Home » I Really Don’t Want To Daily-Drive Our Pontiac Aztek For A Month But I’m Going To Do It Because I’m A Man Of My Word

I Really Don’t Want To Daily-Drive Our Pontiac Aztek For A Month But I’m Going To Do It Because I’m A Man Of My Word

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Five months ago, The Autopian promised you, dear readers, that — if you became a member of this esteemed website — we’d purchase a Pontiac Aztek, I’d daily drive it for a month, and then I’d sleep in it for a week. Well, we have the Aztek, we are finishing up editing an incredible video of how we crashed the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with it, and now it’s time for me to daily drive the thing, but I just don’t want to.

You’re going to say I’ve gone soft, and on some level, maybe I have. My BMW i3 requires no gasoline, it’s quiet, it’s luxurious, it has bluetooth so I can take business calls while stuck in traffic (where I spend much of my life), it’s reliable, it’s small and easy to park, and I could go on and on.

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The Autopian’s Pontiac Aztek — a ridiculously practical machine that’s in insanely good condition given its $3,600 price — is very few of these things. It’s a gas guzzler; it’s spartan inside; it’s stuck in the worst period of automotive entertainment (just before auxiliary ports, just after cassette tapes, thus requiring me to use the dreaded FM transmitter to play music/phones over the speakers); it’s decently reliable but given its age much less so than the i3; it’s big and hard to park; it’s loud; and its worst fault? It’s got a four-speed slushbox that just makes the thing feel slow and lifeless.

 

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I know, I’m being a baby. But it’s true — going from a 1965 Plymouth Valiant/1985 Jeep J10/2000 Chevy Tracker/1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee/etc etc to a 2014 BMW i3 really ruined me. Maybe it was age, too, or maybe it was just LA’s chaos. Yeah, I bet that’s it; in Michigan, daily driving an old car was honestly a joy. It was a smooth, quiet, almost calming thing. In LA it’s OMG YOU’RE GONNA DIE THERE’S A BIKER SPLITTING LANES OH AND A HUGE SEMI TRUCK AND A FORD RANGER WITH A 12 FOOT TALL LOAD IN THE BED OH WAIT WHY IS SOMEONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHY IS EVERYONE HONKING OH WAIT I’M JUST SITTING STILL.

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So today it begins. September 17 to October 17: One month of Pontiac Aztek Daily Driving. Will the car last a month? Will I fall in love with it (again)? Will I grow to loath it?

Guess I’m about to find out.

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James Milton
James Milton
15 days ago

The hot setup would be to find the optional tent attachment for the rear hatchback and have a camper!

CJ Rogers
CJ Rogers
16 days ago

Wow. The guy that spent life in bad jeep after bad jeep took no time to get californiafied.

JShaawbaru
JShaawbaru
17 days ago

When you’re done dailying it, and living in it, and whatever other shenanigans-for-Autopian-content may be planned, you need to road trip it to Michigan and take it to the Pontiac Transportation Museum. Maybe you could even loan it to them, or just donate it, since you may never want to spend another mile in it after that trip.

Nick Thomas
Nick Thomas
17 days ago

If I become a member, does it turn off the auto-playing videos? That’s really all I want. The “become a member” page just says you see “fewer” ads.

James Thomas
James Thomas
17 days ago

David, I think you missed out on a good money making opportunity. You should put a live camera in the Aztek and charge people for the ability to log in and check up on you. I mean, how do we know you’re really living in the van? .. lol

Frank Wrench
Frank Wrench
17 days ago

It’s sad to say but that Aztek is a step up from my current daily driver. But I don’t daily drive that much these days thanks to WFH. Didn’t drive yesterday, probably won’t drive today, but did wrench on a car yesterday.

Drive By Commenter
Drive By Commenter
17 days ago

There are worse vehicles to daily for a month. This has comfy seats, the slushbox is slushy for being stuck in traffic and it’s very practical.

Matti Sillanpää
Matti Sillanpää
17 days ago

Not sure why this would be impressive or desirable. Ok, it looks a bit wonky and it’s expensive to run. But it’s got room and it should be relatively reliable.

However living for a month in that i3 in the other hand would be quite another matter. I think after night or two it would get quite interesting.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
17 days ago

“it’s stuck in the worst period of automotive entertainment (just before auxiliary ports, just after cassette tapes, thus requiring me to use the dreaded FM transmitter to play music/phones over the speakers)”

You’ve got a double DIN in that dash right?

So upgrade already!

