CD Article: 2006 Pontiac Torrent

[CD_Editor]

You may discuss our cover story of the day in this thread....
Test Drive:

The Pontiac Torrent, like the Chevy Equinox, is marketed as a compact SUV, yet it is much bigger than other compact SUVs, says Editor Greg Wilson.  "This means that Torrent buyers are getting a very roomy 'compact' SUV for about the same price as other compact SUVs," he says. Complaints? "A wide turning circle and a narrow cargo area," he says.     More...

[y2chuck]

Love the look of the Torrent, but for an SUV, the cargo space doesn't seem to be well thought out.  The removable tray in the back seems to be a complete waste since those big blocky thingys that support the tray take up way too much space.

The photo with half of the seat folded down shows how bad the cargo space is. I have an 03 VUE and while the Torrent/Equinox twins make my VUE look like it's from 1980 (interior quality wise), the VUE has much more usable space even tho it's a bit smaller in size.

Saw a black Torrent, dark tinted windows, chrome accents the other day and it's a fantastic looking vehicle, but if you need every last drop of interior space, definitely better options out there.

Gimme the exterior of the Torrent with the interior of the Highlander...

[wing]

The Equinox has that same thing, and I have a friend that complains there is no space because of it.  But man that looks like a well layed out and nice looking interior!

[Bullet Blue]

I drove past a Torrent the other day and I still can't believe they classify it as a compact. Same with the Equinox.

[Howswedeitis]

Not a bad effort and from what I hear the Torrent/Equinox can hold its own against the likes
of Honda, Toyota et al. Certainly this GM SUV is a heck of a lot better than the
dinky Honda CRV which is a joke. Evidently, others feel the same way as Honda
has announced they will scale back production as the demand just isnt there.

[haris]

That cargo shelf is optional, luckily, so it would be the first thing to go.
What I don't understand with this and other Pontiacs I've driven is the turning circle (I have a Pontiac with turning circle of an 18 wheeler, or at least it feels like it sometimes).
Why is it so hard to make a car that can actually make a U-turn on a two lane road?

[AVToller]

That cargo shelf is optional, luckily, so it would be the first thing to go.
What I don't understand with this and other Pontiacs I've driven is the turning circle (I have a Pontiac with turning circle of an 18 wheeler, or at least it feels like it sometimes).
Why is it so hard to make a car that can actually make a U-turn on a two lane road?

Perhaps because it takes some thought and effort to produce decent steering geometry. Pontiac designers seem too busy with "styling" to bother with trying to get the mechanics right. 

[The Fuzz]

We were looking at the Equinox when I was looking for a new vehicle. If I liked it, I was going to wait for the Torrent since I like the looks of the Pontiac waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more than the Chev.

We didn't choose the Torrent because:

A) After just spending $3000 on fixing the Blazer I was hesistant to get another GM product

B) I found that my left shoulder rested in an uncomfortable position against the B pillar

C) Although the rear seat folded flat, there was lots of room between the seatbacks for the dog's feet to drop into which could hurt her if she twisted. (Yes the dog gets to sleep on the seatbacks without being belted in, I'm a bad dog owner, I know...), and

D) Those 'pillars' of plastic in the back took up way too much of the cargo room. What a stupid design.

In hindsight, it probably would have been a more useful vehicle for us but not near as much fun...

[skypoint]

I hated the inside of the Equinox, but the plastics in the Torrent, whilst the same shape, are of better quality.

The Torrent looks better than the Chevy too, in my opinion.

[Bullet Blue]

What's in the $40 "smokers package"? An ash tray?

[The Fuzz]

What's in the $40 "smokers package"? An ash tray?

Probably an ashtray and a lighter. Wifey's Alero was around a hundred bucks if I recall correctly. However her's takes up far more room and one of the cupholders so it must be worth the extra money. 

[Benhaze]

I had great hopes for the Equinox and when one of my family member wanted to replace his CRV, the Chevy dealer was our first stop. Though the exterior look of the Equinox/Torrent is very nice IMO, the interior quality was subpar. But what killed the deal was the test drive. I didn't have anything special against the engine as I had an Alero with the same engine then and liked it. But we didn't like its performance in the Equinox. We also didn't like the handling and it actually was very noisy on highway (wind/road, not engine). There is nothing that makes me believe the Torrent wouldn't be just as disappointing.

Fellow readers may think I have something against Nissan from some of my postings: I do for the unacceptable interior quality of many of their products. There are a couple of exceptions, the X-Trail being one. And the CRV was replaced with a X-Trail SE.

[Benhaze]

Another downside of the Equinox/Torrent: the AWD system that can only transfer up to 30% to the rear wheels. Probably one of the worse imitation on an AWD system on the market. 

So does it even worth it paying for the AWD version? I don't think so. But then why buying a FWD SUV? 

