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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  Owned with a smile for 8 out of 9 yrs - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By stillaways2go - July 15 - 12:16 pm

  I bought this car used with 9,900 miles on it. It was a Fleet rental before I got it. I liked how this car handled and it did me good until about 85,000 miles when all of the standard things tend to go wrong with lower end cars. I needed to fix the struts and the rotors kept warping no matter how many times they were replaced. But like I said, my car was paid for by the time that started happening. For me it was well worth the investment. I like how the car handled- nice tight steering. It may not have been the moost comfortable ride, but it was a trooper for a good 8 years before it started going downhill. My son totaled my Sunfire 9 months ago and I was sad to see it go after so many year

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  MID LIFE CRISIS. - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By CARHAULER - July 15 - 8:43 am

  I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 6 WEEKS. I LOVE THIS CAR. I HAUL NEW CARS FOR A LIVING, AND WHEN I HAULED ONE OF THESE. I NEW I HAD TO HAVE ONE.A SILVER 6 SPEED BLUR ON THE ROAD. THIS CAR WAS JUST WHAT I NEEDED TO REVIVE MY YOUTH AGAIN. MY WIFE EVEN LOVES IT. SHE DID NOT LIKE MY VETTE. ITS LIKE VIAGRA FOR THE STREET. ANYONE LOOKING FOR A REAL RUSH SHOULD CONSIDER THIS CAR. ANYONE I LET DRIVE IT, CANNOT BELIEVE THE POWER. IT HAS THE BEST HORSE POWER TO DOLLAR RATIO YOU CAN GET.AS FAR AS THE STEREO IS CONCERNED, I WOULD RATHER HEAR THE MOTOR PLAY!!!

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  A Great Little Car - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By mekcamp - July 14 - 12:30 pm

  I am 68" and my job requires a lot of driving. Although I love my Chevy Silverado, I knew that I was going to need an fuel efficient vehicle or go broke trying to keep the truck filled up. I did a lot of research and of all the cars that fit this category, I found the Vibe a very good buy. Ive owned my 2006 for over a year now and have no complaints at all. As mentioned above, I am 68" and still have as much head room in the Vibe as I do in my pick-up. The only reservation that I do have is the placement of the Automatic Transmission console which restricts my right leg a bit. Overall, this is a very nice car and I will probably purchase another if the need arises.

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  Best Bang for the Buck Convertible Ever! - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By ConvertibleSunfireJO - July 14 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Pontiac Sunfire Convertible (the first was a 1996)and I love it! Its definately the most fun you can have for $10,000. Its peppy response is surprising at traffic lights, and it is not noisy at highway speeds well over 70 mph. I get approximately 40 mpg doing 50 mph on the interstate for four hours.

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  Great Vehicle - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Guitar Mickey - July 13 - 2:00 am

  !!!!!!!!!!!

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  Some of your judgement is bogus - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By jim - July 12 - 12:00 pm

  Like the 50s great English cars. As a average driver it is an excellent car in 90 % of my usage. I dont need cornering or any sort of road feed back, I do that with my eyes and feel. I love this machine. I have 7180 miles and still having fun.

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  Hands Down -- Best Car Ive Ever Owned! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Happy GTO Owner - July 10 - 11:06 am

  This car is awesome! Bought in Nov 2004, it just gets better all the time. It looks like a grownups car, drives (and sounds) like a teenagers car. Interior is roomy and extremely comfortable -- 2 day road trip with 4 adults was great (mildly annoying getting in and out of back seat). Best road trip car Ive ever had -- ride is smooth and all the power you need. Took it through the mountains in Colorado and never felt so safe -- barely touched the brakes going down -- mostly downshifted. Getting on the highway is like taking off in a lear jet. Drive it once and youre hooked!

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  Exactly what I was looking for - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By annrad - July 8 - 4:53 am

  I replaced my small pickup truck with the used Vibe as I wanted a front wheel drive vehicle with flexible cargo area. My work requires I get around in all weather, and I frequently carry pets, camping gear and stuff. We just had a rare snow storm here in AR, and this car got me everywhere I needed to go, it is great! I have the standard transmission, and am getting 31-32 mpg in town, better than I expected. The car came with the moon and tunes option, which is great fun. My only problem initially was that the plasic storage area to the left of the steering wheel kept falling open. I finally managed to remove and replace it, now its staying closed. This car is every thing I wanted.

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  Initial impressions - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mikesan - July 7 - 9:46 am

  Just brought it home. At 6 tall and 184 lbs its a bit tight in the driver seat, but there is plenty of headroom with the top up. Engine is a bit buzzy and the shifter vibrates when in gear but shifts smoothly. Drove it conservatively for the 250 mile trip home and got 29 mpg! Handles like a go kart. Stopped for gas and two women came up and talked to me about the car. The first insisted that it was a Porsche. Talk about a chick magnet!!

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  Awesome family van! - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By Alaska Family - July 6 - 10:03 am

  My husband and I bought this van when I was pregnant with our third boy, anticipating the need for enough space for 3 car seats. We were looking for a used vehicle that would seat our family and visiting grandparents (at least 7 seats), with AWD (we live in North Pole, Alaska), and preferably something that would allow us to place all three car seats in the same row (our kids are almost 4, almost 2, and newborn). We found what we were looking for with this van! It is the only one I found used in our town with AWD that seats 8. The space is wonderful! We can fit all three large car seats in the middle row for easy access to buckle the boys in.