The 'choke' in the 3.1TD was quite interesting. The switch closes a flap in the exhaust system which causes higher exhaust pressure, and also the motor warms up faster. Was designed for cold climates to get the motor to its operating temp more quickly.
Don't think it's a switch you just turn it and works off the the accelerater cable, the more you turn it the higher the revs and can be used as a dangerous cruise control.
Interesting. Once visited a friend in a Nissan petrol thing - returning home decidedly after midnight with plenty of opportunity for frost and icing up windscreen. Not surprisingly the idea of sitting in it still chatting to friend as the thing warms up was an idea. Engines warm up quicker under load - so added a few 'loads' - headlights, rear demister and power steering held just beyond full lock. I think it started producing noticeable heat in under a minute - we were both impressed !
Seems like a very competent vehicle, not designed to set the world alight, but to serve it’s owner for many years without needing much attention. A car that’s best at transporting.
Its a nicely styled vehicle. Compared to many modern suv's this old thing looks MUCH nicer. Appreciate you taking time to release videos when like everyone else you no doubt have bigger things to worry about. Know that your videos give a lot of people enjoyment.
I came across this vehicle today at work. 4 years after this review. I spotted the HubNut sticker in the back window and it came to me that I had seen a review years ago on a burgundy coloured Isusu Wizard. So I came home and searched it out. Needless to say I watched the review again. Keep up the good work Ian.
I have a 2002 Isuzu Vega, which was sold in Thailand and has a 3.0L Turbo Diesel, 4WD and on mine the optional automatic gearbox ( as that wizard does) which is a lovely Asin Warner with lock up and overdrive. It's spacious, ultra reliable and comfortable, well equipped for the year, though no ABS or Airbags are fitted. The air con is the coldest I have ever known on any vehicle, but like many vehicles sold in Thailand it has no heating at all. I have driven it all across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia and done about 100,000 km in it , it was already 10 years old when I bought it for equiv of 8,000 quid in 2012. It's basically a facelift of that Mu Wizard, with a slightly updated interior etc. We left Thailand in 2016 and moved to Ireland so it's stored in a barn and occasionally driven, I cannot take it to Ireland because of the lack of heater and the annual tax on such a vehicle here, but it remains one of the best vehicles I ever owned. The only negative really is that at idle it sounds like a tractor, those old Isuzu diesels are noisy but as soon as it starts moving it's OK. I believe the Australia NZ market Wizard and Rodeo models were built in Thailand also in the Samut Prakan or Rayong factory, and not in Japan as you suggested. In all the miles and years that I drove it, it needed just brakes, CV boots and a water pump, and the water pump was changed before it failed because it started to make a noise. Very well built indeed.
My wife drove one of these and loved it. Isuzu Rodeo in the USA. Our first grown up car! It had the 3.2 v6 and the old style pick up truck looking dash.We got it just prior to marriage. Can even be seen lurking in the background of our wedding video with the temporary license tag taped in the rear window. Served us well for many years. Still a good looking vehicle. Thanks for the memories.
On second thoughts, since Ian was filming this in the same country The Last Continent was set in, a Mu Wizard could very well be the Librarian who sneezed and turned into a car. Starting sounds like "ook-ook-ook-ook-ook" 🤔
I love the HubNut style of car reviews, really entertaining. I had a very early Frontera 5 door in gold years ago but it was badged as a Bedford and nobody knew why.
I remember seeing the Bedford versions as I was a nineties child and they were still around along with the vans. My grandad had a bright yellow Bedford rascal van which I loved to pretend to drive along with his old restored grey Ferguson tractor.
The 4JX diesel is a lemon , the electric over hydraulic injection plays up when the mileage gets up ,there's a wiring loom that enters the cam cover and to operate the injection it gets cooked in the heat
A neighbour had a dark blue Frontera in the early 00's. I always quite liked them, I'm not so keen on the short wheelbase Sport, the long wheelbase looks a better balanced design I think.
Nice video, there are quite a lot of differences between this and the old frontera a. Though i have to say, i had a lot of coil-springed offroaders, for example the 2003 frontera (one of the last ones), pajero, and i actually prefer the stiffer "more tractor like" ride of the torsion front/leafspring rear suspension, its not as "jelly" offroad, what is a huge plus for me :) these are great cars though, none the less, can take an incredible ammount of abuse. My '91 "A" frontera turned 30 this year, and i still drive it every day. By the way, mine is the 2.3TD, but its a capable engine, it makes about 120hp without a sweat, just by a bit of tweaking
Love the name Mu wizard. Its nice to see a very clean example of a Izuzu 4x4 of this age usually you find in them in Wales or the English countryside covered in mud, farm smells on the inside and outside and they sometimes have a bit of rust or damage bodywork. Generally a ideal farm run about.
