New Car Review of the 2005 Pontiac Aztek Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle

Description: Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle
Base MSRP Range: $21,375 - $24,290
Invoice Price Range: $19,558 - $22,225
Where built: Mexico

Pontiac tags Aztek as a sport-recreation vehicle (SRV) and casts it as a multi-purpose machine to accommodate active lifestyles with room aboard for hauling recreational equipment.

Aztek stocks standard FWD traction or the AWD Versatrak system. The smart mechanism detects tire rotational differences between front and rear wheels during low-traction conditions, then directs power to either or both rear wheels momentarily before actual tire slippage occurs at the front wheels.

Aztek's power comes from a 3.4-liter V6 that produces 185-hp with a 4-speed Hydra-Matic 4T65-E automatic transaxle.

A Rally Edition sparks the series with the suspension dropped, 17-inch chrome wheels on the ground, a chrome-tipped exhaust pipe at the tail and the body coated in look-at-me paint like Fusion Orange or Silver Metallic.