Mainsteam reviewers used to praise the Isuzu line, until the infamous Consumers Reports and then they all started slamming them, along with your Trooper. How the same design went form wonderfully stable to unsafe on the road in just a couple of years is beyond me. (Oh, wait, sensationalism drives sales)

No, the Rodeo is not a lexus. But it doesn't cost as much, either. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

As a price per what you get, I've been quite happy with both the 93 Amigo (18x,000 miles, no major problems, only the 2nd clutch and 3rd set of tires) and the 2004 Rodeo.

I drove the Jeep Commander fully loaded in Alaska for 2 weeks; just got back. Sure did miss my rodeo. The much larger commander had 68 ft3 of space, the Rodeo has 81.5 and got better mileage. And visibility was horrible in the commander. (It did handle nice on the highway and was pretty stable on bumpy dirt roads; slow to spool up and accelerate, got stuck in 4w-low a couple times and had to rock it into high)

Some vehicles are better or worse for certain situations; you have to decide what's best for you. Stock, the Amigo has been a better wheeler than the rodeo, but that's partially due to 31" tires and a shorter wheelbase.

One advantage in fine dust--the Commander was air tight. My rodeo sucks in some fine dust from the rear seals; I need to try stretching them to get a better fit. As it is, I wipe down my rear inside every now and then with a wet cloth.

If you hard core wheel and don't want to build a tube vehicle, jeep is the way to go. If you haul some stuff and offroad occasioally, I like the comfort of the Amigo. If you take the family, I like the Rodeo. Some people prefer the 1995-2001 Mitsu series.

Try some different ones, see what fits you best. THe #1 thing is to wheel and enjoy it, it's a lot of money and time inside a vehicle over the years. #2 is to get Isuzu (that helped me with #1).

Let us know what you do.