I loved my mk1 2.2 petrol frontera. It had a broken front axle engine was stuck in limp home mode and when it rained it filled the passenger foot well. But it did drift well
Had a fair few of these in Frontera form coming into the workshop with front door Check straps breaking away from the Bodywork, interiors were also very Plastic Fantastic.
Even where I am (central west NSW, Oz) I still see the odd original SWB Isuzu (Holden) Mu. Arsetrailier didn't get the LWB version seen here until the Mk2 turned up in 1999. This LWB you tested is a bit of a mix - it's the MK1 body but with much of the dashboard of the Mk2 and the only reason I know that is because we (my ex and I) bought a '99 Holden Frontera 'S'. nfortunately, Oz only got the 3.2 V6 in the LWB versions or the 2.2 in the (misleadingly named) Sport. The 5-spd manual V6 had a rampant thirst - we could squeeze 450km out of a 76L tank if we really tried, godnose what the auto SE version got. It also ate clutches every 90-100K km no matter how it was driven. We p/ex'd it for a new dual-cab 4WD Hilux SR5 diesel in 2009 which easily got 750km out of a 75L tank and though the Hilux also had its shortcomings, we never looked back.
Chap down the road used to have a Frontera Sport back in the day, it was white with a massive 'Frontera' graphic down the side in the full colour spectrum
I had a 2ltr petrol Sport around 2005-07 and used it to tow a fairly large caravan and my 19 year old son used it as a daily driver after the escort van I gave him ground to a halt and before I found him an R5 Monaco 1700. You gotta give your kids the chance to drive all sorts when they are young, cost a bit on insurance but hes got the memories of messing about in them, my Mk2 Golf too. Happy memories Peace Charlie 🇬🇧
HUBNUT, that noise on shut off is the turbocharger spooling down, MU's are really common for it as the turbo gets worn, mine did that for years and thousands of km's and was still OK when I sold it. Also the BEST thing you can do with these engines it disconnect and blank off the 2 EGR valves on the intake manifold, they go a heck of a lot better and last a lot longer as well, I still have a blank off kit here at home somewhere.
your teasing us with the beautiful scenery and nice weather, if you had done this later it would have been "The wizard of oz", get it,oh maybe not,so long ,farewell and stay safe...
In Canada we got them as Isuzu Rodeo. All of the ones I've seen came with a V6. They pretty rare to be found anywhere here. We also got the Amigo though I can't remember when I last saw one. Honda Passport too.
When I was a kid the people a few doors down had a Frontera. One day they had a screaming row and the wife came out and smashed all the windows with a hammer. Someone called the police and she screamed "it's my car, I can smash the windows if I want." Can't argue with that can you?
I did start to panic thinking you had forgotten to do a wiper test, then you did and all is right with the world, then I remembered all isn't right with the world oh well. Stay safe everyone.
That wasn't a choke control ( on a diesel?) it's an adjustable idle control. You can screw it clockwise and increase the idle, up to about 2000rpm. Handy if jumpstarting something else, or crawling over rough terrain. The mystery button closes a valve in the exhaust, to speed up engine heating. The 3.1 was an extremely durable engine, Isuzu's next generation diesel effort almost bankrupt the company... Are you sure about the coil springs? Troopers only had them at the back, with big long torsion bars to the front.
Hi Hubnut. With my electronics background, mu first struck me as the Greek letter mu (pronounced mew) which denotes 'micro' or a millionth. So maybe it's intended to mean Micro Wizard. On checking, there is also a Japanese meaning which would make it Absence Of Wizard. Who knows of course what goes on in inscrutable Japanese minds! Cheers.
That light arrangement explains then why the Toyota land cruiser had those ridiculous tail lights in the bumper with the almost redundant lights in the rear quarters. I always wondered why they did it. Now I know!
It's always interesting to see what people drive in other parts of the world. Here in the U.S. we had this as the Isuzu Rodeo/ Honda Passport. I had the 97 Honda Passport, which has a little nicer trim package. Great vehicle, I miss it.
