[SRR]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

Styling will always be purely subjective. As someone who had to repair these cars like the Aztek, I found the body hardware and interior pieces to be super cheap and delicate for a "utility vehicle". It had some good and some goofy interior features and it could be argued allot of features for the money. Mechanically, many, many more issues with electrical problems, pinched wires, terminals not fully seated, weird battery drains, failed modules, just poor chassis electrical than comparable models. Engines had all the problems associated with the 60 degree V-6 GM used for many years. Pulled, broken rocker arm attaching bolts, head gasket failures, coil pack failures because they mounted it to the exhaust manifold, fuel pressure regulator failures, valve cover leaks, water pump leaks, broken camshafts, all the usual stuff from that engine family. Very hard to make a case that this was some kind of transformational vehicle. It had the potential to be one, then GM took all the quality out of it as they often did during those years. Painting it a single color greatly improved the looks IMO. Before the "Breaking Bad" series, you could buy one in good condition for $600.00-800.00. They have some instant collector value now and are no longer a good beater buy. Seldom see one for under 2K now.
BTW, drove a Mach E with the biggest motors and batteries. Car is very fast, faster than 98% of the gas powered cars I have driven. Doesn't mean I like it. It drives very "heavy". It feels like the 6000 lb. car it is. Just not for me. Feels like your driving a video game, driver completely disconnected from what's happening outside the windows. Like driving an arcade game. They have a waiting list, so someone must like them. The one I drove was almost 90K. That buys allot of old Pontiac stuff!

The HHR and The PT Cruiser are awful vehicles with tons of problems due to being cheaply made.