2009 Pontiac Torrent

Once known as GM’s performance brand, Pontiac was discontinued in 2010 along with Hummer, Saab, and Saturn. The legendary GTO of the 1960s and Firebird of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s were joined by models such as the Grand Am, Grand Prix, and Bonneville, which were based on other GM models. The Australian-built Pontiac G8 was a legitimate muscle car, and the Vibe hatchback shared its design with the Toyota Corolla Matrix. Today, most Pontiac vehicles still on the road are more than a decade old and lack the safety and convenience features found in modern vehicles.

The Torrent is Pontiac's rebadged Chevrolet Equinox. Both use an extended version of the Saturn Vue platform. In our tests of the Equinox, we found the rear seat to be quite roomy. It can move fore and aft to increase passenger or cargo room. But the quality of the interior materials is subpar, and the 3.4-liter V6 is coarse and returns poor fuel economy. The ride was acceptable, but handling was clumsy and the turning circle wide. Wind noise was pronounced. The Equinox's tip-up in the government rollover test is another negative, but the arrival of ESC in 2007 rectified that. 2009 was the last year for the Torrent.