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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  Pontiac with a Toyota Heart - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jethro - January 5 - 5:33 am

  I was shopping for a gas sipper and came across the Vibe. After researching i found out the vibe is a matrix which both are made on the Toyota assembly line and share the corolla engine and transmission with many toyota carry overs but much better styling than the matrix imo. This auto is terrific, plenty of storage, well thought out design, quiet on the road, zippy around town

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  Take you $26K and buy something else! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By jen16 - January 4 - 12:43 am

  Very disappointed in this car. I had high hopes but theyve been dashed. Car is plagued with leaks, poor fit and finish, and inferior materials. Auto transmission leaves much to be desired; has trouble finding gears and when it does it is anything but smooth. The only thing GM got right is the exterior styling.

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  2004 ponriac grand prix GT2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Bowtie guy - January 3 - 10:00 am

  One of GMs best held secrets. You get a lot of car for your money and outclasses its competion in most instances. Do your home work ,compare,test drive them, youll be impressed just like I was.

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  Grrrrrrrr - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Kevster - January 2 - 9:43 am

  I bought my 04 grand prix gtp with about 12,000 miles so it was basically new...Ive had nothing but headaches! Ive been to the service center at least 15 times...im still unhappy.. The enterior is crap..the carpeting is so cheap...The seats are always breaking..ugh...between my car overheating, sunroof leaks, cheap tires and plastic exterior...i give this car a 3 or a scale from 1-10. Im def going back to foreign vehicles.

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  Should Come With 10 Year Warranty - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Dave - January 2 - 7:40 am

  Roomy interior, comfortable seating and reasonably economic to operate (17 mpg city/24 mpg hwy). Now for the rest of the story. Have had to replace the intake gaskets twice (once under warranty and once out of my pocket) in less than 50K miles. Handles like a Hippo on roller skates. Worst headlights of any car Ive ever driven. A/C is week. GM must have bought the interior materials on closeout from Big Lots. Will likely NEVER buy another GM product. Should have paid the extra $ and bought the Toyota Sienna. Wife no longer trusts it enough to take it out of town.

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  Great Grand Prix GT2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Bobby - January 1 - 4:30 pm

  I cant say enough about this car. Absolutely fantastic ride and comfortable.I would recommend this car to anybody.

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  Could have been better - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By thepontiacdude - December 31 - 5:46 pm

  If you care about "coolness" more than "utility" than its worth considering this car. However, if you are looking for a family oriented car, I would consider cars like Accord, Camry, Impala, etc. I own a Grand Prix and I think it is a pretty good car and is a lot of fun to drive but unfortunately there are some cons that stand out.

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  Return to American - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Jon Meine - December 30 - 4:50 am

  After more than 12 years in Japanese Sports Touring upscale cars I have returned to domestic and am astounded at the degree of technical sophistication and build excellence that have been incorporated at a very reasonable price point. Viva American!

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  Wheres the quality control - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By seabeav - December 29 - 11:20 pm

  Bought the new SV6 due to the expanding family. Looked at others but none except ford/mercury included the expanded features for a reasonable price. While I like the apperance and the creature comforts of the SV6, and the drive is typical of a minivan thats all there is to be happy or content with. My vehicle has been in the shop 4 times over the first 3 months for various reasons including a faulty aligned door, replacement of a rear sliding door motor, replacement of a door handle, replacement of body molding, steering well casing replacement, windshield stripping replacement, and a dead battery. Highway noise (wind) on this vehicle is terrible. Recommend pay extra $ for better quality

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  A great little car! - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By LuvMySol - December 28 - 3:33 pm

  I just purchased my GXP after waiting over one year on my dealers wait list. I never thought I could ever feel this way about a car, but I am in love with my Solstice! It is everything I had been expecting it to be and more! This is the first time in my life that something that I had been anticipating with so much excitement turned out much, much better than in my wildest dreams. My wife, who never gave much thought about car, just loves this car too! The Solstices looks are awesome, and its mechanics seem equal. It is hard for me to believe that this is an American designed and built car, but it is! No trunk? Who cares!