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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  Review by RMH - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By RHenningsen - October 29 - 6:06 pm

  This the third Vibe weve owned and each one has had exceptional gas mileage. The last Vibe got 30.1 miles per gallon for 29000 miles. This 2009 is averaging over 30 miles per gallon too. Repairs have only required service oil,filter,tire rotation and alignment on the 2006 model. The 2009 has only 3000 miles and has had no repairs as of yet. On the 2009 model I miss the carpeting on the deck in back the shade covering that area along with the intermittent window washer. Other wise the 33.2 miles per gallon on a recent trip is great. I hate to see the Pontiac line disappear. Maybe they will give the vehicle to Chevrolet for a boost in their division car mileage requirements.

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  Underrated - a fine automobile - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By ROGER - October 28 - 5:33 am

  After nearly 10 years of service, it has never been found wanting. I average 24 mpg with over 107 k miles.

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  Great Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Harry - October 26 - 7:23 pm

  I recently purchased my GTP and have put a ton a miles on it. It has been very reliable and a TRILL to drive. It hugs curves extremely well and can get to 100 mph in a flash. I test drove many cars in the GTP price range and this was by far the best. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Excellent, fun car so far - 2010 Pontiac Vibe
  By Chelsea Michigan - October 26 - 7:36 am

  Bought a 10 Vibe as part of CARS program -- it was very hard to find one in stock, they sold like hotcakes. We wanted a base Vibe, stripped down without add-on features (not even a/c), but couldnt find one. We wound up with a 1.8L and manual transmission, but with a/c. But thats OK. Its a very good car -- we really enjoy it! Our only complaints are the pretty tepid highway acceleration (which can be scary when merging onto highway in front of trucks), and the bizarre location of roof antenna, noted in many other reviews, which makes it hard to do much with roof rack.

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  fun for everyone - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By primecutmeats - October 25 - 3:00 pm

  this car drives out well except for one thing,when shifting it klunks with a rattle noise,when took back to dealership they said that is normal for this car & the saturn.

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  My Beloved Vibe - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By beloved06vibe - October 25 - 3:11 am

  I bought my 2006 Vibe new and would still be driving it had it not been totalled on Memorial Day. That car had 110,000 miles on it and I NEVER had any problems with it. It drove beautifully until its last day. It was comfortable and great on gas, held 3 kids and all their stuff, and I smiled every time I approached it. If you get the chance to get one, take it!!!

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  I love my goat - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Ron - October 24 - 2:30 pm

  I was in the market for a G35 initially, but the performance, style & relative rarity of the GTO was a combination that was hard to beat. I have the red on red M6 with chopped mufflers. I cant tell you how many compliments on the car I have gotten. Shes great on long trips as well.

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  pontiac G6 - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Jessica - October 24 - 2:13 am

  I love this car! There is plenty of storage room in the trunk. I opted for the regular sun roof and there is plenty of room for my 62 husband to sit in the back. The exterior has a sporty look, unlike most other sedans. And it handled great it the snow.

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  First gm I owned - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By mike - October 21 - 11:20 pm

  This van is so good, what a deal I received on this, it is a brand new 2006, 14 miles on it, dealer had 2 of these vans, I owned a Ford windstar, can t compare it, the onstar is great, I would recommend this van to any one, if I could I would buy the other 1, thanks, msg

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  Excellent car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Grant - October 21 - 1:00 pm

  The 2006 Pontiac G6 GT is an excellent car. I have had mine for 11 months, and have had absolutely no problems. Gets good mileage for a mid-sized sedan. It is also a really fun car to drive.