One of our drivers was notified by the attendant at her Manhattan parking garage that the Rodeo was leaking antifreeze. The helpful attendant suggested that she take the car to a service station to have it looked at before heading to work. Heeding his warnings, our driver dutifully stopped at a gas station on the New Jersey Turnpike on her way to work. The gas station attendants took one look at the Rodeo and advised her not to drive any further. Figuring that the mechanics knew what they were talking about, our driver called Isuzu's customer care number and arranged for a tow truck.

Our Rodeo was towed to Stillman Isuzu in New Jersey, and was diagnosed with having a faulty water pump. The repair was covered by the warranty, but took several days to perform because the car was brought in right before Thanksgiving. While not a huge repair, this type of problem does little to bolster our already-shaky confidence in the Rodeo.

Other comments from the Rodeo's log book center on the truck's bumpy ride and tendency to follow grooves in the pavement. It seems that our Manhattan drivers are tiring of the Rodeo's truckish characteristics, and look forward to having a car to drive for the next quarter. One of our drivers will be sad to see the Rodeo go before the first New York snowfall, though; she had really looked forward to seeing how well the Rodeo coped with the worst of winter's muck. The Rodeo's next stop will be Detroit, Mich. We're certain that there will be plenty of opportunities to examine the Rodeo's snow handling capabilities once we get there.

Best Fuel Economy: 18.0
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.3
Problems: Leaking water pump.
Maintenance Cost: $0