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:

• 

  Caution - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Steve - January 2 - 2:53 pm

  Purchased 4/07. Wheel bearing replaced at 12,000 miles. Now at 20,000 back in the shop for "clunking" in the steering. Car will not stay aligned, constantly fighting the steering wheel (aligned 4 times). On the positive side, looks good, 3.5 engine runs well. I bought the sports package, maybe that is the problem. Will still buy American, probably not GM.

• 

  Great Car thus Far - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By JStroke - January 2 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Pontiac Vibe since December of 2002 and I have about 30K (19000 miles)on it so far. I drive 200k round trip daily plus other road trips. I find the gas mileage very good, the body and fit very tight and overall I rate the vehicle highly satisfactory. I selected the vibe from the lot(it was the only one!) and have been pleased with its performance.

• 

  Nice for an American Car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Nowda - January 2 - 10:00 am

  I admit it is nice for an American car, and it handles very well. The exterior has a very exciting look and the interior definately gives you the sports car feeling. The chrome wheels add that accent in which other than tint your windows, all you have to do when purchasing this car is turn on the ignition and drive...the car will do the rest.

• 

  Gran Prix GTP first months usage - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By gnr - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Upgraded from a 2000 Grand Am GT and so far it has been a good decision. Went in looking for GT2 and decided it was worth the money for GTP - Car is fun to drive very quick with Super charged engine. Handeling is superb with the upgraded tires. Would recommend highly. The true test will be in two years if the car is still as much fun to drive as today.

• 

  This car is hot - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By ELIZABETH STUART - January 2 - 9:36 am

  This vehicle is hot. It looks great and takes corners very well. The 2006 solstice drives very well also.

• 

  This car rocks! Period - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By bobbyWON - January 1 - 11:40 pm

  A lot of these other reviewers who have complaints, dont appreciate the "grown ups" sports car market. We dont want giant wings that look like ironing boards, or exhaust that sounds like it came off the old weedwacker. We want smooth style, power and performance. Its about fluidity, and the new GTO has it nailed. Its fast, yet not rambunctious and noisy like the dodge "hemi" junk, and it rides very nice, it is extremely reliable due to utilizing the time-tested small block chevy. Its just an awesome car anyway you look at it, the price is excellent for what you get too.

• 

  A pleasure to drive..... - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By helsey - December 31 - 10:00 am

  I got this vehicle with the intention of driving across Canada and using the van to sleep in to save on accommodation costs. I love this van. I have driven 24,000 km in 5 months and have found this van very reliable and very economical. If doing highway driving and on cruise control have managed to get 1000 km to a full tank. I found it very spacious and have a double mattress in her. I have enjoyed driving her and found the captains chairs very comfortable even when driving 800 km in a day. I wouldnt hesitate in recommending these vans.

• 

  Excellent - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Gavin Lin - December 30 - 10:10 pm

  Excellent fun to drive sporty car.

• 

  Panoramic Woes - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By elt2jv - December 30 - 8:26 am

  After years of fueling the SUV monster, the wife and I decided to get her a regular sedan. We liked the look of the G6 and we both were taken by the Panoramic Roof feature. Well... the thing rattles. The entire rack assembly inside the headliner never got installed properly and we have been dealing with an annoying poping noise from right above the drivers head. As of this writing the car is at the dealership for the SIXTH time since April 05 to get this corrected. All I can say is thank god we purchased the extended warranty as the rental cars would have bankrupt us. Hopefully the dealer and GM can figure this out as we are ready to lemon law this beast.

• 

  4 Door Vette - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Dave - December 29 - 5:10 am

  This car is big, heavy, fast, but stops and handles well. It has good sight lines. The interior has annoying features like the oil battery gauge and air bag light on mirror. No satellite radio was available. It is a joy to drive, easy to park, and smoooth! Remote start and climate control are a big plus. The drivers wiper was annoying. I used a shorter blade to solve the tapping issue. A lot of car for 30 grand! It really gets 18mpg daily and I am not cautious.