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:

• 

  Great Performance Buy - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Buckeye 350 - November 15 - 9:23 am

  I replaced my 2005 Grand Prix GXP with the G8 GT. Much better room inside, performance and even gas mileage. The G8 is an incredible buy. All I would change is 1) add XM radio option 2) get rid of the Atari instrumentation in the center of the dash and replace with the Grand Prix driver info center and 3) get rid of the annoying passenger seat belt warn lights on the rear view mirror. Otherwise, great performance, great seats, great rear legroom, great trunk and mighty fine looking overall. Nice work Pontiac!

• 

  Best car in the nation - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By lady t - November 14 - 7:33 am

  Gas mileage is unbelievable. 11 gallon tank. The car is very roomy can carry a small sized couch.

• 

  Love my Torrent GXP - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By JRagan - November 13 - 12:10 am

  I bought my 08 Torrent GXP about a month ago. It is Carbon Black. Mine came fully loaded with DVD entertainment system which included a pair of Panasonic wireless headphones. It also has OnStar and XM raidio. The sound system sounds great and movies really rock coming out of the cars speakers. The wireless headphones sound great and are much much better than I thought they would be. I really like how the 60/40 rear seat can slide almost 8 in. I must say the GXPs 264 hp engine really delivers.It gives you plenty of get up and go and lots of power to tow. I drove mine through the Rocky Mtns towing over 3000 lbs and had no problem on the very steep grades. This is my first SUV and I love it.

• 

  Excellent Machine - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Mongoose - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 2000 Grand Prix SE from a private group and enjoy it very much. It has more than enough power coming from the 3.1 Litre 3100 V6 engine. The engine has a great power improvment from the old 3.1 V6 engine Chevrolet had produced. My previous car, a 1995 Monte Carlo LS, had this engine and it hadnt nearly the amount of the power the new 3.1 V6 engine. The engine is in the 2000 and newer GM cars. The suspension and steering in this car is also unbelievable. The steering is very tight and enjoyable.

• 

  Nice Overall Car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Johnnyboy - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I love my 97, im running dynomax and intake kickin up on 8 cyl cars

• 

  G6 GT much fun to drive! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By beerdude - November 11 - 11:50 am

  Excellent handling. Very peppy engine regardless of what the others say of the lack of 240hp. 200hp is plenty for 99% of the population. The panoramic roof is way too cool and actually works quite well. Tall folks may hit their head in the back. The monsoon sound system is pretty decent for factory rig. Absolutely love the exterior styling and wheels. Love the car so far ... after having an Accord and Mazda 6 and Mazda 626.

• 

  Still love this car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By chris - November 11 - 1:16 am

  Have owned this car for 6 years now. Its still a great ride. Have had some minor issues. Fan switch for A/C & heat broke. Had to install new resistor $200. Windshield fluid motor burned out. Another $200. Brakes were garbage at 35k. Besides that, just the basics. Its a great car. Need to get an SUV for my family. I own 3 cars, but this is the last 1 Id trade in. It has lots of power, when you need it. Plan on enjoying it for years to come.

• 

  Damn nice car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By nikivee - November 10 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the nicest news cars Ive bought it years. The fit and finish is like nothing GM has sold here in the past. BMW like quality abounds. Plenty of power to boot.

• 

  The review - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By tom_ - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Why have we not imported australian cars before. They rock. Nothing compares to there cars, especially not the cars produced in America.

• 

  wow - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By S shields - November 7 - 8:13 pm

  I love the car, the only thing is I am tall and wish it has telescoping wheel. (feels like I am reaching for it)