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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  Really love it - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By K moore - July 6 - 4:23 pm

  We had one for a company car. I had alot of long trips and noticed how comfortable the ride was and got great gas milage. I went out and bought onr for the family.It has alot of head room and is great for pulling our boat. Great for tailgating as well.

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  Great vehicle - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Jose - July 5 - 2:53 am

  This really puts the ball in the opponents court. This vehicle has been very reliable and has been nothing short of what I need in a family vehicle.

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  Love my sunfire - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By teri - July 5 - 1:33 am

  I have had my Sunfire for 2 years and drive 50 miles ( all highway) to work and 50 miles home 6 days a week, and I love my car. I too dont think these cars got the reviews they deserved. I love the fold down seats in the back... so much more room ! The gas mileage is great ! the only suggestion I would have is the placement of the cup holders but other than thats its a great little car. I have put 40k miles on it in two years and it still runs like a charm !

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  Not all I had hoped. - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By UPS man - July 4 - 2:00 am

  The peppy part and the milage are on the mark but its really just another small car to me. Its noisy and has a constant vibration. There are too many blind spots. I drive a large delivery truck and can manuever it better in traffic. The passenger side seat in narrower than the drivers side and squeezes you. Problems including a CD player skipping and the air conditioning quiting. It has an AC outlet but only the smallest of plugs will fit because of the cover cap. We needed a new key and it took the dealer 25 minutes to program the auto lock system with it.

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  The Anti-SUV - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By P.Crew - July 4 - 2:00 am

  As a family on the go and requiring an economical and functional car, we have hit the nail squarely on the head. The combination of price, breeding (Toyota thru-and-thru), economy, and comfort are staggering in todays market. The car sits just high enough to afford a good view, without being rude to other drivers. While performance is moderate, it is exceptional for the 34 mpg we actually get in combined driving. At 63" I am very comfortable in this wonderful car. The lone gripe is that the angle of the top of the doors gives a somewhat "distorted" feel when looking over your shoulder or using mirrors to change lanes or back up.

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  Good affordable car. - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By kyyankee7 - July 3 - 10:56 am

  We chose this car after driving the Accord and Corolla. This replaced my wifes old Sentra. While this car certainly did not have the bells and whistles that the other cars did, and this was a very basic model besides, there was still quite a bit to like about it. It is comfortable and roomy inside and has all the amenities for the daily commute. Bottom line is that it has been a very good car for thousands less than its competitors.

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  Love My Vibe! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ellen - July 3 - 12:53 am

  I love my VIBE! This car handles great, is fun to drive, is fuel efficient (and clean burning!) and it looks cool. It easily carries our canoe, kayaks, bikes and hauls around our 100lb Black Lab.

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  Great sporty daily driver - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Tom A - July 2 - 8:13 pm

  This has been an exceptional car. I bought it new in 2000 after owning a 1984 V8 Camaro. The performance of the GrandAm GT1 with RamAir was nearly the same as the Camaro, but with much better fuel economy. It has great low-end torque, and accelerates fast. I like to drive hard, and this car handles it nicely, although I upgraded the wheels to aftermarket R1-Racing ZR18s because the stock wheels felt a little flimsy on hard turns. Besides the exterior beauty and sporty performance, I love the interior cabin. The Monsoon sound system is sweet. Passengers routinely comment on the quality of the sound. The dash is nicely laid out and lit in Pontiac red. The leather seats are awesome.

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  A Good Vibe! - 2010 Pontiac Vibe
  By Janda - July 2 - 5:56 pm

  We picked up our new Vibe just in time for a family trip - loaded the boys, the bikes and the bags and put 700 miles on pretty quickly. This is the best purchase Ive ever made - I love it, Im glad i got one in time and wish they were still making them.

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  Ultimate Driving Machine - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By Hockeystud - July 2 - 10:00 am

  The Pontiac Formula/Trans Am is the ultimate driving machine. If you are an enthusiast who loves speed and power this car is for you. When driving down the road, you will get looks from just about anyone because of the sleek design. Mine is the Navy Blue Metallic, so I get comments about it looking like the Batmobile. I havent found anything wrong with it yet. The Bird is definitely the top in its class. p.s. Mustangs & Camaros suck.