Isuzu Trooper LS 3.0 TD

Japan's specialist commercial and 4x4 vehicle maker is Isuzu, controlled by General Motors. A few years ago, its car division ran up enormous losses and had to be bailed out and finally closed down. This left the company to concentrate on off-roaders, trucks and commercials, which still includes the second of the two generations of Troopers examined here. The Trooper has been a moderate success in the UK. It has a loyal following, as does that other Isuzu-designed GM car, Vauxhall's Frontera. Whilst neither of the two generations of Trooper are a match for a Range Rover, the prices asked are a lot less than those of many more prestigious competitors, whilst on and off-road abilities are not that much poorer.