2004 Isuzu Rodeo LS SUV
I purchased this SUV brand new via the Internet service of E-Bay Motors. It was intended to be a replacement for my aging Isuzu LS SpaceCab. As with my previous two Isuzus, this vehicle was a real joy to own. It was the most comfortable vehicle I’ve ever had, looked great, handled well, and was extremely practical. I ended up owning this vehicle for eleven years, and it became the last Isuzu I owned. This Rodeo spanned the years I lived in Mississippi and northern Virginia, and was the tow vehicle for both my first and second boat.
One of the dealer photos I received from the dealership in Orlando, Florida.
Read The History
2004 Isuzu Rodeo LS SUV Specifications
| Purchased: | – New from dealer via Internet sales, October 2004, Orlando, Florida, with 14 miles on the odometer when purchased – Sold to private party through a Craig’s List ad, December 2015, with 116,840 miles on the odometer |
| Standard Features: | – 3.5 Liter six cylinder direct electronic fuel injection engine – Metal flakes Maroon finish with tan interior, fabric seats – 2 wheel drive – Automatic Four-speed transmission – Air Conditioning – Power Steering – Electronic ABS Front-wheel Disk Braking with rear drum brakes – Class III hitch, trailer wiring, and towing package – Alloy Wheels – AM/FM Stereo w/ 6 CD Changer – Cruise Control – Power Windows – Tilt Steering Wheel – Power Door Locks, Remote Operator – 3-way Power operated driver seat – Four-way mud flaps – 2 trip odometers – Front airbags – Fold-down Rear Seat for slide-in cargo space |
| Custom Options: | – Factory standard fog/driving lights – Roof luggage rack – Class III towing hitch with heavy-duty wiring harness. |
| Major Repairs | Fairly constant electrical problems with sensors and control switches. Replaced the Alternator twice. Extensive body work resulting from three significant accidents and several minor incidents |
| Comments: | A sharp looking SUV, lots of cargo space, extremely comfortable driving, and a lot of power. |
| External Reference: | Wikipedia Entry for Isuzu Rodeo |
Photo Collection
One of a series of photos taken at the dealership in Orlando, Florida before driving back to Mississippi. At the time these photos were taken, the Rodeo had 8 miles on the odometer.
Side view of Rodeo, taken at the Orlando dealership when the Rodeo still had only 14 miles on it.
Rear interior shot showing cargo area with rear seat up. The cargo floor area was effectively the same size as one of the Isuzu pickup trucks. Another nice feature was that when the rear seat was folded down, it made a perfectly flat deck, and a hard ledge between the cargo area and front seat. This made for very safe rear cargo hauling.
Photo taken in November 2004, side by side with my venerable 1988 Isuzu LS Pickup parked in my driveway in Gautier, Mississippi.
Another photo side by side with my 1988 Isuzu LS Pickup. Looking closely you can see the difference in the aluminum wheels between the two models.
Leaving Mississippi on our house hunting trip, September, 2006. I pulled my boat all the way to the Washington, D.C. area cruising just under 60 MPH, with no problems. I discovered that the cruise control was really handy when I needed to take it slow.
Arriving at our apartment in northern Virginia, October. 2006. The trailer was loaded down with books, tools, and other heavy belongings I didn’t want to pay the movers for. Once again, our Rodeo made the trip with no problems.
When I became involved with kayaking the Rodeo became my carrier for roof-top boating. Loading the kayak on the roof was relatively easy by sliding it up from the rear of the Rodeo.
The sales list with all options listed for my Rodeo. A bit weather beaten as this was one of the documents soaked by hurricane Katrina.
2004 Isuzu Rodeo LS SUV Factory Brochure
Front cover of the Isuzu 2004 SUV lineup of the four different SUV models available that year.
Fold Out of the 2004 Rodeo SUV. I still believe Isuzu has consistently offered the nicest designs for the vehicles in their lineups.
This was the first six cylinder vehicle I owned, and really liked the extra power. Lower fuel economy was the trade-off for the extra power, I rarely commuted long distances with her.
Interior shot. Once again, Isuzu came through with a very comfortable interior. The dashboard is sleek and highly functional with the instrumentation I like. The rear fold-down seats create lots of interior cargo space, almost as much as my old LS SpaceCab Pickup (limited by the overhead space). Some nice touches are the tie-downs in the rear cargo space and a storage box on the side of one rear wheel well.
Spec sheet listing all the various options offered in the model year.
Additional specs showing the color and exterior options. My Rodeo didn’t come with towing package, fog lights, or roof rack crossbars, but I added these after purchase.
Final shots of the four SUV models Isuzu offered in 2004.
Index
Introduction
1977 Chevrolet LUV (Isuzu Luv Series Six) Pickup Truck
1979 MG Midget 1500
1980 Chevrolet Chevette 4 door Hatchback
1988 Isuzu LS SpaceCab Pickup Truck
1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta 1.6 Four Door Sedan
1978 Mercedes Benz 200D 4 Door Sedan
1991 Volvo 240 Sedan
2004 Isuzu Rodeo LS SUV
2000 Volkswagen New Beetle GL 2 Door Hatchback
2009 Nissan Versa 1.8S Hatchback
2013 Nissan Versa 1.6SV Sedan
2015 Jeep Cherokee “Latitude”
Final Thoughts and Table of Changes
[…] basis over an eleven year period for family visits. My more memorable trips were made with the MG Midget I briefly owned, but ghosts of my frequent commutes are everywhere along the I-5 […]
Yikes, trying to comment and somehow ended up in your WordPress control panel. That was weird!
So anyway, found someone that’s owned a few cars like me,although I have ya beat by around 20 LOL.
Read most of your R. Garwood story. Geez that sucks.