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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  Awesome! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By stlembach - August 27 - 9:36 am

  Unbelevably awesome! The fit and finish of this car is so solid, you would think it was built in Germany. The motor pulls very hard on demand. Yet can be mild bopping around town. The engine management system is seamless. A drivers car!

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  great college/college grad car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By midwesterner - August 27 - 12:13 am

  I love this car. I use to drive a hyundai tiburon which looked great but drove awful. After test driving 8 cars I had to have the grand am. It drives so smoothly and sometimes i dont even realize i just went around curves. My gas mileage is 24 mpg (both city and highway miles) while my old car (a 4cyl.) was only getting 27. I also love how the radio stays on after you take the keys out. Before I get out of the car I leave the cd playing my favorite song and eight hours later I turn on my car to find my favorite song. I just got a chance to drive it in the snow and it handled really well. I was worried because i hate antilock brakes in snowy weather.

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  Sad end of an era - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By psuturt;e - August 26 - 2:00 am

  Bought my TA in 9/01. Mine has the famed WS6 package, definately worth the extra cost. Great looks, decent interior (still has GMs plastic-itis), and most importantly,unsurpassed performance. I drove several mustangs, from the V6 putt-putt-mobile to the GTs to the Bullit, all claiming headsnapping acceleration and power. Although impressive, headsnapping is a joke; and the TAs 0-60 time proves it. I have yet to find a high volume production mustang that can catch the TA, more or less keep up with it. Its a shame GM marketing has let this car reach this point. Truly the end of the affordable sportscar/muscle car era. Glad I got mine before theyre gone.

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  Great Car/Fun to Drive - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Rick Zitarosa - August 25 - 11:40 pm

  This car is used for commuting and social functions with family/friends. Great utility, economy and purpose in design, sporty appearance and very "fun" to drive. Many owners of more expensive "crossover" vehicles are shocked at the reasonable price. The Pontiac Vibe is a definite winner and it has been pleasurable to drive and completely trouble-free for the 13,000 miles I have owned it so far. Ideal as a commuter, work or family car, it has something for everyone.

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  Great car - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jimmy - August 25 - 1:53 am

  I really like this car very nice inside and out, very strong motor, it looks so agressive for being stock, im going to do a couple of mods to it and its going to look amazing, very well build car GREAT JOB PONTIAC

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  Excellent Car - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By snookers - August 24 - 8:50 pm

  I purchased my Pontiac G5 in 2007. I would not trade her for the world. Everyone assumes i spent alot more then i did on her. With the extra money i saved purchasing her, i was able to get the windows tinted and she looks sharper then any foreign car out there. She looks and sounds great with the exhaust tip i was also able to purchase with the fuel savings i enjoy. If you want a REAL deal, look into and purchase a G5. You will never be sorry...

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  Affordable & Classie - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Nancy - August 23 - 2:43 am

  It is great for long distance driving as well as in town driving. Very comfortable front and back seating. The SunFire handles very well under all driving weather conditions. Fuel economy is great!

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  What a great car! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By MichiganJack - August 22 - 11:16 pm

  The G8 GTs performance is amazingly close to my Audi RS 6 (450 hp), which cost $85K in 2003. With a tune I suspect the Audis only remaining performance advantage would be traction thanks to AWD. If GM had been turning out products like the G8 GT all along, they wouldnt be begging before Congress.

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  utility can be fun - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By DVRMAS - August 22 - 2:00 am

  For a utility type vehicle when equiped with the 17 inch wheel package you cant believe the cornering ability. My vibe has the standard suspension but the summer only tires,do not even try to use them in the snow. Winter tires with new rims work great in the snow....Wisconsin. Two years and no problems with the Vibe.

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  love this car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By goodvibe - August 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car after owning a 2002 Audi A4 which turned out to be a lemon. I will never buy another VW/Audi product again! Vibes have great looks,(better looking than the Toyota Matrix)performance, fuel economy, versatility and room. This car is smooth and quiet on the freeway and peppy around town. Passing power is good even with the 4spd automatic which my Vibe has. The moon and tunes package is great too, with excellent sound quality from the stereo. With more standard features than the Toyota Matrix, just as good reliability, and coupled with the rebates from GM, Vibes are by far the better choice of the two.