Sadly, yes I said sadly, the Pontiac Aztek production will be cease at the end of October. The final build out of 2005MY Azteks will be the last of the run.

It really is a shame that the media bashes a product so badly to the point where it doesn't sell, and yet their import bias will rave over the Honda Element, which, IMO, can't hold a candle to the Aztek. So many great inovations were put into the Aztek, but nobody much cared after the media got done with its typical domestic bashing.

We have sold every single one that landed on my lot. Granted, people either loved it or hated it, but they did sell for us little by little. And in all actuality, the 2002MY and up with the cladding all painted up and with the 17'' wheels or the Rally package looked pretty sharp.

It really is a shame.

 

When does the replacement come out? MY2006?

Element is just as ugly and the xB is uglier.

 

Edmunds reports that the Aztek's replacement, the Torrent, will likely appear for the 2006MY.

 

The aztek might have had good engineering, but it looked like ***.
The rear is horrible, the front is ugly as sin, and from the size, it gets a little better, but it's still one of the ugliest cars on the road.

 

That's fine to say it looked like ***. The problem is that the media fawns over the "quirkiness" of the Element (or even CR-V) or xB while praising their utility, but most of what they focus on with the Aztek is the styling. I've said all along that it is a very versatile and useful vehicle, and once they black cladding gave way to body color, and the 17's became available, the styling became perfectly acceptable IMO. I personally wouldn't get one b/c I only buy manuals, but it is a useful vehicle with plenty of features and an interesting interior.

I guess a 5 year run (2001 - 2005) isn't too bad, really. Heck, even the Rendezvous will be redesigned/replaced by something Lambda based or whatever before too long. A five year run is pretty normal (Accord/Camry are redone every 4 years).

 

10-4, and the Element looks like just as big an ***.

 

I think Aztek was one of the worst exterior designs ever... It really is just a trainwreck, IMO.

However, I think my area of the country owns 90% of these things. I swear I see hundreds of these things each day.

 

We've had to give every one of them away...they'd sit for months.

And while I agree with the media bias, the Element and the xB, IMO, are NOT as ugly as the Aztek. Granted, the '02 changes helped quite a bit...but the asinine rear window shape that bi-sects your rearward vision (the '02+ spoiler sure didn't help that either!!!!!!!!), and the hideous front make either import look not quite as bad. The xB may be a box on wheels, and I sure laugh every time I see one...but the Aztek made you wonder what the people who approved it were on...

 

FWIW,

My wife leased an Aztek in 2001 when they first came out. I fought her on that decision tooth and nail but she stuck to her guns.

Fast forward 3 years to today and although I still don't really like the looks of it, it has been such a great vehicle that we actually bought out the lease.

This has been one of the most trouble free, economical, and useful vehicles we have ever owned. With over 60,000KM on it, we have yet to hear a squeak or clunk of any kind, and we get decent mileage on long trips (720KM to a 65 liter tank). My wife purchased the camping package (tent, compressor, mattress, etc) and we've used it on many occasions when we vacation in the Rockies. There is nothing like stopping wherever, whenever you like and setup camp quite comfortably - its very convenient.

Styling aside, I think GM executed beautifully on the concept. Too bad the media bashed it so much. With a few tweaks to the styling, I think it might have done better.

Anyway, we are happily driving on with our Aztek. I'm actually disappointed to see it go.............

 

They are awesome on gas too, my parents have a 2WD Rendevous and they get 26mpg on hwy trips and avg. about 21mpg during the week

 

There's no way to get past the hideousness of that design. I have a friend who is really into camping and would have benefitted from some of the Aztek's innovaitons. He went to look at one after hearing about it, and immediately bought a Jeep instead.

 

Do you find Whoopi Goldberg sexy?

 

The car looks way better with painted cladding (as does every car/truck), but is not great.

http://www.pontiac.com/aztek/index.j...name=home#trim

 

No amount of paint could fix that for me!

 

When you consider the horrendous depreciation, no Aztec can be considered a gift.