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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  Cool Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By drewcampbell - May 10 - 10:00 am

  Cool Car, Awesome Ride To Have. Could cost a little less, but still an awesome ride.

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  love this car - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By caleb - May 10 - 12:40 am

  well i just got this car it is a wonderful vehicle. i love it so far. gets great gas has a lot of room. i went from a jeep wrangler to the 2007 vibe best car i have owned so far a lot of fun

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  First time owner and lovinnnnnn it - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Kim and earl - May 9 - 9:56 pm

  This car is very comfortable and has a very smooth ride. I love the interior design the red dash lights against the black back ground. I also love all the features included on the dash. The exterior is very sporty looking for a sedan. I really love this car

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  Dependable, Quality Vehicle - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Abby - May 9 - 1:33 pm

  This vehicle is dependable, with lots of bang for the buck. It is styled better than other cars in its class. High Quality parts and Sporty Chrome Wheel package a big plus.

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  Cheap Car. Reliable for first 80K mi. - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Annie - May 8 - 12:06 pm

  This was the first car that I ever bought. Bought it with 32K miles on it. CD player broke after having it a week. Was fixed for free under warranty. Replaced brakes twice, but they are like $15 each. Seats are uncomfortable and front seat belt strap hits you across the neck. Car handles rough and shocks/struts start to go bad. Doesnt have much power. Car handles HORRIBLE in the rain and windy weather. Slow oil leak started around 60K but not a major issue. Fog lamps stopped working around same time. Drivers side door started catching on frame and wouldnt open. Have to get rid of it now at almost 85K because transmission is bad, but has been reliable up until that point.

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  Still Going Strong - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By navy67 - May 8 - 10:48 am

  I wrote a review back in Nov. 2012 when I hit 90,000 miles, and its now 2014, at 127,000 miles and its still going strong. Im hoping that I can get another 100,000 miles before I have to get a new car. Too bad Pontiac is no longer.

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  Loved my Sunfire - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By banaMwape - May 8 - 10:00 am

  Its been almost a year since I lost my Sunfire, but I loved it! Tires were the only regular problem I had. But after four years, the battery only stalled on me once, and the window motor started shorting. But those were minor problems compared to the fact that I was able to move efficiently. I took many 14 hour road trips in my little sunfire. Comfort was a bit short on those trips, but gas mileage could not match to most other cars. $60 could get me from Tucson to Dallas easy. I loved the sunroof. Rarely used the MP3 player. Loved the sound. Loved the mobility. Loved the style. It was my first car so maybe Im a bit bias here, but still! Pontiac Sunfire = Amazing First Car!

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  Unbreakable - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By JK - May 8 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car 4 years ago with 20,000 miles on it and it is up to about 110,000. So far the only failures were a belt tensioner ($100 fix) and two of the digital display lights in the radio went out. The car runs like the day I bought it. Mechanically, it seems indestructible. The body and paint are both solid too. I tend to neglect the body and on the rare occasion I wash and polish it, it always looks like it great. Not only is it well built, but it is very comfortable. With some years on the Vibe name now, more and more reviews are from people with 200k+ miles and I hope to be one of them. When the day comes to replace this, I only hope its twin, the Toyota Matrix, is still around.

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  Love my Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Kathy - May 7 - 7:16 am

  I love my car people stare and ask questions and even stop me in the street. When I saw my first one I followed the man to see what it was and five days later I traded my 2003 Celica for a Bright Red Solstice.

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  decent all around car - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Ben - May 6 - 11:06 pm

  This car is great. The main problem with this car is the tires if you ever have a flat or have to get new ones. The tire sizes are almost impossible to find. I had a flat tire and had to wait almost 3 days to get a new one because no one stocked it. Definitely a bad thing for a daily driver. This car also does not come with a spare tire. It comes with a tire repair kit which does nothing for an unrepairable tire. Then comes the gas mileage. I only drive this car around town mostly and am lucky to average 16 in town and 22 on the highway. I still only have about 3000 miles on it so hopefully those numbers will improve. The rear seat entry is pitiful for this cars size.