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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  Love my Trans Am WS6 - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By Kellie Morris - July 6 - 10:00 am

  I love my car, Im very upset that Gm doesnt make Trans Ams anymore, I would love to purchase in a few years a brand new Trans Am , I wouldnt want to trade this car for any other car unless it could be a brand new Trans Am, or possibly if they would make Camaro SS again also, but I would rather have my Trans Am! Gm made the biggest mistake when they stoped making the Trans Ams and Camaros, there is not another car out there that i would even think about haveing!

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  Nice - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Wkind50874 - July 6 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle 12/2002 and it has 75,000 miles on it and had zero problems.

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  Great Vehicle, missed features... - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Anne/Agood4684 - July 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought a Vibe 03 base model, then traded it in for a 03 Grand Am GT, but I missed my Vibe and within 1 year of my original purchase of the Vibe 03, I traded in my Grand Am GT for a Vibe AWD 04....AND LOVE IT!!

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  2006 Solstice Automatic - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Dave Jasberg - July 6 - 7:46 am

  This Car was designed for people who love the look of 1950 and early 1960 coupes brought over from Europe. The look says "Lets go out and find a road with curves and hills and see what I can do" as this is not a Corvette and does not claim to be one, but the price should tell you that immediately. The front has the little whisper of the first Corvettes made with the round curves and grille area. I know that almost al are built as manual transmissions, but I live near the city and shifts become laborous in that atmosphere. For a new design and the first year of build GM deserves all the salutes from the buying public. The first Corvettes were beautiful, but road like trucks and rattled.

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  Love it! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Lauren - July 5 - 1:26 pm

  I owned a convertible Beetle before the G6 and I am so glad I made the trade! I bought a silver 2005 GT sedan with 16k miles. Although I miss the convertible, I love my G6. I consistently get 25 mpg city and 34+ highway; I got around 18 city in a 4 cyl Beetle. Very spacious and comfy. Handles great and its very fun to drive. Doesnt feel like a sedan at all. The Beetle felt like a $25k go- kart compared to the G6.

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  Great Vehicle for the Money! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Chief1995 - July 4 - 3:23 pm

  This car is a fun vehicle to drive and is easy on the pocketbook (average 33 MPG city). This coupled with the Toyota design elements and reliablility make this vehicle a great purchase. The vehicle has storage capability that is not available with the standard sedan. You either have to sacrifice gas milage or storage. All in all, I have enjoyed my vehicle and look forward to driving it every day. The XM satallite radio is a significant plus when traveling in areas with limited traditional FM/AM coverage.

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  Double Edged Sword - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By cjgtom - July 4 - 10:00 am

  I loved mine, but when someone totaled it, there was no way Id buy another. I had paid more than the payment each month - sometimes doubled it - to get it paid off quicker, but when I settled with the insurance company, I only got a couple of hundred dollars b/c the car depreciates in value so quickly. It wasnt a scam, it just depriciates that rapidly. If you can imagine putting all that $ into it, and either getting a couple of hundred dollars (and that was only b/c I had paid more each month and owed less than I should have at that point) OR most likely oweing the insurance company, then go ahead. Id think twice, though

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  best car - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By KYLE - July 4 - 6:46 am

  what car do you know that goes out of second gear at 100 mph, just all around great car, tight, awesome ride, i sell em and i love em, 06 is the last year for blue green crystal, go read the car and driver review and get the real facts!!!! kyle -ny-

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  ughhhhhh - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mike - July 3 - 6:43 pm

  The car is a good car looks wise, comfort and design. But i have had qet a few problems like a transmission, throttle body, and traction control, and anti-lock brakes. it dont seem as to how many are out there that they could all have problems but i just got a lemon.

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  This Car Rocks - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By Linda - June 30 - 7:20 pm

  After reading reviews Im starting to think people just like to complain. This car is great! I have had mine for 2 years and other than one minor repair it has been extremely reliable. It is one of the smoothest driving cars Ive ever driven and everyone who drives it says the same. The interior is comfy, no noise, no rattles, not cheap. The back seat feels much larger than it looks and dips down giving more room for rear passengers. Battery is in the trunk, no big deal. You cant generally open the hood without getting to the interior either. Im only 52" and the seats adjust for short drivers perfectly!