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:

• 

  Not Impressed - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Acrista - March 6 - 1:13 am

  Traded in my 08 Pontiac G5 (had tons of probs) for 09 Vibe bc of the wonderful ratings I had read on the 08s...wish I would not have. Has been a dependable car but I havent enjoyed having it since I bought it. Seems to be a step down from my car that I had previously. Road noise is terrible inside of car! Maybe I am just used to my super quite G5 (couldnt even hear it on while inside) but I have to continuously turn up radio as I increase speed so I can hear it. Odometer does not give me read out of how many mpg I am currently getting, how many miles I have until I am out of gas, or what % of oil life I have left. These 2 have been big adjustment for me!

• 

  Hey GT500KR, bring it on! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By fmartin - March 3 - 7:03 pm

  Bought new in 05, 19,000 miles now. Dealership was excellent to work with. Service is by different dealer, also excellent experience. No service issues at all, this car is very dependable. Had cam, headers, torque converter, cold air intake and some other upgrades done. Total investment < $38k. Quicker than cars twice the price. I like the non-retro look, its a Lion in a Lamb suit. I get thumbs up from all other high performance drivers... Vettes, Mustangs, Chargers, BMW M5s, etc. It surprises all of them. The car is a blast to drive on the street or on the track. An awesome package.

• 

  My Pontiac - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Kolt - March 3 - 7:40 am

  I love this car! I never would have bought a Pontiac 10 years ago. The car is designed very well and the seats are very supportive. The ride is soft yet somehow sporty too. I love the throaty sound of the exhaust. Ive had three people in the last year comment on how they like the sound of my car. I often journey on 500 mile road trips and arrive refreshed. Now the back seat does feel like you are looking out from a well, but I prefer the seat right behind the steering wheel. The 28mpg rating is accurate. No hybrids for me when I can have the power and convienence of this engine. Hats off to GM for the first car Ive enjoyed in a long while.

• 

  GT Very Well Balanced-Rocks! - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Frankie - March 2 - 11:33 am

  Bought mine end of year with 15,000 miles on it. Never owned a Grand Prix prior to this. I have owned 4 GTOS. This is the quickest six out there. The Eaton Generation 5 Supercharger Rocks! With the heated seats, remote start, excellent stereo sound and stitched leather interior you cannot go wrong! Since the improvement in GM cars from 2000 going forward, I cannot see why the foreign market is so popular? I have driven the Hondas,Mazdas, etc and find you end up paying a lot more for what? Pontiac has a quality and exciting car here -a real sleeper. If you need too pass or merge on the interstate this car Rocks! Beats any six out there and a lot of the V8s. Excellent all around vehicle

• 

  My Wife LOVES her Aztek - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By katycajun - March 2 - 2:00 am

  The Aztek, although considered ugly, has all the values my wife loves. It has the minimal equipment, PW, PL, CD, PS, PB, Auto, RWD, with none of the "un- needed" extras. She likes the versatility, fuel economy and handling, and the fact she sits higher up. We got it on sale for $16,900 at a promo on memorial day and got the luggage rack, and cruise control for free. I find it rides confortable, is one of the quietest vehicles I have rode in, and it handles great! Rear visibility is a little problem, but the price to quality ratio is excellent!

• 

  Fun to Drive - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Stephen Pearce - March 2 - 2:00 am

  I just bought my Aztek two wek ago and I love it. It is fun to drive and great on gas. This car drives like a dream.

• 

  2 2007 g6 1 4 door 1 2 door convertible - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By chunk - March 1 - 9:00 am

  First car we bought brand new. It now has 41,000 on it and knock on wood not one problem. It has the pano roof which now needs minor adjustment for wind noise no water leaks. We like this car so much we went out and got the same year convertible we like this car as much. I will suggest getting ice and snow tires for the winter.

• 

  A "Gotta Have" Vehicle - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Ron Meier - February 28 - 11:03 pm

  This has been an outstanding vehicle since day 1. Everything from the styling to the performance has been A-1. I highly recommend this vehicle.

• 

  2002 Pontiac Grand Am SE - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Joe - February 28 - 8:36 pm

  Just rolled over 100,000 miles and have only had to replace a window motor and fan switch. The front in rattles when going over rough pavement, but cant really complain about the car.

• 

  05 Grand Prix - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SDouglas - February 27 - 12:50 am

  I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality and comfort of my Grand Prix; havent had to take it back to the dealership for anything except routine maintenance which is pleasant surprise after dealing with numerous recalls & problems with my last 4 (new) vehicles. Also, I drive a lot of miles & still enjoy driving the Grand Prix after a year. LOVE the color - Fusion Orange Metallic, enough gray already!!