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Shark Jumper: 2001 Pontiac Aztek AWD With Tent

You know’em, you love ’em, you can’t live without ’em – certainly one of the most controversial and reviled vehicles ever made: we give you the 2001 Pontiac Aztek! Arthur Fonzarelli, that’s your cue. I don’t think The Fonz would have driven one but we all know who did and we’re sure it’ll come up in the comments section. This unusual styling exercise can be found here on eBay in beautiful Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. The current bid price is a whopping $102.50 but I’m not sure if that’s Canadian or US funds.

Sooooooo, how’s 2020 going so far? Anything new? Wait, what? No way, that’s hard to believe. The next thing you’ll be telling me is that Barn Finds will be showing a 2001 Aztek, as if that’ll ever happen. With a face that only actual owners and/or a mother could love, the Pontiac Aztez has been the butt of so many jokes that anyone who received a fraction of a penny per joke could probably buy Amazon and fire Jeff Bezos. Speaking of that, they do sell a great Maguire’s product to restore all of that black plastic trim. For the next four years of production, that cladding would be much smoother and body-colored which helped.

The Aztek was made for the 2001 to 2005 model years and I can’t think of another vehicle ever made that had such controversy surrounding it since before production started and 15 years after production ended. This controversial design came from the gentleman who gave us the C7 Corvette and that brings up the question: Whhhaaaaa.. what happened?! Even Bob Lutz commented that many of GM’s products “looked like angry kitchen appliances.” Ouch. Of course, there have been other questionable recent designs almost as, let’s say, creatively-faced as the Aztek was.

I don’t have to tell you that I like the Aztek, you already knew that. As a lover of oddball, awkward, and ungainly vehicles my entire life, I’ve liked them for the last 19 years. Yes, they’re weird but they’re useful, pragmatic, and they have a lot of great features. I never refer to any vehicle as being ugly, that’s such an ugly word. I truly don’t think that any vehicle ever made was or is ugly. The Aztek 1999 concept vehicle was generally given two thumbs up but after the process of turning it into a production vehicle, something happened. Did Pontiac jump the shark? Was this the first nail in their coffin? Pontiac needed to sell 30,000 Azteks a year to break even and the most they ever sold in a single season was just under 28,000.

The amount of work that goes into producing a vehicle is mind-boggling. The government regulations alone are enough to make board rooms the world over echo with weeping sounds, and then there are the market forces. What will people want after car companies spend 2-3-4 years designing a vehicle and ramping up production and then when it hits the market, who knows what the world will be like. We’re all finding out what that’s like this spring. Plans change very quickly, even on a global scale.

When a person looks at the spec list for what the Aztek had to offer, it’s hard to not like them. This one comes with Versatrak AWD. It was, after all, supposed to be Pontiac’s first SUV. And, the same platform also created Buick’s first SUV: the Rendezvous. Remember that one? It eased the sharp edges of an Aztek as only a Buick could do.

This example looks great other than having acres of faded black plastic cladding and we’ve already talked about the Versatrak AWD. It’s got a rugged feel with seat accents in a pseudo camouflage pattern and it was a groundbreaking vehicle for Pontiac being a four-door crossover and having enough room to carry five adults in comfort. As if having a center console that doubled as a cooler wasn’t enough, this one has the Camping Lifestyle Package option.

It’s super unfortunate that the seller doesn’t show the tent in action, but here’s what it would have looked like. There’s no word on if the mattress comes with the sale but I’d want one. There are no engine photos but this one would have a 3.4L V6 with around 185 hp. The seller says that there’s a check engine light on which is code P0717 – Turbine shaft speed (TSS) sensor. Despite that, the seller says that it doesn’t affect the drivability. So, it comes down to the magic question: we already know that a certain TV character drove one, have any of you owned or driven a Pontiac Aztek?

Comments

  1. HoA Howard A Member

    You know, some folks have the nerve to say AMC came up with some wacky designs, the Aztec takes a lot of those honors away from AMC. I have no interest in this, but just show’s to go ya’, they make a car, SOMEBODY is going to like it. How many? That’s the gamble, I suppose.

