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2001 Pontiac Aztek
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| A jaw-dropper, but no beauty |
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| Updated |
Jul 7, 2004 20:39:44 |
| Rating |
 16 ( -2 -12.5% ) | | Author | Eric Peters |
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Description:
There was a time, not so very long ago, when only rich people could make statements with the cars they drove.
These days, it's possible to draw attention to yourself for less than $25,000, brand-spanking new — the jaw-dropping, chin-scratching, what-the-heck-is-that Pontiac Aztek being exhibit A.
Your neighbors will wonder. Other drivers will stare. Questions will come your way. The ultimate question, though, is whether all of this controversy is a good thing or a bad thing.
The $21,445-$26,915 Aztek, which is basically a minivan with a pokey V-6 and available all-wheel-drive, reminds one of either a prop from a mid-1980s sci-fi movie starring Sly Stallone (Judge Dredd comes to mind) or a dumpster with wheels. A lesson in Euclidian geometry run amok, there are lines and angles all over the place. Think of the Pentagon in 3-D, then imagine a giant hand o' God grabbing three or four such objects, crumpling them in his mighty hand and then rolling the result down the highway. Presto! The Pontiac Aztek.
The Aztek's camper top also doubles as half a car cover.
The underlying idea — creating a highly versatile, minivan-like vehicle that doesn't suffer from the dirty diaper taint of obvious minivans — is excellent. The Aztek, like the VW Westphalia campers of the 1970s, is perfect for self-contained adventure trips. It doesn't have a pop-up camper top, but it does have an optionally available tent extension for the rear gate. An air mattress fits easily with the rear seats removed. With the tailgate down, you can load up four sheets of 3/4-inch plywood, too. And there's a built-in secondary audio system back there as well for tailgate parties.
Brave new world
Functionality is superb, maybe the best you can get in a vehicle of this type. Nooks and crannies abound; there's a removable portable cooler that doubles as the center console. Aztek's interior is like a new world to explore. Kids will love this thing as much as people who grew up in the 1970s loved the Olds Vista Cruiser with its famous "strato-roof."
Visibility is surprisingly excellent given the initial impression you get from staring at the industrial-design exterior. But once inside, the Aztek affords a panoramic view of the world around you. This is one of the vehicle's best attributes; it's also quite comfortable.
The only available engine is a 3.4 liter V-6 that musters 185 hp. It is competent, but nothing special. Oddly, Pontiac does not offer an engine upgrade in the theoretically sporty/performance-oriented GT model. Maybe next year? On the upside, Pontiac at least supplies a V-6 as standard equipment rather than a gimpy four-banger.
Another plus is the optionally available Versatrak all-wheel-drive system, which gives the Aztek the kind of on-road tractability that is functionally as useful under most real-world conditions as truck-style (and gas-hungry) 4x4 systems with low-speed transfer cases. A similar system is available on Chrysler minivans, too.
Unless you actually go off-road, an AWD system such as that offered by Pontiac (and the others) makes great good sense. You get far better fuel economy, performance does not suffer from the added weight of a truck-style 4x4 system — and maintenance/repair costs are apt to be less over the vehicle's life.
Even the base model Aztek is pretty grippy given its front-drive layout, which will get you through light snow quite handily.
Taken in total, the Aztek is a neat vehicle, in terms of what it does, can do, and how affordable it is. But it's a weird-looking puppy. You will definitely get noticed in this thing, for good or ill. The Aztek is not for the timid — or those concerned about the opinions of other people.
Whether there are enough such avant garde types out there willing to buy a vehicle that is the 2001 equivalent, in terms of its controversial styling, of the AMC Pacer or the double-ugly Gremlin of the groovy '70s, remains to be seen. |
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