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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  So Many Things to Like-so many problems - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By MDuff - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I really like this van, however; Ive had so many problems with it. Fortunately I bought an extended warranty, which still has me ahead on cost compared to Chrysler. However, the constant trips to the dealer was a pain. Some of the repeat repairs may have been due to the dealers ability. Problems include: (3)new wiper assemblies, (2)new torque converters, new transmission, air leakage around windows, sliding door alignment, instrument panel lights & switches at $125 each, Traction Control Circuit problems, ABS Brake problems, new ventilation blower motor, & fuel level sensor level sensor.

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  my car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By monica - November 14 - 2:50 pm

  i loved to drive the car. its beautiful and realistic to my family. its black too

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  new toy - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Robgotone - November 13 - 1:36 pm

  Wow, what a blast to drive. This car gave me a midlife crisis at 33! Its quick and handles great. Im sure the fit and finish is less than the Benz i traded but the benz will see nothing but tail lights! Who said you have to grow up? Bring on the young punks in their tuners! IM waiting!!!!

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  My Sunfire - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Kyla - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I have a 1996 Pontiac Sunfire and i like it alot. But now I want a good used Sunfire GT. they have alot more jam than just a regular one. I would also like it to be a standard with a sunroof and fully loaded.

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  160,000 and Counting! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By herbitsky - November 8 - 3:52 am

  I bought my Vibe as a mgr special. It had 3k miles on it. The car is great (I did research on Edmunds.com before finalizing my decision) and so versatile! One time we had to drive over 1200 late at night to go "rescue" my mom and dad, and since I had just worked all day- my husband put a blow up mattress in the back and I slept the whole way! The only problems I have had with it is the interior lighting system inside is not totally working correctly. The drivers seat is not the most comfortable for going long distances (Ive gone some long distances in this car!), but overall...its been a great car for me!

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  My First Pontiac - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By T SInclair - November 6 - 5:50 pm

  Love the looks of this car and the handling is great. Drove through a high power car wash and my sunroof leaked. Called dealership, they looked at it said nothing wrong, but was not designed to be driven through car wash. Called GM and got to take to another dealership only to be told the same thing. Called GM back furious, they sent me a free oil change. (Like that solved my problem) My sister has a 2007 Charger with sunroof and drives through same car wash with no problems. Too bad GM cant make a car as good as a Dodge. I wont be buying another, and wouldnt recommend to anyone. Too bad, they sure are nice looking.

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  Great room, BAD WIPERS - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By mashbs - November 5 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Montana for 3 years now, and each winter I have to take it in to get the wipers fixed. The wipers tend to freeze and then stick down in the compartment, then wiper motor gets blown when you turn on the wipers.

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  I am absolutley happy - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Aime Nitsch - November 4 - 8:23 pm

  I love my Vibe. Lots of Pros....love the seats. Comfort! The arm rest is way to low though. I get no use out of it and I am only 55". The moons and tunes package is a must. Makes it more sporty. I absolutley HATE the beeping that goes on for 2 minutes when I put the car into drive without having my seatbelt on. I understand the safety of it though. And make sure you get a mat for the back end. The "durable" plastic gets scratched very easy. I love everything else about it. The vents cool design. All the seats fold down. The current temp. I also wish that Audio controls were offered on the steering wheel. But its a GREAT bye!

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  My first year - 2009 Pontiac Solstice
  By auto teacher - November 1 - 4:56 pm

  I am 59",165 lbs. male and find the car very comfortable. I have had no failures with the vehicle. I added an aftermarket wood, dash kit and shifter on my automatic trans. The power,window switches are just wrong and the top is a little difficult, but compared to my old MGs not that bad. I know some complain about the trunk, but it works for me. I love the car. I find some of the buff book reviews to be strangely biased towards the Miata, but my GXP is far ahead of that car. Too bad GM was mismanaged into eliminating the Kappa platform, but I got one and plan to keep it around for a while.

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  KIMS NEW TOY - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By KBARNO - October 31 - 10:00 am

  WE JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ABOUT TEN DAYS AGO. SO FAR WE LIKE IT. THE ONLY THING I DONT LIKE IS THE TRUNK, IT HAD NO CARPETING , SO EVERYTHING SLIDES AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE. WE QUICKLY REMEMDIED THAT BY PUTTIN CARPETING IN THE BACK. ITS A GOOD IDEA FOR PEOPLE WHO HAUL STUFF, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD COME WITH THE CARPET. BUT, BE REMOVABLE. THE ONLY OTHER THING, IS THAT I SUGGEST YOU DONT TAKE IT TO A CAR WASH WITH THE BLOW DRYERS. IT BLEW THE TRIM PIECE TO MY ROOF RACK RIGHT OFF THE CAR. OTHER THAN THAT i THINK ITS A GREAT CAR.