Here's Why the Ugly Pontiac Aztek Is Becoming Cool 

"Perfect for running over drug dealers" -Heinsenberg, 2009

Breaking Bad. That's why.

I’m pretty sure my high school chemistry teacher had one of these, which fits because he was pretty quirky. Sadly, he got cancer, but to make more money, he bought the car wash he used to work at, and went I to a partnership with one of his old students

Crazy I’d rather watch this than click a Bugatti episode

After Breaking Bad, this car is a goddamn art piece to me.

Everyone's a Gangsta untill Mr. White comes out of an Aztek.

I remember when the Aztek came out. G.M. was ridiculed and skewered over this car. I thought at the time , if Toyota had come out with this, they would have probably been praised over it's uniqueness and versatility.

This video makes me sad for the poor Aztek designers! They put so much thought and so many cool little features in this car, and people hated them for it. I think it's also got kind of a cute, light 80s futurist vibe too, with that angular rear section.

"Come, take a tour of my tent!" - Doug DeMuro in a middle school parking lot

Rolls Royce may have an umbrella in the door, but the Aztek has a tent, air matress, and cooler.

Mercedes making a big deal about them doing the windscreen washer in the wiper blades But pontiac was doing it almost 20 years before 😂

Imagine u are in the middle of nowhere, sleeping in the tent and someone steals your fuel from unlockable fuel lid😂😂

The Aztek is perfect for all those ppl living in their cars.

I bet the school was on lockdown when the principal discovers a weird man reviewing a Pontiac Aztek

We had a Buick Rendezvous with literally *every* available option. Drove it for 16 years and absolutely loved it.

Just bought one of these for a fair price; had the cooler, tent and air mattress. The Aztek drives great, and doesn’t really deserve the hate it gets.

This car is literally the definition of do not judge a book by it’s cover. Cool features

everyone who's ever existed: "k" as in kitten Doug: "k" as in knife-point

The biggest problem with the Aztek, look wise, was that the wheels looked too small for the body. It would have looked, not pretty, but a lot better with slightly bigger wheels.

this car is emotion after breaking bad. I will buy this some day just to collect it.

There's a man in an Aztek tent outside the middle school again

Damn, I remember the Aztek looking a lot uglier. Now, it just looks like any other car on the road.

I was in my late 20's when the Aztek came out and I always loved how it looked. Maybe because it's different, but it had a functionality to it that worked with the aesthetics. Way to go, Doug!

The Aztec and Honda Element were way ahead of their time. If they were made today, they'd sell like hot cakes.

I am the one who camps.

If Doug was a vehicle he’d definitely be an Aztek.

In a very basic way, the Aztek is pretty cool. GM really put some thought into it, and considering the time frame that this came from (and the condition most Pontiacs were in at the time), it's nice to see some real effort being put into a vehicle. It's a shame the thing came out ugly as sin and underpowered. Stick the 3.9 in there, smooth the body out and you'd have a really quirky SUV.

Waltuh, put your d away Waltuh

Duuuuude that car is better equiped than modern suvs lol

I bought an Aztek because Bryan Cranston. I asked him actually one time and he actually loved the Aztek, which I was surprised to hear. He was at a convention I visited since there was a Breaking Bad booth. Thank Bryan Cranston for recommending me to get the blue 2003 Aztek that got me through high school.

One of my close friend's parents had one when I was growing up. I remember riding in it and finding all these weird things you talked about. A vivid memory of asking his mom, "Why is there a cooler in the middle of your car?"

Walter White mobile

Dude thats a fuckin house

Walter White really under-utilized that car

The problem with the Aztek is that it was just way too ahead of its time. It might have been insanely ugly by early 2000’s standards, but for cars, trucks, and SUVs today it actually doesn’t look bad. Weird for sure, but not something you wouldn’t expect to see on today’s roads with its angles and lights. This doesn’t just go for the Aztek either, plenty of Pontiac cars in general were just so far ahead of the curve and predicted the future pretty accurately for the most part. The Pontiac Solstice is now regarded as an all time classic sports car alongside the likes of the Nissan 350Z and Mazda RX-8 of its era, the Fiero has an unmistakably 1980’s retro design, and many of the muscle cars like the Trans Am’s and GTO’s are looked back at fondly as some of the best in that category. Even concept cars like the the Rageous looks like something you’d see that would’ve been made in the early 2010’s, and it was made back in the 1997! Now I wouldn’t say that the Aztek looks as “modern” as that and the Solstice, but it certainly had some good ideas going for it. Had it not been as blocky and maybe smoothed out just a little bit with the top grills and lights being smaller, I’d say it has good appeal. Somebody even made a more modernized redesign of it to demonstrate it, *look at this and tell me with a straight face that it looks bad…* www.behance.net/gallery/111725641/Pontiac-Aztek

I love this video, not just because it's the Aztec, but because Doug made this video in the flow of his older videos. I love this!

if Doug went on a date he would say "first tell me all of your quirks and features then i'll give you a Doug score"

Why the fuck would I buy an Azte- Doug: it even comes with a cooler! Me: sold.

