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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  G6 Does Well - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Highlander - December 30 - 4:23 am

  I bought my G6 (non-GT) a few months ago now and wanted to express how pleased I am with my purchase. After much shopping and test driving every vehicle of this type (mid size, reasonably priced sedan) this was the first one that I was excited about after the test drive. It is fun to drive, looks good, feels good and the price was competitive. I have had no mechanical issues or other problems.

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  My little suv - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Lori - December 29 - 10:26 pm

  I was looking for a suv type vehicle, and saw a vib on the pontiac dealership lot by accident. I loved the looks of it, and when I found out it was made with Toyota i bought it. I love this little car. It sits upright, plenty of room, and very little wind noise. I recently drove it from Arkansas to Birmingham, Alabama, and got around 34 to 35 mpg runny at 60 to 70 mph. I never had any problems passing by just using common sense. I was very pleased with everything about it. The one thing that I did notice that bothered me at first, was the first time I turned on the AC around town. I noticed the pull of it on the motor, but after I got used to it it was no big deal. Paid $16,400

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  An honest assessment - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By tim - December 29 - 5:40 am

  This car is addictive to drive. I have an Impala and the GTO and it is so much fun to drive the GTO that its hard to put it away when the weathers bad. I was addicted to it from the first test drive. I almost sold it due to the mpg but decided that anything this much fun SHOULD be expensive to drive. After the Pedders suspension, its been like driving a very expensive sports car.

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  The Perfect Sports Car - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By ANDY1171665 - December 29 - 12:30 am

  We all know you can buy a Honda Civic and put $10,000 into it to make it a nice car. Why not just buy one of these Firebirds and have the better looking car, and the performance. Do not be fooled by editors bias towards import cars. This lovely car does twice as much as they can, has more features and looks better. Dont be the butt of everyones "deck out your cheap Honda" jokes, and be the envy, get the Firebird!

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  Perfect car for me - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Scott - December 28 - 11:46 pm

  The G8 GT has everything I was looking for in a car - high end looks, great performance, good price, and a domestic make. Fuel mileage is good relative to the performance, but if the first thing you check out on a car are the EPA ratings - this car is not for you. I get great feedback from others on the car and enjoy driving it. My other new car choices were foreign makes but the domestic G8 delivers on all counts.

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  2009 Vibe - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By john - December 28 - 7:06 pm

  as much fun as my 2006 civic but more practical. I have a 2.4 with 5 spd auto which wasnt a choice on the drop down menu on this website. Just got back from a 5000 km road trip and got about 39 mpg (Canadian) I rated the reliability high but really dont have the mileage to prove that, although the warranty is by Canadian standards very generous.

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  GXP - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SG - December 28 - 5:40 am

  I traded in my 04 Grand Prix GTP to upgrade to a 08 GXP and I must say that what a difference it makes having a V8 engine. It rumbles and has much more power than the GTP. It handles better with the front tires being wider than the rear. Im a Grand Prix fan and always will be.

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  Simply a great car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jazzz - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I didnt think American manufacturers would ever figure out that this is the kind of car consumers want. Looks great, fun to drive, good interior design, and doesnt cost $40k. Much better ride than the Maxima (which costs more) and way ahead of the Audi A4 in every way I can think of. Oh yeah - get the Competition Group option. Best $1300 youll ever spend.

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  Vicious and Delicious - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Bill - December 25 - 11:03 pm

  I love being able to roll up next to someone driving an Acura or Infiniti or BMW 3/5 series and then smoke them off the line. They had no idea. Ive not had one problem with the car. The best experience is driving this car around town and everyone looking at it because you dont see these cars everyday.. And the ride is very comfortable.

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  Great car, good ride - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Robert Cacciotti - December 25 - 9:23 am

  Car is very easy to get in and out. Seats are great, one of the best seats that I have sat in. 3.9 liter motor runs very well. Top works great. Best of all it does not have a dollar sign on the hood i.e. benz, bmw, lexas, Volvo ect. For the money great buy in my book.