    Like 16
    • Avatar Cal

      I think we should consider another AMC, the TV network that brought us Walter White, he drove one of these in his pre evil days. Once he got rich and vile, he went to Chrysler. I really felt bad for poor Walter in the early days, I could truly relate to him, and he had to drive this. Poor poor Walter. AMC picked the perfect vehicle for him to drive that said everything about his life at that time.

      Like 9
    • Avatar William

      Walter White would love this model!

      Like 2
  2. Avatar alphasud Member

    When this car came out I thought it was the ugliest thing on wheels. Then along came vehicles like the Nissan Juke, Toyota Prius, and the like. Loose the cladding and this would blend into the background with the other appliances. A good car in concept and GM was right about the SUV trend. It just got caught up in a very dull design era.

    Like 19
    • Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

      alphasud, that’s pretty much how I feel. I don’t think it is any more ugly than various compact SUV/CUV models we see today…. there are some strange designs out there. The compact CUV market is being split into smaller and smaller slices, I guess manufacturers figure you have to stand out in some way.

      Unfortunately the Aztek will always have its defining label, warranted or not, just like other cars I will not mention.

      Like 2
    • Avatar Doug Still

      I second the “Juke” makes me wanna “Puke” LOL. The camper feature on the Aztek makes this ALMOST a bearable vehicle…Almost.

      Like 0
    • Avatar JoeNYWF64

      It sure would be easier to find it in today’s lookalike vehicle parking lots. & it sure can carry a lot of groceries & stuff from homecenters. If that’s half/partial glass out back, u wouldn’t need a backup camera even!
      It almost looks like it has air scoops up front.
      Too bad Pontiac didn’t try a 2 door.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Gary

      Alphasud, You were reading my mind. The only thing uglier, is the Juke. Followed by the Prius. Absurd styling! What were they thinking?

      Like 2
  3. Avatar RayT

    I remember these well. I spent a week with one just before they hit the showrooms. As an actual vehicle, they weren’t terribly impressive, though there were clever bits of interior design….

    What I remember most was taking “my” Aztek to a gas station for a fillup. A small crowd gathered around it, and one onlooker said “I know what that is! It’s the new Pontiac Anthrax!”

    Like 18
  4. Avatar mark

    Run out of Yugo’s to write about?

    Like 3
  5. Avatar Marko

    Being a Pontiac fan, I would drive this. It is not quite as visually jarring as a bright yellow version, and actually looks pretty good. And the tent hatch option, would make a great camping option, for days I would like to just take off on adventure, without loading up my fifth wheel trailer.

    Like 3
  6. Avatar Jules Member

    I’m in the “ugliest vehicle ever made” camp. Yes, it’s even uglier than the Fiat Multipla (which looks like it belongs in a Doctor Who episode). This car made me hate cladding, until Subaru got it right on the Crosstrek.

    Like 4
  7. Avatar Eric

    One of the ugliest vehicles ever made… and to make it even worse, that annoying guy Richard on the first Survivor drove one!

    Like 6
    • Avatar Doug

      Ewww, I can’t unsee that.

      Like 0
  8. Avatar CCFisher

    The Aztek exists because some GM executives were determined to demonstrate that GM was not the stodgy, old-school company that people thought it was. Focus groups didn’t like it. Pontiac leadership didn’t want it. Still, top GM brass pushed forward. Classic case of a bunch of old, suit-and-tie guys trying to develop a “cool” car without a clue as to how to do it.

    Like 13
  9. Avatar Todd Fitch Staff

    The Facebook tag about the tent is pure gold, Scotty! Thanks for bringing this poor abused creature to our hallowed pages and giving it some love. I guess the good news is, once you’re inside you don’t have to look at it anymore. I think if you digitally squashed it you might end up with an early CTS! Both feature designs using only a straight-edge. I know this sad creature wants you to take it home. Thanks for another entertaining write-up!

    Like 4
  10. Avatar Vegaman Dan

    Like the AMC Pacer and Gremlin, this was simply a car ahead of its time in design. If this car came out today with a slightly different headlight setup, it would be seen as a CUV and popular. It would fit right in with VW, Toyota, and Honda designs. Chunky, clunky, and CUV. That’s how they are these days.

