Since the end of production, Pontiac cars have become less and less common on the roads, and many drivers are grateful for that. In their time, Pontiac did develop and mass-produce many fun and well-loved cars, like the Firebird. It might be easy to hate on their most dangerous car, the Fiero, but at least Fiero’s had enough of a ‘cool factor’ that makes them still desirable to their fan base. There is one car that Pontiac might have been better off never making, and if you can, you should definitely avoid it. It’s the Pontiac Aztek.

Yes, we know it’s ugly

If you’ve ever seen an Aztek, you’re already aware that they have a very unique styling. By unique, we mean all-around pretty awful. It looks like Pontiac took designs from some of their more popular cars and smooshed them on to an SUV in an attempt to be innovative. It didn’t quite hit the mark and instead of setting the stage for cooler-looking cars, it was a total flop.

What the exterior of the car lacked in style…the interior also lacked. The inside of the Pontiac Aztek was unsurprisingly dull, with not a lot to offer overall. The seats were plush enough to be comfortable, but they were far from attractive looking, and the seat material didn’t wear well over time. The dashboard wasn’t much better, clad with plastic, and – you guessed it – more plastic.

The later years of the Aztek did get some adjustments to the awkward cladding that seems to take up half of the SUV’s profile, and that did make a major difference in the appearance. They still had the awkward front end that made the car unappealing to most and the small adjustments they did make didn’t do well to improve sales.

It’s not just ugly

The Pontiak Aztek wasn’t just ugly, it also had reportedly bad handling and give owners a bad driving experience.

It had sluggish acceleration that was paired with even slower driving experience. It couldn’t handle corners well and felt generally unstable when going normal road speeds. Their major benefit is they could go off-road, but not well, and they would most likely get stuck.

Like any car, the Aztek does have it’s own fanbase, and that’s probably due to some of the cool features that it had to offer right from the factory. For one, the center console could be used as a cooler, you know, so you can keep your Coca Cola cold while you drive.

Even cooler, it had the option for an official Pontiac Aztek tent that could convert the back of the SUV into a camper-like suite, perfect for your next adventure. All in all, that does sound pretty cool, and since you aren’t worried about the car’s appearance you can take it down trails and backwoods to find your very own campsite, ideal for outdoor enthusiasts.