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:

• 

  GREAT PERFORMER, STYLISH AND DEPENDABLE. - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By zippadeedudah - October 7 - 2:00 am

  HAD A FORD FOCUS PREVIOUSLY.....SAME PRICE AS THIS CAR. WHAT A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE.

• 

  pontiac gt2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tracy mello - October 7 - 2:00 am

  best care i have ever bought

• 

  FunDrive - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By MikePoo - October 6 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has a fantastic ride and it just feels good to sit in and drive. A glance over your right sholder while driving gives one a great view all around. The engine/horsepower feels more than adaquit for this vehicle as well.

• 

  WS6 Heaven - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By Cancerman - October 6 - 10:00 am

  I looked at many cars during my search and ran across my black WS6 T/A while looking at an Acura. I was getting frustrated by the lack of imagination in most of the current crop of Jelly- bean shaped cars, but this one is different. Gorgeous. Fast. Sounds as aggressive as it goes. Forget about the relentless pursuit of blandness GM and build something like this with character!

• 

  Very Happy - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Jeanette - October 6 - 10:00 am

  We are very happy with our Bonny.Great looks. When we first bought it our friends and relatives could only say wow!!!! Like others have mentioned did have some minor vibrations on freeway at 65+ But after rotating tires the problem is gone and it rides as smooth as ever a 80mph. I love this car

• 

  I Feel Like A Kid Again! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Lorelei J. Bell - October 5 - 4:10 pm

  I love my Vibe! Its hip, cool, socially responsible, very usable, easy to handle and park, quick, and makes me proud to own it. Here in Michigan, a great car must get great traction in ice and snow. My Vibe does! Our summers are long and beautiful; a prolonged heat wave is not uncommon. My Vibes A/C unit pumps out gobs of super cool air even when its 95F w/95% humidity. I opted for the Moons & Tunes package, with a great moonroof and a surprisingly powerful concert quality AM/FM/CD stereo that cranks! Its safe with belts, airbags, 4 pillar side panels, & excellent visibility/maneuverability. Its interior is so flexible; I can carry almost anything. My Vibe makes me feel like a kid again!

• 

  Finally an Affordable HT Convertible - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By convertible - October 5 - 6:50 am

  We live in Chicago, so Convertibles would be fun, didnt seem logical. Didnt like the idea of a Cloth top in the winter, drafts, poor insulation etc. Hardtops were to expensive. The design is rich, looks great. You can see where they cut corners to keep the cost affordable, but its not terrible. I miss the memory seat, home link, and leather trim on the doors. But you can live with it. Having the retractable button overhead is uncomfortable also cause you have to keep it depressed til it is complete. Holding your hand over your head even though its not that long, about a minute, feels alot longer. Absolutely NO trunk space, even with the top up. But does seat 4 comfortably. We love it.

• 

  Good Vehicle - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Steven & Stacy - October 4 - 7:30 pm

  We just purchased our Torrent and so far we love almost everything about it. I have lower back problems so the front seats arent 100% comfortable for me. (We didnt get power seats, but that would solve my problem.) We had a Vibe before and after the baby, too small. This is perfect, not too big.

• 

  My Supercharger! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By MICK - October 4 - 4:10 am

  This is my first brand new car and I love it. Its black and chrome with red calipers. I keep it clean so its sexy all the time. Tinted windows, back illegal, front darkest legal shade. The motor and exhaust sound nice. I have a k/n filter. Didnt see a lot of gas improvement. 22 mpg hwy, 18 city at 50,000 miles. Extremely happy with performance and comfort. The only bad thing in the car is headroom clearance for operator getting out of the car. I love everything about this car. I highly reccomend this car to anyone.

• 

  I love my aztek - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By hmdb - October 1 - 2:00 am

  I dont care about wanted poeple think about the aztek. Once you drive it you will fall in love with the car