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:

• 

  My G6 - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Jenny - August 22 - 8:26 am

  The car is great there are only 2 negatives. The first is that i should have gotten the spoiler on the back, not for visual reasons but for function. The trunk doesnt have a spot to grab onto when you open it so if you have an armfull of anything it can be inconvenient. The other dislike is the front end comes to a very low point. You have to be very careful not to pull into a space too far or you may hit the curb or another car and damage the front end. Other than that it is an awesome car and i love it. It is very quiet and beautiful to look at!

• 

  Wonderful Car - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Northstar1 - August 22 - 6:16 am

  I live in cold winter Western Canadian prairie climate and I am very pleased with my Vibe. Purchased new in January 2007 and I have accumulated 77,000 km (45,000 miles) in 3 full years. Absolutely no reliability issues whatsoever. FWD with manual 5 drives has always done quite well in snowy weather with aftermarket Michelin X- Ice tires. (You should never winter drive with all-seasons tires). Heater is good within 5 minutes and quite hot after 30 minutes. (Ditto for AC in summer with 33c [95F] heat). Excellent gas mileage. I like to travel in the intermountain western states. This car is an economical aircraft replacement vehicle for my fun-filled long road trips. Camping is great as well.

• 

  Ugly but REALLY practical - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Nick - August 20 - 5:13 pm

  Best bang for the buck in mid-size U.S. SUVs. Roomier than an S-10 Blazer, safer than the current blazer, and gets 21 mpg FOR HALF THE PRICE OF MANY MID-SIZED SUVs. FIRST SUV to get 4 star rollover rating and how many 2001 SUVs had standard side airbags? Sure its ugly, but how many $50k luxury SUVs have a heads-up display on the windshied off of an F-15 fighter, a built-in air pump, and their own tent?!

• 

  drive the Vibe - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Charles Guido - August 20 - 12:43 am

  Great value, fun to drive. Rear sets fold flat-good so as to carry equipment for sports minded people. A small person like myself can sleep inside when on a kayak trip. Add Thule racks to the factory racks and it will carry a secure load.

• 

  Good Car, So Far - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Mike - August 16 - 5:20 pm

  My wife was bent on buying one of these things from the first time she saw one on "Survivor." I was wary, partly because I wasnt thrilled about getting an SUV, and partly because Im wary of purchasing anything else from GM (or any American auto maker, for that matter). To be honest, I must admit that Im pleasantly surprised. The ride is comfortable. and it drives quite nicely. The sound system is more than adequate, and we love the sun-roof and leather heated seats. It doesnt feel top-heavy when rounding corners, and rides more like a car than a truck. Weve had no problems thus far. And for the record, I dont ever like admitting when Im wrong. But this was a good choice.

• 

  I love my Solstice......a great machine! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Kent M. Sherry - August 16 - 7:20 am

  There are dozens of sport cars on the market, but none come close to offering the most bang for the buck that a Solstice does. GMC has a real winner in the Solstice. Every place that I go, people want to take a closer look at this stylish engineering marval. Having driven a Triumph (TR3) as a young man, the Solstice brings back old memories. The sound of the exhaust, the increase in Gs with every shift of the gears, and best of all the 30.7 mpg that I averaged on my last 200 mile road trip. This car is going to be a classic. While some might stash it away as an investment for the future, I bought my Solstice for fun!

• 

  sporty and reliable van - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By montana mom - August 15 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Montana van in 2 years. I purchased a 1999 and loved it, so I traded in for the 2000 with the power sliding door and entertainment system. This is the sportiest looking van around. I have broken cupholders and problem with the air bag light coming on. I would definetly buy another Montana.

• 

  Best of the New Breed - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By Dr Will B - August 15 - 2:00 am

  Checked out all the competition. More head room, easy in and out, fun features. Basically all th bells and whistles on a luxury suv with the interior of a sport model. Very practical and a real head turner. Deserves a 2nd and 3rd look before you decide.

• 

  luv it - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By jklnx - August 15 - 2:00 am

  very fun to drive. the interior design is very comfortable. the little extras make the interior comfortable for passengers and drive. the drive is quiet, smooth and comfortable. the turning radius is better than i expected. i cant wait to try the awd out in the snow and ice. i am sure it wont disappoint.

• 

  Awesome Car! - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Bruce Helton III - August 15 - 2:00 am

  I needed a car that had lots of room for a tall person like myself, and that had a lot of power, and this was it! I especially like the fact it can outrun a Mustang GT with about $500 worth of mods! Ah, the look on their faces when a "family car" beats them! I bought it with 96,000 miles on it, it has 102,300 miles on it now with no problems yet.