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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  Not impressed with my 2002 Sunfire - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Chester - June 2 - 12:00 pm

  I purchased my 2002 Sunfire, and within a month went through two radiators, a starter, trunk latch would not hold properly in the back trunk, and then a few months went by and my transmission went, and main computer chip, and gas pump. needless to say I will never buy another car made in Mexico, under the Pontiac name or any other kind of name ever again. I know of a lot of other people whom love their Sunfires, and when I look inside the door, they are made in the USA. So needless to say look around, and look inside the door to see where it is made before you buy yourself a Mexican lemon! P.S; they forgot to put in the air conditioner as well!

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  Great Grand Am - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Hoffa164 - June 2 - 2:00 am

  I have not had any problems with this car and I have had it for over 3 years. Of course I take great care of it too.

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  Best Bang for the performance buck! - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By qwik06gto - June 1 - 11:16 pm

  Outstanding performance for the price of admission! A Corvette with 4 seats. Exterior styling could be more stylized. Gas tank placement needs revision to free-up trunk space. Sound system leaves much to be desired. Once you drive it, nothing else matters!!!!

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  Love my Vibe! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Feather - May 31 - 11:33 am

  We bought the Vibe new in 2003 and have only had to do the brakes, oil changes, and tires - and were almost at 100K (97K right now). Even though we cant fit three car seats in the back (darn!) and have #3 on the way, we are keeping this car as my husbands daily driver. Easy to drive, enough horsepower for me - LOVE the storage capabilities with this car, and I would recommend one to anyone. Definitely impressed with my first (and what seems like my last due to the demise of the brand) Pontiac.

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  n/a - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jose - May 31 - 11:13 am

  I drove between N.C and Wash DC for two years the car never broke and it has 115,000 miles still driving like new. I did not drive it for a year because i was serving overseas the only hing i had to replace was the battery and one rod. it is a great car.

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  Excellent Sports Car for the Money - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Rockit_GTO - May 31 - 10:43 am

  Being a former Z28 owner (highly modified), the comparison in quality is unmatched. For a similar level of performance and much better interior design, this car wins hands down. Everytime I fill up with gas people just start looking around and inside the car. All of the comments are very positve. The red leather interior is very eye catching and the detail in the interior is top notch.

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  Good VIBErations - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By xknvmb - May 30 - 10:00 am

  This is a great automobile. I usually have problems with comfort in a small car because of my size (61", 230 lbs) but I drove this from OK to MI with my wife and 3 family pets and we had no trouble. Plus we got great fuel mileage. Great performance and handling.

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  Great van - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By apd124 - May 30 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Montana. It is a 2003 currently. Our previous Montana was a 1999 with the same problems as usualy reported (blown head gaskets, manifold gaskets). This was due to Pontiac using the new long life coolent and paper gaskets which the long life coolent rapidly deteriorates. All was replaced under warranty with no problems and the van drove great throughout. They have apparently fixed this problem on the newer years which is great.

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  Maintaining the concept - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By BobthePhotoGuy - May 30 - 10:00 am

  Many people keep refering to the fact that the GTO doesnt look like a muscle car. Well a lot of that is the perception of history. The original GTO was a plain jane Pontiac Tempest with a common styling for it era. Pontiac took this everyday two door going to church car and dropped in a powerful drivetrain, added a hood scoop, exhaust and a bigger set of shoes. With the New GTO, they took a well established up to date styled car, the Holden Monaro, dropped in a powerful drivetrain and added a healthy exhaust. Sound familiar?? The only thing missing is the hoodscoop. Of course with the new technology in 30 years, the creature comforts are much stronger.

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  I like my vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By R.M.Thorne - May 30 - 10:00 am

  Had a lot of cars in my life this is one of the best.Got around 9000 on it and love it more every day. Very good miliage and do not tirer over long hauls. Just come out of Blairsvile Ga to Wildwood Fl. in just under 8 hours with one stop for gas. got 35.2 for mpg.at 72 mph.So far like every thing about it.Very nice little car.