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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  Bonny Behind the Best - but still good - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By TWatson - July 11 - 10:30 am

  First off - I fit the profile in the 2002 review article: Im a sales pro and this is my company car. So, given that this is a free car for me, Im happy with it. It has a very comfortable and predictable ride (which is useful in snow/ice). I know what Im getting from the Bonny - its just what Im NOT getting that I miss. What Im not getting is what Pontiac pretends to have different than the rest of GM ... namely performance. The Bonnys no dog; but with such a mean- sounding exhaust and the potential for American muscle, this Bonny should have more power behind it. Add more power and a more aggressively designed new one for all classes (not just GXP) & Ill be happy to drive another one!

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  Looks Gr8 Runs Gr8 - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Fingers crossed - July 9 - 2:00 am

  If the car has good reliablity then the folks at GM have done a good job of offering a car that is fun and practle at the same time. The GT has plenty of power and looks great. It handles better then most cars its size, and I have driven a lot of them. Keeping my fingers crossed that the reliability issue doesnt become a pain in the neck for me.

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  Great Car - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By braddthom - July 9 - 2:00 am

  Best car Ive ever had, I would buy it again. Has the power of a Jag, handles like a BMW, and feels like a Lexus.

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  Great value and safe at that - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Howie Adams - July 8 - 10:26 pm

  My wife just totaled her Vibe after having for a few years. We owned from 20k to 82k miles. We had to change brakes and one set of tires...nothing else. Overall it had a nice sporty look and was comfortable to make long 1000 mile trips. I would highly recommend. Car was hit very hard in front and no scratches to driver. I wouldnt have thought of as safe as car as it is. Going out to buy another

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  Fun to Drive - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jerry young - July 8 - 2:26 am

  I just purchased the Grand Prix GXP, this car is fast. We were looking at buying the GTO for sports car look and performance. Since my wife and I travel alot, along with my 2 boys, and after looking in the trunk of the GTO, which you can only fit 2 small bags. We decided to get the Grand Prix, it has good looks, 4 doors, but when me and my wife drove this car, whow, the V8 has a lot of power for a family car. It handles like a race car. Its fast, sleek, and good looking. Just in the 3 days that we have had the car, a lot of kids and adults have complimented on this car.

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  A lot of car for the money - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Mike in Portland - July 7 - 8:40 pm

  The Torrent was a great choice for a guy like me who needed to move to a larger car from a sedan due to a new baby, but doesn’t want to move to a huge SUV. Not only is the Torrent’s size just right, but it looks cool, it drives very well, and it has great leg room in both the front and rear seats. The V-6 engine really goes when you need it to. The car handles corners better than our ’02 Corolla did. The gas mileage is acceptable for a car this size. The 3500lb towing capacity is enough for all of our needs. If you are looking for value and options, a loaded Torrent can be had for under $30K. I chose the Torrent afer considering the Rav4, CR-V, Trailblazer, and HHR.

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  2 year Evaluation - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By 06gp - July 6 - 6:35 pm

  Bought my 06 Grand Prix back in 2009 and it has served me well. the 3.8L is very reliable, powerfull, and sounds amazing once the hammer is dropped. The ride is very comfortable, no complaints there. The exterior is gorgeus, sexy if I may say. Interior material quality: The cheap plastics, thanks GM, is ok but very difficult to shine up and keep good. In the future I will customize the interior with Blk leather and dark wood trim so that will be my solution. Fuel economy is great highway wise (28mpg), the city is satisfactory if you dont speed and suddenly accelerate. Repairs: Just a alternator and a upcoming brake job. 18+car= havoc. Overall I am very impressed with my Pontiac and love it.

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  I love my vibe! - 2008 Pontiac Vibe
  By melissa - July 5 - 10:33 am

  i love this car. its is a reliable, fun, peppy sporty little car, but at the same time works for my baby. getting him in and out is easy as the car sits fairly high as opposed to most other cars you have to bend over into.

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  Great car!!! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By c - July 5 - 2:56 am

  I have had this car for 9 months and enjoyed every minute of it. The car drives as well as it looks, the power is adequate, responsiveness is excellent, and the feel of the car to the road is as a sports car should be. I have driven German cars for decades, and am extremely pleased with this automobile, much more so than I expected. I thought it would be a very attractive car that looked good, but drove like any other car. Quite the contary....it is spirited and exciting to own and drive.

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  Reliable!! 140k+ - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By frankshwartz - July 4 - 2:36 pm

  I drive a lot! School, work, play. This car has been nothing but god to me. lots of room inside. (a 6 ft man can sleep nicely in back) I chose not to trade it in but keep it as a second road trip car. I think I can honestly get 300k out of this thing!