Overview & Reviews

The Pontiac brand is part of the General Motors family, and is home to many of the automaker's more performance-oriented vehicles. Currently, the marque offers a broad range of sporty cars and SUVs. However, as part of GM's restructuring plan, the brand is slated to be discontinued by the end of the 2010 model year.

Pontiac originated as the Oakland Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan, in 1907; it was founded by Edward Murphy. Acquired by General Motors in 1909, Oakland introduced the first Pontiac vehicle in 1926. Dubbed the "Chief of the Sixes," the car was powered by a six-cylinder engine and made its debut at that year's New York auto show. It was so successful that the Oakland name was phased out in favor of Pontiac, the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa Indians. Throughout the 1930s and '40s Pontiac made coupes, sedans and wagons in the low-to-mid price ranges. A unique styling cue of Pontiac cars from the mid-'30s to the mid-'50s was known as "Silver Streak," a set of art-deco-inspired chrome "speed lines" that ran up over the length of the hood to the base of the windshield.

The 1950s saw the introduction of the Pontiac Bonneville. The sprawling, stylish cruiser offered equal measures of performance and luxury, and was a breakout hit. But it wasn't until the 1960s that the Pontiac brand truly came into its own. American manufacturers had begun to offer downsized alternatives to the gigantic cruisers that had ruled the highways in previous decades. Pontiac came to market with the compact Tempest. In 1964, Pontiac made its biggest impact yet with the creation of the GTO option for the Tempest. By equipping the car with the powerful 389 cubic-inch V8 from the full-size car line, Pontiac created the first "muscle car." Phenomenally successful, the GTO helped define the burgeoning muscle car category. Pontiac also saw tremendous success during the latter part of this decade with its Firebird and Firebird Trans Am.

The oil crisis of the '70s made fuel efficiency a priority for many car buyers. Following the lead of its GM siblings, Pontiac made compact vehicles like the Ventura and Phoenix a major part of its lineup. The '80s saw the launch of the two-seat Pontiac Fiero. Despite its modest beginnings (it was initially marketed as a "commuter car"), the Fiero eventually blossomed into a credible sports car.

The '90s saw the launch of Pontiacs like the Sunfire and Montana minivan. Pontiac has slowly lost sales due to changing tastes and a lack of differentiation between its models and those of other GM divisions. In hopes of recapturing past glory, the division embarked on a plan to retire aged models and introduce all-new ones with distinctive styling and personality. For a while, the effort seemed to be bearing fruit. New models like the Vibe, Solstice and G8 made Pontiac a brand to consider in many segments. However, GM's financial troubles in 2008 and 2009 have resulted in the company's decision to phase out Pontiac as a brand. It's expected 2010 will be Pontiac's last year for new models.

User Reviews:

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  Cant beat a 4 Cylinder - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By SakatchewanSnow - November 4 - 10:00 am

  A 4 cylinder engine is not built for performance, but my baby still has the zip at a green light to get out ahead of the traffic. Highway driving requires the proper use of 4th gear, not sure if I would buy the automatic. So many features that have increased my enjoyment of camping, Cargo space, 110 volt plug in(for curling iron or blender), roof rack, plastic cargo w/ tie downs.

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  2004 Grand Prix gt1 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By clinton - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Really fun car. We got the base model with a power front seat as the only add on. The base model is not stripped at all to my surprise. Traction control, ABS, CD, Power windows, P locks and P mirrors. The re-design of the cruise control makes it very user friendly. Hopefully all of GM cars will adopt this style of the cruise control. This is a car that I will definitely keep a while. Love the new color also...fusion orange. The cars response to driving is the best. The Pontiac is so much better and funthan the 02 sebring. The headlights give excellent vision at night. Really like the way the doors open wider to a 90 degree also.

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  Excellent Value - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By nysign - November 3 - 3:16 pm

  We bought the Vibe a year ago, but waited until now for a review. The car is perfect! Wait, almost perfect: the side view mirrors could be a bit bigger. The car has AWD, Side Airbags, Moonroof and fancy radio - all the bells and whistles. And it didnt cost an arm and a leg. Seats are more comfortable than our Infiniti. This winter we outfitted the car with studded snow tires: were invincible in the snow! Would I buy another of these? In a heartbeat! But it will probably be a while because the car acts as though it will last forever. Want one? Theyre so reasonable, you might as well buy one new. Just a great car.

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  Best Car I Ever Owned - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By JimPaule - November 3 - 3:03 pm

  This 2004 Vibe is the best car I have ever owned in terms of reliability. Six years, 63,000 miles, and never had any warranty work whatsoever! The brakes are still original, even with considerable stop and go driving. GM really blew it by dropping Pontiac and especially the Vibe. It has been a Consumer Reports Best Buy since its inception in 2003! Of all their bad decisions, this one ranks right at the top. We plan to keep this car forever. It tracks through our bad northern Ohio winters with no problem with the all wheel drive and still delivers 20 mpg in town and 28 on the highway. Why would I ever sell this car?

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  Pontiac Grand Prix GT: Take another look - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By DMV - November 2 - 3:16 pm

  Looking forward to the release of Buicks replacement for the Regal, I kept looking at the Grand Prix. After driving both the LaCrosse CXL and the Grand Prix GT, the choice was easy. The GP-GT is more to my personal liking due to its crisp handling (for a midsize vehicle, it is great), and the responsiveness in acceleration, even though the LaCrosse & GP are built on the same platform and use the same powertrain. The GP is simply more sporty than its cousin from Buick. On a rercent trip, I experienced 31 MPG at highway speeds. The comfortable leather interior that kept away fatigue on a 5- hour drive: very nice! The Monsoon system would be worth the extra money

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  Way Cool - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By vicini - November 1 - 4:33 am

  Just fun to drive if you want a stick shift. Easy to take care of. Most parts interchange with the Toyota Matrix. Dont know why anyone would pay $1,000 for the Toyota??? Itll eat tires if you let it!!! BTW Im over 50.

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  Best Car Ever - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Dan - October 30 - 10:10 am

  My 2006 Pontiac GTO is my first new car. When I realized they were going to stop making then after 2006, I just had to have one. I ended up driving 6 hours to get the exact car I wanted. I drive the car everyday, and love every minute of it. I love having everyone comment on how much they like the car. This car is a steal at 30k. If you can find a new one buy it, if not get what you can find on the used market. The interior rivals many high end luxury cars, minus a few frills, and will run with just about any sports car. I just wish I could buy another new one when this one is paid off.

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  Great Car - competitive - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Greg - October 29 - 10:00 pm

  Originally looked at the LaCrosse but found the interior a bit boring and the responsiveness not as good as the GrandPrix... My wife said the LaCrosse was an "old ladys car" and saw the GrandPrix as sportier. She is right.

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  Great Car for everything - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By ecolei - October 29 - 10:00 am

  Its a tuner type car thats actually usefull. Power with utility and an excellent ride with superb handling. The only down side is to this point I am only averaging about 26 mpg. In a 4 cyl with less than 2.0L of displacement I expeted more around the estimated 30 mpg between highway and city, but Ive never broken 30 mpg.

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  The best car I have ever had!!!! - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By master7777 - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I love my DaYTONA 500! It is the best car I ever had It ran a 14.57b in the 1/4 mile stock!!! With under $200 in parts I am running high 13s. It is one of the best things I have ever Bought. Everyone should buy a grand prix and everyone will get along............I love my grand prix GTT!!!