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2008 Pontiac Torrent Safety Review

October 30, 2008

SAFETY | 9 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Five stars, front and side impact; four stars, rollover resistance
NHTSA

Good," frontal offset; not tested, side impact
IIHS

thick front roof pillars block vision
ConsumerGuide

TheCarConnection.com finds that the 2008 Pontiac Torrent gets high crash-test scores, and it boasts an impressive list of standard safety features.

In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) frontal crash testing, the Pontiac Torrent earned a five-star rating (the best possible) for the protection of front occupants; it scored the same for front and rear occupant protection in its side impact tests. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, the Pontiac Torrent scored a highest possible "good" rating in frontal offset testing. Side impact tests were not performed on the 2008 Torrent by the IIHS.

According to ConsumerGuide, the 2008 Pontiac Torrent has the following standard safety features: anti-lock disc brakes, traction control, an antiskid system, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. Edmunds adds that the Pontiac Torrent 2008 is equipped with OnStar and that "full-length side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor are optional, but front-seat side airbags (that provide torso protection) are not available." Cars.com mentions "the new Electronic Trailer Sway Control, which automatically detects trailer sway caused by an improper trailer weight balance or excessive vehicle speed, then activates the stability system to maintain control."

As for visibility when driving this SUV, ConsumerGuide notes that the "thick front roof pillars block vision when cornering and rear sight lines are hindered by the sloping roof."

Conclusion

The 2008 Pontiac Torrent is a solid and safe vehicle, but the full-length side curtain airbags are optional, not standard.

SAFETY | 9 out of 10Expert Quotes:Five stars, front and side impact; four stars, rollover resistanceNHTSAGood," frontal offset; not tested, side impactIIHSthick front roof pillars block visionConsumerGuide TheCarConnection.com finds that the 2008 Pontiac Torrent gets high crash-test scores, and it boasts an impressive list of standard safety features. In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) frontal crash testing, the Pontiac Torrent earned a five-star rating (the best possible) for the protection of front occupants; it scored the same for front and rear occupant protection in its side impact tests. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, the Pontiac Torrent scored a highest possible "good" rating in frontal offset testing. Side impact tests were not performed on the 2008 Torrent by the IIHS. According to ConsumerGuide, the 2008 Pontiac Torrent has the following standard safety features: anti-lock disc brakes, traction control, an antiskid system, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags. Edmunds adds that the Pontiac Torrent 2008 is equipped with OnStar and that "full-length side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor are optional, but front-seat side airbags (that provide torso protection) are not available." Cars.com mentions "the new Electronic Trailer Sway Control, which automatically detects trailer sway caused by an improper trailer weight balance or excessive vehicle speed, then activates the stability system to maintain control." As for visibility when driving this SUV, ConsumerGuide notes that the "thick front roof pillars block vision when cornering and rear sight lines are hindered by the sloping roof." ConclusionThe 2008 Pontiac Torrent is a solid and safe vehicle, but the full-length side curtain airbags are optional, not standard. 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT STYLING | [7 out of 10] Cars.com: "The Torrent's twin-port grille is traditional Pontiac " Automobile: "a smoother design flow" Cars.com: "a well-designed interior" The 2008 Pontiac Torrent has many improvements over the previous model, and the new Pontiac ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

As outfitted, the Torrent GXP will handily run circles around a Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, or 2009 Dodge Journey. None of those competitors even offer performance packages. The 2008 Pontiac Torrent also delivers a far more credible facsimile of sporty handling than the typical truck-based SUV (or even car-based crossover), but its Chevrolet Equinox donor chassis can't keep pace with the Opel that underpins the new Saturn Vue and Vue Red Line performance edition. In the 2008 Pontiac Torrent GXP, though you're not going to out-corner sportscars, you will be piloting something a lot more agile than the typical lumbering SUV--something that's happy to tackle corners at speeds that would make most of its more SUV-looking crossover competition seriously unhappy.

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See the Pontiac Torrent in Other Years:

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

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