Like that a lot. Looks a bit more rugged and less fragile than a Frontera. That 3.1 TD engine did go in a UK sold Vauxhall 4x4 too. Do you remember the Monterey? Rarer and more luxurious version of the Trooper. You'd like them, they had headlamp wash wipe 😍
We had a Vauxhall Astra that used to make a 'jet turbine winding down noise' when the ignition was switched off! It was the electric power steering pump! I don't know if it was the same for the Frontera/Trooper/MuWizard or any other model though! :-)
Bugger all wrong with the Vauxhall Frontera, even the 2.3 turbo diesel. Not everyone could afford to buy or run a Range Rover. Lovely vehicle for every man
@@alexmcandrew8370. Exactly right, then onto near Napier airport for the wiper test and back to North Shore Road for the finale! The fire started 6 January 2020 and burnt around 400 ha.
PS That mysterious button obviously doesn’t work as it normally activates a guy dressed as a Demon Samurai to come and throw you into the nearest body of water. You were lucky, Morning Sunshine!
A friend of mine had a Frontera Sport 2 door with the 2.0 litre sohc cavalier engine. Ok on the road fantastic off ! Such an under rated off road vehicle it could not be stopped ! Sadly Luton build quality was such that it was never protected for our winter roads and the salt that came with them. Corrosion was terrible and brake pipes and compensator valves turned into balls of rust and cost an arm and a leg to replace. Body panels turned into lace curtains at the bottom. Almost 60's body work quality. What could have been....
Was the complaint when you took the key out because you had the windows down and it was warning you that you couldn't close them without the ignition on? Interesting feature if so.
I think it has to do with the immobiliser from memory. I've heard this before on another vehicle and I think it was on my mate's Japanese spec, NZ new, Toyota Hilux Surf.
It's about time we saw you in something half decent. I do miss my old 2.2dti swb fronti. Biggest problem with them was tin worm. You could almost hear the little buggers munching away as you drove down the road. I think you should get a deisel 4x4 on the fleet back in Blighty. Maybe a freelander or a Vitara. Be handy for you out there in the Welsh wilderness 👍😂👍
RAV4 got sold to a friend when I got the ZX diesel. I can't really justify a 4x4. You don't need one just because you live in Wales. A 2CV is quite sufficient. 😉
Mmmm . . . Power mirrors . . . I liked the Frontera, never got one though, too dear. The noise at the end was probably the cooling fans for the air-con. I have a 1.7 Astra with an Isuzu engine. Excellent engine, 180.000 miles and it was still going strong, unfortunately, the body isn't . . .Hey-Ho!
Reminds me of BU WZR (Pronounced Boo Wizzer) which is what the khemitians (Pre Egyptians) called the Giza Plateau complex. And it is an complex. A big power station complex.
The biggest problem with the Frontera was that the 4WD system was really, really fragile. I used to work for an Indonesian company that had a fleet of 270 4x4s and the only ones that were ever likely to be in a decent state of repair were the Disco's, Defenders and Hiluxes (they were too cheap to buy Land Cruisers). They had something like 150 Shoguns, L200s and Fronteras and the majority of them were either completely undriveable or could only be used on-road, partially due to them being poorly designed and fragile and partially due to poor supply of spare parts. Oddly enough, the Isuzu Trooper was another fairly reliable vehicle, though. Dunno if different versions of this vehicle used different transmissions. Maybe the Isuzu version of this is more robust than the Vauxhall version?
Sadly, another quiet video needing some audio boost this end. Hmm, nearly forgetting the wiper test - and no exploration of the 'choke' at all ! Is it a hand 'throttle' ? Perhaps ultimately basic cruise control !
I don't understand why you have sound issues. No-one else seems to report an issue. Whether on my laptop or via headphones, the sound is fine this end.
@@HubNut Compare th-cam.com/video/BGSQGQg5Dvg/w-d-xo.html with th-cam.com/video/aIMz1nvkNuU/w-d-xo.html Same situation driving & talking. Of recent vids, the one that's quiet is the only one I've noticed the issue - it's not all your vids by a long way, just odd ones but it is all BBC output on iplayer - while BBC local stations are fine !
@@HubNut Maybe everyone else is a knob-twiddler. The world is full of such people. I am not a knob-twiddler. Our mother was taken from our house in 2014. The TV volume control has not been adjusted at all since ! Computer audio level - my default is 50% If I need to adjust that, there's an issue with the sound source.
Interesting that the logo on the foglight is the one for front foglights. At least here in Europe. Quite bizarre given the fact that only the rear ones are mandatory. Or does this one have both? Amazing how many spin-offs were made of this vehicle. What was the “grandfather” model in fact where it all started with?
