Just a tip, when the wheels start spinning like that, put it in "Winter" mode (there's a button, its next to the "Power" button which should always be pressed down)... it will start you in 2nd gear and combined with the TOD system, will drastically reduce your wheel spinning.
You definitely don't wanna be starting in 2nd gear like that often. It'll destroy that transmission fast and overheat. Winter mode in winter is fine because it's cold out and it implies you're slipping on ice or sleet but In the hot summer it's gonna heat up that transmission FAST
I saw one of these at a Home Depot last year, painted yellow and badged as a Tonka truck. I waited to see who was driving it...words can't describe it.
Several years ago. I came across a gaggle of these ascending the Moab Rim trail. None of them were stock of course but still cool to see so many in one place tackling a challenging trail.
Awesome to see Andrew find this suv and enjoy it. Most kids today have zero idea what some of the coolest cars were years ago. This is Isuzu was really ahead of its time. I owned a early 90s truck and trooper. Both were the 2.6 engine and lasted a crazy long time. The trooper would drive all day long in 2 wheel drive in Florida sugar sand. I never got stuck in that thing. Kudos to Andrew in his vision of how to really enjoy cars……
I’m a younger gen here, while everyone my age is driving brand new BMWs and Mercedes junk, I’m out here looking at weird vehicles like the Crosstour, ZDX and vehicross. Originally my budget was $30k, but I can’t swallow buying a new car that’s most likely to cause me issues or a high mileage used 4runner at a ridiculous price and was never taken proper care of. These rarer vehicles are usually babied and that’s why it’s a smart decision to keep an eye out in this market that I don’t think will ever recover anytime soon.
As a former owner of a Isuzu Trooper I’m very familiar with this vehicle. It’s a re-bodied 2 door Trooper. That’s not a bad thing! Troopers are indestructible, unstoppable bad ass off-road vehicles. I miss mine!
My 90s era(can't remember the year) new Trooper was wonderful except it burned a lot of oil and they would not fix it under warranty, said this was normal. I figure most Isuzus were not oil burners or they would not have such a good reputation. But which years and models were the oil burners, and which were not?
@@BillyBobTup i know from experience the 3.5 from ‘98 on burned a lot of oil. The ring and cylinder tolerances weren’t great. The cylinder walls were too thin for a rebore so nothing could be done. I carried extra oil on xcountry trips. My favorite trucks ever though. A bargain after Consumer Reports bashed their safety.
I remember seeing one of these on the Isuzu lot back when they were new. It was such a futuristic and bizarre-looking thing at the time. The price on the window sticker about gave me a heart attack. $35,000. That's $60,000 in today's money. Personally, I liked the Amigo better. It was nearly half the price, better looking (though more conservative), and was a convertible. No hate on the VehiCross though. It's an interesting and very rare vehicle. Enjoy your VehiCross and take care of it to make it last!
I saw one of these in 99. I was riding with my dad out in the Midwest and one passed us doing like 90 we thought it looked like a space ship back then… I’ve wanted one ever since
i live in Pittsburgh, PA and actually looked at a new Isuzu VehiCross at an Isuzu dealer in 2000. the Isuzu's were rather popular at the time due to the success and entertainment of the "Joe Isuzu" commercials played by an actor and part-time comedian. but i have to say, the VehiCross was just too WILD and CRAZY LOOKING compared to other vehicles at the time. i believe i looked at a new 2000 model but ended up ordering a two-door Jeep Cherokee Sport with all the off-road options you could get. no other U.S. SUV had all the "body panels" look as the VehiCross at the time although in 2002, Chevrolet did introduce a pickup truck called the Avalanche which had a lot of plastic body panels on it as well as other "special" design features. Isuzu offered the "more normal looking" Trooper at the time but i still liked the small Cherokee more so i bought one. i still own it and it is pretty rare as it is a 2 door with the off-road options.
With compact uni-body offroad crossovers making a comeback and are currently very popular, i think Isuzu could make a comeback with the Rodeo, Amigo, and VehiCross nameplates.
Love the Vehicross. Before I knew more about offroading I thought the solid rear axle was a detriment 😂. It was also the first vehicle to introduce direct injection to boost power and efficiency. GM adopted it but i BET the Isuzu didn't have carbon build up and oiling issues like GM 3.6.
