2008 Pontiac Torrent Consumer Reviews

Great first SUV

Written by: Eric Godat on 04/28/2009

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent 4dr SUV AWD (3.4L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Just read the news about Pontiac perhaps going good bye. Sad but this Pontiac Torrent is a rock solid performer and for good value. It is said GM always stops building a car when they got it right. I echo most of the comments above. This is a fun to drive vehicle and handles well for the 3.4L Minor gripes: the cupholder window control, Perhaps a luggage rack bar on top as standard. Back seat room is far superior to all other midsize SUVs. The only problem? My 20 year old daughter now "claims" it as her primary driving vehicle! But such is life when you teach children how to help pick a car( she picked it). But I have fun on my commute motorcycle

Favorite Features

Interior room and seating

Suggested Improvements

Perhaps a bigger center console placed just a bit further to the rear by an inch or two

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Like it so much bought a 2nd one

Written by: Mikey on 04/02/2009

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent 4dr SUV (3.4L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Actually owned it's cousin the Chevrolet Equinox for 4 years. I love that car. So much so I added a Torrent to the stable. The Equinox and Torrent are fun to drive and I have had zero problems. A little over 20 in the city and 24-26 on the highway MPG. The moving Rear seat is my favorite feature, but the performance of the engine and transmission is as good as the Mercedes I once owned.

Favorite Features

Huge rear seat legroom. Fun to drive. Looks good. I think it's very well built.

Suggested Improvements

The cup holder could be improved (very minor) I still reach for the door to roll down the window (Power window switches in the center console)

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Love the car, hate the cup holders!

Written by: torrent on 02/25/2009

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent GXP 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

Love the car. Getting in and out is great, the interior is very roomy. Hate the cup holders. I dropped my keys in the open space and it took me an hour to get them out between the seat and the open space. Wish I knew something I could get to replace the cup holders.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Great looking SUV

Written by: Ryan on 01/20/2009

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent 4dr SUV (3.4L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who is thinking about getting an SUV. This is my first SUV and I love the look and comfort of it. XM radio in the vehicle is a great feature that I can't believe I lived with out before. This is a very roomy vehicle, yet still very sporty looking.

Favorite Features

XM radio! There is something for everyone on XM. Also the space in the vehicle you can move so much in there.

Suggested Improvements

Better cup holders the one that comes out from the center console is very cheap I swear I am going to break it by looking at it.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Love my Torrent GXP

Written by: JRagan on 11/19/2008

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent GXP 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

I bought my '08 Torrent GXP about a month ago. It is Carbon Black. Mine came fully loaded with DVD entertainment system which included a pair of Panasonic wireless headphones. It also has OnStar and XM raidio. The sound system sounds great and movies really rock coming out of the cars speakers. The wireless headphones sound great and are much much better than I thought they would be. I really like how the 60/40 rear seat can slide almost 8 in. I must say the GXP's 264 hp engine really delivers.It gives you plenty of get up and go and lots of power to tow. I drove mine through the Rocky Mtns towing over 3000 lbs and had no problem on the very steep grades. This is my first SUV and I love it.

Favorite Features

264 hp auto/manual engine, DVD entertainment system, XM radio CD player & speaker system, OnStar, paint & wheels, tow package, sliding rear seat, factory remote start, driver info computer, roof rack, dash apperance and layout, heated seats, upholstery material and color, safety features.

Suggested Improvements

Front power port needs to be closer to the dash (no big deal though). An extra power port in the rear hatch area would be nice for a powered cooler/heater.

8 out 9 people found this review helpful

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Love This Car

Written by: Carol on 11/19/2008

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent 4dr SUV (3.4L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Love how this handles-what a difference between the Torrent and my Jeep. Lot of room, comfortable and smooth ride. For the price you can not beat it.

Favorite Features

Moving back seat, lot of leg room, ride is smooth.

