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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  Ooooooogly!!!! - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Big Deek - September 27 - 10:00 am

  This car is immensely hideous! I dont know how my wife got conned into buying this piece. The fuel pump is loud, the AC is annoyingly LOUDER and the reliability is in a league of its own: awful. This is an expensive mistake!!! Dont waste your money! Typical GM quality, er, junk. Buy a FourRunner. Foreign cars are so much better made and ten times better looking than this!

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  Adapting quite well - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Larry - September 27 - 8:33 am

  Still like this car alot.After 17 months of ownership nothing to complain about.I still feel the price was more than fair,& Purchased An oem 19" rim & tire at dealer cost(maybe)as a spare.Overall mileage has been 19 to 20 mpg mixed driving,on a 150 mile trip yesterday 23.5 mpg. Biggest problem is watching speed limits, I am old & try to obey the law. Overall I have very pleased with the comfort & performance & especially the reliability so far. Motortrend is saying gm is now inclined to bring the g8 back as a high line chevy limited production. Because of new cafe standards.

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  Sporty goodness - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Champion3000 - September 27 - 1:56 am

  For the price I found this car to be a pretty solid purchase. I opted for the 3.9 liter engine with the 6-speed manual, and the premium package. I love the way the car looks and handles, and am also positively impressed with the build quality. I am a little disappointed that the 6 disc in-dash changer is not mp3 compatible, and Im also not a very big fan of the front cup holder location. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and get a smile on my face whenever I drive it.

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  G6 is Great - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Laurie - September 25 - 4:20 am

  I have been driving this car for three months and it handles like a dream - good acceleration, responsive steering and road hugging ride. It is a very quiet, comfortable ride. The panoramic roof is a lot of fun - you feel like you are in a convertible. Plus, just opening the sunshade gives you a bright, cheery interior. I highly recommend this car. It is safe and stylish!!

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  2007 Pontiac Solstice - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Dean in MI - September 24 - 10:16 am

  Ive been a Nissan owner for years but I loved the look and performance offered by the Solstice. I have been very pleased with the cars handling, braking and performance. Im not happy with the lack of change holders, the difficulty of viewing the speedometer and the seat controls. Also its hard to see traffic lights or go through a drive-thru with the top up.

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  Great First Car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By MisterMarq - September 24 - 8:23 am

  This was my first car. In terms of reliability it was flawless. I drove the car into high mileage territory and always used high mileage oil when getting it changed. The first major hiccup started just recently when the on-board computer started triggering the security switch in the middle of driving - causing the engine to stop. But mechanically its always just hummed along.

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  Poor mans sports car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Brent Andrus - September 23 - 11:06 pm

  This is a reliable car when it comes to the powertrain (engine, transmission, etc.). It has pretty good horsepower, a sleek look, and the inside has lots of gadgets and gizmos. But all those ancillary electrical components are very cheaply made. My car is nicknamed "Trixie" because it is just full of "tricks". For example the windsheild wipers are stop in the upright position rather than down, the radio volume dial goes up when it is supposed to go down (and vice versa), several warning lights like "check tire pressure" are always on, and two back windows just gradually fall down and have to be pushed back up. Overall, quite reliable but you have to overlook annoying defects.

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  Fun Car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By DJ Drift - September 23 - 10:00 am

  The GT version is fun to drive. The corners, the straight-a-ways, on-ramps, off-ramps(braking), are all fun to do. The only problem I have had, was snow. The engine is an all aluminum engine and doesnt do to hot in the snow. But other than that, the car is quick off the line. Kinda sluggish in the low end torque area, but when you hit 6000rpm all the way to 8k, hold on. Gas mileage is good also. Driving from Virginia to Minnesota, you have to cross through the mountains, which I might add is a blast, I still get great gas mileage. I never want to get stuck someone in the boondocks of West Virginia and in the Vibe I dont have to worry about that.

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  Better than Camry - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By flat pita - September 23 - 4:36 am

  When value is important G6 wins. Very tight ride beats the Camry which was tested on the same day. The driver seat is excellent and has very good lower back support.

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  Poor interior design - dont recommend - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Joan - September 22 - 8:33 pm

  The performance of the Torrent has been wonderful. Was tail-ended, everyone safe, and the cost of repair was very reasonable because the rear bumper is in a couple of different parts. If the whole thing had been one piece, it would have been higher. The interior design is sorely lacking. If the cup holders are in use, the parking brake cannot be. You have to remove drinks from the holders to put on the parking brake as well as use the cigarette lighter for recharing cell phone. When putting on the parking brake by habit and there are drinks in the holders, the drinks spill or the holder is in danger of being broken. P Drives wonderfully. Fun. Even 17 year old son likes to drive it.