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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  2nd time around - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By SlickVick - February 20 - 10:00 am

  I recently traded in my 98 2-dr Sunfire for a 2003 one. WOW: Ive fallen in love all over again. I was little sad as I pulled out of the dealership leaving my green sunfire behind, but I quickly forgot about it when I felt the power behind the 2003 model. It rides great and after having absolutely no problems with my first Sunfire, how could I pass up the latest model? Its a fun car to drive and I look forward to 5 more years of driving excitement!

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  Love it!! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By lildevil - February 20 - 7:43 am

  I’ve had my Torrent for about a month and I absolutely love it. It’s extremely comfortable to drive with more than enough room for my family of 4 (2 teenagers) and a dog. The ride is extremely smooth for an SUV. I test drove many SUVs and none were compared to that of the Torrent (I test drove the Equinox as the Torrent was not yet available). The Equinox and Torrent are identical except for the aesthetics. The interior chrome accents give it a touch of class. It truly looks and drives and IS a vehicle with class!

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  Go ugly early! - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By miwright - February 20 - 2:20 am

  The Aztek was recently chosen as one of the ugliest cars ever built. I concur. It is also the most utilitarian car that was ever built. Parents always teach that its whats inside that counts. I have head room galore, unprecedented comfort, and radio controls at my finger tips. Add a heads-up display (nice for me, a pilot), a zip-in tent, sound system controls at the tailgate, an ice cooler for a console, myriad other creature features, and you have the best little house on wheels! I pity the man that looks only on the external challenges of this fine automobile and misses its inner beauty. My other cars are a Jaguar VDP, a 300ZX and a Lexus... guess which I like the most?

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  AZTEC PERFORMANCE - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By AZTEK - February 19 - 6:00 pm

  Cons are rear view visability which you learn to compensate for. However, the small turning radius, power and agility as well as good gas milage make this a really fun car to drive. Overall visibility is very good, and the cars overall performance is very good. Everyone who drives it, loves it!

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  Great SUV Good Mileage Bad Reliability - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By maroguy - February 19 - 1:03 pm

  I have owned it for 2 years all out of warranty. I only have 80k miles on it. Getting sick of repairing it. Previous owner had rear carrier, more wheel bearings, intake gasket, anti lock brake harnesses, and the dreaded ac condenser all replaced under warranty at least.

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  G5 Wonderful Car - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By Dtothebrown - February 18 - 11:53 pm

  At first i was a little skeptical as anyone purchasing a new vehicle are. I am 64 250 LBS and I find it has more room than most other cars i have driven. The seat has the ability to move back far enough for even me. I was surprised that the actual fuel milage was up near 30 mpg even with someone like me (19 years old) driving it. I love the Intermediate feature even though I really wanted the 5 speed, it is nice to just shift down to that to slow down, very good feature that I have never seen before. The biggest downfall for me, the AC Outlet is placed under the armrest which annoys me.

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  Love my G6! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Jersey G6 Driver - February 18 - 9:00 pm

  Love this car! There isnt anything I dont like about it. Its fun to drive, handles beautifully and its a real head-turner!

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  Amazing! - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Jessica - February 17 - 2:50 am

  I bought this car 3 weeks ago and absolutely feel in love! It is the hottest car on the road. My fiance and I went out to eat and had a crowd of people stop and just want to look at what it was. No one has a clue that Pontiac has made such an outstanding car. THANKS GM!!!

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  A+++ - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Tony - February 16 - 3:53 am

  I have an 04 GTO instead of the 05 and I love it, definitely my favorite car, well worth trading my camaro Z28 for. I wish they would of had the LS2 in the 04.

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  Hot Car! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By 2d- 2.4 liter - February 15 - 10:20 pm

  I love my Solstice. It looks better than my 99 Corvette hardtop. I have done several things to make it different than others. I am thinking about putting a Hahn Turbo and maybe a hardtop also. Mine has just about ever option. I have not had to take it back for anything up to this point. Very good quality and really fun to drive. The most fun car I have ever owned. Buy one youll love it!