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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  Best cheap speed around - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Curt - May 9 - 5:43 am

  Best bang for your buck. It is truly the fastest thing out there for the price you pay. I love the way it looks and the performance. My car has blue/green chameleon paint and it is something to see. Not many other cars under 50K can outperform my Trans Am. Corvette comes to mind, but I cant think of any others. Will kick the crap out of mustangs any day of the week and you can take that to the bank. On the flip side, the fuel economy is poor. I get about 16 mpg on premium gas. The back seats do not offer much room at all. In the end, I you are looking for a cruiser and a way not to break the bank then the Trans Am is the car for you. The pros definitely out-weigh the cons.

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  Life with a Goat... - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Steve - May 6 - 8:03 pm

  Got my GTO (6-spd) in June 2005 and enjoy it. Its a comfortable hiway car with a decent ride and maybe the best bucket seats Ive found in an American car. Hiway gas mileage is pretty good (25 mpg for me) for a big coupe with a 6.0L V8. In town, its a hog (12-14 mpg for me), and the ride is more brittle on rough pavement or in City driving. Acceleration is phenomenal, and braking is good for such a heavy car. Handling is acceptable given that this is a 3,800 pd coupe, not a tossabout roadster. Mechanically, the "weakest link" is an awful shifter for the 6- spd, gated way too wide and with a rubbery feel. Conclusion: Go fast in comfort, dont worry too much about gas mileage, & have fun!

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  good - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By cashmoney57 - May 4 - 10:00 am

  good car, faster then most other cars in class.. way faster then civics

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  Last Model Sunfire Out with a Bang - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Jonny - May 2 - 9:50 pm

  The 2004 Pontiac Sunfire was definitely one for the books. With lots of economical problems with the cars history (the older 1990s models and early 2000 models) I expected some high maintenance work. However, I was disappointed at that end. The cars economical ability is standard. Change bulbs when burnt out, fill gas, change oil. The performance is also outstanding considering the heavy body style. With a 2.2L Ecotec engine backed by a 4 speed Automatic Transmission (I also drove a 5 speed manual) you will get the power you need to steer through tight corners while still being able to utilize the agility of the power-to-weight ratio. All in all, a fun car to drive.

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  Pontiac GTO - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Matt Jackson - April 29 - 3:36 am

  The gto drives unbelieveably smooth and firm for as much horsepower it has and for being a sportscar. It drives similar to my mothers cadillac sts 06. The response is awesome, and i like how they made it a 2-door not like the dodge charger which is a 4- door and i dont like it.

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  Not bad Pontiac, not bad - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By lovedapontiac - April 28 - 3:26 am

  Looked at numerous midsizers including the Camry and Accord. While this is much better than the Camry, I think the Accord overall is a much better value. It had higher interior quality and materials, smaller panel gaps inside and out, a faster engine, better fuel economy, and more luxury amenities. However, I chose the G6 because of the low price. Its got a lot of the basic features the Accord has since the price is a couple thousand cheaper. Plus it has the cool big moonroof that opens up in panels.

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  Just buy one! - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By Pushrod - April 21 - 11:03 pm

  The ls1 is a world class engine that no other manufacturer can match for the money, BAR NONE. It is more reliable, makes more power,& responds better to modifications than any other engine Ive seen. There is no better bang for the buck, PERIOD. END OF STORY. There are better cars out there, Sure, but Im not gonna pay TWICE the money or more for the same performance this car offers. Its had a couple headlight motors go out, two headlight bulbs, and a couple window motors fail. Its not a 100k dollar car though, so I cant complain.

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  The odds and ends just the ends - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By bob - April 21 - 10:00 am

  fuel pumps go bad, and my chain snapped at 120,000 but other than that lol, my advice change fuel filter every 30k and change your timing at 100k

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  MY G6 GT - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Mauel - April 19 - 6:00 pm

  Bought it as a demo vehicle. Great deal for a demo. Great value for the toys included.

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  My Favorite Car! - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By calmann - April 18 - 10:20 am

  Tough car! I have always taken care of it and it has done the same for me! Bought it with 57k on it and it now has 135k. For the money, the best car Ive owned! Ive spent 400 bucks on it besides reg maintenance. Been back and forth between coasts and would still trust it to go right now! Windows are slow, has a water leak in the interior. Has never been in a garage since I have owned it. I still beatrun it to work and dont ever have a problem! I would buy another in a minute. I have had people ask me to sell it more than a few times!IE. A note on my window after being in a store! Not selling! Gonna keep her till she drops!