Pontiac Torrent loaner car

[Vinsanity]

So I brought the Caddy in to the dealer for a warranty diff repair and routine maintenance before I take a Vegas road trip this coming weekend, and got a Pontiac Torrent as a loaner car. I was expecting another Caddy, but this is a free set of 4 wheels and an engine so I'll take it.

Inside: It's easy to find a good driving position in the car, and although the seat bottom is comfortable, the seatbacks are less so. The design is restrained, which is good, but the materials could be better. At least there's a lot of headroom. Also, it appears to have more passenger and cargo space than my cousin's newer model Rav4. The mirrors seem to give a good view around the car, but I have a major gripe with the non-intuitive window controls on the center stack (the switchgear buttons are in a curved line instead of 2 front/2 back). Also, the radio reception kind of sucks, although it somehow receives song information better than the one in the CTS. I haven't gotten a chance to fold down the back seat to see how much space it frees up.

On the road: The 3.4L V6 is torquey and quiet during normal driving, but it turns rough and runs out of breath when you push it to "higher" rpms (redline is 5500), and the throttle can get jumpy off the line if you're not careful. The steering is nicely weighted, but the ratio feels too quick for this kind of vehicle (I prefer the more gradual response of my other cousin's FJ Cruiser), which makes the car feel less "settled" on the freeway. And although like the Rav4, it doesn't ride as smoothly as it probably should, at least it corners pretty flat for something resembling an SUV. I know this is a twin to the Chevy Equinox, but if I'm not mistaken, I think the two cars are derived from the platform used in the G6 and Malibu; at least it feels like they are. As for the brakes, they're pretty powerful, but the pedal feels slightly too soft to inspire confidence. New EPA ratings are 17/24, and the trip computer indicated a 20.x average MPG when I first picked up the car.

All in all, it's a fine car, but GM needs to realize that every division doesn't have to have a model of each car. There's no reason for this to exist if the Chevy Equinox is the exact same car (although I think this looks better than the Equinox), especially if the Ford Edge is as good as I'm hoping it is.

[ifcar]

The Equinox and Torrent come from the first-generation Saturn Vue, not the "Epsilon" midsize sedan platform.

[nickdrinkwater]

I thought Pontiac was about sports-orientated models, not SUVs.

[ifcar]

I thought Pontiac was about sports-orientated models, not SUVs.

In theory.

[Submariner]

I thought Pontiac was about sports-orientated models, not SUVs.

Take a look at their lineup over the past 25 years.

[the Teuton]

Take a look at their lineup over the past 25 years.

Like the Pontiac-McLaren Grand Prix STE turbo?



That was certainly unsporty.

[Submariner]

Like the Pontiac-McLaren Grand Prix STE turbo?



That was certainly unsporty.

Here is a real race bred winner


which is awfully similar to





I loved their ads early on comparing it's handling qualities to cars like the Chrysler Concorde.



"Ferrari like" is what describes it best.



Lapped the ring in 6:30.  Sheer brilliance.

Every company has their star players, but Pontiac's frequent re badges of generally alright cars, I don't think qualifies them as a "performance division"

[nickdrinkwater]

  Good post Submariner

[The Pirate]

Like the Pontiac-McLaren Grand Prix STE turbo?



That was certainly unsporty.

That was actually a legitimately cool car, and a stellar effort.  It was no Ferrari, true, but look at other GM offerings in 1989 and 1990.  It had a ton of engine and suspension upgrades too, courtesy of McLaren/ASC.  Everything from bigger sway bars and better shocks/springs to the the crankshaft of the engine was improved.  Besides, the Grand Prix Turbo paved the way for the 1991 GTP - same body work with the twin-cam 3.4 liter V6 and it was available with a Getrag 5-speed.  Ditto for the Lumina Z34 coupe.

[omicron]

Like the Pontiac-McLaren Grand Prix STE turbo?



That was certainly unsporty.

I liked that car as a wee lad - one of my magazines from back then featured the STE, and I seem to recall the steering wheel as nothing more than a slab of four hundred buttons.

[93JC]

[omicron]

Validation! Yay!

Somewhat hazardous whilst trying to warn other road users of my imminent rollover and explosion, of course - I'd have opened all the windows, turned down the stereo, adjusted the seat, opened the sunroof and turned on the hazards before finding the horn button located on the side of my seat, or somewhere like that.

[93JC]

The horn was activated by either of the two biggest, slightly-darker-grey buttons on the edge of the centre of the wheel, I think.

Frankly I'd like to see one of these wheels fitted with an airbag go off. Plastic buttons everywhere!

[omicron]

The horn was activated by either of the two biggest, slightly-darker-grey buttons on the edge of the centre of the wheel, I think.

Frankly I'd like to see one of these wheels fitted with an airbag go off. Plastic buttons everywhere!

Practise your Tetris skills while waiting for the emergency services!

[Vinsanity]

Practise your Tetris skills while waiting for the emergency services!

LOL! Another fine feature missing from the Torrent that it could certainly use



Update: Some cars grow on you, this does the opposite. While the Caddy awaits its new differential assembly, The Pontiac's flaws appear to be standing out a bit stronger; the throttle pedal was especially touchy today, and the steering wheel (which does not offer a telescoping function) felt further away than before. I still keep searching for the window switch on the door panel to no avail.

At least I've gotten used to the brakes.

[omicron]

LOL! Another fine feature missing from the Torrent that it could certainly use



Update: Some cars grow on you, this does the opposite. While the Caddy awaits its new differential assembly, The Pontiac's flaws appear to be standing out a bit stronger; the throttle pedal was especially touchy today, and the steering wheel (which does not offer a telescoping function) felt further away than before. I still keep searching for the window switch on the door panel to no avail.

At least I've gotten used to the brakes.

Psh, this thread is no longer about your lame Torrent - we've moved on towards awesome '80s - '90s Pontiacs.

[Vinsanity]

Psh, this thread is no longer about your lame Torrent - we've moved on towards awesome '80s - '90s Pontiacs.

my apologies.

proceed.

[akuma_supreme]

Psh, this thread is no longer about your lame Torrent - we've moved on towards awesome '80s - '90s Pontiacs.

Can I post a message about both?   

I was given a Torrent on my last business trip about a month ago.  The car was so utterly memorable that I completely forgot about it until Vinsanity posted this thread.  I agree that the window controls are possible one of the worst ergonomic flaws put into a car in the past 20 years (with a possible honorable mention to the current Explorer's door handles).  We got worse gas mileage though-  we averaged ~16 MPG in stop-and-go traffic.  I was shocked and glad I wasn't the one paying the bill.

Regarding Pontiac's sports models, I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned the Pontiac 6000 Safari.  My family had one of these in the 1980's.  After we had sold it, my mom opined, "The 6000 was the only car I never regretted selling."

[Madman]

I thought Pontiac was about sports-orientated models, not SUVs.

What?  Do you mean to tell me Pontiac's late-80's interpretation of the then-contemporary Opel Kadett/Vauxhall Astra (and built by Daewoo) isn't a sports-oriented car?  Behold, the majestic Pontiac LeMans!




Cheers,
Madman of the People

[the Teuton]

You all have seemed to forget about the AWD Pontiac 6000 STE.  We had a 6000 back in the day, and I remember liking it.