Dogisbadob
Dogisbadob
17 days ago

LS4 swap yo 😀

Lexiswest
Lexiswest
17 days ago
Reply to  Dogisbadob

Came to make this same comment.

Totally not a robot
Totally not a robot
17 days ago

“it’s quite, it’s luxurious…”

It’s quite what, though? Man, the mid-aughts GM ownership hits harder than I thought. Coming up next: “I no wat I got, no tier kickers!”

Double Wide Harvey Park
Double Wide Harvey Park
17 days ago

The Autopian’s spellchecker is also from the mid 2000s

John Fischer
John Fischer
17 days ago

They don’t need a spell checker (it’s spelled right), they need a grammar checker 🙂

Gilbert Wham
Gilbert Wham
17 days ago
Reply to  David Tracy

You better not be committing journalism with a copy of Strunk & White as your guide, I tell you what.

PlatinumZJ
PlatinumZJ
17 days ago

It’s happening!!!

I do understand about the stereo; my mom is a very firm believer in stock vehicles, so her ’03 TJ still has its factory-installed CD player. I keep a couple of mix CD-Rs out there just in case.

Rust Buckets
Rust Buckets
17 days ago
Reply to  PlatinumZJ

I am a very strong believer in stock vehicles, especially stock radios, because about half of my cars have aftermarket radios and they’re all horrible

PlatinumZJ
PlatinumZJ
17 days ago
Reply to  Rust Buckets

I’ve had decent luck with aftermarket stereos (although anything would be an improvement compared to a ’90s Chrysler tape deck).

Hiram McDaniel
Hiram McDaniel
17 days ago
Reply to  PlatinumZJ

You can get a factory stereo for the TJ that has a bluetooth module installed in it. Plug and play with the TJ harness, and streaming music from your iPhone or android. http://www.1factoryradio.com. I have one in my 2003 TJ and it works fine.

PlatinumZJ
PlatinumZJ
17 days ago
Reply to  Hiram McDaniel

Neat!

Peter Andruskiewicz
Peter Andruskiewicz
16 days ago
Reply to  PlatinumZJ

Just because it has the stock radio doesn’t mean you can’t add an aux input. Manny radios of the 2000s had one that you could access with the right plug on the back, and many of those that didn’t you could find and intercept the pre-amplified radio output with a switched 3.5mm jack to add it. I’ve done both in various vehicles to keep things stock while adding functionality, either with a wired 3.5mm audio cable or a hidden Bluetooth receiver

86-GL
86-GL
17 days ago

Bruh, I daily’d a Chevy Venture for 12 months a couple of years ago. I actually loved it- Very relaxing, comfortable vehicle. I’ve never driven an Aztek, but given it shares the same U body platform, I can’t think it would be that bad?

Living in the tent though- That’s going to be funny.

Rod Millington
Rod Millington
17 days ago

Is this a well-crafted prelude to the next article where you espouse that driving an older car has rekindled your love of crapboxes again?

Shop-Teacher
Shop-Teacher
17 days ago

Lol! You have gone so soft. You call that thing huge?

Fuzzyweis
Fuzzyweis
17 days ago

Driving a golden Aztek for Hispanic Heritage month is definitely a…choice?

Rollin Hand
Rollin Hand
17 days ago

Here’s the thing: if Dottie/Elise spends a night Aztekkin’ with David, it’s one more tick on the “keeper” list.

Highland Green Miata
Highland Green Miata
17 days ago

I’m honestly surprised that you think LA traffic is so panic inducing. I always found Detroit to be far more devoid of any sort of rules or common sense. Plus it was an obstacle course of potholes and broken pavement that people navigated at 80 miles an hour. Any time I’ve driven in LA I found it languid by comparison.

Highland Green Miata
Highland Green Miata
17 days ago
Reply to  David Tracy

Here in Chicago we have both the high speeds and the volume, which means people will merge into any opening that is at least as long as their car, at any speed.

Abdominal Snoman
Abdominal Snoman
17 days ago

That’s why we all try to follow the car ahead of us by 3/4 car lengths and not 3 seconds… Safety!

Double Wide Harvey Park
Double Wide Harvey Park
17 days ago
Reply to  David Tracy

I lived and drove a lot in LA for years and never came close to an accident. You just need to drive like the locals. Which isn’t to say driving like a maniac. That’s more of a San Francisco thing.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
17 days ago

In my experience SF traffic isn’t any crazier than anywhere else from Gilroy to Sacramento.

Taargus Taargus
Taargus Taargus
17 days ago

DT living in an Aztek for my entertainment is finally coming to fruition?

I guess things are lookin’ up for ol’ Taargus Taargus!

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