I had a first gen 1991, 2.8L and auto. And a second gen 1992 with 3.2L SOHC and 5-speed manual. I think both engines were GM sourced, but neither were anything to write home about in terms of power output.
In my view, the Troopers were decent vehicles. IFS in the front, and multi-link in the rear for the 2nd gen. I liked the way the 1992 handled on logging roads and easy-to-moderate trails. The rear axle has a really good reputation for strength in the 2nd gen. Rarely heard of axles failures, unlike many of the factory Jeep axles of that vintage. The skid plate on the 1992 was the front jacking point, so it is plenty strong compared to many thin skid plates.
I had to replace the front auto-locking hubs on both of mine. Used Superwinch manual hubs. Other than the auto hubs, they seemed like fairly robust vehicles. Probably meant more for the 3rd world than the US.
I liked the Troopers due to lower cost on the used market, compared to a Toyota or Nissan. Fairly roomy too. But, as already mentioned, sourcing parts can be an issue. Braley & Graham in Portland used to be a good source, but I'm not sure if that is the case today.
