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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  Couldnt be happier! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Joe S. - January 31 - 11:10 am

  First car I bought out of college. Has everything I wanted in a car and its so much more car for the money compared to comparable cars. Roomy (Im 64"), really quick but great gas mileage (last car was an SUV), handles really well, great features but not gadgety, very driver oriented, and great styling. I would recommend this car to anyone in a second. No joke, my calendar was booked for 2 weeks with people from work who wanted me to take them out to lunch so they could check out the car. They all loved it too.

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  186k and still strong - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Sid - January 31 - 10:26 am

  Bought this car at 186k miles and the car still runs perfect, so far. Seems very reliable, pretty good on gas and fast. Overall not bad at all.

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  05 GTO - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By farmerboy0707 - January 30 - 3:50 am

  Awesome vehicle. I normally lean towards trucks but this is one nice car to drive. has the HP and torque you need whenever. Fuel economy is good also.

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  Still running like new - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By MadWoman - January 29 - 4:53 pm

  Bought brand new in 2003, and am aiming for 100,000 miles. Car is at 70,000 now, and only issue so far is the engine would get hot, but never overheat (cheap intake gasket in this car - needed replaced). Ive always had maintenance done on time, cleaned it often, and simply took greater care of it than others found reasonable. It still keeps up with my lead foot, is still running and looking like new after three fairly serious accidents, drove smoothly between California and Massachusetts four times, and its fun-to-drive rating becomes "10" with the right custom suspension and engine upgrades. The electrical, engine, and mechanics, overall, have yet to fail me.

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  great car if you take care of it - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By rusty chang - January 29 - 4:26 pm

  Im admittedly easy on cars when I drive, thus why I still have 265K miles on my original 1977 FB. The 1995 FB Formula is much better built and more reliable. Driving the speed limits I also receive about 3 MPG better than the sticker EPA ratings for those years. All my friends whove owned expensive foreign cars, supposedly so reliable, no longer have them, theyve all broken down...so the bottom line is even these FBs will outlast the rest if proper maintenance and care is given. Spend the money when you need to for upkeep and enjoy the results. Youll beat all the odds from Consumer Reports who in 1978 called my 1977 a Lemon year car to avoid. Same goes for the 95 Formula

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  Vibe Owner - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Norm - January 29 - 6:03 am

  Very flexible design. Nice handling, reasonable ride for a small car. The engine is unusually noisy under acceleration. It could use a little more power, but the MPG is quite good. I found the seats a little too low, especially in the front. Some window tinting would be welcome. Side winds will move it around a bit more than I am used to. Overall, a fun car to drive.

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  Reliable as heck - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By njrp2000 - January 28 - 10:00 am

  Outdated or "ancient" as the GM Cavalier/Sunfire models may be they are still reliable. I got the first Sunfire off of the delivery truck back in 1996 here in Orlando and I still own that car. 190,000 miles later I have never had a transmission slip and asides from the traditional A.C. problems. I have never had more than minor service work done on the vehicle. Recently passed on my old sunfire to a friend and bought the 2003 and at 36,000 miles (after only 1 year) the car is an absolute beast when it comes to performance. And I say that in a good way. Outdated? Hah! This car must be like a fine wine then. The older it seems the better it gets.

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  fun car to drive - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By apple - January 28 - 10:00 am

  I love to drive this car. It hugs corners and is super comfort on the inside. I have two kids so the child safety locks are a big plus. Has alot of extras that the grand prix doesnt. So do a comparison and see for yourself!

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  Nothing else like it - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By bryan63 - January 28 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the only cars I could find in the 40k or under price range that offered rear wheel drive and v8 power and will seat 4. The other cars I drove before buying the Gto were (Acura TL V6, cadillac cts v6,Lincoln ls v8,mustang cobra and crysler 300c) the v6s felt week, The Lincoln was price allot higher, The mustang felt fast but is not as nice inside and does not seat 4 adults in confort, the Chryler felt to big and did not handle as well as the GTO.

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  Nice Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By notLA - January 28 - 10:00 am

  The car is great! Acceleration and handling are good. Gas mileage is not as advertised.