Pontiac

Mazda3, Pontiac Vibe among best used cars for under 10K

Consumer Reports has plenty to say about new cars and trucks, but it also has some practical advice for buyers seeking the best used cars on tight budgets. It’s compiled a varied (and sometimes surprising) list of its top-10 best used cars for under $10,000. The publication recommends several criteria while searching for a good used vehicle. The more important: good reliability, stability control, the newest used car you can afford, buy from a reputable seller and seek the car’s past history.   Here’s what Consumer Reports writes about two of its choices, followed its top-10 list of best used cars to buy for under $10,000. 2008 MAZDA 3 The excellent Mazda 3 is one of our favorite small cars

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Pontiac Aztek: Reviled, revered, cult classic

The Pontiac Aztek is likely the most maligned car in modern history. Like the Ford Pinto, Chevrolet Vega and Yugo it has been described as the ugliest car ever built and the worst car ever made. Sometimes, the criticism cut deep. One reviewer said of the Aztek, said: “The styling of the car is its best feature.” The 2001 Aztek was the most picked on model. It looked like a badly designed space vehicle or a tank that had been totaled. It was rough-edged and gaudy. Still, the Pontiac Aztek had such a rotten reputation, it’s become a cult car. I’ve spoken with two Aztek owners recently who said they wouldn’t trade their Azteks for a new SUV. My second

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Breaking Bad honors Pontiac Aztek as worst car ever

Best and worst cars lists are always subjective. More often than not the Pontiac Aztek tops the worst car list. And the Jaguar XKE is often listed at the top of the best car list. In one of the most recent worst lists, the Aztek was again at the top (bottom?) of the list, but this time with renewed vigor. The Aztek, the original SUV, was driven by Walter White, the chemistry teacher with terminal cancer and the lead character in the immensely popular television show “Breaking Bad.” White became a homicidal meth dealer during the five seasons in which “Breaking Bad” aired. The original run ended in 2013, but the program remains a huge hit on Netflix and via

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Pontiac Aztek, Ford Mustang (?) named to new worst all-time car list

When discussing automobiles, it’s hard to imagine a Ford Mustang and a Pontiac Aztek mentioned in the same sentence. It’s even more difficult to imagine the two vehicles on a top-10 list of the worst cars in history. But that’s the fun of car lists. The Pontiac Aztek, specifically the 2001 model, graces many bad car lists. And it’s often cited as the car that led to the manufacturer’s demise. But how did a 1974 Ford Mustang get a recent 10 Worst Cars list compiled by Ted Reed of the business site, www.thestreet.com? Regarding the Aztek, Reed quotes an often-used car industry joke about the Aztek that the styling of the car is its best feature. The Ford Mustang’s, problem,

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Pontiac Aztek (again), Ferrari, Aston Martin Among 100 Worst Cars In History

It's not often a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Pontiac Aztec get mentioned in the same review. Or, when was the last time you've read a comparison between a Hyundai Excel and a Rolls Royce? How about when all the above are named to the list of 100 worst cars in history? Good or bad, cheap or pricey, fast or slow, underpowered or unsafe, car lists are subjective and fun. Which is why InsideLine.com, the sibling site of Edmunds.com, recently published its choices for the 100 best and worst cars is history. In reverse order on the all-time worst list, the 2006 Pontiac Solstice claimed No. 100 position, the 1955 Dodge La Femme claimed the 50th position and the 2001 Pontiac

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Thousands of used GM owners may get $800 from lawsuit

General Motors may pay individual car owners as much as $800 for a class auction lawsuit on some vehicles 17 years old and covered under a class-action lawsuit, according to The Detroit News. Most of the claims associated with the lawsuit were paid before GM went into bankruptcy in 2009. The carmaker agreed in 2008 to pay for as many as 35 million GM vehicles supplied with coolant linked to engine failures or cooling system problems. General Motors began using “Dex-Cool” in 1995 model vehicles and received thousands of complaints from owners for engine and radiator problems. In 2003, a series of class-action lawsuits were filed. According to the newspaper, 11,300 claims remain, with approved claims totaling $1.3 million for

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Pontiac GTO 1964-1974, car review

The legendary 1964 Pontiac GTO kicked off the wild 1960s muscle car market with a roar and made Detroit the world center for affordable high-performance cars. It can be argued that cars such as the light 1949 Oldsmobile with its new “Rocket V-8” or the 1955 Chrysler 300 Hemi V-8–first mass-produced 300-horsepower car — were the first American muscle cars. Those autos were among cars such as the 1956 Plymouth Fury and 1961 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport with its mighty 409-cubic-inch V-8 that generated considerable interest in high performance models. But the 1964 GTO is generally regarded as the first highly popular, widely available muscle car — the one that opened the door for a whole bunch of mid-1960s to

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GM recall: 1.3 million Pontiac and Chevy models with power steering issues (video)

As the buzz continues for one of the most anticipated auto gatherings of of the year, General Motors isn’t experiencing what it thought it would at the Geneva Auto Show. Usually, the industry’s annual gathering in Switzerland is when more manufacturers debut cars arguably than at any other show. But this year, it’s the just announced the need to repair 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac vehicles for from 2005 to 2010 models with potential power steering problems that’s got the attention of the industry at large. The recall covers the 2005-2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the United States; 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico, GM said in

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GM joins recall frenzy: 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac models

The recall affects 2005 to 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts, 2007 to 2010 Pontiac G5s, 2005 and 2006 Pontiac Pursuits sold in Canada and 2005 and 2006 Pontiac G4s sold in Mexico. The automaker said the vehicles are still safe to drive and never lose their steering. The affected cars may be harder to steer them when traveling under 15 mph. Alan Adler, GM spokesman, said the failures are rare and the cars can still be driven until motors can be replaced by dealers. Drivers will see a warning light and hear a chime if the power steering fails, but they could be surprised when the steering becomes more difficult. GM told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the recall March

