as mine. But, you say you can't see inside? Let me help.

There are 2 bucket seats in front with a console between them. The cloth seats have nice back support and I have never had an ache from driving, even though I did a 17 hour stretch. The console, between the seats, has a small pocket for change. There are 2 cup holders and a larger storage space with a cover which I use to hold sunglasses, papers, and more. The back seat is a 50/50 bench style with 3 seat belts. The 1994 Trooper can hold 5 people comfortably.

The rear cargo space is very roomy. On one vacation my mom and I had 2 large suitcases, 2 smaller bags, a medium sized cooler, a 3 foot cement statue, and various other cement yard ornaments stowed there. A cargo net attached by all four corners to the floor of the cargo area is helpful in securing loads.

There are gauges, not lights, to register the oil, temperature, battery, and gas. I like monitoring what's going on with my engine, instead of waiting for a light to pop on telling me something is wrong.

I, also, like that I can adjust my mirrors from inside with a touch of a button. I can fold them all the way in for tight spots and at the carwash. They are heated for a quick defrost in the winter.

There are many small perks that I could go on about for another 3 pages. Cruise control, intermittent wipers, power windows, fold down back seats, and reclining front seats. While the locks aren't power, they can all be engaged at the same time by pushing the driver's door lock, unlocked the same way.

A New Vehicle?
My husband offered to help me look for a newer SUV a few months ago. No thanks. My 1994 Isuzu Trooper may be older, but it doesn't look or act old. It still has good maneuverability and power. There isn't any rust and the engine runs good. For a mid-size SUV, I feel the gas mileage is acceptable. I've tracked it a few times and have gotten 18 to 23 miles per gallon.

It's my traveling home...what I'm comfortable driving. I'll keep on, keeping on with my Trooper until it can't keep on any more.





Amount Paid (US$): 7800
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1994