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| 2000 | |||
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Add Your Review!
LS 4x4
| Model | LS 4x4 | |
| What things have gone wrong with the car? | -could use a bit more power in the upper end of the rev range (curable if you buy ECU upgrade from Superchips, but means using 91 octane fuel)-antilock brakes don't modulate fast enough-oil spills on top of skid plate during oil changes, however skidplate removes easily-No slip 4wd can only be used in slippery conditions at moderate speeds-No leather wrapped steering wheel except on LSE model-Requires a bit of steering effort at parking lot speeds, wouldn't be as noticeable if you had a nice, grippy, leather steering wheel instead of a slippery plastic thing-Factory parts to add foglights are expensive, just buy dash switch from dealer, aftermarket the lenses, and splice the wiring yourself | |
| General comments? | I don't even like SUV's. However, my girlfriend decided last year that she had to have one. Our $20K budget turned out to be insufficient for the 4x4 four-runner, xterra, pathfinder, or explorer we hoped to get a deal on. The xterra was the smallest & weakest of the lot, but the the dealers were selling at full list and more around here. We had resigned to drop down in class to a Suzuki Grand Vitara (the only real truck of the mini-SUV's, besides the Santa Fe & Escape weren't out yet) when my girlfriend spotted a Honda Passport one day & remarked at how good-looking it was. Wow! A light went off in my head. We had totally forgotten to look at Isuzu Rodeos (she had no idea they were the same). I have several friends that own & love their rodeos. Reliability history on the 3.2L engine is phenomonal. Most people don't know that it's the workhorse drivetrain used in the Trooper for years. The mechanics i talked to recommended the the 3.2L version highly, but did note quite a few common problems with the 3.1L used in earlier rodeos. We went to the dealer and found a beatiful mica bronze one (people love the color of this truck). Mica bronze has a metallic flake and really gives the truck a luxurious look. My jaw hit the floor when the salesman said he'd present my lowball offer of $22,000 to his manager (the other manufacturer's sales people had practically kicked me out the door, especially toyota). The truck stickered at $28,600 with the alloy wheel upgrade, 6 disc changer, and 4x4 options. We negotiated to $23,200 and i tell you if i wasn't frustrated by 4 months of shopping, i could have snagged it for less. You can get one of these right now with the same options for $21K if you're smart & patient. Our 2000 model has the 10 year drivetrain warranty, which you can't get if you buy a passport. This would be a $1,000 extended warranty option anywhere else. When I went under the truck to do the first oil change i was shocked to find heavy gauge steel skidplates all over the underbelly of the truck. Other mfrs we'd looked at charged for this as part of an off-road package. Additionally, there was a super-thick layer of black undercoating on everything under the truck. I was impressed! To date, we've put 15,000 miles on it without a single problem except a burnt out turn signal bulb. The engine is far more quiet than I ever expected. Low-end power delivery is excellent. Mileage is about the norm for the class, but only requires 87 octane fuel, unlike the sports cars I'm used to driving. The 16 alloys look good, clean easily and come with excellent bridgestone tires, these tires are quiet on the highway and yet so grippy in poor weather that we rarely have to use the 4wd system. The ride is not harsh, but is a bit bumpy (found similar ride quality in other truck-based SUV's). Load her up with 4-5 people and a bunch of gear and she drives beautifully though. The ride can get skittish over bumpy ashphalt, so reduce speed in these conditions. Hauling a 1000 lb trailer has been the max we've towed, didn't even know it was there. Brakes have good stopping power, but need a little extra pedal effort to achieve it. If you get the gray interior it does look cheap and plasticky, but our tan interior actually looks pretty nice and has good control layout except that it's easy to accidentally engine the "winter" drive option (no big deal, you're justing starting out in 2nd gear, you'll notice the difference in acceleration and switch it back) and the 4wd button is right next to the cruise control button, so be careful not to accidentally hit it while turning on the cruise control. by the way, the hidden spare tire under the back end is a no-cost option, get it. Wheel on the back makes truck longer and harder to park, it's less likely to get stolen (add a lock), it looks my nicer, and you won't have to replace your bent up tailgate if you ever get hit in the rear. There's still just enough room left for the tow hitch too. The bottom line is that this is the best deal in mid-size sport utes. Even if you can get an awesome deal on a pathfinder or 4runner don't forget that you'll pay for an extended warranty if you want to match the rodeo's coverage. | |
| Previous car | toyota 4runner - compares similarly for much more money, feels less roomynissan pathfinder - better power & ride quality, much more expensivexterra - rodeo kills it in every category and you can buy it for less even though its sticker price is much moreex | |