Pontiac Road Test Vibe

don't want to say "wagon" because wagons are low, not tall, and have a family-vehicle image that might turn off young buyers. 6 inches) upon command, creating more legroom for taller passengers or increased cargo capacity if small kids are occupying the rear half of the SUV.
It wasn't, although on the Torrent's side were better mud and snow rated all-season tires and optional traction control. With Believe it or not, the Torrent is longer than Honda's Pilot! (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) regards to price it stacks up well against most compact sport utility models, from Ford's popular Escape to Honda's CR-V, but it can't be considered compact by any stretch of the imagination. Fortunately I was able to reverse out. I purposely drove slowly through some of the white stuff while trying to get into an empty parking spot, and it quickly bogged down, the traction control system slipping and then completely shutting down power to the front wheels.
8 second run to 100 km/h, but nevertheless should be welcomed by fuel economy-minded consumers.
Going down, the Torrent's optional ABS brakes, included on my tester, came in handy.
Tuned for sportier dynamics than either the Equinox or base Torrent, it suits Pontiac's racy image well.

For loyal Pontiac buyers, its price point makes it an ideal step-up from the Vibe, while offering enough size and capability to attract midsize Pontiac owners, and possibly even midsize SUV buyers away from other makes.

Last but not least, being that GM, and particularly Pontiac is suffering in the sales charts, wouldn't a more enticing warranty be in order? Currently, Pontiac models only get a three-year, 60,000 km comprehensive and powertrain warranty, making the five-year, 100,000 km bumper-to-bumper warranties of the Koreans look mighty tempting, and Mitsubishi's 10-year, 160,000 km powertrain warranty a hands-down car kind lightning mcqueen winner.
) The restaurant is certainly worth getting into. 's Mondrian Hotel whose hotel fancy this is (the hotel as apparel, as tech toy, as anti-hotel) is surfing a wave of success. Actually, the Torrent measures a substantial 4,795 mm (188. body temperature and your thyroid Most in this class feature standard side-airbags, mind you, a $580 option with the Torrent.
The hot chocolate can remain warm if your "urn" can plug into a 12-volt power outletthree come standard.

A place with outdoor space, poolside, is appealing. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)it put a finishing cap on what was an important year for Pontiac. The marketing ploys have aimedeven strainedat that. And what's more, I had to lift off for much longer than is usual when this problem occurs in other cars, slowing progress.

(Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)the same Chinese-made 185-horsepower 3.
(Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)now that we're talking about interior accommodations, the rear seat slides back and forth up to 243 mm (9. We used the parking lot across the street behind the Blues Brothers to learn about the Vibe and to take off on our ride-and-drive, a time honored way for motoring journalist to get an impression of a new car. As anticipated, after multiple attempts to skid out of control, the brakes stopped me in my tracks; even turning the Torrent in the direction the wheels were pointed. No doubt this would have made a big difference. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)based event is not exactly revered to the same level as the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the annual auto show in Chicago or for that matter the Los Angeles auto show just down the road, but nevertheless its large surrounding population of car crazy Southern Californians attracted the biggest automaker in the business to debut two new models and announce another, late last year.
I say oddly, because it was only a couple of years ago that I could never have imagined saying such a thing, and now its product planners, designers, engineers, bean counters, top-line executives, production workers and suppliers have pulled up their collective socks to deliver some truly africa sex xxx picture impressive new vehicle interiors. The Pontiac version receives the requisite bisected grille, a monochromatic paint scheme, sporty 16-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, unique interior styling cues and upgraded materials, all of which make it look miles more attractive than many in this class. The The Torrent is a handsome vehicle with monochromatic paint, a stylish front fascia and nice, simple alloy wheels.
I'll get to the negatives in a minute, after I tell you why it rides and handles so well. It was joined soon after by the V8-powered Grand Prix GXP, plus the G6 coupe and Solstice roadsterthe latter the shining star of the Pontiac lineup. Dim is good, dark is a nuisance. And if center community linda yorba reason prevails Pontiac has a hit on its hands. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)the brakes, but not only that no rear discs are available. The Torrent is a logical step-up from a Vibe. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)dry conditions, while tracking confidently at higher speeds, but the front-wheel drive version even managed slippery West Coast snow and icy patches without any concern.
Its suspension setup feels more car-like than most of its competitors, not in the way it rides over bumps and potholes, necessarily, but more so in how it maneuvers around them. Following up on the new G6 sedan, a model that raised the brand from below average to new, higher levels of interior quality and driving dynamics, 2005 also saw the compact Pursuit arrive on the scene, now dubbed the G5 Pursuit, by the way, and soon to take on the name of G5, losing the Pursuit moniker altogether. ) So call it "crossover" because nobody is sure what that means and it sounds new and hip.
Of course, they didn't ask whether or not the "SUV" was equipped with four-wheel drive, but just assumed it would be. .

