[catcher10]

I have a 2000 Rodeo LS, my third Isuzu. Have never had a problem with any of them and the Rodeo has almost 88K miles, use it every day. Thinking about a new SUV and cant find anything that I like. Looked at the Ascender and asked for a quote.
What has been the experience with this truck? Also, does anyone have a feel for Isuzu's future in the US market place, seems lots of Isuzu dealers are gone. Thanks

 

[JTK]

Hard to say what will become of Isuzu US , but ascender (trailblazer clone) parts and service will be no problem as there has to be a zillion trailblazers (and equiv's) on the roads & more being pumped out every day.

G/luck
Joel

 

[pkgdave]

yes, you can get a new Ascender... but its a Chevy Trailblazer. And the Chevy Trailblazer has one HECK of a bad quality/reliability record already (Consumer Reports.org, the only independant, non-ad supported reviewer I can find)

If you liked your Rodeo enough to buy another, you could find some new 2005's in stock still. They give them away pretty cheap (at least here in the mid-west). They even more give-away the Axiom. Im talking like $8-10k off msrp . But both are not really "modern" SUV's. Ride, handling, space utilization, etc is pretty much 1998-ish. I like like the looks of the axiom myself. The Ascender? They pay YOU to drive them off the lot.

If you need more space, and dont need to rock-crawl up canyon trails in the wilderness, take a look at a Honda Pilot. Seats 8 (4 adults, 4 kids), great on gas, super reliable, Camry-good ride. Its a proven drivetrain/chassis (Acura MDX, Honda Odyssey, Honda Ridgeline all share it) and is truly an SUV for 99% of what SUV users want an SUV for. Meaning, its essentially a rough-road capable 4wd minivan with an SUV body style that looks manly.

I have a Pilot, and no, its no match for my Trooper (TOD, perf. pkg) in terms of off-roading. Its almost as good as the Trooper in snow. Tires liely limit its snow-ability. But I have yet to drive a vehicle thatr matched the TOD trooper snow traction. 3" of snow, light turns green, gas pedal to the floor, head snaps back into the headrest and leave the Jeeps behind gasping in disbelief. The pilot leaves behind Jeeps in the snow... but no neck snapping at green lights.

If a Pilot is too $$$.... heck, go with the Chevy. They give them away (almost literally) so you can afford the 100,000 mile warranty...which you will need.

 

[JTK]

If you want to stay non-domestic on a budget, take a look at the kia sorrento(sp?). Body-on-frame, part-time 4x4, good sized, horrible resale like the rodeo/trooper :lol: , etc.. might be a viable option for ya!
G/luck
Joel

 

[bigpoppax2]

Can I ask why you are looking at a new one if yours is a 2000?

 

[catcher10]

Looked at the Kia Sorrento a month ago. Looks great, but, if you read user reviews on edmunds or kellys, it is unbelievable. Seems the quality is awful.
The rodeo has been rock solid, as were my troopers. To go to something that has been problematic already isnt for me. Will keep the rodeo rocking and keep looking Thanks

 

[pkgdave]

I had a Kia Sportage 4x4. Got it for 169/mo lease, zero down, 3 yrs. Couldnt pass that up.

Tail pipe fell off after 4 weeks..... No joke whatsoever. I guess they all do that. Take a peak under the nearest one you find. Hysterical.

But it was OK, I got a new tranny, motor, radio, seat, A/C, radiator and brakes all after 1-1/2 years. So I got to drive basically a new car halfway through the lease! Awesome.

To be fair, Kia has gotten much better since my 97 sportage.

 

[JTK]

I would not base my desicion on edmunds or kelly forums. They've got to be the #1 catch-all for complaint posters, that's about it :roll: . People go on to post an 'issue' and never return / follow up. No real data.
G/luck
Joel

 

[mdocod]

I would not base my desicion on edmunds or kelly forums. They've got to be the #1 catch-all for complaint posters

exactly...

