Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Spring fever is upon us and some of the Rodeo’s luster is beginning to wane. Not because the truck is somehow inadequate, but merely because SUVs look better to our eyes during the cold night of winter than during the warm days of spring. Perhaps it’s merely a function of the fantastic weather we’ve been having in Denver this month. Whatever the case, we know that we’ve been eyeing the Miata and Mustang convertibles from our high perch in the Rodeo much more enviously this month than we were in February.

Nevertheless, this truck continues to impress Edmund’s staff members and their friends. After spending a few days with the Rodeo, managing editor Grant Whitmore’s friend, Sunny Kim, had filled the logbook with compliments. Sunny, who has a penchant for fast vehicles, was immediately won over by the Rodeo’s strong engine. She also cited the Rodeo’s precise steering and hearty antilock brakes as factors that made this large truck easy for her to handle. Sunny’s chief compliment about the Rodeo, however, is one that we think may explain the sport-utility craze and carry it forward despite protests that these trucks are a menace to the environment and other motorists. Sunny said that the Rodeo made her feel safe and comfortable.

The Rodeo made Sunny feel safe because it has antilock brakes, pushbutton four-wheel drive and a driving position that is so high off the ground that road spray from other vehicles almost never touches the windshield. It made her feel comfortable because she could travel easily with her fiance and two Siberian Huskies without having everyone packed together like sardines. Neither the Volkswagen New Beetle nor the Mazda Miata, two of Edmund’s staffers’ favorite cars, can offer drivers that sort of peace of mind on a daily basis.

Other logbook entries complimented the Rodeo’s interior, actually commending the fake wood that covers the power window surrounds and parts of the dashboard. One writer claimed that she liked the wood trim because it "breaks up the monotony of all of that gray on the dashboard, making it not look so plasticky." After riding around in a Mitsubishi Montero Sport with a dashboard constructed of shiny, brittle plastic, we think she may have a point.

The Rodeo was criticized this month for the ineffectiveness of the tubular running boards that seem to do nothing but soil the cuffs of the pants of whoever rides in this truck. Other gripes include the contrariness of the power moonroof controls that make it difficult to shut the moonroof on the first attempt. We also had a driver who kept bumping the floor-mounted automatic shifter from drive to third gear.

We took the Rodeo to Denver Isuzu to have the oil and filters changed and to have the tires rotated. At that time, Denver Isuzu’s mechanics investigated the faulty trailering harness and found that we had blown a fuse. They also tested the antilock braking system that had been flashing a warning light at us intermittently. They found nothing amiss with the system itself and reset the computer to clear the codes. We’ve not had trouble since. The trailering harness and antilock brakes were serviced under warranty. To our surprise, we picked up the Rodeo at the end of the day and found that the good folks at Denver Isuzu had washed our truck inside and out. Nice job, guys. They had no idea that the truck is part of a test fleet and that their hospitality could grab them a plug.

We’ve received a bike rack from Performance Products that we intend to install before our next piece on the Rodeo. This should give us the opportunity to inject a little more outdoorsy excitement into our lives, maybe making it easier to forgive all those little convertibles for being so damn cute.

Best Fuel Economy: 14.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 10.5 mpg
Maintenance Costs: $40.02
Problems: None.