Here in the US, in the pickup truck segment, we know Honda for the mid-size Honda Ridgeline, and, well, that's about it. If you're an aficionado of Japanese kei vehicles, you might know that Honda has produced a handful of tiny commercial trucks like the Acty, but that's about it for Honda and trucks, right?Well, not quite. The short-lived Honda Tourmaster was Honda's most obscure truck, and one of the brand's most obscure vehicles overall. The truck was only available in Thailand for a few short years, and it sold so poorly it's almost a wonder that Honda ever tried their hand at the pickup segment again. The Honda Tourmaster Was A Rebadged Isuzu Honda While these trucks are pretty rare with the Honda badging, there's a good chance you've driven one yourself and not even known it. Here in North America, this truck was better known under the Isuzu Pickup name. Honda built its Thai-exclusive compact pickup by taking an Isuzu, branding it as a Honda, and, well, that's pretty much it.The Tourmaster was available in Thailand from 1996 to 1998. It debuted with a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter diesel straight-four, and, in 1997, would pack a turbodiesel, which traded a bit of horsepower for slightly better torque, and lower emissions, in keeping with evolving guidelines.Tourmasters were available with one body type, the so-called SpaceCab (extended cab), across two trims; the base LX, and the high-end LXS. Details pertaining to the LXS seem to be lost to time, but remember that this is back when power windows were considered an upgrade, so we have our doubts that this was some kind of secret luxury vehicle. The Tourmaster Was Unique For A Few Reasons The Tourmaster is an oddity in part for being Honda's only real stab at a pickup truck (and not a commercial light truck or van) until the Ridgeline would launch nearly a decade later. It was also Honda's only front-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle outside of sports cars like the Honda S2000.What's more, it might be the ugliest-sounding compact pickup we've ever featured on this site, sounding more like a lawnmower that's seen better days than it does like a capable work truck. We don't have a category in the Buzz Awards for something like that, but maybe we should.The loud, rumbly sound of diesel is a small, but critical part of why these engines never took off in America. Nobody Wanted The Tourmaster Honda The Tourmaster isn't just rare because it was only sold in one country, it's rare because it was barely sold in that country. In 1996, Honda only sold 957 Tourmasters. In 1997, Honda sold 920 units. Meanwhile, Isuzu could hardly keep up with demand for this truck, selling it under the TFR nameplate (TFR for Truck, Front-engine, Rear-wheel-drive). In 1996 alone, Isuzu sold 100,536 TFRs, more than 100 times as many units as Honda.Admittedly, this writer never went to business school, but we don't think you need to be Warren Buffett to see where Honda went wrong, on a foundational level. Isuzu and Honda agreed to a partnership that would largely see Isuzu borrowing Honda's passenger vehicles, with Honda borrowing Isuzu's SUVs. That worked out beautifully in the case of vehicles like the Honda Passport, but, for some reason, Honda thought it'd be a great idea to take a rebadged Isuzu pickup, and sell it in the same region as the truck on which it was based.In cutting out its own piece of the Thailand pickup truck market, Honda essentially released an identical twin to the Isuzu TFR, being the exact same truck in every way except for the price. The Honda was around $630 more expensive than the Isuzu, which would come out to around $1,372, adjusting for 30 years of inflation, and that was a noticeable difference when we're talking about a truck that sold for under $10,000.It wasn't just the TFR that Honda had to worry about, by the way. Thailand was also buying up Toyota Hiluxes and Nissan Hardbodies by the, well, truckload. So Honda came to market with an underpowered pickup with few options, and a higher price point than its more popular identical twin. Oh, and, the TFR was available in all-wheel-drive, which was never an option for the Honda Tourmaster.Ultimately, the plan to bring the Honda Tourmaster to market feels like it skipped a few steps. Honda didn't have a pickup to offer buyers in Thailand, but it had Isuzu to lean on for rebadging, so the most logical thing to do was to borrow the TFR. But you'd think that Honda would maybe add a luxury trim, or an off-road model with all-wheel-drive and an extra inch of ground clearance, or at least try to match Isuzu on the price. But hey, hindsight is 20/20. You Can Buy One Of These For Cheap In 2026 Bring a Trailer The Tourmaster is well past the 25-year rule, and legal to import. But bringing one in from overseas seems like a lot of unnecessary work when you consider that you could simply buy an Isuzu Pickup. They're not always the easiest trucks to find on the used market, but, when they do hit the market, they tend to be pretty cheap. Here are a few sales we were able to turn up. A 1991 4x4 model with a 3.1-liter V6 sold for $8,200 in 2024. A 1990 4x4 with a 2.6-liter straight-four engine sold for $7,100 last November. A 51,000-mile 1988 4x2 with a 2.3-liter straight-four engine sold for $21,000 in 2024. A 62,000-mile 1989 Pickup with a 2.6-liter straight-four engine sold for $18,500 in 2023. A 1987 Pickup with a 2.3-liter straight-four engine sold for just $4,300 in 2023. Pricing will depend on factors like condition and mileage, but, if you've got around $10,000 burning a hole in your pocket, and you're in the market for a dependable old work truck, you could do a lot worse than an Isuzu Pickup. Admittedly, the Isuzu Pickups we got here in the US aren't exactly like the Honda Tourmasters they got in Thailand. For one, you can run the truck's gas-powered engines without rattling every window in the neighborhood. But, if you ask us, that's actually a good thing.If you're after a reliable, affordable daily-driver, you could do a lot better than a compact pickup truck that's almost old enough to run for president. But, if you're after a work truck, something to drive around the property or make the occasional Home Depot trip, the Isuzu Pickup is a dirt-cheap solution. A Well-Kept Isuzu Pickup Can Be Very Reliable CarComplaints shows very few issues for the Isuzu Pickup. That's to be expected with a niche truck that went off the market before the CarComplaints website was even established, but still, no news is good news.The 1994 is listed as the most troubled model, with a single complaint for the engine, which "burns too much gas." The problem was reported at 92,000 miles, and the driver offered no information pertaining to diagnosis, cost, or which engine they were running. It may be that the driver simply didn't realize how far we've come in the last three decades when it comes to fuel economy.RepairPal estimates an annual maintenance cost of around $375, with the following accounting for the most expensive common fixes. AC condenser replacement $779 - $835 Oil pan gasket replacement $487 - $673 Suspension shock or strut replacement $188 - $293 MAP sensor replacement $185 - $250 Check engine light diagnosis & testing $122 - $179 While the Isuzu Pickup is generally considered to be a fairly reliable vehicle, and cheap to maintain, it's still a 30-year-old work truck. So, the lower the mileage, the better.