Walter white approved

Mr. White had so much storage space for meth in his car itself.

The owner should have chose the optional Meth lab attachment instead of the tent

I'm A former Aztek owner (Mine was totaled when a tree flee on it during a storm} Here are a few other quirks. On the cars with the rear stereo controls, the key could be removed from the ignition in the accessory position. an option heads up display was available that projected speedometer readings on the windshield. The cars supplied with the cloth upholstery used a material that was resistant to water damage The cars instruments included an electronic compass. Calibrating the compass required driving the car in a tight circle 3 to f times in a calibration mode. Many of the mechanical parts were interchangeable with Montana minivans

bro we don't care how ugly it is, it's Walter White approved

I loved and miss my 2003 Aztek. The back pull out tray was one of the best features, especially for moving large items like a mini fridge. I fit a whole recliner back there in one peice when i moved! It sat up high off the ground, great for snowy weather. The huge windsheild was fantasic for clear view for driving. The back window never bothered me, i guess I'm just short enough it didn't obstruct my view. I am sad i can't find a decent do-fer nowadays. Much love Aztek!

As a guy who slept in his car I kinda want this now. Also, why don't car manufacturers innovate like this anymore?!?!!?!

4:45 this is how murders start out

4:40 except it’s hanging out the back of a Pontiac’s ass(tek)

Now this car looks like today's crossover. GM was indeed a head of time.

GM made these with tents and coolers for the employees they had to lay off after this.

Doug Demuro: the type of guy to "pitch a tent" in front of a middle school.

You forgot the air compressor in the rear and heads up display. Love the Aztek!!

Long ago I owned an 1988 Pontiac GrandPrix and it had that kind of windshield wipers. But during winters the washer fluid kept freezing in the small tubes going along the wipers. I do admit though, when they work, theyre great!

How to become cool: 1. Get a Pontiac Aztek 2. Cook Meth

The Pontiac Aztek is a perfect car to crack a cold one with the boys.

I saw your post today about your Aztek center console cooler and here I am

Thanks for review Doug! I'm thinking to finance this car! It's affordable and cool cars 🤙🙌

2:54 Hang out on your ass... tek

If Doug were a car, it would be the Pontiac Aztek

This is my favorite Doug DeMuro video.

Dude, your demonstration of the tent compartment on wheels was hilarious and perfect. 😆😆

Doug is the type of guy who sets up the Pontiac Aztek tent in the parking lot of a Middle School

Aztek & Chill

I think people that like adventure and don't want to pay for an rv or a flashy wrangler will really appreciate this unique vehicle. One thing I'd like to point out that was not brought up in the video is how awesome it is to have plastic wheel wells and side skirts that won't rust!! To me it's an added plus.

When Doug Score session last about 3 minutes 🙌🏼🔥

"It drives like a car" - Doug DeMuro, 2017

I did not know the ugly aztek had all these great features I thought it was just a ugly suv but it's pretty badass

I almost put down money on one of these - I thought it was so cool. It was the fastest thing I ever test drove. The car's only sin I could see was a big plastic bar across the lower rear window which could hide a motorcycle behind you. What I loved about it was that it wasn't that big, but could hold nearly anything that any SUV could hold. I still think that they're neat as heck.

Breaking bad.

4 out of 10 in the Features category? A car whose central console becomes an efficient cooler for your drinks, a spatious car that comes with a bench, an air bed and A FREAKING TENT (a tente with its own carrying case) gets only a 4? After you spent 2/3 thirds of the video speaking about its unique features? Really? As ugly and unreliable as the Aztek is, in the Features category it deserved a solid 20 out of 10.

1: Breaking bad 2: it's a reliable used car that's unique now

An old video but I drove a 2005 Aztek for five years and loved it. Had the tent that was never used but no tray. Finally sold it when the trans started acting up. Oh, and it was marketed as a get back to nature out in the great outdoors on the trails but no AWD option.

love your videos you are so cool man!!! never change!

i cant believe how well-kept this car is. usually when i see an aztek the interior is completely ruined, the paint is chipping, and the rear window is covered in stickers

Now I’m mad that there was no scenes in breaking bad with Walter and Skyler using that sweet ass tent ⛺️

Mommy, that strange man has been camping out at my middle school again.

I do not know why I used to think this car was very ugly but it has grown on me and I like how it looks especially with the black plastic clading

He attac, he protec, but most importantly, he drives an Aztec.

You don't want your daughter to be picked up on a date by a guy who drove the Aztek.

