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I beg to differ.
Most of the Azteks on the dealer lots today will still be there 8 months from now.
Check out the demand for the Aztek vs. the PT Cruiser.
Enough said.
pilot374 : Restyle will be for sure on 2002 models. Should start showing up on lots in the summer. Should be good deals on the old models if you like it.
The Aztek is a perfect example :
1. Ugly product
2. Resale will be horrible..
3. Unsafe platform
So if you feel like throwing $$$ away and not concened for your family's safety ( Oh I know the Aztek has not been crashed tested, but the "Montana has been") go ahead and buy a Aztek.
Or if there is some gray matter working look at the Honda CRV, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda Tribute, or a used 4Runner..!!
http://www.autonews.com/html/main/stories/aztek108.htm
You'll get GM's take on the Aztek and more restyle details. In a nutshell, major sheetmetal changes are not going to happen with the 2002 re-style... just "plastic"... meaning, we'll see new front/rear bumpers, facias, grilles, headlights, taillights... perhaps new hatch and hood. They may also work on the wheel openings and include larger wheels... the current style reminds me of the old passat/jetta where there was so much sheetmetal above the wheels that the tires looked "tiny" and out of proportion. Perhaps they'll tone down the body cladding and replace it with wheel well shrouds or something.
As for the CR-V and safety, we'll in an odd situation with all of these hybrids on the market. The grand Vitara is a true off-roader... body on ladder frame construction. The CR-V, however, is not an off-road vehicle... it shares components with the Civic and is really a tall wagon with AWD. One drive of the two and you'll find the CR-V is a good car-like ride while the Suzuki is more truck-like. The aztek rides very much like the Dodge Caravan AWD model... slightly stiffer in fact. It should since it's a minivan. It is NOT designed (despite the now pulled TV ads which showed otherwise) to be taken off-road. It is unibody and does not have the ground clearance a true SUV has. In reality, most minivans (AWD included) don't... in order to accomodate easy entry/exit and to provide that flat floor and car-like seating position. This makes them BAD off-road vehicles. Interestingly, some cross-over (like the CR-V) have excellent ground clearance and CAN be taken off-road on a limited basis. Here are some examples of ground-clearance:
Subaru Forester: 7.5"
Ford Escape: 7.8"
Honda CR-V: 8.1"
Toyota RAV4: 8.3"
But, here are the ground clearances of AWD Minivans:
Dodge Caravan AWD: 5.4
Pontiac Aztek AWD: 6.0
You can see that there are advantages to the Aztek being a minivan... again, the flat floor, great headroom, easy enter/exit, great ride height and car-like ride.. but, because of its styling, many believe it to be an SUV... but with only 6.0 of ground clearance, the most difficult terrain you should try to tackle with an Aztek is snow (less than half a foot). If you REALLY need to go off road, you should look at something with greater ground clearance and the proper shields. The subaru forester is a good example of something that can do both quite well. It's no range rover but its off-road abilities are quite good and subaru offers gas-tank and other underbody shields as well as excellent ground clearance. And the on-road ride is excellent.
P.S. (DINK means Dual Income No Kids)
As for Pontiac Aztek Crash testing... The NHTSA has pushed back the frontal testing to February 2001 so we'll have to wait another month or two before we get the results.
For the record, my latest fleet car is an AWD Aztek, had it for two weeks, HATE the looks, but love the ride, power, handling, room, versatility. I can hardly wait for my Rendevous!!!!
When is Pontiac going to stop being the posterchid for RUBBERMAID?!?!?!?
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I still cannot understand why the same people continue to harp about this vehicle. If you go to see a movie and you don't like it, you don't go again? Fabricating false safety data is truly a low blow.
I have no fear about the mechanical attributes of this vehicle. The Powertrain is proven. It may not have the bells and whistles that ad writers love to quote but the 60 degree V-6 and the 4T65E are nearly bulletproof.
This is not my favorite vehicle but my wallet and family do like it. But since my Lotus Lean (no b.s.) has only two seats, I can't drive it everyday. This is a very competent vehicle. It is also very nimble around town. Taste and style are all in the eyes of the individual. If my neighbor brought home some two thousand dollar purebred dog, I'm sure it would make him happy. My dog came from the pound and cost me fifty bucks and he makes me happy. Some of you people just need to let it go.
I have spent a while reading all of your posts. Gonzo and a couple of others of you seem dead set against the Aztek. Have you test driven one?
The other thing is that a lot of you folks critiquing the thing, own foreign cars, not even SUV owners?
It drives very nice, holds a bunch . . .
I like the pricing . .. .
Its kind of funny to see the same people rip on the Aztek for months and months. It brings up several questions in one's head: 1) are they getting paid to write negative posts; 2) Don't they have something better to do with their time; 3) Don't they get enough attention elsewhere; 4) Do they post on other boards, and if so are their comments equally stupid? I shouldn't really say that its kind of funny; actually its completely sad...
I wish some of those imaginary 50% depreciated Azteks would hit the market - I'd buy one in a second. I really like the Aztek - especially after driving one - what a thoughtfully designed, well rounded vehicle - so many useful features and the perfect size for my needs. I especially like the fact that you don't see many on the road.
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Ask all the people who bought a Oldsmobile in the last two years what they think of GM..
Why buy from a loser..??
In the year 2000 Gm's market share fell from 30% in 1999 to 29% in the year 2000..( the trend continues..GM held 70% of the USA market in 1970)...
Let's look at the competition..
