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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  The new Vette - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Dacius - December 22 - 8:46 pm

  This car is simply amazing. 400 hp and for 30k. There simply is not a vehicle that can come as close. My salesmen said that the car is made in Australia and I am starting to wish I lived in the land down under. The car purrs at idle and growls as you go through the gears. The interior is something you would never expect from a Domestic car. Absolutely perfect car.

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  A great 2 seater roadster! - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By MY SOLSTICE - December 21 - 9:53 pm

  I just got the solstice, and i just love it!! It is good on gas, and very comfortable driving, even though it is a small car. Grabs turns smoothly, and drives very smooth for a small roadster!

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  Not so bad, but could be better - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By MaxwellSE - December 21 - 3:33 pm

  Owned the Sunfire for two years, really good gas mileage and engine power for the price. The interior has a nice layout but some components were cheap. I have had a few problems including the brake rotors wearing out every six months and the wiring has a short, which causes the CD player to reset and the enigine has trouble starting sometimes.

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  Pretty Nice Car - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By adamb - December 21 - 6:03 am

  This is overall a great car. I get tons of looks while driving this car up and down the streets of my city. I think that these seats are really comfortable, almost on the level of my mas lexus. This car corners like a dream. Taking 25mph corners at 60 is fun and a breeze. (yeah im only 20 so this is something i do on occasion:)) The engine is great. Beat a newer mustang off the line last week, im sure he was happy about that. I think that the build quality could be better. lots of rattles. Also, have had it in the shop all last week for a problem with it not running right sometimes in the morning. Im not sure what this is, but they said the computer was out of date in it.

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  Comfortable Transportation - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Joem - December 21 - 2:00 am

  All in all this vehicle is everything I thought it would be. I wanted a comfortable ride for back and forth to work with good gas milage. The Vibe has excelent acceleration with 1 or 2 people. It does get a bit slugish with more people or a lot of gear on hills but still very acceptable. For a small car it is quite roomy with lots of headroom. My "6 foot plus" children fit well. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Sunfire 2003!!! - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Sunfire Goddess - December 21 - 2:00 am

  I love my car. The Sunfire is the coolest looking car on the market today. I love the radio, the seats, the performance. I feel safer in this car than I did in my Dodge Neon (1998 model). I wish that people would not give this car such a hard time. It is a great car for a great price. The only thing that I may not be happy with about this car is that it is hard to open the drivers visor without messing up the rearview mirror.

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  CHRISTINE - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By cooper3517 - December 21 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle seems to have a mind of its own. The radio changes channels by itself. The vehicle shuts off when sitting at a light. The hatch will not open with the remote unless you pull up on the hatch with your hands. Not enough leg room in the back seat.

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  Pontiacs best buy! - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By roger - December 21 - 2:00 am

  I love my Aztec. I have two grandbabies now and we gave up our Jeep Wrangler for a bigger vechical. My Aztec rides and drives great. I have plenty of power for the highway and it is perfect for around town shopping. What a deal I got on it. I hope my salesman doesnt get fired. This car is white with the body side molding the same color instead of last years model of contrasting with black. It also has 16" alloy wheels that make it really stand out. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I think people are judging the Aztec on past models and really need to drive one of these to see what they are missing. I truly have a classic in the making.

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  2004 AWD Vibe in Colorado - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Carl Almgren - December 21 - 2:00 am

  Wonderful car. Good design - seats 5 adults when needed. Best car that we own for driving in winter waether. Can accelerate UP an icy hill. 30 MPG on a ski trip, fully loaded. Very easy to drive - almost as easy as riding a bicycle. This ones a keeper

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  Vibe GT Auto/trans - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By KingRumble - December 21 - 2:00 am

  Very nice little car. fun to drive, not that great in snow. get a little tail happy in snow turns.Looks very diffrent with the front and rear spoilers. add something to the car above the normal Vibe.