    Fun Fact: The Chevrolet Vega had a camping tent option available in the 70’s from GM. Open the hatch, fold out the fabric sides and sleep away. I cannot imagine that would be comfortable in any way.

    Like 5
  11. Avatar sir mike

    And to think people made fun of the AMC Gremlin and Pacer

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Arby

    They should have made the tent cover the whole car.

    Like 5
  13. Avatar Major Thom

    Like how the seller advertises “no reserve” but then plans to end auction early 24 hours before end, if bidding hasn’t hit a certain number– like a reserve, you mean?
    And in 10 comments not one mention of that Leaves of Grass fan?

    Like 3
  14. Avatar Vance

    There is a saying in the car business that there is an a** for every seat. That’s why as a salesman I never made fun of other cars because if you had to flip them to another brand you hadn’t painted yourself into a corner. These were hard to look at, GM was always cladding happy of which the Avalanche was a good example. You would have to be a brave, confident soul to be seen in one of these.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Angel Cadillac Diva Member

      I don’t know what you’re all squawking about. In 50 years this vehicle will be referred to as “cool” or “rare”. And possibly a highly desirable collector car.
      Except for the front end, I always thought these cars were kinda cool. When these first came out, I was babysitting for a couple who had bought one. Black with beige interior. Heads-up display and all power accessories. I got to drive the kids to the park in it a couple of times. I really see nothing wrong with it. It was a car with odd styling. Period.

      Like 0
  15. Avatar Angrymike

    My ex had one of these from new, she put over 120,000 miles on it in the 4 year lease, yup she paid a whole lot of extra money because of the milage ! It’s was a great traveling vehicle, but was butt ugly !

    Like 1
  16. Avatar John

    I mentioned the Aztec in the comment forum of the recent, and good looking, Pontiac wagon—hoping never to see one and low and behold, here it is. Someone has already mentioned the horrific Kodak box yellow these things were available in- I haven’t been able to unsee it since being exposed to it’s awful appearance years ago. Bleccch

    Like 1
  17. Avatar angliagt Member

    I wonder how many of these got traded in on Jukes,Muranos,etc.

    Like 3
  18. Avatar R Soul

    Walt White’s car from Breaking Bad.

    Like 2
  19. Avatar 370zpp Member

    When these first came out, sure they were the ugliest. But as others have said here; now Azteks blend in rather well with some of the other “designs” of today.

    As a side note, for many years Azteks were frequently seen on buy-here-pay-here lots – because they were cheap to buy and no one else wanted them.

    Like 1
  20. Avatar sir mike

    And people made fun of the AMC Pacer and Gremlin.

    Like 0
  21. Avatar sir mike

    Why???

    Like 1
  22. Avatar jerry z

    I have to admit when they first hit the showroom, I wanted to hit the designer! The cladding killed the look just like on the Avalanche. When they made the whole vehicle one color, then they were not bad looking.

    Like 1
  23. Avatar cruisers

    Oh no. I’ve lurked for too long and never commented but I just had to do so on this post. Praise for an Aztec? No way! This vehicle is more than ugly, it’s FUGLY and always has been. It’s the car that killed Pontiac. Looking at it now it’s appearance STILL simply makes me ANGRY. What were they thinking?!? Dam!

    Like 2
  24. Avatar mainlymuscle

    Personally,I think camping is anything less than a JW Marriott,but if you want to sleep in your car,I’d rather have this than a Maxi Van or some such.Style wise ?
    As others have said; stacks up well 2 decades later with MANY small fuglymobiles .

    Like 1
  25. Avatar Gerald Stuber

    For a good laugh mention to a Buick salesman that the Rendevoux is the same vehicle. Instant meltdown.

    Like 1
  26. Avatar RG in PDX

    OK, so true confession: we HAD one. And it was a POS. The sunroof leaked from day one and was never able to be fixed completely; the head gasket blew at 34K, the Versatrak AWD went out at 40K… plastic trim pieces randomly fell off… I could go on. Oh, and it was yellow. We actually had the tent attachment, and it was a joke. The rear tailgate had moulded-in plastic contours for seating, but was canted at such a bad angle that you couldn’t sit on it. Best day of owning it was when a dude in a stolen Honda broadsided it and it was totaled. Every time I see one, I have PTSD.