It did indeed have oiling issues. Everyone with the 3.5 ran synthetic and changed the pcv at every oil change. The oil drain holes in the piston were too small and it would just eat oil. Iirc in later years Isuzu enlarged the drain holes.
Alright, I have to interject here. Tad P is correct, but I have to add that those pistons were never in any Trooper based vehicle, only Rodeo based vehicles, like the Axiom. The valve gaskets were also a bit of a leak as well. But I need to explain to you why GM would never put the 6VD1/6VE1 in any of their vehicles. While Isuzu were majority stake owned by GM, GM still treated them like garbage. In the 1980s, when Isuzu was still cracking into the US market, GM supplied 60° pushrod V6s that were underpowered and generally unpleasantly vibratory. Basically, the engine was crap. So, after a few years of being in the MU/Rodeo and for the second generation Trooper, Isuzu went to the drawing board. They penned a rather unique 75° V6 that ran smoother, produced more power, and had better fuel efficiency. Isuzu basically told GM to screw themselves. Now let's talk about that 3.6: That's because it's an Opel engine. The end.
@@der_pinguin44 true. I was talking carbon build up and the oiling issue killing timing chains following their service intervals and claiming it was customer abuse... if I remember correctly
@@fgeiger41 oh, I meant the Opel bit as a joke. The only direct injection V6 that I know of that doesn't have carbon build up, and this is hearsay because nobody gave me the engine model and I can't be bothered to look it up because I don't like the manufacturer, is a Toyota V6 with a port fuel injector in the intake. All DI engines have the carbon build up issue, and the other part of the 3.6 timing chain was overcomplication. They eventually fixed the timing chain, but that's all I know. I stopped researching when I started to hear about rods being thrown.
One of these pulled up next to me at a gas station back in '07. I don't even care for Isuzu, but I loved the thing. I miss these little impractical off-roaders. It's the reason I'll never let my ZR2 Blazer go.
About 10 years ago, I passed up the chance to buy a VehiCROSS for $5500 because I thought it was ugly and "it wasn't American". Any time I see one on the road or in a video now, I kick myself for it. I could've had something weird and cool. But alas...
Oh man, I miss my VX. One of the best cars I've ever owned. My buddy had one with the supercharger on it which made it really go like stink. The AWD/4WD system in it was amazing. Only had to get rid of it when my fat arse couldn't handle the recaro seats for long drives anymore.
Man the first generation Amigo's were so cool imo, they had style, colors, character, and you just wanted to drive down to the beach in one, I would get one if I ever found a decent one
There's no equivalent today, there's the MU-X which is a fine body on frame SUV but not the same kind of futuristic luxurious vehicle that the VehiCROSS. There's a modern nod to this vehicle though, the fully loaded top edition of Isuzu's pickup today is called the D-Max V-CROSS. And I also do love Isuzu 4x4s, I have a D-Max.
Isuzu's famous 4JJ motor. 3.0 liter, 4 cylinder diesel is in almost all Asian MUX and D-Max. One of the best diesel engines ever. Thailand has a big car culture and uses the D-Max for drag racing. Pumped up with enormous turbos. 800 hp easily possible and quarter mile times of around 8 sec!
@@ShogunAutoworks lol you’re kidding right. The bison comes in either bus or Home Depot style flat bed configuration. It has about 4 inches of ground clearance. It’s rock climbing capability is trash and isn’t competing with any off-road based Jeep
Go Nathan! You have such cool taste. I had two Isuzu Troopers and they were both great. Fun fact: If I remember correctly the same GM 4 speed Isuzu used in the Trooper was also used in the E30 BMWs - amazingly enough.
4L30E and it was built in Strasbourg, France. Initially the 3L30 after being renamed from THM-180, it's a very small transmission that was meant for subcompact cars that made less than 100 lb-ft of torque. Pair it with the Isuzu 3.5 V6 in it's first form pushing out 215, and it was a disaster. However, those who actually maintained the transmission every 20,000 miles per the user manual actually got a lot of life out of it.
Man what a time capsule. It's been eons since I even heard mention of these. It's still a fascinating looking piece of work. Really enjoyed this video y'all.
You want rarer? The 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS. Only 400 landed in the US. I owned one once. And I currently own an 82 Isuzu I-Mark diesel, 02 Isuzu Axiom XS, and an 01 VehiCROSS in Foxfire Red Mica.
I remember going to the lot to look at an Isuzu Hombre and seeing one of these. Bright yellow/orange if I recall. Looked wild back then, and still does today.
I have the modern 4door version of this thing, the Isuzu MU'X. Still have the same design line with VehiCross. Too bad it didn't go outside Australia, Thailand and Indonesia 😊
No, that's not the modern version of this. The VehiCROSS is based on the Trooper/Bighorn, the MU-X is the modern Rodeo/Wizard. The Trooper is a different lineage, whereas yours traces its roots back to the KB Faster.
@Mr Penguin Maybe you're right. My image about MU'X is as the production version of VX4, the 4door version of VehiCross. Afterall Isuzu never made big difference with the frame between Trooper and Rodeo on the same era
My neighbor had one of them brand new in the early 2000s(not sure if it was the same model) up until a few years ago. At first I hated it but as I got older I appreciated how wacky it looked, I love how different every manufacturer was going with back then.
I've actually wheeled with a guy who had one of these out at badlands off road park. It actually was pretty capable! I think this is the first time seeing one since.
The vx was one of my impractical favorites. I've had troopers, a rodeo, and an amigo, but never found a vx i could buy. A guy in my neighborhood had a yellow one with the supercharger, but kept it until it rusted to death.
This had a transfer case that was unique to this model. It wasn't just a tarted up Amigo. It was its own thing. Also, if you wanted an on-demand locker, it should be doable as I believe these came with a Dana 44 rear axle. Regardless, they were cool right off the showroom floor.
I have heard of it! A friend of mine had one in Dragon Green. He lived in the country and had a steep gravel driveway that often got muddy and slick. The Dragon was one of the few "cars" that could climb it with no problem. :)
I am old. I had a Rodeo but wanted one of these. The engine and drive train was actually common and shared with Honda so I bet he can get parts when needed.
Not really downing it as l like them when new but it's an Amigo with a body kit, get an Amigo to thrash it on the trails and not worry about the expensive side panels..
Did this year and model burn oil excessively, like my (95? not sure) Trooper did(could not get it fixed under warranty)? Except for that problem, I loved that Trooper.
The 90’s was big with this plastic. This vehicle was ahead of it’s time. And it was expensive for it’s day. Love this vehicle. Would sell well if they were to have sold it today.
When these came out there were a couple in my town driving around. The weirdness was great, we need more of that! Up here where I live in the Great White North where we salt the roads to within an inch of their lives in the winter, Isuzu's just turned to rust in very short time and they were gone from the market by the time they could figure it out. Suzuki was the same, the early ones started to rust the moment you drove them of the lot but by the time the brand left left the market, they had it figured out. You still see Suzuki SX4's all over the place here and for the most part they're holding up well.
I think my favorite off-roader was my '01 Trooper. That thing just managed to find traction. It didn't have the huge angles but where wranglers were spinning tires it just sailed on through. Shame things didn't work out for Isuzu here, I'd still drive them.
Love these had one that I added lockers M/T tyres a winch sliders skids, then met the future wife and buying a house it had to go to fund it and stop me being away every weekend in the mud playing and fixing in the garage in the week for next time. The only way to get one was a Japanese import but handy right hand drive came with a decent gearbox manual or auto camera and many weird accessories but cute, would love another but rarer than hens teeth now and are either rough or prestine and not cheap.
I remember seeing a brochure on the 1988 Amigo. It listed the minimum ground clearance at 11.8" !! I almost bought one,but it was just a bit out of my price range while i was in college 😢
Some of it reminds me of a Cherokee Trailhawk. It's kind of like if a Cherokee Trailhawk and a Jeep Liberty had a baby. It's somewhere in between the Liberty and the Cherokee Trailhawk.
Always reminded me of a saber tooth tiger in the front. This is what the folks want to see and talk about. Great to see and reminds me of the time many car companies had an r and d budget like the us government now......Nathan sell that Santa Cruz and get somthing really cool. Redeem yourself from the Mitsubishi Montero piece of junk...
I’ve seen a few of these around the US. I was always so fascinated with them, they look badass and the ones I saw had beefy all-terrain tires and a few off-roading/travel set ups you might expect. Great video thanks!
It’s a cool truck/suv/whatever!! I liked them when they first came out, but was so far in debt at the time there was no way. I needed trucks then! Now, maybe an interesting find?? Thanks for sharing this vehicle with us for a bit!!
Isuzu's are highly underrated. It's really too bad they decided to source parts from GM. They could've eliminated a lot of the reliability issues and probably done better in the US.
I had a job coach i worked with when i was in highschool that got me a job some place over the summer back in 06, he had one of these and took me for a drive when we went to talk to my employer at the time i recognized this from test drive offroad 3 at the time.
This was a modern-er version of the AMC Eagle. Which was the crossover WAY ahead of it's time
Hey, what about my 1996 4x4 suzuki x90? ;)
@@20tea That makes more sense than the AMC Eagle.
It’s still far ahead of it’s time. I don’t expect to see anything like in like 10+yrs from now.
Had both lol both ahead of their time for sure
@@foggy561 👍
Just a tip, when the wheels start spinning like that, put it in "Winter" mode (there's a button, its next to the "Power" button which should always be pressed down)... it will start you in 2nd gear and combined with the TOD system, will drastically reduce your wheel spinning.
You definitely don't wanna be starting in 2nd gear like that often. It'll destroy that transmission fast and overheat. Winter mode in winter is fine because it's cold out and it implies you're slipping on ice or sleet but In the hot summer it's gonna heat up that transmission FAST
@@bldontmatter5319 Eh its a 4L30E. It'll be fine :P
I had a 2000 Isuzu Trooper, green, and oh I miss that truck. It was simple, comfortable and perfect. I wish Isuzu was still in our market.
I saw one of these at a Home Depot last year, painted yellow and badged as a Tonka truck. I waited to see who was driving it...words can't describe it.
Finally giving Isuzu some recognition, You guys should do some Troopers and Rodeos next 😄
Agree, Isuzu doesn't get the recognition it deserves when it comes to 4WD vehicles. The VehiCross, Trooper, and Rodeo are great.
Several years ago. I came across a gaggle of these ascending the Moab Rim trail. None of them were stock of course but still cool to see so many in one place tackling a challenging trail.
Awesome to see Andrew find this suv and enjoy it. Most kids today have zero idea what some of the coolest cars were years ago. This is Isuzu was really ahead of its time. I owned a early 90s truck and trooper. Both were the 2.6 engine and lasted a crazy long time. The trooper would drive all day long in 2 wheel drive in Florida sugar sand. I never got stuck in that thing. Kudos to Andrew in his vision of how to really enjoy cars……
I’m a younger gen here, while everyone my age is driving brand new BMWs and Mercedes junk, I’m out here looking at weird vehicles like the Crosstour, ZDX and vehicross. Originally my budget was $30k, but I can’t swallow buying a new car that’s most likely to cause me issues or a high mileage used 4runner at a ridiculous price and was never taken proper care of. These rarer vehicles are usually babied and that’s why it’s a smart decision to keep an eye out in this market that I don’t think will ever recover anytime soon.
I was a huge fan of the AMIGO. This at the time was weird. Now I love it
I wanted an Amigo so bad when i was a kid! I always loved this quirky vechicross too. To bad Isuzu only does box trucks now in US
As a former owner of a Isuzu Trooper I’m very familiar with this vehicle. It’s a re-bodied 2 door Trooper. That’s not a bad thing! Troopers are indestructible, unstoppable bad ass off-road vehicles. I miss mine!
My 90s era(can't remember the year) new Trooper was wonderful except it burned a lot of oil and they would not fix it under warranty, said this was normal. I figure most Isuzus were not oil burners or they would not have such a good reputation. But which years and models were the oil burners, and which were not?
@@BillyBobTup I own a 93 Trooper SOHC 3.2 It doesn't burn oil. I have heard the 3.5 LTR newer ones DO however burn oil..
@@BillyBobTup i know from experience the 3.5 from ‘98 on burned a lot of oil. The ring and cylinder tolerances weren’t great. The cylinder walls were too thin for a rebore so nothing could be done. I carried extra oil on xcountry trips. My favorite trucks ever though. A bargain after Consumer Reports bashed their safety.
I recall the troopers had that roll over issue....I had a football coach who rolled his.
I remember seeing this a long time ago, but I LOVED the yellow color they had to offer. Such a interesting vehicle to say the least.
Gary Sinise drove one in the 2000 film Mission to Mars. It was supposed to be a car from the future. Your car is very cool. Thanks for sharing.
In the movie we succeed in a manned mission to Mars in the year 2020. Turns out that was wishful thinking.
I remember seeing one of these on the Isuzu lot back when they were new. It was such a futuristic and bizarre-looking thing at the time. The price on the window sticker about gave me a heart attack. $35,000. That's $60,000 in today's money. Personally, I liked the Amigo better. It was nearly half the price, better looking (though more conservative), and was a convertible. No hate on the VehiCross though. It's an interesting and very rare vehicle. Enjoy your VehiCross and take care of it to make it last!
I saw one of these in 99. I was riding with my dad out in the Midwest and one passed us doing like 90 we thought it looked like a space ship back then… I’ve wanted one ever since
i live in Pittsburgh, PA and actually looked at a new Isuzu VehiCross at an Isuzu dealer in 2000. the Isuzu's were rather popular at the time due to the success and entertainment of the "Joe Isuzu" commercials played by an actor and part-time comedian. but i have to say, the VehiCross was just too WILD and CRAZY LOOKING compared to other vehicles at the time. i believe i looked at a new 2000 model but ended up ordering a two-door Jeep Cherokee Sport with all the off-road options you could get. no other U.S. SUV had all the "body panels" look as the VehiCross at the time although in 2002, Chevrolet did introduce a pickup truck called the Avalanche which had a lot of plastic body panels on it as well as other "special" design features. Isuzu offered the "more normal looking" Trooper at the time but i still liked the small Cherokee more so i bought one. i still own it and it is pretty rare as it is a 2 door with the off-road options.
With compact uni-body offroad crossovers making a comeback and are currently very popular, i think Isuzu could make a comeback with the Rodeo, Amigo, and VehiCross nameplates.
One of my dream cars. So glad to see it featured!
There’s one on face book
Love the Vehicross. Before I knew more about offroading I thought the solid rear axle was a detriment 😂. It was also the first vehicle to introduce direct injection to boost power and efficiency. GM adopted it but i BET the Isuzu didn't have carbon build up and oiling issues like GM 3.6.
It did indeed have oiling issues. Everyone with the 3.5 ran synthetic and changed the pcv at every oil change. The oil drain holes in the piston were too small and it would just eat oil. Iirc in later years Isuzu enlarged the drain holes.
Alright, I have to interject here. Tad P is correct, but I have to add that those pistons were never in any Trooper based vehicle, only Rodeo based vehicles, like the Axiom.
The valve gaskets were also a bit of a leak as well.
But I need to explain to you why GM would never put the 6VD1/6VE1 in any of their vehicles. While Isuzu were majority stake owned by GM, GM still treated them like garbage. In the 1980s, when Isuzu was still cracking into the US market, GM supplied 60° pushrod V6s that were underpowered and generally unpleasantly vibratory. Basically, the engine was crap. So, after a few years of being in the MU/Rodeo and for the second generation Trooper, Isuzu went to the drawing board. They penned a rather unique 75° V6 that ran smoother, produced more power, and had better fuel efficiency. Isuzu basically told GM to screw themselves.
Now let's talk about that 3.6: That's because it's an Opel engine. The end.
@@der_pinguin44 true. I was talking carbon build up and the oiling issue killing timing chains following their service intervals and claiming it was customer abuse... if I remember correctly
@@fgeiger41 oh, I meant the Opel bit as a joke.
The only direct injection V6 that I know of that doesn't have carbon build up, and this is hearsay because nobody gave me the engine model and I can't be bothered to look it up because I don't like the manufacturer, is a Toyota V6 with a port fuel injector in the intake.
All DI engines have the carbon build up issue, and the other part of the 3.6 timing chain was overcomplication. They eventually fixed the timing chain, but that's all I know. I stopped researching when I started to hear about rods being thrown.
@@fgeiger41 from what I read, GM removed one of the extra timing chains, but it doesn't surprise me to read GM blaming their customers.
I will forever miss mine. Bought new-ish in 1999 and drove it through every imaginable obstacle.
My family had an old Trooper growing up. I love seeing the Izuzu love
Hopefully Isuzu comes back to America with Amigo and Vehicross and troopers
One of these pulled up next to me at a gas station back in '07. I don't even care for Isuzu, but I loved the thing. I miss these little impractical off-roaders. It's the reason I'll never let my ZR2 Blazer go.
About 10 years ago, I passed up the chance to buy a VehiCROSS for $5500 because I thought it was ugly and "it wasn't American". Any time I see one on the road or in a video now, I kick myself for it. I could've had something weird and cool. But alas...
Oh man, I miss my VX. One of the best cars I've ever owned. My buddy had one with the supercharger on it which made it really go like stink. The AWD/4WD system in it was amazing. Only had to get rid of it when my fat arse couldn't handle the recaro seats for long drives anymore.
Yea those alpine super charger kits were epic. There's a guy on UA-cam called Cody shell who's got a series on how he did his on his trooper
I remember this car it was used in the beginning of the movie 'Mission to Mars' that same year. I thought boy that vehicle looks like the future!
I loved the Vehicross since I saw the first Magazine article . . . it looks tough and quirky and like nothing else!
Man the first generation Amigo's were so cool imo, they had style, colors, character, and you just wanted to drive down to the beach in one, I would get one if I ever found a decent one
Owned 4 80's Troopers. They were all amazing accept the gm v6 in one of them. The inline 4's are workhorse motors that tend to just never die
There's no equivalent today, there's the MU-X which is a fine body on frame SUV but not the same kind of futuristic luxurious vehicle that the VehiCROSS. There's a modern nod to this vehicle though, the fully loaded top edition of Isuzu's pickup today is called the D-Max V-CROSS.
And I also do love Isuzu 4x4s, I have a D-Max.
Isuzu's famous 4JJ motor. 3.0 liter, 4 cylinder diesel is in almost all Asian MUX and D-Max. One of the best diesel engines ever. Thailand has a big car culture and uses the D-Max for drag racing. Pumped up with enormous turbos. 800 hp easily possible and quarter mile times of around 8 sec!
Nice to finally see an Isuzu on here. Some of the most underrated off road vehicles. I've put many jeeps too shame with my stock 99 trooper
Lies lol
That’s bs lol. Stock troopers were complete dogs. I’ve had a trooper and wranglers and the only Jeep you’re competing with a Compass lol
Holy lies
An Isuzu bison would. Basically if a trooper and a land cruiser had a baby you get a turbo diesel Isuzu bison
@@ShogunAutoworks lol you’re kidding right. The bison comes in either bus or Home Depot style flat bed configuration. It has about 4 inches of ground clearance. It’s rock climbing capability is trash and isn’t competing with any off-road based Jeep
Go Nathan! You have such cool taste. I had two Isuzu Troopers and they were both great. Fun fact: If I remember correctly the same GM 4 speed Isuzu used in the Trooper was also used in the E30 BMWs - amazingly enough.
4L30E and it was built in Strasbourg, France. Initially the 3L30 after being renamed from THM-180, it's a very small transmission that was meant for subcompact cars that made less than 100 lb-ft of torque. Pair it with the Isuzu 3.5 V6 in it's first form pushing out 215, and it was a disaster.
However, those who actually maintained the transmission every 20,000 miles per the user manual actually got a lot of life out of it.
Oh I loved these when they were new. There used to be sooo many cool SUV’s. Now there’s pretty much just 4Runner and wrangler.
Have heard of it... and there is one running around in the small town of Sheridan, OR!!
i hava never seen this car before this video, cool and unique
Man what a time capsule. It's been eons since I even heard mention of these. It's still a fascinating looking piece of work. Really enjoyed this video y'all.
I do see these occasionally here in California. Such a cool unique vehicle.
You want rarer? The 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS. Only 400 landed in the US. I owned one once. And I currently own an 82 Isuzu I-Mark diesel, 02 Isuzu Axiom XS, and an 01 VehiCROSS in Foxfire Red Mica.
THAT car was in movie "Mission to Mars" with Gary Sinise
I had a 1999 Isuzu Rodeo. Absolute beast of a car. I miss that car
I've always wanted a Vehicross. Especially that Ironman Edition. ❤❤❤
I remember going to the lot to look at an Isuzu Hombre and seeing one of these. Bright yellow/orange if I recall. Looked wild back then, and still does today.
Please try it on the harder offroad course 🙏. Pretty sure it won't make it but damm it'll look cool doing it. Great video Nathan.
You'd be surprised... I used to take my VX with the local land rover club in Uwharrie and it did every obstacle that the Discos and Defenders did.
I remember those and the axioms. I loved those
There is one of these in my town, same guy who's had since it was new when I was a young guy. Still looks great
I have the modern 4door version of this thing, the Isuzu MU'X. Still have the same design line with VehiCross. Too bad it didn't go outside Australia, Thailand and Indonesia 😊
No, that's not the modern version of this. The VehiCROSS is based on the Trooper/Bighorn, the MU-X is the modern Rodeo/Wizard. The Trooper is a different lineage, whereas yours traces its roots back to the KB Faster.
@Mr Penguin Maybe you're right. My image about MU'X is as the production version of VX4, the 4door version of VehiCross. Afterall Isuzu never made big difference with the frame between Trooper and Rodeo on the same era
My neighbor had one of them brand new in the early 2000s(not sure if it was the same model) up until a few years ago. At first I hated it but as I got older I appreciated how wacky it looked, I love how different every manufacturer was going with back then.
always loved these. thought they looked weird, but still loved them
The movie Mission to Mars which was set a couple decades into the future, used a Vehicross outside a home as a prop for a futuristic car. It worked.
Saw one of these three years ago in orange beach alabama. Kooky looking vehicle but neat
I've actually wheeled with a guy who had one of these out at badlands off road park. It actually was pretty capable! I think this is the first time seeing one since.
Throughout my 30yrs of existence. I only saw this car ONCE! Very unique and alien like. Love it!
This Veri Cross still looks modern and contemporary today. It’s only missing all of todays electronic tech and toys.
like that JDM CRT reverse camera screen!
10:33😂😂😂😂 tommies dirty mag stash!
I thought those was so cool when they first came out!
The dung beetle can’t be stopped!
I haven't seen one of those in a LONG time... I miss Izusu.
The vx was one of my impractical favorites. I've had troopers, a rodeo, and an amigo, but never found a vx i could buy. A guy in my neighborhood had a yellow one with the supercharger, but kept it until it rusted to death.
This had a transfer case that was unique to this model. It wasn't just a tarted up Amigo. It was its own thing. Also, if you wanted an on-demand locker, it should be doable as I believe these came with a Dana 44 rear axle. Regardless, they were cool right off the showroom floor.
It's actually a beefed up 44 specific to Isuzu and Honda. This one should have come with limited slip just like the rodeo from the same year.
I have heard of it! A friend of mine had one in Dragon Green. He lived in the country and had a steep gravel driveway that often got muddy and slick. The Dragon was one of the few "cars" that could climb it with no problem. :)
My best friend had the ironman edition throughout high school in 2009. It was a very fun vehicle
These are one of my holy grail finds
We had a Rodeo/Wizard. It was the best car ever (according to my dad).
Commenting for support!!
It would've been more successful if they done a 4-door version. Hell, they made a concept of one but didn't bother bringing it to production.
The convertible concept probably would have sold better. It was a bit to eclectic to be a 4 door family car IMO.
I loved these in the yellow color
I am old. I had a Rodeo but wanted one of these. The engine and drive train was actually common and shared with Honda so I bet he can get parts when needed.
Someone around the corner from me has one of these, took a while to figure out what it was too. It's the only one I have ever seen!
Not really downing it as l like them when new but it's an Amigo with a body kit, get an Amigo to thrash it on the trails and not worry about the expensive side panels..
Did this year and model burn oil excessively, like my (95? not sure) Trooper did(could not get it fixed under warranty)? Except for that problem, I loved that Trooper.
The 90’s was big with this plastic. This vehicle was ahead of it’s time. And it was expensive for it’s day. Love this vehicle. Would sell well if they were to have sold it today.
The Vehicross was the coolest SUV on the road, but crazy expensive. I loved my Trooper. Bummer they got out of the market.
When these came out there were a couple in my town driving around. The weirdness was great, we need more of that! Up here where I live in the Great White North where we salt the roads to within an inch of their lives in the winter, Isuzu's just turned to rust in very short time and they were gone from the market by the time they could figure it out.
Suzuki was the same, the early ones started to rust the moment you drove them of the lot but by the time the brand left left the market, they had it figured out. You still see Suzuki SX4's all over the place here and for the most part they're holding up well.
Who else wants TFL to buy a VehiCROSS?! 🙏🤷🏼♂️
Saw one of these with a lift at Moab one year. Handled the trails just as well as any Jeep.
I think my favorite off-roader was my '01 Trooper. That thing just managed to find traction. It didn't have the huge angles but where wranglers were spinning tires it just sailed on through. Shame things didn't work out for Isuzu here, I'd still drive them.
Always wanted one , but wasn't ready to get new car ! !! Then they were gone !!!
This thing is insanely cool!! 😎
Love these had one that I added lockers M/T tyres a winch sliders skids, then met the future wife and buying a house it had to go to fund it and stop me being away every weekend in the mud playing and fixing in the garage in the week for next time.
The only way to get one was a Japanese import but handy right hand drive came with a decent gearbox manual or auto camera and many weird accessories but cute, would love another but rarer than hens teeth now and are either rough or prestine and not cheap.
I remember when these came out. Man I feel old. Thanks a lot, TFL. 😂
Always loved the 2 door RAVs. Very difficult to come across one. Crazy all wheel drive system
I remember seeing a brochure on the 1988 Amigo. It listed the minimum ground clearance at 11.8" !! I almost bought one,but it was just a bit out of my price range while i was in college 😢
Bet that back window is made of unobtainium. That said, no dry rot from sun on that spare.
the vehicross is super rare, only about 4500 where sold in america and theyre very capable offroad!
Some of it reminds me of a Cherokee Trailhawk. It's kind of like if a Cherokee Trailhawk and a Jeep Liberty had a baby. It's somewhere in between the Liberty and the Cherokee Trailhawk.
ahead of its time almost bought one 15 years ago
Love these videos!!
This was a very competent off road vehicle. Also 2 door Mitsubishi monteros were excellent. Superior to todays jeeps
always loved these. wish there was a modern version
My uncle had the Ironman edition, super cool
I love these, always wanted one.
Always reminded me of a saber tooth tiger in the front. This is what the folks want to see and talk about. Great to see and reminds me of the time many car companies had an r and d budget like the us government now......Nathan sell that Santa Cruz and get somthing really cool. Redeem yourself from the Mitsubishi Montero piece of junk...
I'll keep that in mind
I’ve seen a few of these around the US. I was always so fascinated with them, they look badass and the ones I saw had beefy all-terrain tires and a few off-roading/travel set ups you might expect. Great video thanks!
Want one. But I wonder what the windows would cost....plastic cladding...and other rare parts of damaged? Yikes
One just went for sale here in Charlevoix, Michigan for $2000
Ayy Isuzu at the ranch! Would love to one day get my trooper there. Would be a super far drive tho lol
What a cool buggy bro!!
Isuzu made many very good off road vehicles,Chevy Luv, Trooper and others long before this came along.
It’s a cool truck/suv/whatever!! I liked them when they first came out, but was so far in debt at the time there was no way. I needed trucks then! Now, maybe an interesting find??
Thanks for sharing this vehicle with us for a bit!!
Isuzu's are highly underrated. It's really too bad they decided to source parts from GM. They could've eliminated a lot of the reliability issues and probably done better in the US.
I have one for over 23 years and still love it.
I had a job coach i worked with when i was in highschool that got me a job some place over the summer back in 06, he had one of these and took me for a drive when we went to talk to my employer at the time i recognized this from test drive offroad 3 at the time.
Very cool a little vehicle, we never got them here in Canada but I’ve had multiple people tell me my modified off road Neon looks like one.