The 2.8 izusu td Vauxhall early frounty was the best diesel engine for towing and is not fussy about what you shove in it. Vauxhall own 2.3 diesel engine early on was disappointing .but later frountys had good fancy diesel common rail 2.2 with better economy But more picky on what fuel you put in .a Used veg oil creative cocktail can quickly stuff things up .so dont .!tempting as it is. So don't do it to your own car .I always carry a drum just in case but the downside is all my cars smell a bit funny !
Great video, as always, thanks Ian..... Although, i can't stop chuckling at that name though "Mu Wizard" lol. I think it really suited you, i wonder if any Isuzu's are left in the U.K.?
I'm pretty sure Holden rebadged these as the Fonterra too, and offered them with the petrol V6 out of the Commodore. I could be wrong... Edit - it was engined with Isuzu's own alloy V6 engine.
Despite the pretty dreadful media response to these (as the Frontera), I have always liked these (and I generally detest SUVs/Crossovers). The 'Sport' looks like a Nova on steroids! I particularly like the facelift versions of these especially with the V6 engines.
I always thought of "mu" as being pronounced "myu" (apologies to real phonetics), as in the Greek letter μ used in science and engineering for a variety of purposes, including coefficient of friction.
The 'choke' in the 3.1TD was quite interesting. The switch closes a flap in the exhaust system which causes higher exhaust pressure, and also the motor warms up faster. Was designed for cold climates to get the motor to its operating temp more quickly.
Thanks for explaining that, I was a bit confused.
Don't think it's a switch you just turn it and works off the the accelerater cable, the more you turn it the higher the revs and can be used as a dangerous cruise control.
This one may have been modified to work differently. I had one of these Wizards and it had that feature from the factory.
Interesting. Once visited a friend in a Nissan petrol thing - returning home decidedly after midnight with plenty of opportunity for frost and icing up windscreen. Not surprisingly the idea of sitting in it still chatting to friend as the thing warms up was an idea. Engines warm up quicker under load - so added a few 'loads' - headlights, rear demister and power steering held just beyond full lock. I think it started producing noticeable heat in under a minute - we were both impressed !
Seems like a very competent vehicle, not designed to set the world alight, but to serve it’s owner for many years without needing much attention. A car that’s best at transporting.
Its a nicely styled vehicle. Compared to many modern suv's this old thing looks MUCH nicer. Appreciate you taking time to release videos when like everyone else you no doubt have bigger things to worry about. Know that your videos give a lot of people enjoyment.
Isuzu SUV it's like Land Cruiser 80.
I came across this vehicle today at work. 4 years after this review. I spotted the HubNut sticker in the back window and it came to me that I had seen a review years ago on a burgundy coloured Isusu Wizard. So I came home and searched it out. Needless to say I watched the review again. Keep up the good work Ian.
My favourite car name ever!
why has no one thought of this before
Nah, Nissan Cedric
Mysterious utility-Wizard.
I have a 2002 Isuzu Vega, which was sold in Thailand and has a 3.0L Turbo Diesel, 4WD and on mine the optional automatic gearbox ( as that wizard does) which is a lovely Asin Warner with lock up and overdrive. It's spacious, ultra reliable and comfortable, well equipped for the year, though no ABS or Airbags are fitted. The air con is the coldest I have ever known on any vehicle, but like many vehicles sold in Thailand it has no heating at all. I have driven it all across Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia and done about 100,000 km in it , it was already 10 years old when I bought it for equiv of 8,000 quid in 2012. It's basically a facelift of that Mu Wizard, with a slightly updated interior etc. We left Thailand in 2016 and moved to Ireland so it's stored in a barn and occasionally driven, I cannot take it to Ireland because of the lack of heater and the annual tax on such a vehicle here, but it remains one of the best vehicles I ever owned. The only negative really is that at idle it sounds like a tractor, those old Isuzu diesels are noisy but as soon as it starts moving it's OK. I believe the Australia NZ market Wizard and Rodeo models were built in Thailand also in the Samut Prakan or Rayong factory, and not in Japan as you suggested. In all the miles and years that I drove it, it needed just brakes, CV boots and a water pump, and the water pump was changed before it failed because it started to make a noise. Very well built indeed.
