Test Drive Isuzu Trooper 5 Doors 1998 - 2002 SUV

In many persons

In Russia, the Japanese company ISUZU MOTORS Ltd. (And accordingly, its cars) is known little. For example, few people know about her close cooperation with General Motors Corporation - in particular, that the transfer box is so favorite with us Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe developed by GM together with the Japanese, or that at no less popular Opel Frontera Opolevsky only motor, and The whole chassis and body - from Isuzu. And certainly you can get on the mortgage that the name of the Great SUV Opel Monterey is much more familiar to the average Russian Russian than Isuzu Trooper. But this is the same Japanese car, which General Motors Corporation willingly sell under the brand and other of its branches. In the UK - like Vauxhall Monterey, in Australia - like Holden Jackaroo. Moreover, Honda, in the gamma of which there is no large SUV, sells Trooper in the US under the brand of his luxury (!) Office - like Acura SLX.

 
Until recently, the ISUZU TROOPER SUV was not officially supplied to Russia. Now the situation has changed, and we decided to get acquainted with the car in its original hypostasis.

 
From the first look it is clear that Trooper is a serious apparatus. And not only in the size of the case. Frame design, a massive multi-dimensional front suspension - its elastic elements are two thick longitudinal torsion of almost one and a half meter length, a powerful rear axle beam with no less impressive reactive levers and Panar's burden do not leave doubts about their reliability. Nothing amazing - Isuzu is engaged in trucks since 1918, and light trucks and SUVs are only part of the spectrum of its products.

 
The body is attached to the frame through numerous rubber cushions of various configurations and additionally holds from the separation by massive screeds resembling freight stewdresses. Complements the picture from below the presence of powerful towing hooks and interinshes fixed by rotable bolts. It seemed that the handout was hanging low that, together with many stamped sheets, various protective structures reduces clearance, but it was a little later.

 
In the 1999 model year, Trooper received a new 3.5 liter V6 engine with a custom intake manifold - instead of a 3.2-liter. Externally, the motors differ little from each other, the main attachments of the units and nodes are located equally. There are mechanical boxes, and automatic. The object of our attention was Trooper with a machine gun. Why? Yes, because the sale of such cars is better - the social status of the potential owner allows one hand to hold the steering wheel, and another use the phone ...
 

The five-door body has enough smooth, but at the same time completely uncompromising circuits. However, no one from the creators of full-size SUVs failed until the forms from the boxes, no matter how they smoothed them. The frontal part is without excesses: impressive sizes Falseradiator grille with proportional branded emblem, big headlights with glass diffusers. In the lower corners of the bumper, as if in the deep orders, there are fog lines - also glass. (The emphasis on the material of the diffusers is not accidental - more and more automakers equip their products with polycarbonate optics without familiar rifrance. Trooper is conservative here, but it only emphasizes the solidity of his image.)

 
In general, the appearance of the car is an example of a balanced design. It is appropriate to all - and a large inscription Trooper on the front door, and the casing is a full-size spare on the large part of the rear (it is bivalve, 70/30). Our car was retrofitted by powerful Hella's rectangular headlamps located on a kinguchnic fired on the frame of an impressive cross section.
 

Landing in Trooper can be compared, perhaps, only with the bus input. True, it makes it much easier to pull the steps from the rug steel sheet along the body. Salon. High ceiling, a large area of \u200b\u200bglazing ... Here, with comfort, five. As an option, two more places in the luggage compartment are possible. The rear gate does not have internal door handles. Although children without adults in such a car there is nothing to do - you can get lost.
 

It makes no sense to talk about various headrests and armrests - this is for the machine of this class in the order of things. Between the front seats there is a big handle - the passenger can be grabbed on the bumps for her with his left hand. Sitting rear are offered (in addition to the regular handlers), diagonal handrails connecting the central racks with the upper edges of the rear doorways. In general, handing it for what.

 
Successfully organized driver's seat. All at hand - and adjusting the seats, and the control of the air conditioner, and, of course, the Holy Senior SUV - transmission. The front axle connects, turns off on the go (up to 100 km / h) - button, a standard standard machine, the downstream transmission is activated by the lever with the H-4L inscription. There are also Winter buttons (forced Trokhan from the second transmission on a slippery road) and Power (for those who are not too lazy to change the rubber - when you press the car it becomes simply mad, equally good to the wheels and soil, and asphalt).
 

The instrument panel is simple and functional. Pointers of gasoline level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, as well as a voltmeter and tachometer - traditional shooter, speedometer switch with electronic odometer. All devices are clearly visible and readable, with excellent illumination in the dark. There is a revealed dubbing display of the inspector automatic transmission.
 

Rotate the key - and there is a sound low-frequency roar: under the hood beaten with hooves of 215 horses. With a decrease in speed to idle noise level in the cabin becomes minimal.
 

On the asphalt, the machine behaves more than confidently. No one is trying to hide on traffic lights - already one appearance of Trooper inspires respect. The car starts quite rising enough, and in the entire range of revolutions willingly respond to pressing the gas pedal. The box-machine works well and imperceptibly.
 

On a good highway, the rear passengers may seem that they go in a large sedan - comfortable seats, soft suspension, swallowing fine irregularities, the overall sense of solidity of the machine. At a speed of 110 km / h, the engine is calmly spinning with a frequency of 2500 rpm. - No Hood and Ryka. But at least debugs the reva of the wind - the bodies are not too aerodynamic ...
 

The steering is surprisingly sharp and accurate (for an SUV), the machine is perfectly listened - no matter, wet asphalt under wheels or dry. Bridgestone Dueler H / T rubber is quite suitable for solid road surface - and keeps well, and does not annoy the noise. But the active high-speed taxi is carried away - the tall trooper with its soft suspension and the four rollers of the steering wheel from clicking until it is not suitable for this. As, however, most SUVs.
 

