The Amigo is essentially the two-door version of the four-door Isuzu Rodeo. They share front sheet metal, powertrains and other components. One of the appeals of the Amigo is the variety of configurations available. Amigo is available with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Two engines are available, a cast iron 2.2-liter, inline four-cylinder and a 3.2-liter, aluminum alloy V6. Five-speed manual transmissions are standard; and this year an automatic was added as an option on V6 models. All come with soft or hard tops. That adds up to at least eight major combinations.
They range in price from the $16,305 Amigo 2WD soft top with the 2.2-liter engine and five-speed manual to the $20,745 Amigo 4WD Hard Top V6 automatic. Four-wheel drive adds roughly $2300 to the cost of an Amigo, while the V6 adds about $1,100 -- though additional features are included. Air conditioning is a $950 option, while an automatic adds about $780 to the total. Hard-top and soft-top versions are essentially the same cost.
The hard top lends a more rakish appearance to the Isuzu Amigo. It complements the already athletic appearance of the Amigo's lower body, where wheel wells are packed with 16-inch Bridgestone Dueler tires. And it looks especially good with the optional gray painted fascia and fender flares. Made of polypropylene, the hard top covers the rear half of the Amigo formerly occupied by the fold-down soft top. The new top comes only in black and is non-removable. Making the top removable would have added greatly to the cost of the hard-top Amigo and Isuzu officials said their research indicated most Jeep Wrangler owners never removed their hard tops. The hard top comes with a heated rear window.
The more resolute form of the polypropylene lid along with the new Palazzo Red paint seem to turn the Amigo from a duckling into a swan. The hard top neatly hides the huge rear roll hoop and support bars necessary for a vehicle without a full body. Adding to visual appeal are an integrated body-colored grille, small fog lamps and art deco tail lights. The large rear tailgate door with its relatively short window eliminates the square appearance of most sport-utilities. Its rakish appearance and form-filling tires add an appealing muscular demeanor to the Amigo, while a rear-mounted spare tire ensures it maintains its utilitarian look. Overall, the Amigo Hard Top is a stylish SUV.
Inside, is a straightforward, utilitarian interior. The dash and center console are in a standard arrangement. The floor shifter in four-wheel-drive models can be easily reached from the driver's seat. The woven cloth seats could use a greater range of adjustments and a bit more lumbar and side support. Also, the steering wheel isn't perfectly aligned with the driver's seat -- common on many vehicles, but more noticeable on this one. In the back seat, there's enough room for three adults. Folding the rear seat down reveals 62 cubic feet of cargo room. Climbing up and into the back seats isn't easy, however, because the passage is narrow and sliding the front seat forward on our test vehicle was difficult.
The hard top comes with two moonroofs. The front moonroof has a tilt option or can be removed. The rear moonroof can also be removed. The most obvious benefits of the hard top are the glass side and rear windows in place of the somewhat fussy zip-in plastic versions on the soft top. The glass dramatically improves visibility out the sides. A rear defroster and wiper are standard.
Our Amigo Hard Top came with the 3.2-liter V6 and automatic. The V6 revs quickly, providing quick getaways from intersections. Strong low-end torque peaks at 214 foot-pounds at 3,000 rpm. The Amigo sprints from 0 to 60 mph in about 8.5 seconds -- a strong performance for a small SUV.
Once up to speed, the Amigo is fun to drive. The big tires don't provide a lot of grip in paved corners, but the handling is very predictable and that makes the Amigo entertaining to drive. The 16-inch tires (P235 standard and P245 with the optional alloy wheels) have excellent compliance with the Amigo suspension, which smooths out the ride considerably. Mounted on a ladder-type frame with a five-point coil spring rear suspension and live rear axle, the Amigo retains some of its truck heritage. The rear tires have a tendency to bounce around when hitting big bumps. By comparison, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV-4 are based on passenger car chassis; they ride smoother, but do not have the strong off-road capability of the Amigo.
On smooth interstates, the Amigo V6 galavants happily. It's a pleasure to drive on curvy mountain highways where torque and horsepower are at a premium. The transmission smoothly applies the power and the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering responds well. At lower speeds, the steering is precise, which is equally helpful on crowded city streets and off road. The Amigo is much more fun to drive than a Kia Sportage.
When equipped with the automatic, the Amigo can be shifted from rear-wheel drive to four-wheel drive on the fly. Simply press the button on the dashboard. A floor-mounted lever engages a low-range set of gears for maximum torque in extreme off-road conditions.
Four-wheel-drive models come with disc brakes front and rear, which provide ample stopping power. (Drum brakes in the rear are standard for two-wheel-drive models.) Four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard on all Amigos. With all that off-road suspension travel, there is some nose dive under hard braking.
We turned to the Rim of the World in the San Bernadino Mountains of California for some off-road driving. It was there, on steep, difficult grades where the four-wheel-drive Amigo really shined. The torque of the V6 worked in tandem with the tough, but compliant Bridgestone tires and rpm-sensitive steering. Our confidence rose as we rode over huge rocks and climbed through deep ruts. Our Amigo inspired a long afternoon in pursuit of craggy logging roads loaded with large rocks near Lake Arrowhead. Galvanized steel shields for the radiator and fuel tank helped sustain our confidence. The Amigo's four-wheel-drive system is designed for serious off-road use and should not be used on dry pavement.