Time Magazine called it one of the 50 worst cars of all time.
DETROIT, IL - JANUARY 10: General Motors debuts the Pontiac Aztek at the North American ... [+]
“Every time we look at the Aztek, we wonder what they were thinking,” said Car and Driver.
“Jaw-dropping, chin-scratching, what-the-heck-is-that?” said The Car Connection.
And yet, the passion for the Aztek felt by a loyal public hasn’t abated since its launch in 2001. There are clubs and communities all over the net in praise and worship of this funny-looking but reliable vehicle, including a private FB page with 1.5k members.
Aztek owner Jay Sauls says: “I bought my 2001 base model, black and yellow Aztek in 2016 with 206,000 miles on it, as a temporary car. I never planned on keeping it but I fell in love with it immediately. Within weeks I was hunting down every accessory possible. Seven years, 80k miles, a new engine and transmission later, I have no plans on ever selling. It’s such a great traveling vehicle, smooth and roomy. And best of all, EVERYONE notices it!”
“I've driven my '03 across the country twice,” says Dianne Llott, “And saw very few Azteks on the road. At least I never lose my vehicle or get mixed up in parking lots, no matter where I am.”
The Pontiac Aztek was a sound project at its outset. The 90s economy was booming and SUVs were selling in the millions. The Aztek seemed like a “sure fire idea that can’t miss.” The response to the prototype was soundly positive.
Aztek badging
But when the vehicles first appeared on showroom floors in 2001, the ride had changed pretty radically. People found it downright homely and weren’t shy about saying so.
“That thing is butt-ugly!” my neighbor screamed, loud enough for all of Brooklyn to hear when I rolled up my block on a beautiful, sunny Tuesday in 2001, navigating a rain-slicker-yellow Aztek test driver.
The comment was only the first of dozens of raspberries and guffaws I absorbed over a week driving the Aztek in and around New York City. The next came from my own brother: “That’s the Ernest Borgnine of SUVs.”
GM might as well have hung a “Kick me!” sign on the Aztek’s rear bumper.
A few auto pundits praised where praise was worthy. The basic concept was sound: It was a mini-vannish, versatile family vehicle, distinct from every other similarly priced SUV on the market. The Aztek interior was vast, too, big enough to hold a piece of plywood, or so GM boasted. But the problem with its styling remained.
Pontiac Aztek
And yet GM had gotten more than a few things right, which may account for how ferocious devotees are to this day. The accessories list included a bicycle rack, a tent with an inflatable mattress with a built-in air compressor, a center console doubling as a cooler, seatback-mounted backpacks and racks galore for the snowboards, canoes and bicycles.
There were also two rear cargo area options, a pullout tray with built-in wheels that held up to 400 pounds, or a cargo net rig that held up to 200 pounds and could be configured 22 different ways.
But plagued by near-nonexistent sales upon the Aztek’s introduction, GM added a spoiler and changed the body cladding from grey to the vehicle’s main color, for a more streamlined look. They also cut the price by $1,450.
They were expecting to sell about 75,000 Azteks annually – hopes were high for even larger sales – but dropped that number to 50,000. That, too, turned out to be optimistic.
Top Aztek sales of all time in a single year? 27,793 in 2002. By 2005, when GM cancelled the vehicle altogether, sales had dipped to just 5,020. The public had spoken, and that seemed to be the end of the Aztek story.
The only problem is that a lot of people bought Azteks, loved them, and are still proudly driving them today.
John Boltik says “It WAS ugly...but then came the 2020s and believe me, the Aztek is cute compared to a lotta stuff clogging the roads today.”
“My 2005 Aztek proved to be the handiest car I've owned,” says Gordon Fuglie. “It rode smoothly on highways and its elevation gave me good vision on traffic conditions. The easy removal of the back seats were a plus, and the large opening afforded by raising the upper and lowering the bottom hatch doors proved very accommodating for all kinds of cargo. Its upkeep was mimimal. I sold it in 2016 and it’s still running. The next owner put a new engine in it, so it continues to faithfully journey along the highways and byways.”
