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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  Lots of power, lack of quality - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By germie - February 24 - 4:16 pm

  I really like my GTO. It has lots of power and it sounds great in my ears even with the stock exhaust. I didnt make any modifications to mine, everything is stock. The only technical issues I had so far were a water pump replacement at 40k, engine temp gauge problem (electronic part had to be replaced) at 16k. Looks like I got lucky compared to most of GTO owners. A downside is the poor quality of the car. The shifter is wobbly and not precise, the seam on the rear driver side seat is opening up and about to burst open (nobody ever sits on that seat), the paint on the driverside doorhandle is chipping off (pass. side handle had to be repainted already).

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  Sportiest 4-door around! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Matty K. - February 24 - 10:00 am

  im 17 years old and my parents just bought a 2002 Grand Prix GT...let me tell you, i never thought a 4-door car could be sporty but boy was i wrong...its got power, aggressive looks, and its so much fun to drive!! sticks to the road like glue and acccelerates very quickly, in 2 years ill pressure them into buying the GTP ;)

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  I still love my car!! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Kathy - February 22 - 2:00 am

  Clocked over 120K in 10 years and still going strong. Fits everything I ever needed it to...Camping Gear, Kayaks on the roof, 46in flat screen, my 3 dogs, and dozens of 8foot 2x4s for the occasional home project. I live in PA and its been to Florida, Boston, New Orleans and everywhere in between. Its my first choice for long trips and gets great gas mileage-upper 30s on the highway. Great in all weather, even snow, but good all weather tires are a must. Odd problems are just starting to happen now...need to change the Catalytic Converter, first fuse just blew last month and something is wrong with the vent in the gas tank. Filling up takes forever. But still the best car ever!

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  I love my G5! - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By Cakesa3 - February 22 - 2:00 am

  My dad purchased me this car because I was transferring to a university and I needed a reliable car and I absolutely love it! I have had no problems (other than the steering defect recall which GM is replacing). This car is very fun to drive, handles well, and gets great gas mileage. It doesnt have the greatest horsepower, but will get and go. When it was purchased it had about 23,000 miles and it now has around 26,700. Nothing has been replaced. I plan to keep this car until it wont go anymore. I would recommend this car for a teenager/college student or just anyone who loves a small reliable car! I wish Pontiac didnt go under!

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  2005 VIBE - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By greywolf855 - February 21 - 4:30 am

  Fun car and economical. I traded a full size Dodge club cab to save on gas. The vibe gets over three times the milage of my old truck. It has plenty of power for everyday driving and some fun too. The shifter is a little stiff and it goes into 2nd and 3rd gear somewhat hard. Quick shifts occasionally end up in gear grinding. The vibe will save you money over the matrix with dealer incentives that toyota does not offer. Plus its styling is better that the matrixs.

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  Why Wouldnt You - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Daniel - February 21 - 2:50 am

  Fiance ended up pregnant and owned a 96 Chevy Pickup, so had to get something more family friendly. The second i saw this car i knew i had to have it, then saw the price and knew i could have it. Every time i drive it i hope someone will test it, suprisingly no takers after 4 months. First day i bought the car it was raining and took my neighbor for a ride, stomped on it every chance i got in sport mode and regular mode, not one slip from the tires with traction control on.

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  Still Liking It - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By Evie - February 20 - 9:43 am

  Never had any mechanical issues at all. Good on mileage as driven on long trips frequently. Longest trip I drove in this van was over 7000 km and never had issues with weight of luggage and tenting supplies packed in the back. Am very satisfied with my vehicle so far. Wished it didnt have such a limited load weight for pulling a camper trailer. Leaves little choice as to what type of camper trailer to pull as max towing without the optional towing package for 2 adults and gear is 2000 lbs.

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  I love this car. - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Tatiana - February 20 - 7:53 am

  This car is great. It is economic, fun to drive, very reliable. It is my baby. :)

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  Now that its gone, I miss it! - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Nate - February 20 - 7:53 am

  I am updating my review for my G6 GT sedan. I bought it with 18k miles and it was a rental before. It had about 49k miles on it when i recently got in an accident, and it is now totaled. I had my entire family, wife, 2 kids under 18 months and a dog in the car when the accident occurred. No one was injured and air bags did not go off due to the fact that i wasnt going fast enough i think. MPG in city was around 22, and highway was around 30. I never had any big problems with it, was never in the shop for repairs, except when i hit a deer. other than that, very reliable and when friends drove it, they were impressed with it. I would get another one, but we decided on an SUV with 2 kids.

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  Lots of room, poor fuel economy/engine - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By DandT - February 20 - 1:40 am

  This is my first GM product and my first SUV. Great inside - nice and roomy. Cant use front cupholder and e brake at same time. Only 21-22 mpg.Drives wonderfully - very smooth. Very quiet ride. A pleasure to drive until three weeks ago. Carbon buildup in cylinders at only 21,000 miles and Im not putting trashy gas in it. Something isnt burning right and GM wants to put a band-aid on it instead of finding the cause of the carbon build-up. Ive been without my vehicle for three weeks. Way too new to be having problems.