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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  Good car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bruce B. - August 16 - 2:30 am

  The Pontiac Vibe /Toyota is a very reliable and economical vehicle. Its a great substitute for a small SUV. Amazingly I average 38 mpg on mostly rural driving and 40.3 mpg on a few 200 mile trips. I was only expecting 33-36 mpg. A great commuter car.

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  Great new ride - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By pontiac lover - August 12 - 3:00 am

  This is great vehicle. I test drove the roadster, which was great, but when I test drove the GXP I just couldnt resist. I was set on a new sedan until I got behind the wheel. Its even peppier than my 04 Grand Prix GT and handles great. Very fun, very unique. I just wonder what it will be like in the winter.

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  love it - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Rolando - August 10 - 8:36 pm

  I am the second owner and there has not been any major repair to the car other than the water pump since i bought it and the previous owner did only tune-ups and tire change nothing major either. real good car to drive and is fast too, my car has the 3.8L and it keeps up with a lot of suppose sports cars i love this car!!

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  Fun Car to Drive - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JSD - August 9 - 8:36 pm

  I bought this car used with 18,000 miles. It is very comfortable. but the best feature is the acceleration. This car has pick-up like no other sedan I have owned. I drive over 20,000 miles a year and this car is great on the highway. Gas mileage is good--around 27 mpg. I like the radio controls and dash slanted to the driver. The only thing I wish GM would improve is the quietness-raod noise is a bit loud.

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  97 Pontiac Crand Prix - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By sayhibob - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Great Commuting Car motor can easily take the reqts of heavy daily use

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  Aztek from Mexico - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By aztek39 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Has a very comforable ride, drives like a car, city gas mileage varies from 19 in the summer to 16 in the Winter. Highway milage is about 25 can hold alot of stuff. very good workmanship.

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  Great car but a impossible to fix proble - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By gtowner - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Baught the grand am gt used with 60000. I think that the car has superb handeling the 3100 is a powerfull engine, but there is a problem where I will lose all power while excellerating only happens once or twice a day but it drives me crazy.

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  Im surprised....so was the wife! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By daddyearwig - August 7 - 12:43 am

  This is a great car, Im impressed and surprised. Great riding, strong V6, nice clean appearance, and very roomy. Wide wheel base makes this thing turn like a boat. Console and shifter area kinda awkward. Too close together. Not enough storage. Small trunk opening. Sharp looking, I guess the people that stole my factory wheels thought so too. (Get wheel locks.) My wife was avid about not getting this (or Pontiac in general), had to give her her own set of keys.

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  Could be better !! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By John - August 6 - 6:26 am

  I purchased this car not long ago and let me tell you it did NOT completely satisfy me. It has good handling and it looks impressive but it has too many details I didnt like. It has bad wind control,very small trunk, poor turn performance, bad steering wheel, interior is plastic, a hard-to- understand top. It also has just a few of the standard features and even those features are very common and basic. The car has good brakes though and it seems reliable on that. I also found the engine to kind of shake when i shifted gears. As my last comment i would advice that you also try others before buying it never hurts to stay informed. I would rate this car at a 7.7 out of 10.

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  2007 torrent - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Teresa - August 5 - 11:53 pm

  I love the look of the Pontiac Torrent very roomy for a smaller suv. I have had my torrent in the shop at least 8 times for ignition problems. The key will not turn. Its like in a lock position and all they would do is spray and lube the ignition. At 30,000 miles now my rotors are warped and they say they just do that sometimes. They just replaced the ignition cylinder hoping this fixes the problem!