Toyota market share increased 9% for the year..sold more cars that Ford or GM in 2000...
BMW share went up 22%
Hyundai..increased share 48%..
The resale value of GM cars and SUVs is horrible..
Also anyone who states resale is not important needs a new I.Q. test ..
The Aztek is already slated for a change in 2002 or termination..That's just one year after introduction. I feel sorry for those who bought in 2000, when they find the value of their Azteks decrease by 50% in one year.. However, that's what you get when you place your money with a loser..
Note: these above statistics are facts NOT opinions...
Feel free to point out anything "fabricated" old bean. :-) jmatero and others have made some reasonable corrolations between the minivans that the Aztek is based on and the Aztek itself. This is far from "fabrication."
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The Vibe is looking very good... there has obviously been a change in the Pontiac design studios. A commitment to get rid of the ribbed cladding is a good thing that will go a long way towards improving Pontiac's design vision.
I wonder which Pontiac will be the bearer of GM's new inline-six? That is going to be a fabulous engine, smooth, powerfull and efficieint.
WHY DO YOU ENJOY DUMPING ON EVERYONE?????
BMW rules! OK! I am now a topgn convert! I love BMW, they are the best cars in the world. Why anyone would buy anything else is unknown. They are beautiful, fast and the best built anywhere. People, sell whatever you have, buy a BMW. I am trading in today. You all should also!
Perhaps the next-generation Grand Prix? The 247hp inline-six and a manual tranny next time maybe?
Who knows.
;-)
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I didn't buy the magazine so I can't quote long sections, but at one point it refers to the Aztek as a "public menace" and suggests that Pontiac will be very, very lucky to sell 15-20% of their projected sales. As of the writing of that article, 7000 had been "sold", but 2300 of those "sales" were actually forced upon GM executives, leaving 4700 "actual" sales.
That is some kind of profound poetic justice, making the boys and girls responsible for that visual blight drive the things around.
Only GM could have pulled something like this off. It's an almost perfect disaster, almost like they were committing corporate suicide or something.
The article makes another excellent point. The concept version of this car, which most of us agree was somewhat less revolting than the production hairball they coughed up, was itself almost universally despised by the automotive press and the public (I said ALMOST universally despised, because I know there are 3 or 4 people on this board who admit to liking the Aztek, so I'm not talking about you, ok?).
Despite this less than enthusiastic initial reception, the slow-motion train wreck continued unabated for at least another year, right up to now. They could have stopped the insanity before committing so many resources, but now it's too late.
PS: As of the writing of that article, GM had spent over $30 million advertising the Aztek, netting those 4700 sales. Do the math. That means GM spent $6400 PER SALE on advertising. That number is just staggering. It takes a lot of ugly to require $6400 worth of advertising per sale just to get people to buy one.
That's why a loaded Honda can be leased for less than a stripper Pontiac (or "Plastiac" as someone said) in most cases. The spread between new value and resale value is much smaller on high-quality cars that don't make people physically ill.
Anyway, it cracks me up to hear you suggest that somehow the great success of the Cruiser somehow reduces the resale value of VW New Beetles. First, New Beetles have terrific resale values, unlike ANY Pontiacs EVER produced. Second, New Beetles were only introduced a few years ago, so only a very small portion of Cruiser sales could have possibly been to "former" New Beetle owners. Third, the Cooper market is completely different from the Cruiser market, which is mostly different from the New Beetle market. Fourth, no VW lot I've ever seen has a tenth as many New Beetles rusting away as Pontiac dealers have Azteks (oops, Tonka plastic doesn't rust, I forgot).
Look up resale values for any Pontiac ever produced. Now take another 20% away because the Aztek is loathed by 95% of the public and liked by 5%.
But I'd expect this from a "sucker" (to use your word) who would waste money on a Lotus "Lean" (I assume you mean Elan), which had all the performance and style of the original Miata but at 2 1/2 times the price. You know, Lotus sold the Elan to one of the Korean automakers (Daewoo or Hyundai I think) who were able to make it actually interesting to drive at a far lower cost.
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such a hoot.
I'm rolling with laughter. He he so typical of GM.
Could you please use more generalized statements. That would be helpful also.
Example: "That's why a loaded Honda can be leased for less than a stripper Pontiac"
Honda what? Pontiac what?
Whatever.
" Hey all you GM bashers, come here and dump on everything" forum.
Ya... the Aztek is ugly. No doubt. Ya, it's a flop... no doubt. Beating a dead horse people.
I don't gloat about that. It's sad.
Every American should be angry about what is happening to our automotive industry (except Ford)
But...
Isellplastiac--The comparo of the miserable IsuzuHonda Passportwas a bit weak.
Please tell us of a comparison between:
Civic/Sunfire
Accord/Grand AM
Prelude/Firebird
Odyssey/Montana
GM held 70% of the American Market, In 1999 that fell to 30%. Then in 2000 GM's market share fell to 29%...Let's keep it simple..This is a bad thing..
No let's use some comparisons::
Toyota's market share increased 9% in 2000
Even Hyundai's market share increased 48%.
(These facts are from "USA TODAY" Jan..4th)
Everyone has a opinion but facts are facts,
GM has continued lose market share every year since 1970..
The perfect example of GM's arrogance is the Aztek...Build junk and people will buy it..!!
Well I guess that did not work out..4,700 sold to the public out of a projected 30,000 for the year 2000.
Ya, whatever. Doesn't matter... BMW is the BEST!!!! BMW RULES!!!!