you have to be carefull where you gather your information... some places, will have nothing but complaints about vehicles.. and truth is, you can find a LOT of coplaints about EVERY vehicle ever made on the internet... If you find a big forum (like ours), then you can narrow down what the real troubles of certain makes are.... you can come here and browse around awhile, and get a good feel for the common problems and solutions to isuzus. (ticking, head gaskets, etc)... There are forums like this one, for nearly every make, and sometimes even spacific model cars, with lots of members.... ask them how they feel about reliability. A good example... I have a friend, who just bought a 2004 chevy colorado... It has the in-line 5-cylinder,... I rode with him and took a good look under it. (looks like my isuzu on the underside)... It was what he wanted, regardless of what magazines say about it... but after reading some reviews, he was shocked to hear about all the problems people are having.. on one review he read, it was rating amongst the least reliable vehicles.... But... everyone he has talked to personally that owns one, loves it, and gets great use out of it...

both my father, and his brother, have honda CR-Vs.... Small, economical.. and neithor of them have had mechanical difficultiy. It's not an off-road monster, but the 4wd version are great for a few inches of snow and getting to and from work. The V-tech engines in them do well enough for most people. something else to consider perhaps.

 

[chitown]

If you liked your Rodeo enough to buy another, you could find some new 2005's in stock still. They give them away pretty cheap (at least here in the mid-west). They even more give-away the Axiom. Im talking like $8-10k off msrp . But both are not really "modern" SUV's. Ride, handling, space utilization, etc is pretty much 1998-ish. I like like the looks of the axiom myself. The Ascender? They pay YOU to drive them off the lot.

You found a 2005 Rodeo? Just giving you some crap. They stopped making them with the 2004 model year. But you're right about giving them away. Here in the Chicago area they dropped the price on so many 2004's that people actually bought all of them. I think I saw some new ones that were loaded for like $18k-$20k. The Ascender, although GM, I think is the better deal over the T-Blazer and Envoy. Same truck, better warranty, and less expensive to buy (at least out by me). Yet, everyone goes for the Chevy or GMC. Just don't understand it....

 

[JTK]

A 2005 would be great! :lol: Chitown- that is funny. Our local 'zu dealer had leftover 2002 troopers up until about a year ago :shock: , and had 2002 and 2003 rodeos collecting dust for the loooongest time. I never even saw a 2004 on the lot!

G/luck
Joel

 

[Axiom 02]

Only 04's left are in California.

http://isuzudealers.com/inventory/index.esl?SBstate=CA

You could probably get one shipped cross country for $400-$500

My brother has a GMC Envoy ( aka Ascender, Trailblazer, Ranier, Bravada, Saab SUV Name (?)) It's a decent vehicle, but the build quality doesn't measure up to the Indiana built Rodeos & Axioms

 

[CarMatt777]

Our Ascender has been pretty good. We have 55k miles on it and it has only given a few minor problems, nothing serious, plus the warranty covers everything. The warranty is great.

Although some may say its not that great, I find the ride and interior is far superior to the Rodeo. It may lack sportiness, but its a great family vehicle with lots of standard features and a good price. I'm sure the dealer would give you a great deal.

When it comes down to it, if you have the money, a Toyota 4Runner, Hummer H3, or the Nissan Pathfinder may be a better choice when it comes to style, but the Ascender provides through the roof value, power, good ride, and the ISUZU grill on the front.

 

[Zavala]

My wife drives a seven passenger Ascender and loves it. For the money, it was a much better value than the Trailblazer or Envoy -- and it's exactly the same truck. On-Star gives me tons of peace or mind when the family is away. Plus the warranty coverage is great.

On the flip side, the long powertrain warranty is not transferrable. This wasn't a big deal for us because we wanted to keep it a LONG time. But if you want to trade in a few years it' will reduce your residual. Also, the dealer network is pretty small in many parts of the country.

PS -- I still miss our old Trooper though!

 

[Canucklehead]

When it comes down to it, if you have the money, a Toyota 4Runner, Hummer H3, or the Nissan Pathfinder may be a better choice when it comes to style, but the Ascender provides through the roof value, power, good ride, and the ISUZU grill on the front.

Puttng Isuzu badges on a Chevy and offering an extended warranty doesn't make the Chevy an Isuzu. 8)

 

[mepr]

but if you think about it, running longer wharenties on a chev is kinda like isuzu giving GM the finger. Becouse all those parts are free for the consumer and they have to come from gm since the truck is gm. I always kinda got a kick out of that. Its like Isuzu is a bunch of anarchists or something :lol: