It's been years since I last reviewed an Isuzu, but this week's tester, a 2001 Rodeo LSE, brought back fond memories . . . not of past Isuzu vehicles, but of "Joe Isuzu," the company's TV pitchman of the late 1980s who became something of a legend in advertising circles for one reason: Everything he said about the product was a lie.
I loved those commercials and their sly slap at Madison Avenue in general and TV commercials in particular. Joe would make some claim or other about an Isuzu, and then a line would flash along the bottom of the screen: "He's lying!"
I don't know if the campaign, which ran from 1986 until 1990, sold any cars for the Japanese company, but public awareness of the Isuzu brand soared, and it jump-started the career of Joe's alter ego, actor David Leisure, who went on to land a role on the NBC sitcom "Empty Nest."
I had assumed that Isuzu finally gave Joe the boot after deciding that being identified as the untruthful car company was not helping move the product. But last February, after an 11-year hiatus, Leisure returned as Joe Isuzu in a commercial for the company's new Axiom SUV, and rumors abound on the Internet that last winter's appearance may have set the stage for future ad spots featuring him.
One thing's for sure. People haven't forgotten Joe Isuzu. The company says it gets regular requests for information on Joe and Internet surfers regularly visit JoeBizz www.joeisuzu.com and other Web sites devoted to the Great Prevaricator.
But enough about Joe, let's talk about the Rodeo LSE, one of several models of sport-utilities from the company that brings you all SUVs all the time, including the Trooper, Axiom, Rodeo, Rodeo Sport (formerly called the Amigo) and the SUV from Planet X, the Vehicross.
Give Isuzu credit, they figured out sooner than most where the industry was headed and decided to go with the flow. Ironically, mighty Honda missed the SUV boat in the early '90s and struck a deal with Isuzu to sell Rodeos as Honda Passports. (Honda has since added the CR-V to its sport-ute stable.)
The Rodeo's four-door, five-passenger, mid-size SUV niche is right where four-door sedans used to be: the most competitive segment in the industry. If you're in the car biz and you don't have something to go up against the Ford Explorer, Chevy Blazer (now called TrailBlazer) and the dozens of other players in the class, you simply aren't in the game.
There are a variety of Rodeo models, drive-trains and trim levels (S, LS and LSE) that Isuzu brings to the party, some of which can be had for under $20,000 in 2WD mode and a four-cylinder engine. But most people believe that 2WD does not a sport-ute make, and the four-banger isn't up to the task of motivating a vehicle only a few pounds shy of two tons.
Thus, most Rodeos go out the door powered by a 3.2-liter 205-horsepower V6 and a push-button system that allows you to shift on the fly into 4WD (as long as you're flying below 60 mph) and also shift into a low 4WD range via a manual transfer case for serious dirt dancing.
The trend these days is to turn one's sport-ute into a reasonable facsimile of a luxury car, and that's the way my top-line LSE tester was turned out. The LSE package adds no fewer than 16 luxo items, including power everything, leather seats, alloy wheels, power sunroof, "woodgrain" (not wood) trim, a high-end sound system . . . all the usual suspects.
They're nice, but they push the Rodeo's price, including a $520 delivery charge, to $32,010. Joe Isuzu would tell you that's a bargain for an SUV of this caliber, but we know what his word is worth. Fact is, that kind of money puts the Rodeo up against some very highly regarded vehicles, and that's no lie.
Still, variety makes the world go 'round, and the Rodeo is one of a very long list of possibilities for wannabe SUV owners. How they make those choices among so many is a mystery to me. In the old days it was simple. Your father was either a Ford man or a Chevy man, and you followed in his footsteps.
I doubt, however, that your father was an Isuzu man, so things are now a lot more complicated when it comes to picking and choosing. Comparing all of the players in this segment could turn into a research project worthy of an MBA candidate.
I enjoyed my week behind the Rodeo's wheel, finding it to be a smooth rider on the pavement, which is where we all spend 99.9 percent of our time, 4WD or no. The LSE comes with something called Intelligent Suspension Control that is said to automatically adjust to one of 17 shock rebound and compression rates depending on road conditions, but I never put it to the test.
The V6 engine makes plenty of power for getting off the line, but I found throttle response to be less than thrilling. At highway speeds, I sensed a bit of hesitation in passing maneuvers, and it seemed like the accelerator could be moved up and down quite a bit without anything in particular happening.
Isuzu restyled the body last year, making it look more aggressive in the Dodge Ram tradition of the more pugnacious the better when it comes to trucks and SUVs.
For the 2001 model year, Isuzu continues to offer its Ironman Edition, and for this year only is celebrating its 85th corporate anniversary with an Anniversary Edition.
Consumer Reports gives the Rodeo low marks for reliability, but buyers can take comfort from Isuzu's industry-best 10-year, 120,000-mile powertrain warranty that is transferable to a new owner.
Fuel mileage is rated at 16 mpg in city driving and 20 mpg on the highway.
Like many Japanese vehicles, the Rodeo is not assembled in Japan but rather in Lafayette, Ind., with parts from the United States, Canada, France (transmission) and Japan (35 percent, including engine parts).
E-mail: max@desnews.com