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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  Good car - Good value - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By RCH - July 14 - 2:06 pm

  Our 05 Vibe is a nice little car. Gas mileage, so far, has been good (about 30 mpg in town). No mechancial or body problems after 3500 miles. The interior is nice and seats are comfortable, but many of the interior surfaces are hard and cheap feeling. The hard arm rests are not too comfortable. Ride and handling is good in the city and on the highway/expressway. Overall, it is a good car for the money spent.

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  25 MPG - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By greid - July 12 - 7:00 pm

  rides great; good road car; low noise; great gas mileage; over all average of 24.9 for 53,000 miles. brakes still going.

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  Bonneville, good quality, fair price - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By mdjinic - July 6 - 9:33 am

  Had trouble with the steering wheel initially. Strong vibrations in the wheel. This was corrected under warranty, and has been fine since. Engine has given me no problems. Highway mileage consistently 28-30mpg. Seat is kind of hard, and feels like it leans toward center of car, but not the most uncomfortable car I have been in.

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  Good car, but little things go bad - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tpasa - July 6 - 12:13 am

  This is a stylish car with good pick up and decent room inside and in the trunk. My only gripe with the car is the power window motors have gone bad on two different windows four times total, the time display in the radio went bad, and the sunroof cover broke. If not for little things like this going bad, the car has been great. Good pickup and about 18-20 MPG for the most part. No problems with the engine or transmission after 74K miles...

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  97 Grand prix coupe - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pontiacdude97 - July 5 - 12:55 am

  Needless to say, I absolutely Love this car! I enjoy destroying others on the street and absolutely confident on back country roads, does not shy from bends, twists or any kind of roads, even goes nicely down dirt or gravel roads.

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  Great car but... - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Grotonems5 - July 3 - 10:53 am

  Great overall car, I dont like cars but this is a nice mid-priced car, sporty, handles nice, but I have had MAJOR problems every time I take it to the shop and have anything to do with the brakes or hubs. New front rotors at 15000 miles, the g5 rotors didnt fit.. had to get g6 rotors, then a wheel bearing went in the back, have to get a whole new hub assembly, again g5 part didnt fit, had to get g6 part and now my abs and traction control dont work... also had to have some bushings in the front replaced 3 times!!! and my rear defroster never works. and they fixed it twice.

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  2004 Pontiac Vibe Fwd 4 door wagon - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By MaryLynn Callahan - July 1 - 4:00 pm

  I love this car. I love the look, the size, the amount of room inside and the color (Fusion Orange). Also love the gas mileage.

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  Pontiacs Best Kept Secret - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By dkrblaze - July 1 - 10:00 am

  Ive been looking for new wheels for quite a while now, and came across the Vibe. After test driving the GT model, with the 6-speed manual trans, I was sold! This thing is a rocket! Same car as the Toyota Matrix, but with an American nametag. Smart looking vehicle, with a TON of room on the inside. Seats 4 adults really comfortably, and rear seats fold down to create a lot of room for moving just about anything! For the money this is a wonder car. Way to go Pontiac!

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  the booger mobile - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By boogers owner - June 28 - 6:20 am

  i love this car. i have looked at different SUVs like the element or the mazda 3 hatchback but cannot find the fun stuff on my car like the tailgate party feature with the stereo controls in the back and the seat on the tailgate wit the cup holders. it is the most unique automobile that i have ever driven. my dad has an aztek with over 100K miles on it. im heading up to 75K with only a few problems that i have learned happen in other GM cars like the intake manifold gasket replacement. i also had to replace the condenser which i understand happens to quite a few other aztek owners. all in all this is an aweaome SUV to drive and it gets plenty of looks! i love all the space inside!!!

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  brand new less than 1500 mile - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By patsy - June 27 - 7:43 pm

  bought on zero interest promotion. broke in on trip to the UP of MI. about a 1,000 mile trip coming and going. rode well--had trouble keeping at speed limit, unless used cruise, as it rode so smoothly. good on gas--about 31 or 32 mpg. dont think it will ever see that magical 34 mpg. city driving is easy. have not got a fillup since back but mileage seems is good.