My wife drove one of these and loved it. Isuzu Rodeo in the USA. Our first grown up car! It had the 3.2 v6 and the old style pick up truck looking dash.We got it just prior to marriage. Can even be seen lurking in the background of our wedding video with the temporary license tag taped in the rear window. Served us well for many years. Still a good looking vehicle. Thanks for the memories.
A muWizard sounds like something out of the Unseen University of Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Probably runs on high octarine fuel.
Ook?
On second thoughts, since Ian was filming this in the same country The Last Continent was set in, a Mu Wizard could very well be the Librarian who sneezed and turned into a car. Starting sounds like "ook-ook-ook-ook-ook" 🤔
Mysterious utility-Wizard..
That intro... it’s a safe 20-30mins of honesty when I hear your voice!
I did some work in the Luton IBC plant and they had all the different badged versions of the Frontera all together on the line.
I love the HubNut style of car reviews, really entertaining. I had a very early Frontera 5 door in gold years ago but it was badged as a Bedford and nobody knew why.
I remember seeing the Bedford versions as I was a nineties child and they were still around along with the vans. My grandad had a bright yellow Bedford rascal van which I loved to pretend to drive along with his old restored grey Ferguson tractor.
The 4JX diesel is a lemon , the electric over hydraulic injection plays up when the mileage gets up ,there's a wiring loom that enters the cam cover and to operate the injection it gets cooked in the heat
Tough as old boots but much underrated and derided. Like the Nissan X Trail of old much more capable than people thought.
A neighbour had a dark blue Frontera in the early 00's. I always quite liked them, I'm not so keen on the short wheelbase Sport, the long wheelbase looks a better balanced design I think.
I love the style of the Isuzu/Vauxhall 4x4. I used to drive a Vauxhall Brava 2wd for work, it was lovely to drive and very robust.
Always liked the looks of the Frontera, well proportioned, even the short wheelbase version. Chunky.
Nice video, there are quite a lot of differences between this and the old frontera a. Though i have to say, i had a lot of coil-springed offroaders, for example the 2003 frontera (one of the last ones), pajero, and i actually prefer the stiffer "more tractor like" ride of the torsion front/leafspring rear suspension, its not as "jelly" offroad, what is a huge plus for me :) these are great cars though, none the less, can take an incredible ammount of abuse. My '91 "A" frontera turned 30 this year, and i still drive it every day. By the way, mine is the 2.3TD, but its a capable engine, it makes about 120hp without a sweat, just by a bit of tweaking
The 2.3 was a Isuzu engine and was also used in the vauxhall carlton and had 100bhp
Love the name Mu wizard. Its nice to see a very clean example of a Izuzu 4x4 of this age usually you find in them in Wales or the English countryside covered in mud, farm smells on the inside and outside and they sometimes have a bit of rust or damage bodywork. Generally a ideal farm run about.
I loved my mk1 2.2 petrol frontera. It had a broken front axle engine was stuck in limp home mode and when it rained it filled the passenger foot well. But it did drift well
Had a fair few of these in Frontera form coming into the workshop with front door Check straps breaking away from the Bodywork, interiors were also very Plastic Fantastic.
Another great video Mr Nut. :)
I bought a new very late mk1 trooper swb with the 2.6 petrol. Early versions came with 2.3 petrol or diesel. Now extremely rare in any form.
Even where I am (central west NSW, Oz) I still see the odd original SWB Isuzu (Holden) Mu. Arsetrailier didn't get the LWB version seen here until the Mk2 turned up in 1999. This LWB you tested is a bit of a mix - it's the MK1 body but with much of the dashboard of the Mk2 and the only reason I know that is because we (my ex and I) bought a '99 Holden Frontera 'S'. nfortunately, Oz only got the 3.2 V6 in the LWB versions or the 2.2 in the (misleadingly named) Sport.
The 5-spd manual V6 had a rampant thirst - we could squeeze 450km out of a 76L tank if we really tried, godnose what the auto SE version got. It also ate clutches every 90-100K km no matter how it was driven. We p/ex'd it for a new dual-cab 4WD Hilux SR5 diesel in 2009 which easily got 750km out of a 75L tank and though the Hilux also had its shortcomings, we never looked back.
Ian. The 2019 version of this 4x4 is called the MU-X here in Australia. Nice tough vehicle
Yes, saw quite a few of them.
Chap down the road used to have a Frontera Sport back in the day, it was white with a massive 'Frontera' graphic down the side in the full colour spectrum
I had a 2ltr petrol Sport around 2005-07 and used it to tow a fairly large caravan and my 19 year old son used it as a daily driver after the escort van I gave him ground to a halt and before I found him an R5 Monaco 1700.
