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 driver/short trips - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By RGD - January 14 - 2:23 pm

  Bought car 02/06.Good driver but very uncomfortable after 2 hrs.Headrest too forward.No leg room. Computer controls on steering wheel very awkward to use. Must take eyes off road to check instruments. LEDs hard to see in sun. No storage for cellphone, garage opener, sunglasses, etc. cup holders useless! Very hard to fall into and out of. Not having cushioned arm rest, my elbow gets sore pretty quick. Great looking car. Handles very good and good performing but needs more power. I dislike mine enough to have only 3370 miles on it.

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  2007 Vibe - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ray - January 13 - 8:16 am

  I purchased the Vibe with having our first born and for the gas mileage. Ive put 27k miles on it so far with no problems. Getting around 34 mpg, with 28 mpg in the winter. Like other Pontiacs it is noisy on the highway and wish there was a bit more leg room. But overall Im very satisfied. Handles great and looks good for a wagon. Very versatile as I can put a variety of stuff inside it.

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  Sturdy, Cheap, A to B vehicle. - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Monopoly - January 8 - 1:30 pm

  Bought new and currently have 161000kms. Car rattles like crazy and is really starting to show its age. in 05 it was the most powerful, affordable eco-car in its class. My base model manual trans black 2dr with decent tires is peppy in a straight line but handles horribly. The seats are unbearingly uncomfortable for long trips. Good things about it is they are super cheap for everything incl. parts and insurance. fuel econ is decent. I avg 600kms a 53L tank mixed driving. I noticed these cars are approx $4000 for one in OK condition. pick one up if your on a budget. itl make a great short commuter and has a reliable drive train. watch for everything else. GMs tend to fall apart at 120kms

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  Great Van - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By freebiefan - January 7 - 11:03 pm

  I bought this van with over 200K miles on it. Ran extremely well when I bought it and lasted for almost 2 years w/o any problems. The 3.4 is the best anyone can ask for. I sold this at 260,000 miles. Still ran like a top. Fastest car Ive owned surprised everyone when I would step on it! Wow what a mini van!

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  Hardtop Conv. Under 30k wow - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Howie - January 7 - 5:50 pm

  For the last 3 years Ive been driving around in my Mini Cooper convertible. It was a fun little car to drive but not much pickup or interior space. It was the first convertible Ive ever owned. The G6 caught my eye it has 3 packages available, Premium, Sports and chrome (though a lot of the stuff seems to overlap). After test driving it, I was hooked, its still the winter so Im sure many dealers arent selling convertibles right now, but having a hardtop you just feel like your driving a regular car, its not as noisy, or cold as a soft top. I cant wait till the summer so I can enjoy this car to the max.

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  Hmm... - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By ToddVR - January 5 - 3:56 am

  Great car! Fast as ever, which has landed me 2 speeding tickets within 3 months of owning. Gas sucks, more so, premium is the recommended fuel. I do however mix fueling with a lesser grade at times, with no significant problems noted. Compliments are received almost daily; more so from the younger generation. Overall, I LOVE MY GTO!

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  Not bad - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Used Sunfire Owner - January 4 - 2:00 am

  Bought it as a used car. So far, so good. Cons: a slight clunking sound in steering column when making a sharp turn. Blind spot on drivers side. Pros: sporty looking, peppy performance and very good road handling, especially during inclement weather. Adequate fuel efficiency. Fun to drive. Good car for a single or couple.

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  marks review - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By mark mullen - January 4 - 2:00 am

  only interior problem is a few rattles and head rest to close to head cant move back

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  Solstice making tracks. - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By houstonSol - January 3 - 8:40 pm

  For those thinking that this car isnt practical havent used it as a car to go to/from work. It fits the bill perfectly. And those that are looking for the door lock button, go to the Solstice site and look up a cat named Tweety-he has figured it out. Good guess that GM will be doing this in later machines.