A few weeks ago, my beloved Acura Integra GSR was stolen. I had a bad feeling while shopping for a new car since I purchased the Acura before I married my wife and her three children. I wanted another sporty car, she wanted a mini-van. I new that this was going to be tough to see who would win as to what we purchased.

What we finally both agreed on was the Isuzu Rodeo. It had a sporty enough look for me, and the interior size that she wanted. WOW, we agreed on a vehicle. Back in the old days, I would walk around a dealership looking at all the available vehicles of the model I wanted until I found one that had the options that I wanted. Being the middle of December, that prospect didn't interest me so off to the Isuzu website I went to build my own.

The Isuzu Website
Most dealerships like to keep their inventory down to save them money, so they don't have vehicles with all the different options on hand. The problem for the car buyer is that unless they do a lot of research, they may miss a few options that they want, or purchase a few options that really don't interest them. We all know dealerships want to get the most out of you so, they tend to keep cars on their lot loaded with options. That is where the Isuzu website comes in handy.

After choosing the Isuzu Rodeo as the vehicle we wanted, the next choice they offer is what model you want. They come in the S, LS, and LSE. S being a base, LS a little fancier, and LSE fairly loaded. We decided to start from scratch on what we wanted to build so we chose the S model with a 205 horsepower V6, and 4 wheel drive.

Next you choose the color that you want. First off I want to say, whatever happened to the days off normal colors. Our choices were Atlantic Blue Mica, Alpine White, Canal Blue Mica, Ebony Black, Palazzo Red Mica, Bright Silver Metallic, and Garden Green Mica. Silly me, I would have just called them light blue, white, dark blue, black, red, silver and drab green. We chose the Atlantic Blue Mica (light blue).

Next you choose the options you want. Air conditioning, a must have. Running boards, brush guards, tube side steps. They might look good on a vehicle, but nothing that we needed. I really don't plan on driving the family vehicle through the brush. Well come to think of it, maybe the brush guard would be good for my wife as she runs over shopping carts at the grocery store.

The rest of the website gets into pricing the vehicle you built online, and then contacting a dealership near you that will contact you about the exact vehicle you picked out.

What do I love about this vehicle.
1. It drives like a car, not a truck. It does not jar you down the road.

2. 4 wheel drive. We have had a lot of snow so far this year and the 4 wheel drive really helps to get us going while going up hill.

3. The child safety locks. I always worry when we are parking in a crowded parking lot because the kids always throw open their doors. They never think about the car parked next to them. With the child safety locks, they can only be opened from the outside. There is a control to turn this feature on and off.

4. The seats. Front and back we have plenty of room. Auto makers seem to forget that the average family has 3 children. They tend to make cars with only four seatbelts. That kept us from buy numerous other vehicles that interested us.

5. Cargo area in the back. We now have enough room to get all the groceries in the car without someone having to hold some on their laps.

6. The Warranty. 36 month/50,000 mile basic warranty. 10 year/120,000 mile limited power train. Putting a warranty of 10 year/120,000 miles on the power train lets me know that they have faith in their product.

7. Cup holders. Two in front and two in back.

What do I hate about this vehicle.

1. The heater has a hard time keeping this vehicle warm below 20 degrees. If someone in the family is a smoker and cracks the window, all heat is lost fast.

2. Visibility. This vehicle has many blind spots causing you to turn your head in many directions before making a lane change during rush hour traffic.

3. The back tailgate swings out instead of up and down. If your cargo is slightly larger then normal, you can't put the tailgate down and just tie in your cargo. It has to be shut all the way.

4. I would complain about the fuel mileage but this is a truck so you have to expect poor mileage. 17 city, 20 highway.

What is it like to drive this vehicle

I must say it handles like a dream. Steering is very light and precise, and the ride in gentle. You get a little sway while going around corners, but not enough to cause any concern. With the 4 wheel drive, if you feel you need it, a push of a button and it is on.

I would recommend this vehicle to anyone looking at a sport utility vehicle, or mini-van. It has plenty of room to hold the average family without the appearance of driving a box.