My husband thinks I’m crazy. You decide. Our 1993 Isuzu Rodeo 4WD-SUV is in showroom condition - sport model, running boards, big tires and spotless body which will stay that way forever here in New Mexico. But it runs like a tricycle uphill, especially at high altitudes. So I want to replace our …

What kind of gas are you using? Your Rodeo requires 89 octane, this means that it couldn’t take the boost from a mild turbocharger unless you were running race or aviation gas. A road test on a 93 Rodeo shows 0 to 60 in 10.4 seconds. If yours won’t do that you are in need of a serious effort to find…

You can get 92 in Albuquerque. That would easily compensate for mild boost, which is all you’d need. We’re not trying to build a drag car here, just one that’s more comfortable in the mountains. BTW I’m jealous. Abq’s my old home town.

I am not sure about this octane issue. It the car is driven at high altitude, does that not decrease the need for octane?

My advice is to let it go. You have formed an emotional attachment to an inanimate object. It doesn’t mean you have gone crazy, but it indicates going crazy would be a short trip.

When it comes to lifts if you regear correspondingly to offset the effects of larger diameter tires, then the fuel mileage hit isn’t quite as bad. My Bronco had a 4 inch lift and 33 inch tires. The stock rear (and front) end gears were 3.55’s which was fine for the stock 29 inch tires. But with 33’s…

I know it’s not the tires. They are, in fact, standard with the “sport” package. I only mentioned them because - as you can see from the photo - they look so cool. My husband says the Rodeo’s problem is that the V6 is too small to power a truck that size. It runs fine on level ground, but uphill…

I used to own a 4-Cyl, 5speed Toyota 4Runner which is a similar sized car of the same vintage with an even wimpier engine. Based on my experience with that car I find it very doubtful that it is normal for yours to not go faster than 20 on I-70. I have been there and I have taken that wimpy 4Runner …

It has always been that way. And since we moved to ABQ, he’s been driving it “around town.” If we go to Santa Fe, and have to climb from 5K to 7K altitude, we take my 2005 Honda CRV. But now my husband wants to buy a new (or gently used) RAV or other small SUV - which will be smaller and less roomy …

Thanks for the feedback. What year is your 4Runner? The Rodeo has always been that way. The infamous 20 mph over Eisenhower Pass was back in 1994, when the Rodeo was almost new. My real problem, I fear, is that my husband wants to buy a new(er) SUV and is throwing red herrings at my counter-propo…

Rodeo Remake?

Maintenance/Repairs

texases October 27, 2010, 2:27pm 12

Take a test drive in a more modern SUV with a high-output V6, like a Toyota Rav-4. You’ll be surprised at how well they run, even at high altitude. Do you need great offroad performance?

Topic		Replies	Views
Recommend Truck Maintenance/Repairs lights , repair , sensors , transmissions	35	2851	June 12, 2014
Squeezing the best mpg from a RV Maintenance/Repairs ford , e350	39	24443	March 15, 2012
Keep my old Rodeo? Maintenance/Repairs	6	828	June 22, 2011
Is it worth replacing an engine? Maintenance/Repairs engines , hyundai , tucson	45	26352	December 11, 2017
Performance upgrades? General Discussion ford , escape	54	4901	February 25, 2023

Rodeo Remake?

Related topics