7. Isuzu Trooper
Introduced in 1981, Isuzu Trooper was the perfect car for the time. It was a relatively spacious, great-handling off-road SUV with dependable mechanics, nice design and lots of character, something that Japanese cars often lack. The Trooper was a very capable off-road vehicle but still retained a certain level of on-road highway manners which made it equally at home on dirt roads as well as on the interstate.
Although US competitors all had V8 and bigger engines, Isuzu 2.8-liter V6 didn’t sound as much but it was enough for all purposes and off-road driving. From today`s perspective, the Trooper looks a little boxy, but that’s how the SUVs from the `80s looked like. Also, one of the key characteristics of this model is its impeccable build quality which means that there is a fair amount of survivors on the road today and this model has kind of a cult status amongst the classic SUV fans.