You gotta give your kids the chance to drive all sorts when they are young, cost a bit on insurance but hes got the memories of messing about in them, my Mk2 Golf too.
Happy memories
Peace
Charlie 🇬🇧
HUBNUT, that noise on shut off is the turbocharger spooling down, MU's are really common for it as the turbo gets worn, mine did that for years and thousands of km's and was still OK when I sold it. Also the BEST thing you can do with these engines it disconnect and blank off the 2 EGR valves on the intake manifold, they go a heck of a lot better and last a lot longer as well, I still have a blank off kit here at home somewhere.
Its an Asin 30/40LE trans in the diesels,the V6 petrol got the GM transmission..
your teasing us with the beautiful scenery and nice weather, if you had done this later it would have been "The wizard of oz", get it,oh maybe not,so long ,farewell and stay safe...
Always liked the Frontera. Thanks for showing us this interesting Isuzu 👍
Thanks for this. After years of driving KB bakkies that autobox looks so wrong. Also missing that 2.8 direct injection "knock".
Yeah I remember going in a preproduction auto Frontera with the di engine and it was so noisy. 🙄
I have one of the last two rwd Bedford Brava diesels still on the road (all the others went to Egypt). Best pickup I’ve ever owned 👍🏼
The Isuzu engine are fantastic I had one in my Vauxhall Astra never let me down.
Oh damn my dad has a black 3 dr version of this when I was young with the. 2.8 TD it was awesome 👌🏻
In Canada we got them as Isuzu Rodeo. All of the ones I've seen came with a V6. They pretty rare to be found anywhere here. We also got the Amigo though I can't remember when I last saw one. Honda Passport too.
Think they would
have been the Holden Rodeo here in Aus. Isuzu’s have reputation for being very reliable here.
I was never a big 4x4 fan but I did like styling of the Vauxhall Opel Frontera because it looked fairly unique with the sloping rear window.
Love how the range selector jumps at 10:28
When I was a kid the people a few doors down had a Frontera. One day they had a screaming row and the wife came out and smashed all the windows with a hammer. Someone called the police and she screamed "it's my car, I can smash the windows if I want." Can't argue with that can you?
I did start to panic thinking you had forgotten to do a wiper test, then you did and all is right with the world, then I remembered all isn't right with the world oh well. Stay safe everyone.
i drooled over those when they first came out. nice review ian hubnut.
That wasn't a choke control ( on a diesel?) it's an adjustable idle control. You can screw it clockwise and increase the idle, up to about 2000rpm.
Handy if jumpstarting something else, or crawling over rough terrain.
The mystery button closes a valve in the exhaust, to speed up engine heating.
The 3.1 was an extremely durable engine, Isuzu's next generation diesel effort almost bankrupt the company...
Are you sure about the coil springs?
Troopers only had them at the back, with big long torsion bars to the front.
I used to have a rodeo and it was a total work horse and one of the few cars I’ve owned that i genuinely miss
Hi Hubnut. With my electronics background, mu first struck me as the Greek letter mu (pronounced mew) which denotes 'micro' or a millionth. So maybe it's intended to mean Micro Wizard. On checking, there is also a Japanese meaning which would make it Absence Of Wizard. Who knows of course what goes on in inscrutable Japanese minds! Cheers.
MU stands for “mysterious utility” on these. I don’t know why it’s a weird name
That light arrangement explains then why the Toyota land cruiser had those ridiculous tail lights in the bumper with the almost redundant lights in the rear quarters. I always wondered why they did it. Now I know!
We got the Wizard in the States as the Isuzu Rodeo and the Honda Passport
It was sold as the Honda Passport as well as the Isuzu Rodeo here in the US. Of course no diesel was ever offered.
It's always interesting to see what people drive in other parts of the world. Here in the U.S. we had this as the Isuzu Rodeo/ Honda Passport. I had the 97 Honda Passport, which has a little nicer trim package. Great vehicle, I miss it.
sooooo sooooooo much info. my neighbour had a short-wheelbase Frontera - i never realised it were an isuzu.
Like that a lot. Looks a bit more rugged and less fragile than a Frontera.
