How do Monteros Stack Up Against Isuzu Troopers?

[Gruni14]

Hi all,

Not looking to create a 'bash Troopers page', but take an objective look at their similarities and differences particularly against Gen 2 and 2.5 machines .....how the hardware stacks up, how a Trooper Limited might compare when used for daily and light trail use. They look like they're built lighter, but for non-extreme use, wonder how they would hold up. They've really dropped in price and nice ones around here can be had in the $1,500 - $2,500 range (even like $500 for ones that need some work). Might make a fun side project.


Thanks,

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Hi all,

Not looking to create a 'bash Troopers page', but take an objective look at their similarities and differences particularly against Gen 2 and 2.5 machines .....how the hardware stacks up, how a Trooper Limited might compare when used for daily and light trail use. They look like they're built lighter, but for non-extreme use, wonder how they would hold up. They've really dropped in price and nice ones around here can be had in the $1,500 - $2,500 range (even like $500 for ones that need some work). Might make a fun side project.


Thanks,

Click the very first link that comes up https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=trooper+vs+montero

 

[ManfromSnowyRiver]

I looked at them seriously when I was a kid, before starting on the Montero path. Nearly anything you can think of is lighter duty, less power, smaller parts, poor handling, I could go on. No real comparison.

 

[montypower]

Trooper = weaker in every area. Crappy auto transmission. Noisy motor issues. Serious oil useage issues (late 3.2 & 3.5) as in oil will be gone in 300miles - piston issue. Weaker differentials. All components are weaker.

Not really comparable except they are both less common and cheap.

 

[cowboytwang]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFjEFzCcc4A

 

[nckwltn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFjEFzCcc4A

According to that video, the jackaroo (trooper) wins!

Something else to consider is the online community presence. I'm not sure what Isuzu has going for it, but there are several Montero/Pajero forums. The Pajero is crazy popular outside of the united states, and many times I've found solutions to issues by looking on non-US based forums. Especially with our Gen 3.

 

[KyleT]

My parents had a 1990 trooper 2 when I was younger. It fell apart pretty quick. like 8 years and maybe 120k. Went through like 2 clutches, transmission was starting to go out, all of the seat fabric separated, the auto front hubs popped and made noise when in 4wd. The a/c system had all kinds of issues too and always seemed like it needed to be fixed. They bought it new. My mom drove it around as a grocery getter and she's not hard on stuff. It was a 5spd 4cyl.oh and the paint oxidized really fast. And it was garaged most of its life.

I know it's comparing an older one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ManfromSnowyRiver]

Pretty biased video, but the engine was a horror

 

[cowboytwang]

I think the biggest difference is that the Trooper was a very basic utilitarian vehicle, and by the time GM started changing it in the late '90s the market had already passed it by. The Montero kept up with the times much better, and even improved over the years, while GM killed off the Trooper.

 

[Regcabguy]

Parts availability on Troopers way back in 2000 was awful. Mine got rear ended including frame damage. Trooper took 3.5 months to repair waiting on parts from Japan.
Excessive body lean and poor brakes was another sore point. I ended up selling it to a Mexican real estate agent. Good riddance.

 

[Gruni14]

...while GM killed off the Trooper.

That's not my understanding. Enlighten me. According to what I've read, Isuzu has been a mfgr which has partnered with a number of different companies over the years (including Suburu & Honda) just like other smaller car companies in their infancy (including Mitsubishi/Chrysler), in order to gain a greater market rather than try to grow it organically over many years, like Toyota did. Just turns out GM was Isuzu's biggest partner which actually went back before the early mini-pickup years in the 70's and continues today. It could be argued that they wouldn't have even been in the financial position to make/sell the Trooper in the way that they did if not for the GM partnership. What probably did them more harm was Consumer Reports famous and well publicized roll-over test Isuzu failed, and that just about every other mfgr from Mercedes Benz on down saw a buck to be made and brought out a relatively new SUV platform in the mid/late 90's and put downward pricing pressure on everyone. I don't claim to be an expert on the collapse of Isuzu, but a lot of Japanese companies, especially those in shaky financial positions, were hampered by what's known as "Japan's Lost Two Decades" which coincided with Isuzu's decline (and continues today). And finally, although this is just conjecture on my part, Isuzu was almost always an engine and large truck mfgr from it's origins. It could be that the corporate powers-to-be saw the forray into passenger vehicles was a distraction from their 'core'. I worked many years for a Fortune 100 company and different CEO's have different visions of what the company should be and often a new CEO would determine to spin off or sell certain parts of a company because it was a distraction and didn't reflect the company's core ...and focus on what they were best at. There could have been some of that at Isuzu once the market started falling apart for them. But again, conjecture on my part.

Please correct or add to the information if you have additional thoughts. Thanks.

 

[cowboytwang]

That's not my understanding. Enlighten me. According to what I've read, Isuzu has been a mfgr which has partnered with a number of different companies over the years (including Suburu & Honda) just like other smaller car companies in their infancy (including Mitsubishi/Chrysler), in order to gain a greater market rather than try to grow it organically over many years, like Toyota did. Just turns out GM was Isuzu's biggest partner which actually went back before the early mini-pickup years in the 70's and continues today. It could be argued that they wouldn't have even been in the financial position to make/sell the Trooper in the way that they did if not for the GM partnership. What probably did them more harm was Consumer Reports famous and well publicized roll-over test Isuzu failed, and that just about every other mfgr from Mercedes Benz on down saw a buck to be made and brought out a relatively new SUV platform in the mid/late 90's and put downward pricing pressure on everyone. I don't claim to be an expert on the collapse of Isuzu, but a lot of Japanese companies, especially those in shaky financial positions, were hampered by what's known as "Japan's Lost Two Decades" which coincided with Isuzu's decline (and continues today). And finally, although this is just conjecture on my part, Isuzu was almost always an engine and large truck mfgr from it's origins. It could be that the corporate powers-to-be saw the forray into passenger vehicles was a distraction from their 'core'. I worked many years for a Fortune 100 company and different CEO's have different visions of what the company should be and often a new CEO would determine to spin off or sell certain parts of a company because it was a distraction and didn't reflect the company's core ...and focus on what they were best at. There could have been some of that at Isuzu once the market started falling apart for them. But again, conjecture on my part.

Please correct or add to the information if you have additional thoughts. Thanks.

The story I heard is Isuzu was ready to revamp and update the Trooper, and GM being the majority stock holder at the time didn't want to put any money into R&D. In 2003 they replaced the Trooper, here in the states, with the Isuzu Ascender. The Isuzu Ascender was just a GMC Envoy with Isuzu on the name plate. So that's how GM killed off the Trooper.
In 2008, when the auto industry was falling apart, GM got rid of their part of Isuzu. I did read that this coming year GM is introducing a line of commercial trucks, and guess who is building them?? Another GM-Isuzu project.

 

[plh]

Not 100% positive, but I think GM and Isuzu are still partnered. Previous generation of Chevy Colorado (not current) and next generation, Dura-Max diesels, Mid size trucks.

 

[CanyoneroAZ]

The trooper crowd has their own following. Check out the link for guys that mod and wheel their Troopers. They have guys running on 35's. I did the Trooper vs. Montero thing a few years back, and decided on the Montero.

http://www.planetisuzoo.com/

 

[The Viper]

I've owned two of both, two 87 Monteros and two 1991 Troopers

I dont mean to be rude, but maybe you should go back and read the OP...hes asking for comparisons to a gen 2 and 2.5 monteros, your talking about 87 monteros??? totally irrelevant...sorry to say

If your wondering what years the gen 2 and 2.5 are, feel free to do a search (sorry that was rude)