Another 1/2 a.. GM design. 

[Demosthenes X]

I'm a little disapointed by this particular rebadging...  Pontiac has some decent cars in their lineup with the new Solstice that really cater to their "Built for Drivers" slogan...

But then they give you an underperforming, unremarkable SUV like the Torrent.  This is, imo, where GM falters...  the Equinox is fine, but why spend the money and energy to rebadge it as a Pontiac?  Why even have two brands if all the vehicles are going to be rebadges?

[footlong58]

I'm a little disapointed by this particular rebadging...  Pontiac has some decent cars in their lineup with the new Solstice that really cater to their "Built for Drivers" slogan...

But then they give you an underperforming, unremarkable SUV like the Torrent.  This is, imo, where GM falters...  the Equinox is fine, but why spend the money and energy to rebadge it as a Pontiac?  Why even have two brands if all the vehicles are going to be rebadges?

It's the Future Shop / Best Buy approach...

Gives the customer the illusion of competing companies...

[Benhaze]

I'm a little disapointed by this particular rebadging...  Pontiac has some decent cars in their lineup with the new Solstice that really cater to their "Built for Drivers" slogan...

But then they give you an underperforming, unremarkable SUV like the Torrent.  This is, imo, where GM falters...  the Equinox is fine, but why spend the money and energy to rebadge it as a Pontiac?  Why even have two brands if all the vehicles are going to be rebadges?

It's the Future Shop / Best Buy approach...

Gives the customer the illusion of competing companies...

I don't think no one takes that bate. It's has more to do with meeting Pontiac dealers complaining of not having a CUV to sale.

[y2chuck]

After recently testing a Torrent Sport recently, I must say, I was very impressed with it.   The steering, ride and handling are spot on and dare I say very Mazda-like.  If my Mazda6 was a tall mid-size SUV, I would expect it to handle just like the Torrent.

I took some pretty aggressive corners and twisty roads and the Torrent held up to everything I threw at it flawlessly.  very impressed.

Interior is great.  Lots of room, versitile and the Pioneer sound system is just plain wicked.  The sliding 2nd row of seats is fantastic as well.  Opens up a ton of extra cargo room when slide forward (5 more cubit feet than our VUE) and lotsa leg room when pushed back.  Pushed all the way back it makes putting the little guy in his car seat very easy.

The front seats don't have much lateral support, but they are a lot more comfortable than my 6. 

the interior was dead quiet on the highway, no rattles, no squeeks and no wind noise or leakage.  It felt just as solid as my 6.

don't let the "lowly" 3.4 L and 186 HP fool you, this thing has plenty of get-up-and-go for everyday driving.  Highway merging is not an issue, neither is passing.  I didn't find the engine to be excessively loud when stomping on it either.

Wife really like this car as well.

On the flip side, we took out an 06 VUE with the honda 3.5 and were dissappointed in it compared to the Torrent.  Our 03 is full of rattles, I thought they'd fix that after 3 model years.  nope.  Turning into a parking lot over that little curb bump made the whole vehicle shake.  Not as bad as our 03, but the Torrent was completely solid and quiet, the VUE just didn't feel solid at all.  The Honda 3.5 is FAST as hell, but it's loud, there was wind noise and generally it was just a soft, mushy, loud experience.

Pontiac deserves a ton of credit for the Torrent IMO.  Out of the 15-20 or so vehicles I've tested, the Torrent stood out as being one of the best for my needs.

[laspalmas]

Perhaps because it takes some thought and effort to produce decent steering geometry. Pontiac designers seem too busy with "styling" to bother with trying to get the mechanics right.  

don't let the "lowly" 3.4 L and 186 HP fool you, this thing has plenty of get-up-and-go for everyday driving.

[/size]

And people comment on the Hyundai 2.7L that "only" has 173hp

[y2chuck]

Perhaps because it takes some thought and effort to produce decent steering geometry. Pontiac designers seem too busy with "styling" to bother with trying to get the mechanics right.  




And people comment on the Hyundai 2.7L that "only" has 173hp

yeah, people are too focused on a high HP number.  doesn't make any sence to me.  The 186 HP 3.4 "felt" just as quick as the honda 3.5 250 HP and for everyday driving, that's more than adequate.  I suppose bragging rights are more important to some people tho.

[Shnak]

Perhaps because it takes some thought and effort to produce decent steering geometry. Pontiac designers seem too busy with "styling" to bother with trying to get the mechanics right.  




And people comment on the Hyundai 2.7L that "only" has 173hp

well the GM 3.4L has a ton more torque than the 2.7L, and at a much lower RPM too...

Hyundai's 2.7L has to rev pretty high to get its torque, which is kind of disapointing for a V6, but understandable for such a small V6...