I’ll say that tent feature is truly innovative. If you were too tired to make it to your hotel and had to stop at a rest area, the Aztec is one of few cars that would have a unique edge in that situation.

the back of the car is perfect for a drive in movie theater

My wife had a 2001 Aztek in college. Problems included: - The gas gauge didn't work and would fluctuate wildly between E and F constantly. - The sunroof leaked when it rained and would drip water into one of the front cupholders. - The radio would only blast static at a very loud volume unless it had recently rained, in which case the rainwater would soak deep into the car's electrical system and cause the radio to work properly. - The engine would overheat when the car idled too long in traffic. - The entire front dashboard came unglued and was slowly bending upward in the Texas heat. - All 4 windows broke eventually and began falling down. - The rear hatch wouldn't stay open so my wife carried around tennis balls to stuff into the gap and hold the roof open. She also had a cut-off rake handle that served this purpose as well.

I told someone I wanted a gas cap for my Aztek.... he told me it sounded like a fair trade

The windshield wiper fluid in the arms near the blades is a great idea.

I loved my yellow 2002 Aztek. I didn’t have the tent, but I did have speakers in the back. I could fit a 3-piece band and all our equipment in the car. Then we could roll up to a venue, open the hatch, sit on the tailgate, and blast music until it was time for us to set up. It had both a CD player and (uncommon for the era) a cassette deck so it was versatile in the days before iPods and smart phones. The one major downside I must point out is that everything is electronic, which means lots of little electronic failures, and replacing parts was not always easy or cheap. For instance, the electronic latch for the back hatch failed multiple times. The “correct” method for fixing this was to break all the plastic seat area off the tailgate and replace the whole inside of the tail gate. The mechanic at the dealership was nice enough to drill a hole in the tailgate instead so they could access the latch without breaking the tailgate. Of course that meant I had to live with a permanent hole in my tailgate. Additionally a light failed in one of the dashboard gauges, and that entire control panel was one expensive piece that had to be replaced. Changing the battery was also a headache. Not only was the battery underneath some other parts, there was also a totally unnecessary bar locking the battery into place which could only be removed with a special dealer tool. The first time my battery died, it was a fiasco. Fortunately the mechanic at the dealership removed the bar for me, so after that I could change my own battery.

Me: eww it's ugly Me 15 minutes later: OMG THIS CAR IS AMAZING

Doug the type of guy to pitch a tent around a middle school

I miss my blue 03’! Had those same rims too. Came to watch for nostalgia 🥲

I bought two of them! never had to worry about anyone stealing it. Had the tent version - loved it!

Every time I see this car it reminds me of breaking bad

Because Walter white

I wanted to share a couple fun additional facts. First, there was an available "heads up display" that came way before its time. And the thing is it was available as part of a tech package NOT just on the top trims (as one sees today). Try getting a heads up display on a mid-level trim of a Toyota! Not possible. But here is the kicker : often times the sticker on these would show "Heads Up Display DELETED" and show around a $400 sticker credit (even though they were probably worth far more). Also, the coolest interior for these is one that VERY few people have seen. Most Aztek interiors came in gray (a darker shade). But it was available in "dark taupe" that was a mixture of two chocolate shades. It TOTALLY changed the look of the interior car, and to me looked much better. Most brochures of the Aztek had the dark taupe on the center page, yet 95% (or more) of Aztek's produced had interiors made in gray. It got worse in later years where even if one could find one listed (at that time had to have a dealership do the search) that had the dark taupe interior, one would look inside to instead find the dark gray. The interior looked SO much better in dark taupe.... and surely that is why the center page of the brochure showed it that way. Another Aztek mystery! :-) I would honestly LOVE if GM revived Pontiac and if they came out with an Aztek hybrid that was actually quite sporty looking (but still had the tent). :-)

Is the windshield broken?

It looks like a Prius on steroids.

"The car has a K like killer whale or knife point" -Doug DeMuro

I have always like these cars! I finally was able to get one. I love driving it.

Great one Doug! Personally I’ve always loved Pontiacs and for that matter Azteks ok the black body moulding on the 2001 was never a good look but I would never use the word ugly to describe the Aztek it would be more quirky or off the wall. Think it’s a real shame we never saw Pontiac or the Aztek here in Australia. As for Breaking Bad I’ve never watched it so I can honestly say my opinion of the Aztek is purely based on just my taste in the weird.

Its 2020.. my wife has a 2003 and I have a 1st generation 2001. We love our Aztek's.

Great car if you're homeless. Do recommend!

My high school science teacher drove one of these. Mr. White. Nice guy. Heard he got really sick back in '08. I wonder what ever happened to him.

Got a brand new 2004 model when I was younger and loved it. Two things though mine also incorporated a built in air compressor to fill that Aztek air mattress and 2 that bar in the back was nearly perfectly aligned to alleviate someone’s headlights from blinding you. Was that intentional…… I like to think so.