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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  What A Car! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Goaty - March 29 - 10:00 am

  What a great car. I traded in my 02 TA WS6 for this beauty and I am in no way disapointed. It blows the TA away in every aspect. The GTO has superior performance, handling and comfort. OK, it may not have the looks of a TA but I prefer the understated look. The engine note is wonderful. I have the Torrid Red six speed manual.

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  rear side window - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By shaky124 - March 29 - 10:00 am

  small rear side window creates a blind spot, which is not there in toyota matrix, because of larger window.

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  my vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By santos i sanchez - March 29 - 10:00 am

  is a very fun vehicle to drive with a lot of space for the entire family.

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  Great Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By C.E.White - March 27 - 10:00 am

  This is my 2nd Grande Am my first was a 99 4dr SE1 wich was totaled in a multi- car accident. After my wife and 2 children both under the age of 2 walked away from the crach without so much as a scratch or bruise we decided we would only buy another Grande Am. We got a bit of an uprgrade buying a GT and i have been thrilled with the car to this day. I would recomend this car to anyone. It has a great price for what i can dicribe only as a great family spaorts car.

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  Good Van Amazing - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By G Unit - March 27 - 1:40 am

  This mini van has only one problem so far and thats the abs. Its a family van and is extremely stylish. I love it. I also own a Honda Sienna and sv6 kills it

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  We love our "Blue Moblie" - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By tenkat - March 26 - 3:15 pm

  Weve had this car for 13 years and shes on 188,000 miles. Shes been amazingly reliable. Just now getting noisy after all the miles weve thrown her way.

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  Team Pontiac - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jbaker511 - March 25 - 10:33 am

  I purchased the 4-dr GT1 75th Anniversary Edition about 8 months ago. It has been the best decision I have made. The car absolutly rocks. Everyone that has driven it has been amazed about the great pick up and how smooth it rides. I can not say enough great things about this car.

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  Best car Ive owned - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Jerry Rigsby - March 24 - 9:30 pm

  This car has brought back fun to the driving experience. Love to drive it in the city as well on the highway

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  Modern Muscle Car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By JTAF - March 24 - 10:00 am

  This modern muscle car did not have to have the GTO name. It is its own muscle car made with todays features and technology. This is the first car of my era that I can think of that could possibly be an icon in the future. The 2000s has not seen too many strong American cars that have the right to be considered Muscle(without being $50k or higher). I am as excited about this as my Ftaher-in-law was when he was my age buying his GTO brand new. Who would have known then that his car would have been such an icon. This is history in the making. Thank you Pontiac for giving my generation the chance to be part of something great!

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  nothing is perfect, although this is close - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By jon - March 23 - 6:30 am

  GM needs to really get some younger engineers to design their vehicles or get new ones.This vehicle is made at the same plant which builds Toyota Matrix (which I like alot more than this cars outside design) I purchased this vehicle for the GM staple and show American car loyalty (please dont laugh, What loyalty?) Very versatile, functional, and fun to drive, no problems and car is 2 years old. Only regular maintenance and I would give this car a 10 but nothing is perfect.