    Like 1
  27. Avatar Charles M

    The car that KILLED Pontiac.

    Cut the back end off and make it a pickup truck.

    Like 1
  28. Avatar RichardinMaine

    One of the few cars actually uglier in person than in photos. When they were new, one used to come through my neighborhood, painted an electric blue. So indescribably ugly, and I could not look away. Notorious for having made the audience of writers and industry types gasp in horror at its unveiling. Deservedly so.

    Like 1
  29. Avatar Lance

    Crush this thing NOW

    Like 1
  30. Avatar Karl

    The Aztec will be remembered as the vehicle that Tiger Woods couldn’t even sell! Every time I see one I really have to fight the urge to follow it and ask the owner what he could of possibly been thinking to buy one of these? In the exterior appeal department it ranks about even with the Yugo!

    Like 0
  31. Avatar Rodney - GSM

    …you noticed of course, that cars were not included in that list.

    Like 0
  32. Avatar Vegaman Dan

    With all this negative commentary about the Aztek, I now kind of want to get one just to have all the hateful stares. The full color body cladding later versions look very little different than most current CUV’s.

    And the drivetrain was solid. No issues there.

    I wonder how much these things go for today? Now I’m actually curious.

    Like 2
  33. Avatar Maestro1

    Another example of General Motors enduring poor judgment and stupidity.

    Like 0
  34. Avatar George Mattar

    I hope the jack ass that designed this and the moron boss who approved this disaster were denied their GM $7,000 a month pensions. I grew up in the early 60s and dad always bought Pontiacs. I have owned four in my life, including 69 and 70 GTOs and a 36 option 77 Grand Prix SJ which I wish I never sold. Anyway, I agree with Charles M. This total POS killed Pontiac.

    Like 0
  35. Avatar Chris Londish Member

    How would anyone think that function over look would sell these must have been into some pretty heavy stuff although did these become a must have after Breaking Bad

    Like 0
  36. Avatar P Wentzell

    I was at an Auto Show when these were introduced. People around the Aztec were mumbling: “They are really building THIS?” Some were audibly snickering. Around the Buick Rendezvous, people were smiling, nodding heads in approval, audible “ooohs’ and ‘ahhss!’

    Like 0
  37. Avatar PRA4SNW

    At least the seller has a sense of humor in the ad and isn’t trying to make this anything more than it is.

    A co-worker had one and he was so proud of it (we thought he was crazy) and he would brag about the camping package. I asked him, and he had never used it.

    Like 0
  38. Avatar bhowe Member

    In 2007 I was looking for a decent family vehicle for my wife to drive that had decent fuel economy, an elevated driving position, and nothing exotic powertrain wise to keep maintenance costs down. Of course the Aztek is ugly. Because of that the depreciation curve was very steep and I was able to get one with low miles very, very reasonably. It held up well for us and when we traded we came out ok.

    GM was far, far ahead of it’s time in terms of the concept vehicle, intended use, features, etc., however in actual execution, it was obviously turned into a production vehicle by committees of bean counters and non-automotive type suits that ruined a neat concept and led to the extinction of Pontiac. The idea was good, but the execution was awful. Cheap plastics, huge panel gaps on the interior and massive evidence of cost cutting basically everywhere on the vehicle. That being said from a practicality standpoint it was a decent vehicle.

    Like 1
  39. Avatar William Brown

    I guess I’ll be the first to say they are hard as hell to work on. My girlfriend was mad all the time,because I had to work on her Aztec everyweek end…Pos

    Like 0
  40. Avatar Bakyrdhero Member

    I had a brief career as a car salesman in my early twenties when these were new and I worked for a Chevy/Pontiac dealer. I thought these and the Pontiac Vibe were the best cars on the floor. The vibe had a Toyota engine and the Aztec had a soul, personality, and utility. With all the Impalas, Malibu’s, Grand Am’s, Grand Prix’s the lot looked like a rental fleet. I never did come across a customer looking for an Aztec however. I think they were ahead of their time and blend in well nowadays.

    Like 1
  41. Avatar Jerry Deitz

    Visually, this car makes me want to rub my eyes.

    Like 0

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