1998 Isuzu Trooper Lives Large

From the April 1998 issue of Car and Driver.

What’s most interesting about the new Trooper is not what’s changed, but what remains the same—namely, the suspension’s geometry and dimensions. After Consumer Reports described a near tip-over during a violent short-course lane-change maneuver in July 1996, we would not have been surprised to see the company increase the next Trooper’s track width or toss in some increased roll stiffness.

In our lane-change tests of the Trooper and its twin, the Acura SLX, we have never noticed any rollover tendencies. Sure enough, Isuzu went on to prove that the Trooper was not defective. Last July, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that tests it had conducted failed to reproduce the results claimed by Consumer Reports. The investigation was closed, and CR‘s petition for a recall of the Trooper was denied. So the Trooper was vindicated, but sales have nonetheless suffered in the wake of the Consumer Reports hatchet job.

To reinvigorate sales, Isuzu wisely chose to make useful product changes that address criticisms raised by Car and Driver, not Consumer Reports. The Trooper and the Acura SLX both finished fifth in comparison tests conducted in March 1994 and April 1996. In both tests, we dissed the Trooper/SLX’s primitive shift-from-a-stop part-time four-wheel-drive system, its lethargic acceleration, and to a lesser extent, its dull cubist styling. We also praised it loudly for its huge interior, its rigid chassis, its com­fortable and well-isolated ride, and its vaultlike build quality—virtues that did not fade in a 35,000-mile test.

An automatic four-wheel-drive system has been installed in this new Trooper. It engages at the push of a button. The optional Borg-Warner Torque-on-Demand (TOD) system is computer-controlled. When the “4WD AUTO” button is pressed (below 60 mph, please), the front hubs are automatically locked and a light marked “Auto” appears on the dash. Wheel speeds, vehicle speed, accelerator inputs, and other factors are monitored by the system’s brain. When all-wheel traction is required, a multi-plate clutch like that in an automatic transmission apportions up to 50 percent of the available torque to the front axle. A series of LED lamps on a dash schematic illuminate to indicate the amount of torque being sent to the front axle. There is no center differential, but the clutch pack in the transfer case never engages fully when the vehicle is turning on dry pavement, so the axles don’t bind.

When the road is smooth and dry, turning off TOD saves fuel by disengaging the front axle. For serious off-roading, a floor-mounted lever can be shifted (from a stop) to engage a planetary gearset for low range and also to fix the torque split at 50/50. TOD comes bundled with a lim­ited-slip rear differential, power folding mirrors, and a host of convenience features—all for $2180.

On slippery, snow-covered roads, imprudent stabs of the accelerator provoke the rear wheels to spin slightly before the front-axle torque comes online, but when driven normally, especially with the transmission in its winter-­driving mode, the system performs admirably. Ultimate off-road perfor­mance is limited by the Bridgestone Dueler tires, but the Trooper seems about as capable as a Mercedes ML320.

More good news resides under the hood, where the previous 3165cc engine has been stroked to 3494cc and endowed with two more camshafts. The dual overhead cams, acting directly on the valves, are said to reduce complexity, noise, and cost and improve reliability compared with the old SOHC setup. To reduce intake-air temperatures, air is inhaled from inside the left fender, and the intake manifold, which now fea­tures variable-length runners, is better insulated from the cylinder heads.

These refinements, plus reduced internal friction and a slightly higher compres­sion ratio, boost output to 215 horsepower at 5400 rpm and 230 pound-feet at 3000 rpm (up from 190 and 188, respectively). City fuel economy remains the same at 15 mpg, but highway fuel economy improves by 1 mpg to 19. A bonus: Less scheduled maintenance is required for the new engine, and that lowers the operating costs, which we found to be rather high in our long-term test report on the 1994 Trooper. The new engine feels much more ath­letic in all driving conditions. There’s better passing power and a more brisk step-off, and top speed increases from 105 to 108 mph. Our 4380-pound test car crossed the quarter-mile line in 17.3 sec­onds at 78 mph, well down from the 18.1-second, 75-mph time turned by our last 4485-pound Trooper. That level of per­formance would have put the Trooper mid­pack in our last comparison of sub­-$40,000 utes.

Perhaps in response to our carps on the boxy styling, Isuzu has revised the Trooper’s snout slightly, which improves its looks about as much as a nose job would improve the visage of Jesse Helms. What really makes the Trooper more attractive is its price, which has dropped substantially. The base price of $27,285 is down $1010, and a fully loaded model tops out at $35,370—about four grand less than the previous Limited model, despite a superior drivetrain and similar equipment levels. Our test car’s $30,975 price tag places it squarely in the neighborhood of midrange Explorers and Grand Cherokees, neither of which provides the interior space or build quality the Trooper boasts. The Dodge Durango approaches the Trooper’s interior size and adds a third seat, which is not offered by Isuzu, but it trails the Trooper in either performance or fuel economy, depending on which engine is chosen.

All the qualities we raved about in pre­vious Trooper tests remain praiseworthy. The build quality is excellent, with tight panel gaps and zero rattles or squeaks. The ride remains quite comfortable and well isolated. The Trooper still leans consider­ably in turns, but stiffening the anti-roll bars would likely result in head toss over one-wheel dips and bumps. Head toss can lead to cookie toss when you ride this high above the pavement.

There is still some room for improve­ment. The radio’s sound quality, ergo­nomics, and reception are subpar. We still don’t like the 70/30 split swing-out rear­-door arrangement because it is impractical for carrying long objects. A roll-down window in the wider door would help. We also dislike external spare tires that block rear visibility and make parallel parking difficult (will my bumper or my spare tire touch the car in back?).

The new transfer case and the improved engine should earn the Trooper a podium finish in its next C/D comparo. And over the long haul, concentrating on improving the product will serve drivers better than reacting to alarmist rantings from the safety nannies.