Trooper slows down quite confidently, but when braking with high speed literally feel how the brake mechanisms with a considerable weight of the car are struggling - until a complete stop.

 
Here is an off-road site. There is an annoying rain, sand and clay under the wheels alternate with herbs and puddles. The famous Jeeper route in the Krylatsky lifeless - only a couple of fishermen are visible. Yes, there is no place from where the hare-rusak, which was staring at the red mechanical monster.
 

On large irregularities, the cargo essence of Trooper - passengers gently shakes. There are no complaints to the car's passability. Nor in the sand, nor in the puddles, nor on the grass, the front axle did not have to connect - even on a compromise Dueler H / T, the car moves and maneuver.
 

Having achieved a diagonal hanging with the sink of the rear wheels, press the 4WD button on the torpedo and I restrand confidently, hooking the ridge of the pit with a protective sheet of dispensing box. Yes, clearance (215 mm in a loaded state) was a little, the short-pass three-door version of Trooper for Off-Road Party would be better.
 

On the average dirt road, the car carefully refers to the wishes of the driver, the long-time suspension copes perfectly with irregularities, provoked the goat only at high speed. On the steering wheel equipped with a hydraulicer, the minimum effort, the only inconvenience is a slightly thick ram.

 
At first, called doubt the cast alloy wheels of the wheels planted on six studs, painted openwork. They contrast sharply with heating brake discs viewing through them. However, after almost hour aggressive trample of the area of \u200b\u200bdoubt in the strength of the wheels, they destroyed.
 

With full drive, the car behaves even more confident. Turns can be passed and cut ... In different directions, splashes fly, jay turne with grass ...

 
Nothing foreshadowed trouble. According to the plan, it was necessary to make a series of dynamic pictures, for which a suitable straight straight with the sidewines was chosen ... The speedometer arrow rises - 20, 40, 60, 70 ... The photographer tracks the car lens. When he stays at the back, slow down the speed - ahead of a gentle left turn, degrees seven, no more ... left wheels pass the puddle, right robes on herbal edge. Suddenly, the road leaves from under the wheels, the car falls on the right side. It turned out that herba is actually the tops of some mighty Bournahan, who grew up at the bottom of the dance, it disguised it perfectly.

 
Trooper left wheels trying to cling to wet sandy soil, but the right is already praying the air - the width of the ditch of the meter of one and a half, the depth is the same.
 

The strike did not follow (I was not enough to get a pillow in a physiognomy) - the car simply lay down with the right side of the soft soil. The engine will crush the engine at idle, around - high herbs. We arrived ... In the right mirror I see my own reflection - Power Mirror when touched the soil automatically developed, clinging to the door glass. My eyes would not look ...
 

I choose through the door, the passenger, so as not to get dirty to shoot the salon, like a tanker, climbs through the hatch. Immediately, where neither take, there are equestrian militiamen, more precisely, the policeman and the policeman. Without words clearly - they liked it. The photographer applies to the presence of a number of MES rescue station.
 

Behind the trees can see the arrow of the car crane. I go there, I explain what happened. On the track often someone cleans - for the inhabitants of the station it is not in the wonder. Rescuer Alexey is interested - is it not a magazine motor? Having received an affirmative answer, revived and cynically declares that MAZ, a car crane, broken. Silent scene. All hope for ancient GAZ-63, in the body of which lies a new diesel for a faulty Maz. But the veteran is blocked by a trash bunker! Rescuer Alexey sets the half-hearted battery, pumps gasoline and starts rarity from the floor.
 

While the engine is heated, discuss the action plan. The consensus is achieved, finally get the dumbbell cotton on the shoulder - you are strong, the rescue hand ... everything is revived. Gas cheerfully adjusts the bunker with contact method, and the initiative group, seating the footboard, is put forward to the scene.
 

Further hour was extremely effective: all regular hooks and eyes were torn off. The decision was crystallized - to drag for the rear axle. A couple of times, a heavy diesel started a threateningly crawling through the body of a truck, but it was thanks to this ballast that the rescue work was crowned with success - GAZ-63 weighs 100 kg less than Trooper ...
 

Damage was surprisingly insignificant - marked the wing, the turn signal is broken, slightly scratched (do not remember!) Doors, the plastic wheel expander of the wheel arch. Racks, glasses - intake. Strong still machine - Trooper.

 
When the key turns the key automatically leaned from the mint of the telescopic antenna. The engine started as if nothing had happened, and the car went ...
 

Let's summarize. The advantages of Isuzu Trooper are obvious - a full-sized, roomy, comfortable, strong, well-assembled and richly equipped with a car with good off-road opportunities. Outwardly, it may well like those who dream of Range Rover, but does not have enough funds to buy it. In favor of the car, it is also the fact that the owners are satisfied - according to the results of a recent survey conducted by J.D.Power & Accociates among the owners of the SUVs of the five-year-old age, Trooper ranked first on the reliability of work.

 
Gossip about some special instability of Trooper in turns - it is gossip. They began to disseminate the Union of American consumers in 1996 after the car's self-testing spent. Well, their slogan - buy an American ... In 1997, Plight was officially refuted by the US National Road Security Office.
 

In the minus you can put the V6 engine - the main competitors in the US market offer cars with V8 motors by about the same as the Trooper, cost. Rubber Dueler H / T for serious off-road use is unsuitable, with her trooper is not a warrior, but rather a street fighter. And, perhaps, the main drawback is the non-scratch of the ISUZU brand (and not only in Russia). Well, you can buy and Opel Monterey.

 

Egor Carpunin

 
 
 

A source: Motor magazine