That 3.1 TD engine did go in a UK sold Vauxhall 4x4 too. Do you remember the Monterey? Rarer and more luxurious version of the Trooper. You'd like them, they had headlamp wash wipe 😍
We had a Vauxhall Astra that used to make a 'jet turbine winding down noise' when the ignition was switched off! It was the electric power steering pump! I don't know if it was the same for the Frontera/Trooper/MuWizard or any other model though! :-)
Bugger all wrong with the Vauxhall Frontera, even the 2.3 turbo diesel. Not everyone could afford to buy or run a Range Rover. Lovely vehicle for every man
This is the car that Alf Garnett(Warren Mitchell) would've slagged when he was hacked off at its performance....... "You silly Mu(Moo)!" LOL
The opening views of the location were stunning, and nice all purpose SUV 👍 Tam.
Looks like tangoio beach, about 20 minutes north of Napier in the Hawkes Bay.
Nice to hear the waves in the background.
@@alexmcandrew8370. Exactly right, then onto near Napier airport for the wiper test and back to North Shore Road for the finale! The fire started 6 January 2020 and burnt around 400 ha.
HubNut is getting some KLF vibes from the Mu-Mu car
Justified and ancient!
PS That mysterious button obviously doesn’t work as it normally activates a guy dressed as a Demon Samurai to come and throw you into the nearest body of water. You were lucky, Morning Sunshine!
Hello Ian. Thanks for your videos. Great entertainment 👍🏻
Really a world car, with a different name on every continent.
Also briefly sold in the U.S. as the Acura SLX, which was hilariously out of step with the rest of Honda's luxury offerings.
The SLX was Trooper based. With leather and wood trim it wasn't that bad actually.
Maaaate, that's NOT a roo bar. That's barely a nudge bar. A kangaroo would devastate the front end of that vehicle.
Haha "You dont want to do that really " after you floored it made me laugh lol
A friend of mine had a Frontera Sport 2 door with the 2.0 litre sohc cavalier engine. Ok on the road fantastic off ! Such an under rated off road vehicle it could not be stopped ! Sadly Luton build quality was such that it was never protected for our winter roads and the salt that came with them. Corrosion was terrible and brake pipes and compensator valves turned into balls of rust and cost an arm and a leg to replace. Body panels turned into lace curtains at the bottom. Almost 60's body work quality. What could have been....
Called the Frontera Sport in the U.K
My das had a 1990 Isuzu Rodeo 2 door! Sold it last month and got an Xj Cherokee.
should do the Frontera Vs Lotus Bighorn like the SD1 Vs 800 would be interesting.
Great video. I wonder how many people have popped the tailgate in these when trying to turn the fogs on.
I love to mooing arround in this SUV with some country and western music on.
Peak training shoe era of vehicle design.
You should do a vid about the 97 nissan terrano of the same era
All through the road test i heard in my head Jeremy Clarkson shouting "POWER" and wished Ian pressed the Power button. ;)
Mu is used to represent the coefficient of friction, so maybe Isuzu were claiming it had a magical amount of grip?
NZ had some interesting Japanese imports in the times I've visited from my home in AU. Some still had the Jap spec FM radio, even hire cars!!!
the Isuzu Crosswind/Tavera/Chevrolet Tavera takes a few interior parts from this i notice
With the current bog roll shortage, some people are not having such "quite a good wipe" :)
we did get a 3.1td citation in the uk.
Yes, in the Trooper, not the Frontera.
Was the complaint when you took the key out because you had the windows down and it was warning you that you couldn't close them without the ignition on? Interesting feature if so.
I think it has to do with the immobiliser from memory. I've heard this before on another vehicle and I think it was on my mate's Japanese spec, NZ new, Toyota Hilux Surf.
It's about time we saw you in something half decent.
I do miss my old 2.2dti swb fronti. Biggest problem with them was tin worm. You could almost hear the little buggers munching away as you drove down the road.
I think you should get a deisel 4x4 on the fleet back in Blighty. Maybe a freelander or a Vitara. Be handy for you out there in the Welsh wilderness
👍😂👍
Early on in the channel, I think he had a mk1 RAV4 until it just disappeared. Not sure what happened to it.
RAV4 got sold to a friend when I got the ZX diesel. I can't really justify a 4x4. You don't need one just because you live in Wales. A 2CV is quite sufficient. 😉
The battery sounds like it's on deaths door. I didn't think it would start the first time you fired it up.
Mmmm . . . Power mirrors . . . I liked the Frontera, never got one though, too dear. The noise at the end was probably the cooling fans for the air-con. I have a 1.7 Astra with an Isuzu engine. Excellent engine, 180.000 miles and it was still going strong, unfortunately, the body isn't . . .Hey-Ho!
