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:

• 

  Love It - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Dave - May 20 - 7:26 am

  I absolutely love my Vibe. The mileage is great and there is plenty of room for my family of three. You cant beat Toyota quality at a Pontiac price!

• 

  Return of the G.O.A.T. (GTO) - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Sailmaker - May 20 - 2:16 am

  This car is amazing. The raw horsepower makes it want to scream out of every gear shift. To have 400 horsepower out of dealer is remarkable.

• 

  Glad to have had this for my first car. - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Zdebedout - May 18 - 10:50 pm

  I would say if your thinking about getting this car then go for it. My grand am has been great to me iv owned it for 4 years and only had to put about $600 in repairs while having 138,000 miles on the car. this car is very reliable and to be honest actually way cooler then i first thought. For a cheep everyday driver it is fast and fun all while using regular gas and not hurting my bank. One thing that i found to be great is that there is actually a community around this car and entire website devoted to custom grand am. just google custom grand am and you will find it. i love my grand am. not to mention the car has held its value greatly i paid $1,700 for mine and found that in its condition i could sell it for up to $2,500 after just fixing a few things and owning it for 3 whole years.

• 

  I love my car! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Kiley - May 18 - 3:06 am

  I absolutely love this car! Aside from its stylish looks - for a 4 door its very sporty, it handles like a charm and is so much fun to drive. The gas mileage is great and the interior setup is user friendly. As a current owner of an 02 Grand Am GT, I find this car much easier to maneuver, better on gas and much more fun to drive. This ones a keeper!

• 

  great car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By QQnancy - May 16 - 2:00 am

  I love my Pontiac Grand Prix. I love driving it and I feel secure and comfortable. It rides very nice. Im so pleased with my selection. this is my second Grand Prix, I had a 2001 and it was great too.

• 

  car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By margie - May 14 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE LOVED THIS CAR AND WOULD BUY ANOTHER ONE

• 

  2004 Aztec - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By azteclover - May 12 - 9:56 am

  Great vehicle. 168k and still going strong. Best feature is the versatility of the the interior. Easy to remove seats.

• 

  maybe best car we ever had - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By collegemom - May 11 - 10:00 am

  This car was ordered by us, loaded. It has serverd us well. Trips to the villa in Hilton Head, parents 3 hours away, one child through college with dorm moves twice a year 4 hours away, another in 2nd year 3 hours away and various other trips. We carry two people and alot of stuff or six people and still a lot of stuff with a carrier on the top. Gas mileage is up to 27 mpg on the road and the range is about 600 miles.

• 

  My Car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jeremy Eshleman - May 11 - 10:00 am

  This car has been great to me. I love the speed and the handeling of it. I wish it was a stick. I goes just about anywhere in a short time if you know what i mean. I love this car.

• 

  Love my Tek....but.... - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By DeltaDawnNY - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I love my Fusion Orange Aztek. I went from a GMC Yukon to an Aztek so gas mileage is phenom!. I zoom around all over the place. We are big campers and love the tent attachment with mattress. Interior cleans up great and with 3 kids that is important, the 3 love the reclining back seat. Love the console/cooler. Are some blind spots, but you can overcome that obsticle. We have had to the dealership too many times for a vibration over 55mph (and I do alot of hwy driving) we have had two new tires, new springs, reallignments done. Have had back breaks replaced. All of this work was before I hit 14,000 miles.