Hey, guys, this kind of dark is like tearing holes in the knees little space for cars in this most car-dense section of the globe.
The imports are starting to include their stability control systems as standard equipment on sport utility vehicles and crossovers, as are rival domestics. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)Like the Equinox it manages to appear sporty yet classy, a design theme that should appeal to young and mature buyers alike, plus most in between. That Aztek was one of them, and to be fair, so is this Torrent. What's more, the back seat also reclines for increased rear passenger comfort. Improved sales should translate into enhanced profitability, and if you've read these pages on a regular basis you'll know that the General needs to fill its coffers more than most MNCs. And now for the bad points I mentioned earlier. Specifications:Price Range (MSRP): $26,585$37,630 Freight & PDI: $1,100 Body Type: 5-door compact SUV Layout: front engine, FWD (opt AWD)Engine: 185-hp, 210 lb-ft of torque, 3. While the Sonata, which doesn't have traction control in the trim level Hyundai gave me, might have experienced no difficulty getting up the mountain, the Torrent drove up without putting a wheel sideways.

There's a thread of similarities ranging from the edgy style and amusing touches to the dark hallways and no doors, the Stonehenge of doors, mark the place where your car should dive off Sunset to the entrance of the Mondrian. A foodie place with an inventive chef doing Cuban French Asian things.
While not as off-road biased as the old Tracker, which used a solid rear axle, a configuration that's actually preferred by 4x4 purists, an independent suspension is much more enjoyable, and for that matter much safer when driving on pavement, where the Torrent, like most crossover-style SUVs, will spend the majority of its time.
Only the front wheels feature disc brakes, incidentally, the rear's getting drums. Separating the Torrent driving experience from the Equinox is GM's FE2 Sport Suspension package, available across the line. This seating flexibility sets the Torrent apart from most of its rivals, as do its wide rear door openings, the most accommodating in the entry-level segment.
7 cu-ft) of maximum cargo area I can't These stylish fog lamps are standard.
And no stability control at all? While GM has promised to make its Stabilitrak system available on most vehicles sold in the U.

8 inches), while its wheelbase is some 157 mm (6. We swapped child seats, and when I pulled up to the "judges" at the base of the hill, they had no trouble letting me by. So, is the Torrent exactly the right vehicle for Pontiac bye good music say right now? It certainly is impressive in many ways, not to mention that it's a smart way for GM to make use of an existing architecture, giving Pontiac dealers a competitive SUV when they had nothing to lure in prospective crossover buyers prior to its existence.
I chose to go a little faster than would have otherwise been prudent, and then slammed on the brakes to test their capability.

8 inches) in length with a healthy 2,857 mm (112. 6 cu-ft) of interior volume, which makes it larger inside than the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and other category sales leaders.

4L OHV V6 Transmission: 5-spd auto Brakes (front/rear): disc/drum (opt ABS) Curb Weight: 1,663 kg (3,660 lb) Towing Capacity: 1,588 kg (3,500 lb)Ground Clearance: 203 mm (8.
The Torrent gets a few upscale features, such as chrome accents here and there, plus unique seat and trim fabrics, while either a dark gray (Ebony in Torrent-speak) or a two-toned dark gray and beige (Cashmere) motif enhances the SUV's visual appeal.