2001 Pontiac Aztek review from North America

Two days after purchasing the car, the driver's side low beam headlamp blew. The dealership fixed this for free for me.

50,000 miles and front brakes needed to be replaced, but I think that's normal; they were the originals.

Driver side window occasionally has problems closing. It closes if I push on the button a few times. Most days it's fine, though.

The shape of the car is highly unusual, and until this year I'd sworn never to buy one because of the way it looked. The saying goes "Don't judge a book by its cover" though, and the same holds true for the Aztek. One test drive in it and my mind had been changed. I have a few kids to tote around on a regular basis, and they all fit wonderfully in my 'Tek. There's so much room inside, it's wonderful.

The seats are incredibly comfortable, and are great if you need to drive long distances regularly. There is plenty of leg and head room, and everything is within easy reach of the driver.

The cargo area is enormous. And if it's not big enough, the back seats very easily pop out to add in the extra space, and back in again just as easily. I used it to tote around some 4x8 sheets of cement board about a week after I bought it. Plus, the cargo nets that come with the car are perfect for making compartments to hold things.

Unfortunately, it is a bit of a gas guzzler, and with the large tank, I find myself having almost doubled my weekly gas cost.

If you're considering buying an Aztek, I'd recommend you buy a used one. The new ones are worth the cost, but a used one is just as good and at less than half the cost of new.