‘MU WIZARD’... the state of that name! They are cheekily superb aren’t they?! Plenty of room to take your toolbox to the Bush, inside.
Reminds me of BU WZR (Pronounced Boo Wizzer) which is what the khemitians (Pre Egyptians) called the Giza Plateau complex. And it is an complex. A big power station complex.
The biggest problem with the Frontera was that the 4WD system was really, really fragile.
I used to work for an Indonesian company that had a fleet of 270 4x4s and the only ones that were ever likely to be in a decent state of repair were the Disco's, Defenders and Hiluxes (they were too cheap to buy Land Cruisers).
They had something like 150 Shoguns, L200s and Fronteras and the majority of them were either completely undriveable or could only be used on-road, partially due to them being poorly designed and fragile and partially due to poor supply of spare parts.
Oddly enough, the Isuzu Trooper was another fairly reliable vehicle, though.
Dunno if different versions of this vehicle used different transmissions.
Maybe the Isuzu version of this is more robust than the Vauxhall version?
Sadly, another quiet video needing some audio boost this end.
Hmm, nearly forgetting the wiper test - and no exploration of the 'choke' at all ! Is it a hand 'throttle' ? Perhaps ultimately basic cruise control !
I don't understand why you have sound issues. No-one else seems to report an issue. Whether on my laptop or via headphones, the sound is fine this end.
@@HubNut Compare
th-cam.com/video/BGSQGQg5Dvg/w-d-xo.html
with
th-cam.com/video/aIMz1nvkNuU/w-d-xo.html
Same situation driving & talking.
Of recent vids, the one that's quiet is the only one I've noticed the issue - it's not all your vids by a long way, just odd ones but it is all BBC output on iplayer - while BBC local stations are fine !
@@HubNut Maybe everyone else is a knob-twiddler. The world is full of such people. I am not a knob-twiddler. Our mother was taken from our house in 2014. The TV volume control has not been adjusted at all since !
Computer audio level - my default is 50% If I need to adjust that, there's an issue with the sound source.
Interesting that the logo on the foglight is the one for front foglights. At least here in Europe. Quite bizarre given the fact that only the rear ones are mandatory. Or does this one have both?
Amazing how many spin-offs were made of this vehicle. What was the “grandfather” model in fact where it all started with?
Rear ones are not mandatory in Japan or NZ.
I too like a 4x4 that acts and sounds like a 4x4 should.
Great content ,hope your well, stay safe.........👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
The 2.8 izusu td Vauxhall early frounty was the best diesel engine for towing and is not fussy about what you shove in it. Vauxhall own 2.3 diesel engine early on was disappointing .but later frountys had good fancy diesel common rail 2.2 with better economy But more picky on what fuel you put in .a Used veg oil creative cocktail can quickly stuff things up .so dont .!tempting as it is. So don't do it to your own car .I always carry a drum just in case but the downside is all my cars smell a bit funny !
Great video, as always, thanks Ian..... Although, i can't stop chuckling at that name though "Mu Wizard" lol. I think it really suited you, i wonder if any Isuzu's are left in the U.K.?
I'm pretty sure Holden rebadged these as the Fonterra too, and offered them with the petrol V6 out of the Commodore. I could be wrong...
Edit - it was engined with Isuzu's own alloy V6 engine.
Yes, Isuzu power but Holden badges. And less bling.
So a 'Moo' version for down under, would they name a 'Baa' version for Wales?.....
There are enough of them still in use in Wales as farm run around vehicles. They tend to smell more like a Baa inside and outside.
Despite the pretty dreadful media response to these (as the Frontera), I have always liked these (and I generally detest SUVs/Crossovers). The 'Sport' looks like a Nova on steroids!
I particularly like the facelift versions of these especially with the V6 engines.
That steering wheel really was pressing your buttons
Bush fires in Cardigan bay? They've kept that off the news... ;o)
How strange in that I had a girlfriend with red hair and Her required Heads up was "MU". Same rear suspension as you are test driving. Love it!
3.1 had 113 bhp
HUB NUT
Rover needs u don't let it down now
Phil from stoke
A good looking purposeful vehicle, a lot better than the vulger looking stuff the make now. I like it a lot.
Nice shaped car. I like the lines.
Used to live the fronteras as a kid don't know ehy
I always thought of "mu" as being pronounced "myu" (apologies to real phonetics), as in the Greek letter μ used in science and engineering for a variety of purposes, including coefficient of friction.
Thank you for not saying I-soot-zu.