Suggested Improvements

I agree with other reviewers that the cup holders are bad, I miss the extra pockets in cargo area to hold items, cannot find mat to fit the cargo area. And I miss the handles over the doors and no clothes hanger hooks.

7 out 8 people found this review helpful

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Comfortable Cross Over

Written by: Rob L. on 10/04/2008

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent 4dr SUV AWD (3.4L 6cyl 5A)

Review

This is a very good riding cross over type SUV. It gets very good gas mileage on the highway - about 25 to 26. The controls are pretty good, but the steering and handling on the base model is unacceptably sloppy. If you like this vehicle, get the GXP model which has a different and tighter steering system. The center console could be a lot better and more useful - it lacks storage and the center mounted power window buttons are not intuitive.

Favorite Features

XM Radio; good gas mileage; comfortable ride. Sight and sound package (stereo upgrade and sunroof)

Suggested Improvements

Tighter steering; The night time instrument lighting (red on red) is very difficult to read at a glance. The list price on this vehicle seems high compared to Korean competition - you should be able to do pretty well with dealer and factory incentives. The console between the seats could be better

8 out 8 people found this review helpful

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I'm in love

Written by: Joey on 09/01/2008

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent 4dr SUV (3.4L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I just brought this baby home and I'm smitten. I test drove several SUVs over Labor Day weekend (the 2008s were priced to move). I didn't even know that Pontiac had a crossover (I was familiar with the Equinox, which is the same vehicle). I was about to pull the Trigger on a Santa Fe, which actually had a nicer interior with more storage, but once I test drove the Pontiac, I was sold. The 3.4 L pulls that rig right up to speed with no problem, and the handling was tight like a sports sedan. Compared to the Santa Fe and the Escape, the Torrent won on performance alone (and good looks). Also, I averaged 26 MPG on the 120 mile freeway drive home. Not bad for a big vehicle like this.

Favorite Features

Pontiac grille, performance, ride, handling, AUX input jack, and my favorite: The beautiful two-tone interior (black and tan). The driver information center, with trip computer is nice. Being able to check my exact tire pressure from inside the car, while driving. Great gas mileage too!

Suggested Improvements

Not nearly as many storage bins as the others that I tested. Could have better cup holders. No manual shift mode (preferred for mountain driving), rear glass does not open separate from the lift gate. None of these things are deal breakers for me, but they are legitimate gripes.

17 out 17 people found this review helpful

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july08

Written by: dnm on 08/31/2008

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent 4dr SUV AWD (3.4L 6cyl 5A)

Review

The vehicle replaced a leased 2005 GMC EnvoyXL SLT. Though the Envoy was loaded the Torrent has plenty of features and is fun to drive. I pulled my boat 500 miles with no problem and the mileage is about 20% better than the Envoy. The Torrent is fun to drive, don't believe the reviews about it being "mushy" etc. The 3.4 V6 has plenty of spunk. The vehicle performs very well in town and on the highway. Highway mileage is about 25 and city is about 18. Plenty of room inside for 4 adults for long distance and 5 adults is not problem for shorter drives, rear seating has amazing leg room and front seat passenger seat has more room than the Envoy. We added the chrome package and leather.

Favorite Features

Mileage for an SUV is very good. Tows up to 3500 lbs, much more than other crossovers. Smooth ride. Handles like a car, not a truck.

Suggested Improvements

The area between the front seats is a poor design. Should offer climate control. Window controls in the center are a pain.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Great Choice!

Written by: Al S on 08/26/2008

Vehicle

2008 Pontiac Torrent 4dr SUV (3.4L 6cyl 5A)

Review

What can I say. Black on black with 17 in. Wheels and it sexy looking as well as fun to drive. I opted for the 3.4, the 3.8 must be incredible! Love the onstar! Now if they could give us better front cup holders? When you take off, the 5 speed trans is so smooth! Watch it. You'll get speeding tickets! Gave up my stow & go Chrysler Town & Country and have no regrets!

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

5 out 6 people found this review helpful

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