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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  Lil Bit Of Sol - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By bleacherman - November 10 - 4:26 pm

  This car is just plain FUN! While the interior is by no means luxury...it is very comfortable, exterior lines are outstanding! Handling is phenomenal ... just a slight movement on the wheel gives instant response on the road. It feels that you are glued to the road with the 18" tires. Great car for an even greater price!

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  Great vehicle - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By PhoneyScott - November 10 - 5:13 am

  Great to drive. Much better than our GMC Safari that we had before. Much more "sport car" type handling and ride.

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  Race performance and gorgeous too - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By John Richards - November 10 - 1:13 am

  The looks drew me to the Solstice, but the looks reflect the racing design: the wheels far out at the corners, the low frame and seating, the aerodynamics, the huge tires and disc brakes... all components of a true race car. I have been surprised at how well it drives, much better than I thought it would. Cornering is a joy. The visibility from the cockpit is a little restricted, but I quickly learned how to anticipate visual angles for quick maneuvers, i.e., headchecks and headtilts for mirror views. Now I feel safe except I have to do a double check for right rear corner views (a good practice with any car). This doesnt feel like a well-engineered Japanese car. Its looser and wilder.

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  Not to be confused with a performance car - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By mike - November 9 - 11:56 pm

  Expecting Pontiac to try and fill in the hole that the Trans AM left and what the fake GTO left, i thought the G6 would be the little performer for Pontiac...boy was i disappointed. The car sounds lighter than a V4, has no grunt in the motor and well...how can Pontiac name this a "GT" unless theres a meaning of GT i am not aware of. In all honesty, people out there who are looking for a REAL American Muscle car and werent fooled by the GTO (Holden Monro) or the new G8 (same as GTO) just wait for the 09 Camaro and bug Pontiac to make a similar car and call it a Trans AM.

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  Just what I needed - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By VTBear - November 9 - 5:40 am

  First 2k miles no problems. Average 34 mpg, handles great, good all around visibility. Live on a dirt/mud road, makes it home daily. Instruments well placed, shifter as well. Back OK for preteens, not bigger. No frills, dont need em. Fuel savings annually over last car will be about 3 payments per year at todays gas price. Quiet for such a small car.

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  Worst Car Pontiac Has Ever Made - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Bob - November 9 - 3:06 am

  The car is an all around piece of junk! The styling is ok but could improve in some areas. The paint is way to thin and chips easily on the front bumper. The transmission is junk, GM made a huge mistake by mating a 4 speed automatic to a 3.5L V6 because the gear ratios are too far apart and the power and response are not their when you need it. The cruise control lacks a good base, the car may drift + or - 5 mph before the car decides it want to accelerate. The interior is not much to be desired, the seats are not comfortable, the dash ugly and the radio can not be replaced. Overall the car is a HUGE waste of money, I am very disappointed!

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  What a car! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Rich - November 8 - 4:16 pm

  The Pontiac Soltice is the most fun I have had, driving a car. I didnt know how to drive stick shift when I got it, but it was so easy to learn, took me a couple of days. I like the fact that the red line for the rpms is high (7,000). I previously owned a Pontiac Grand Am GT which was a 3.1 V6 engine and it doesnt hold a candle to the Soltice performance wise. The bigger wheels and tight suspension makes you feel like your in a race car, and for the price you cant beat it.

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  Reasonable Deal - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Wing - November 8 - 8:06 am

  I have a regular wheel base. The interior is furnished with good quality material. The seats are comfortable. Handling is very car like with adequate power. I have never loaded up the van with 7 adults and cargo. I cannot tell whether the van has enough power when its fully loaded. There needs to have some improvement on the seat arrangement. In my opinion, there is too much leg room for the third row seat while the second row has barely enough legroom. If GM can rearrange the seats a little bit, it will make the van more passenger friendly. Fuel consumption for city drive is 14.6L/100km. Highway driving is about 10L/100km. my combined fuel consumption is 11.6L/100km.

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  Van for sale - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By mona - November 5 - 10:00 am

  My family and I enjoyed this van for four years. When purchased it had 15,000 miles on it. We traveled several places. Our children are now young adults and we no longer need to have van that is an extended version. We had a bike rack installed that holds up to three bikes. I would like to know what the value of our vehicle is so we can determine whether or not we would like to buy something smaller. We even had a cd player installed.

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  its a cool little car - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By PbH - November 5 - 10:00 am

  Although its under powered and its dash is a little goofy it handles great, its comfortable and good on gas making it fun to drive i just wish the V6 had a option for 5 or 6 speed manual