4-Wheeler of the Year, Runner Up

[etlsport]

awesome.. i love the VX won every driving catagory! and i like the interior (+my modifications) AND the VX does have grab handle for the rear door.. they just didnt look hard enough... awesome post, thanks!

for those who dont want to read through all that here are some of the highlights....

"At the track, the Vehicross stomped all the other vehicles by a large margin"

"In the twisties, that means the Vehicross is probably the best-handling SUV made, save for the nearly $70,000 Mercedes ML 55 AMG."

"The 'Cross ramped a best-of-the-bunch 561, which is a record for an IFS-equipped 4x4. And that score, combined with the... ...Torque-On-Demand transfer case... ...and one of the tightest rear limited slips on the market, changed its nickname from space buggy to rock buggy."

"Anyone looking for a truck that leans heavily on the sporty side of sport/ute deserves a spin in one of these."

[CoastieCosta567]

Don't know if u guys notice this, but looks like they didn't find the tailgate handle found next to the licence plate on the right side.
the tailgate always requires a key to open, and it has no grab handle to swing it open."
its the last thing they say about the VX at the end. .



"First Runner-Up:ISUZU VEHICROSS

The Isuzu Vehicross was the surprise of our test this year. Some testers, who were unfamiliar with this little space buggy, scornfully sneered, "What the heck is that?" when it arrived at the track. However, as the week wore on, testers couldn't help but reward this vehicle with top marks in nearly every category.

There's no doubt this is a strange vehicle. It defies classification in the sport/ute stratum. It's part sports car, part trail Jeep, and part desert prerunner. As such, it really works well in all terrains--a cross trainer of sorts.

The 'Cross won our Mechanical section, barely edging out the Tahoe. This means testers appreciated the fact that Isuzu stuffed its biggest truck motor, the 215-horse, direct-injected, 24-valve 3.5L V-6, into its smallest chassis, the two-door Trooper platform from Japan. In plain-speak, this thing rips. At the track, the Vehicross stomped all the other vehicles by a large margin, zipping to 60 mph in 9.57 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 17.31 at 80.4 mph.

Amazingly, this performance did not pay a price at the pump. The 'Cross turned in the best mileage of the bunch with a combined mpg of 17.3.

Isuzu used sophisticated remote-reservoir mono-tube gas shocks at each corner, and although that tended to stiffen overall ride quality, it didn't take a driver long to feel the benefits. In the twisties, that means the Vehicross is probably the best-handling SUV made, save for the nearly $70,000 Mercedes ML 55 AMG. Testers loved powering this little sportster through tight switchbacks, all the while hugged in place by the super-supportive Recaro buckets.

A firm suspension does take a toll on the body over longer hauls, as mentioned. While not bone jarring, the highway ride was taut, and that made the Vehicross our least-favorite freeway cruiser. That was further aggravated by the lack of rear visi-bility, which made passing on Los Angeles' traffic-laden expressways a bit of a challenge. Despite these nit-picks, the Isuzu won our Highway category easily with a tight steering setup and slingshot-like passing power.

However, it was where the pavement turned to dirt that the Vehicross really surprised. Our Trail Performance category encompasses everything from smooth dirt roads to Rubiconesque rockclimbs, and the 'Cross won this section by a good margin. Over desert whoops, there isn't a vehicle made that can run the speeds (with control) the 'Cross can. Yes, you could overdrive the suspension and get into the bumpstops, but at reasonable speeds, the truck felt amazingly composed.

One may assume slow-speed, low-range four-wheeling could suffer due to the firm suspension, but that wasn't so. The 'Cross ramped a best-of-the-bunch 561, which is a record for an IFS-equipped 4x4. And that score, combined with the traction of the Borg-Warner Torque-On-Demand transfer case, with 2.48:1 low range and one of the tightest rear limited slips on the market, changed its nickname from space buggy to rock buggy.

Yet, once it came time to score the interior, testers became less enamored of the little cross trainer. The combination of the strange carbon-fiber door panels, a dashboard from the previous-generation Rodeo, and the head-bumper roofline made the Isuzu's our least-favorite interior of the bunch. However, if we know Isuzu, this will be addressed quickly.

The Vehicross is certainly not for everyone, and with only 2,000 available for the U.S. market each year, listing for $30,172, Isuzu knows this. Yet we applaud the company for daring to build an aggressive vehicle that excels on nearly every terrain. Anyone looking for a truck that leans heavily on the sporty side of sport/ute deserves a spin in one of these.

Good Point, Bad Point

Good: The suspension on this little prerunner took serious abuse without a peep. We particularly liked the remote reservoir shocks (seen in red). Additionally, this suspension excelled on the trail, providing the most articulation (561 RTI).

Not So Good: The tailgate of the Vehicross was a sticking point for our staff for several reasons. First, the spare tire blocks rearward visibility severely. Second, the tailgate-integrated spare is a space saver (165/90-17). And third, the tailgate always requires a key to open, and it has no grab handle to swing it open."

[Triathlete]

You can tell who pays their bills. The VX pretty much beat everything at everything. Only gripes they had was petty stuff (no hatch handle which it has and rearward visibility) and it only got 2nd. You think they were just a bit biased by who buys a lot of their advertising space?

[Knigh7s]

Friend hovering over my shoulder: "I TOLD YOU THAT THING IS A SPACE SHIP!" ... Aslo noting how the sand looks like clouds.


Just had to share!

[CoastieCosta567]

I always new our babies can fly, but the only problem is..........i can't find its wings......Darn, to bad 1 of those empty bottons don't release it's feathers.

[Knigh7s]

Don't know if u guys notice this, but looks like they didn't find the tailgate handle found next to the licence plate on the right side.
the tailgate always requires a key to open, and it has no grab handle to swing it open."
its the last thing they say about the VX at the end. .

Kinda weird why they would say that, considering in the picture below, he has his fingers of his left hand hooked into the handle!?!

[Ascinder]

A little off topic, but does anyone have a link to a Hi-res picture of that pic of the Vehicross flying? I want it for a background BAAADDD!!!!! :yesr:

[Knigh7s]

A little off topic, but does anyone have a link to a Hi-res picture of that pic of the Vehicross flying? I want it for a background BAAADDD!!!!! :yesr:

I just went through an extensive search on google/yahoo looking for one at least similar to that picture. Hate to say, NO LUCK!

[CoastieCosta567]

Knight7s...... Man bro, you have a sharper eye then i do. i totally didn't pay that much attention.




oh and by the way, that guy looks like Saddam Husan opening the tailgate, . man i didn't know he owned a VX. I guess this vehicals are truely bio-hazerd/radio-active .

[Techy-D]

Looking at the picture, it appears that this is a 99 (based on color). I thought this said it was a 2000? Maybe they just gave them a 99 for the test drive?