With a new front bumper cover (our third since buying the car), grille, fender and turn indicator, our long-term Rodeo is back in one piece, giving drivers in Edmund's New York office commanding views of the East River, Brooklyn Bridge and the tops of millions of yellow cabs. Yep, the Rodeo has gone city slicker on us, swimming with the big fish of Wall Street and muscling in on the action in Little Italy.

So far, the Rodeo has been well received by our New York staff. Everyone is impressed by the forward views afforded them by the high-riding Rodeo, and no one has complained about trying to park this medium-sized truck in the cramped quarters of Manhattan. Nevertheless, complaints have arisen about the Rodeo's mediocre rearward visibility. The clogged streets of the Big Apple require plenty of attention, so the blind spots that were no big deal in Denver have been the cause for some narrow escapes during the daily commute. We're certain that our New York drivers will get the hang of this truck, but there is no mistaking its ungainliness in a city that is more suited to compact cars than medium sport-utility vehicles.

Shortly after the Rodeo's arrival in the city, a couple of our staffers got a hankering to see the leaves change. The Rodeo proved to be the perfect truck for a road trip to New Hampshire to witness the annual denuding of century-old trees. During the trip, the usual complaints about front seat comfort reared their head; however, no one in New York really hates the driving position yet. One of our staffers indicated that the rear seat was more comfortable than expected, and was surprised to find that she didn't have a backache after spending several hours in the vehicle.

A final note: Although it is not Isuzu's fault that we tangled with a roadside barrier while driving the truck to New York, it is frustrating to have to wait for nearly a month to get the parts for its repair. We first attempted to have the Rodeo fixed on October 1, but were unable to get it scheduled for repair until the end of the month. Zumbach Sports Cars in Manhattan performed the service and blamed the delay on Isuzu for poor parts availability. This is the second time we have been stuck waiting for parts on the Rodeo, and the New York staff was even more frustrated than the Denver staff was when it happened to them. All told, the cost of the repair equaled $1,224.02. One of our drivers also picked up a nail; the cost of getting the tire repaired was $24.95.