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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  Crap on four wheels - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By angelajoe - July 3 - 12:58 pm

  We bought this car used only had a few thousand km on it. Since then we have found that the rims and tires are hard to get. The car is to low in winter this causes damage. Now cylinder 5 has a missfire and the plug broke off in the engine just completly siezed in the engine. Also the front brakes are wearing out prematurly would get rid of it but owe to much on it to trade it in but in a year i will be going ford this car is a total dissapointment. Way to much plastic and the interior feels and looks cheap but the outside looks okay.

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  2000 Grand Am - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mary - July 1 - 10:00 am

  Good buy for the money, but now becoming an expense. Drivers widow motor went out 2 years ago, then air conditioner stopped working a little later. Repair estimates came in starting at $800 so I drove around with no air in Atlantas worst heat in history! The one honest mechanic left in the whole world (Poston Motors, Cumming, GA) bypassed a switch and voila - air! And an oil change: Less than $100.00! Now, dashboard coming apart, both outside mirrors bout to fall off, automatic door buttons & mirror adjustment have fallen through the door panel & yesterday, interior rear view fell off! City mileage: bad, Highway mileage: good Forcing pick-up speed too fast can damage computer.

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  Power, but needs other things - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By BIG B - June 29 - 1:40 am

  I have owned this car for almost 2 years. Overall the car seems good. Real good power from the 3.5 V-6. I get 24.5 MPG. The inside seems a little cheep. I need the visors replaced, the door switch, for the widows replaced, and the black is pealing off the radio. Oh ,and dont even think about a U-Turn in this car.

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  The hot rod has arrived! - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By Mach 5 - June 28 - 3:53 pm

  This car is awesome! It is my first car and I would not trade it. there is zero room in the back. The T-tops are awesome, but they can get cumbersome and annoying to take out and put back in. But this car is Amazing, if you can, get the Ram Air version. This is a fun and sweet ride.

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  2005 GTO Delivers - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Craig Lavin - June 28 - 5:10 am

  Ive had quite a few "Sports Cars" and this new GTO would probably rate the best that Ive owned. It has the handling, power and ride of a true sports car, but it has the front seat comfort of a luxury car. The plush soft leather seating compares to my 87 Corvette, but I dont have to crawl into or out of it. The biggest drawback is the $1400.00 GAS GUZZLER TAX. I average about 21 1/2 mpgs with my driving habits. I would also like to see abit more luxury items in the interior, more trunk space. And I would have jumped at a convertable if it was available.

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  The Nice Pontiac - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Jake - June 27 - 6:00 pm

  Well, my mom had to go to Chattanooga. So, we had to rent a car. So, it was a choice to rent a brand new Kia Optima or a Pontiac G6. So, I chose the Pontiac G6. But, when we drove off onto the freeway I saw my mom was going 100 mph! But, the car was in kph! We did not live in London or anything related to that. So, we had to drive like this the whole way to Chattanooga. It was too late now because we were already on the way to Chattanooga. But, we managed to get to Chattanooga safely.

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  Great "Sporty" Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By G6-GT-Owner - June 27 - 11:13 am

  Ive owned this car for 3 months, and I am very pleased with this car. I personally spent alot of time researching and test driving different cars and this is what I settled on. A foreign alternative to this car would cost me an additional $6,000, and none of them would have pleased me like the G6 Coupe. The performance is great for its class. Passing cars is a breeze compared to my 00 Taurus. The front seat is very comfortable and has plenty of head/leg room for my 60" frame. The remote start and heated seats are a MUST HAVE for this car. Granted this is not a sports car, even in the GT/GTP packages, but they definitely make for sporty, comfortable, and classy daily driver.

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  nice little car - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By red98grandamse - June 27 - 2:00 am

  No real problems as of yet, other than the ABS sensors getting dirty...

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  Love My New Car - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By navajofires - June 20 - 2:53 am

  I just bought this car a few weeks ago. I love the look of the car when the top is down. It drives like a gem. The only issue was the CD player didnt work a few days after I purchased it. The dealership ordered me a new one immediately. I would recommend this car to anyone to buy.

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  Good Value! I have loved my Torrent! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Stacedog - June 14 - 1:40 pm

  My Torrent has treated me well! Although, I must say I only drive about 10,000 miles a year. I bought it March 2006 and just had to get new tires about a month ago. I have not had any problems with mine at all up until this week. My check engine light came on? I have not gotten it checked out yet but I really dont think it could be much of anything since I have so few miles. Besides that, I LOVE driving it and really has been a good car, especially for what I paid for it!