The Trooper can haul an amazing amount of gear. We made maximum use of this by removing the rear seat cushions and backrests using a couple of socket wrenches. This gave us an enormous empty cargo area that easily swallowed two mountain bikes with wheels attached. It also provided us with yards of floor space that we lined with milk crates containing all our riding paraphernalia. That was for a week's trip to biking Meccas from Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, to the Virginia coast. It was clearly more space than is needed by just two people.Even if you're not so ambitious with tools, and if you travel with more than two people, you'll still find a ton of space inside the Trooper, a result of its height. The interior is slightly larger than that of the Montero, a taller wagon than the Trooper. The interior seems spacious due to the large glass area. This makes it easy to see the corners of the wagon for easy parking and more precise maneuvering off road. The Trooper comes with dual front airbags. The steering wheel tilts, but I'm tall and needed to leave it in its uppermost position to clear my knees. These same knees often rubbed on the wide center dashboard console. As big as the Trooper feels inside, it's a surprise how little space is devoted to the driver. The driver and passenger are separated by an enormous floor-mounted center console, which houses the shift lever, transfer case lever, and four cupholders. Still, there's plenty of space to park maps and CDs. Front seat passengers will appreciate the large grab handle within easy reach -- something to hang on to if the driver gets carried away on bumpy roads.
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