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Ford Mustang to Dodge Charger: America's top-10 muscle cars

WeirdWorm.com is a “weird” web site that likes lists as much as The Weekly Driver. It has lists of lists, best-looking cowgirls to wacky technology innovations. Here are 10 of WeirdWorm.com’s favorite muscle cars: 1969 Chevy Camaro, 1969 Dodge Challenger, 1969 Dodge Charger, 1969 Chevy Chevelle, 1970 Ford Torino, 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger, 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda, 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge, 1965 Ford Mustang, 1969 Ford Thunderbird. Here’s what the site said about the 1969 Chevy Camaro: “With the meaner look of this car compared to the softer look of the years prior, this car was a high seller. You had your choice of either a big block or a small block V8 engine and that just depended on how much

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Cars.com selects Smart ForTwo, Chevrolet Malibu as worst, most improved cars of the decade

But approaching the end of the first decade of the 21st century, editors at Cars.com have decided publish lists of the top-10 most improved and top-10 worst cars of the decade. The much-maligned Pontiac Aztec is on the list of the top-10 worst cars of the decade, but it isn’t worst. And the Chevrolet Malibu is the most improved car of the last decade? Really. Suffice is to say the lists are surprising. In reserve order, here are the top-10 worst cars of the decade and the top-10 most improved with a comments on the No. 1 worst and No. 1 most improved from each list. The 10 Worst Cars of the 2000s: 10. Pontiac Aztek (2001-05); 9. Daewoo Anything

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General Motors set to end Pontiac, famous muscle car GTO

Pontiac, introduced in 1926, wasn’t listed as a core brand with the automaker’s leading brands, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. Saturn, Saab and Hummer are expected to be sold or “killed off.” But Pontiac was expected to remain as a “niche brand” with a focus on selected models. Pontiac was the third-best selling GM brand in 2008 behind Chevrolet and GMC. In 2005, vice-chairman Bob Lutz referred to Buick and Pontiac as “damaged brands” during a conference at the New York Auto Show. Speculation soon began than Buick or Pontiac would eventually be dumped. With a focus on affordable luxury, Buick’s hopes have been revived by models like the Enclave crossover SUV. Improvements in Buick quality, which earned a top

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Pontiac Aztek's Dubious Honor: Ugliest Among Top-100 Ugly Cars

But it also had some unique choices, Karmann Ghia to Citroen. And the top car was a beauty — the E-type Jaguar XKE. A month ago, results of the readers’ top 100 ugliest cars were released Scrolling through the list was as much fun and salivating over the most handsome cars. Telegraph readers cast votes for 309 cars for selection to the dubious 100 list, and here’s the final 20 on the all-ugly list. 20. Range Rover; 19. AMC Gremlin; 18. Nissan Micra; 17. Ford Edsel; 16. Trabant; 15. Audi Q7; 14. Triumph TR7; 13. Morris Ital; 12. Ford KA; 11. BMW 1-Series; 10. Chrysler PT-Cruiser; 9. Austin Princess/Ambassador; 8. Hummer; 7. Ford Scorpio; 6. AMC Pacer; 5. Porsche Cayenne;

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Pontiac G8, 2009: Bill Belew's Car Buzz

Pontiac is supposed to be GM’s “fun” division, but it’s largely been GM’s contribution to rental-car fleets. The 2009 Pontiac G8 is the core of Pontiac’s effort to reassert Pontiac’s high-performance image. The Pontiac G8 is the mechanical twin of the Commodore in Australia, which has received high praise for providing affordable full-size functionality in a swift and agile package. The car looks muscular and purposeful from most angles. The new 2009 GXP model raises the performance bar with a 402-horsepower version of the Corvette’s 6.2-liter V8. The G8 is sharp inside, not plastic-looking like previous Pontiacs. But there are too many buttons; I stopped counting at 60. Just because I can do anything from the driver’s seat, doesn’t mean

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Nissan Rogue, 2008: Nice Wheels, Bad Name

A few friends and I drove around the recent Monterey Auto Week in a 2008 Nissan Rogue. It’s a new sport utility vehicle that offers a lot for a good price point — around $23,000. What the Rogue doesn’t have is a good name. My friends and I had a pretty easy and fun time calling ourselves rogues. And there we were finding our way around Pebble Beach and Laguna Seca and parking next to wondrous machines with well-heeled nameplates like Bentley, Maserati and Ferrari. So why would Nissan call its new SUV Rogue? As a noun, rogue is defined: * An unprincipled, deceitful and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal. * One who is playfully mischievous; a scamp. *

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Toyota Prius, VW Jetta Top Only 15 Cars In U.S. Averaging At Least 30 mpg

Chevrolet (Cobalt, Aero) and Honda (Civic hybrid and Fit) each have two vehicles on the list. Six of the vehicles are hybrids and the total of 15 are the only new offerings in the United States averaging more than 30 mpg in combined driving averages. Here’s the list in deceasing order, with city, highway and combined gas mileage averages listed: Toyota Prius (hybrid, 2008, (combined 46 miles per gallon); Honda Civic (hybrid), 40/46, 42 mpg combined; Smart Fortwo, 2008, 33/41, 36 mpg combined; Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 2009, 30/41, 34 mpg combined; Nissan Altima (hybrid), 35/33, 34 mpg combined; Toyota Camry (hybrid), 33/34, 34 mpg combined; Mini Cooper, 2008, 28/37 32 mpg combined; Toyota Yaris, 2008 29/36, 32 mpg combined; Ford

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