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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  Azteks are Complicated - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By Laura - August 9 - 8:46 am

  I love the design because its so unique and there arent very many in my city. I use to drive a small compact car prior to buying the Aztek, so I wanted something larger but not to large. The Aztek was the perfect size and had the amount of room I was looking for. Its so easy to get in and out of it and can stuff so many things in it. Last year, I had to take my Aztek back to dealership because my gauges were not reading correctly. I would fuel up and the gauge indicated that I was on empty. My speedometer would indicate I was driving at 120 miles per hour when I was actually driving at 30mph. Luckily I had the gold insurance plan and got everything fixed for $50 (deductible).

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  Could not believe the room - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bobbydrums67 - August 9 - 4:46 am

  Did not think I would own one till I drove one. I am a old 67 yrs old drummer. I have a 7 piece drum kit. They are fit on this Vibe. I am still amazed, I am 6ft 4in tall and i have plenty of head room, leg room, etc. Truly amazed. Wife is a rural mail carrier. With 4 bolts taken out the center console can be removed and if she needs a back up vehicle this little but big Vibe will do well. 37 MPG, great ride. We own 2 Hondas also, A CRV and an Odyssey. Would buy another Vibe in a heart beat. Same as the Toyota Matrix. Wifes sister owns a Matrix. Thats what got me started looking into this vehicle. She lives in New Orleans, she visited us this year. She got 35 MPG easy on her trip to Indiana.

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  Pontiac Aztek GMs Hidden Value - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Terry Muns - August 8 - 10:00 am

  We decided to get the Pontiac Aztek. We werent wild over the styling,but one test drive completely changed our minds. We traded in our 2000 v-8 awd Ford Explorer. We feel the awd Aztek is GMs hidden value.As its price was much, much less than other suvs on the market. We dont do off road stuff and love the awd drive option on the Aztek. With the trailer towing package and 17 inch wheels its a awsume find. And a great value for the money. It out performs our Explorer by far and the ride is smooth and dont beat you to death. We get double the gas mileage on the Aztek and thats real easy to get use to. Its versatile, comfortable, and fun to drive.

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  1st new pontiac - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By john - August 7 - 5:33 pm

  Ive only had this car for 6 days, highway was nice with little background noise with auto radio. I get excited every time I drive and love the car its the newest car I’ve ever owned, and more power then I’m used to but I’m trying to conserve. its roomy for everyone. The car does have get up and go, haven’t gone on highway for long distance. I too like cockpit feel and how everything centers around me driving and easy access to info. I would like less plastic and stronger feel buttons I want this car to last and look good the whole time. I also hope they might bring back and improve gas or turn to cng car or hydrogen car for zero emission! and Id get that I got this cause owned two pontia

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  No Help at Dealer - Under Warranty - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By electrified1 - August 7 - 5:23 pm

  The 6 speed manual tranny is a blast to drive. Gear ratios are perfect, especially in stop and go traffic. I can make u-turns going over 25mph. The dealer has tried to fix my leaking sunroof 3 times. They have turned my brake rotors 5 times. the motor mounts make a horrible noise. power steering groans in cold weather. Airbag light just came on. I am out of warranty and now had to fix my sunroof, brakes, engine mount myself. I would call it a piece of junk but if the dealer had fixed it the first time.... it would have been the best car I have ever had.

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  Its good - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By pontiacg6 - August 6 - 3:50 am

  This car is fun to drive. Very responsive and sporty. It does turn heads. I was nervous about a "first edition" purchase, but have no regrets. Pontiac has been reliable in the past, so as a new G6 owner, I think I will just relax and enjoy it.

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  Pontiac Owner Suffers - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By pos - August 5 - 10:13 pm

  The best way to review a car like this is to list the part that have been replaced at 14000 miles blower motor windshield air leek ONLY when its cold out (ice on the inside...took 20miles to melt) NOT Fixed by dealer Sunvisors will not retain position (If you have a 08 g6 take it in for this they stopped making the ones they put in the car because they are so bad ) Brakes and rotors Door made a noise when you stop. they just greased it. ( umm thanks GM ???) Engine ticks (when its cold) they did nothing to fix this. I was told they all do that. Engine idles is not normal ( car shakes when im at a stop light) They all do this i was told. I will list more on my favorite features...

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  I love my car - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By mccannamn59 - August 5 - 8:21 pm

  The pontiac g5 is the perfect car for a teenager whos trying to save some money on gas, and still drive a nice car.

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  Great Roadster with power to spare - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Nate - August 4 - 6:53 pm

  I just want to drive this car all of the time. Sadly, I will store it for the long Michigan winter soon. I have owned quite a few sports cars and this one takes the cake. This is a roadster in the purist form of the word. I do not care if the top takes me 2 minutes to put up or down. I dont care that it has little storage or some of the swithes are a little hard to get to. I understand and appreciate the car for what it is. And quite frankly, I feel Pontiac and GM nailed it with the GXP. I have owned a BMW M-3 and I think the cars manual 5 speed transmissions feel the same. I wonder if the writers for car mags just dont like to admit GM did it better than anyone else. I love this car.

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  Good looking car, but not more than this - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By diolta - August 4 - 10:00 am

  Not a reliable car. You never know what will break down next. Constatntly have to fix something, even though I do not drive it too much. Most of the problems happen when it is too cold or too hot. Interior plastic is cheap. Headlight glass on each side just falls down by itself (probably it is a bad glue that GM uses) Dealership sells the lamp and the glass as one piece and charges around $120. I know several people who had the same problem with this car, but GM does not have a recall on them.