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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  Great Value, Fun to Drive - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Dvd67 - March 20 - 12:26 pm

  I purchased my Vibe GT in Oct. 08 and have since put 10,000 miles on it. I find the car very fun to drive and nibble in city traffic, much more so than my old Pontiac Trans Am GTA. The 2.4L has plenty of power to do just about any task you ask it. The interior home is amazing for a small car and the cargo area is more than spacious. Driving in snow and ice is a breeze, at times you almost forget it should be slick conditions. The fuel economy has been pleasing with an average of 28 mpg. I have had as high as 31 mpg and nothing lower than 24 mpg. Its a great sporty little car with economy in mind.

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  Great Car - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By kw4001 - March 19 - 4:56 pm

  Been a great car. Only had one malfunction and that was an alternator had to be replaced. Over all mechanics have been great.

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  Love This Car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By LOVE IT - March 19 - 12:23 pm

  I bought this car with 75K miles a year ago, and I travel to work 40 miles round trip daily and often across the state. Its always been very reliable and comfortable to drive. Very powerful! The only part I really didnt like was that the turning signals didnt always work, but they were covered under a recall, and were fixed free of charge. Corners and handles very well, and hasnt let me down in the snow yet. Heat, A/C, Cruise, Power Locks and Windows.. all work great. The gas mileage isnt too bad considering the get-up-and-go it has. Most costly fix was the headgasket after I first got it, which was $600, and the hubs ($400).

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  Awesome - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Kate - March 19 - 11:20 am

  When looking to get a new car I knew that I needed something that was decent in the snow, smaller in size, appealing to the eye, and better gas mileage. I chose the Pontiac G5 because it looks great and gets me to where I need to go using very little gas.

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  I love my GT - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Tina - March 19 - 10:43 am

  The driving is very smooth. The 150 dash is tempting but I havent driven it over 95.

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  142 of 888 - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By 142 of 888 - March 18 - 10:53 am

  I decided a while ago never to buy an American car again. However I came home with a 4-door Corvette! Couldnt wait for the gxp and I must say this car is great! I wanted a Corvette or that new Camaro but its taking forever. It has a ton of interior room more than a charger srt8 which I drove. Gas mileage is okay but if I wanted better I should get a Toyota Prius!

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  Awesome drive - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Brenda - March 18 - 3:33 am

  Pontiac G-8 GT is my 3rd Ponitac, and by far the best. I had a 96 Grand Prix GT 2-door for 10 years, traded for a 06 Pontiac Solstice and traded for the 09 Pontiac G8. It is the best car Ive ever had, has everything you can possibly think of, design and interior is awsome at night. The best part is the performance, all I can say is wow.

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  this thang is awesome - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By hall - March 17 - 6:40 am

  i have no complaints to this point. the torrent drives rides and is super comfortable

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  Happy New Aztek Owner - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By mbrother - March 16 - 2:00 am

  I love my Aztek. Interior is great (10-speaker XM radio w/ controls on the steering wheel, cooler, dual environment controls). I like the looks. Camping package is unique. Some complain about poor rear visibility, but the rear window goes so low it is good. Bottom rear window is vertical & doesnt need a wiper. Mileage is fair, but driver information center supports better driving habits. HP is OK, with cruise control @75mph I went up a pass. My Rally edition rides better than a non-Rally I tested. Ive had this vehicle a month, so reliability issues are unclear (only problem so far is a flaky compass).

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  A quick fix for the Headlights... - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Knowitall - March 16 - 2:00 am

  A fix for the headlights is to aim them up a bit. Its not that they are not bright enough, all cars are the same, its that they shine too close to the front of the car. Adjust them up just six inches against a wall. To do this: 1. Open the hood and locate the headlight adjustment screw (maybe look in manual or ask a mechanic). 2. At night, adjust this screw so the headlight shines approximently 6" higher. DO NOT adjust it up so high that it shines into the backseat of cars in front of you, thats too high and annoying to others (extremely!). I know this will work. I dont know why GM has taken to adjusting them too low (same on my 97 Z28).