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:

• 

  Just awesome - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By mike - November 30 - 1:43 am

  This car can smoke 95% of the cars o the road. Comfort, mileage, performance. Very impressive, very happy with my purchase. For a stock car, this thing is VERY fast.

• 

  this is a great car - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By james - November 29 - 9:03 pm

  pontiac did a great thing with toyota in branding the vibe as a pontiac. its got that toyota feel and look to it. i look forward to 3 years of fun driving this baby.

• 

  So- So vibe - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By bridgettg - November 29 - 3:38 pm

  I have mixed feelings about my Vibe because there are a lot of good that go with owning a vibe...gas mileage, lots of storage, comfortable. But the things I dont like about my Vibe are....air cond./ heater are very weak, doesnt have a lot of power, Rear vision is poor. I would definitely take these things into consideration.

• 

  Love my Grand Prix - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Ken - November 29 - 9:20 am

  This is actualy my third Grand Prix and as you can tell, I love the car. Pontiac has always done a great job with these cars in my opinion. The car in fun to drive with plenty of power on California freeways. The styling is great and I love the way the seats wrap around you and hold you in. Not to mention the gauge layout is fantastic! I cant say enough about this car. Too bad GM screwed up and closed Pontiac down. BIG MISTAKE!

• 

  It Doesnt Get Better with Age - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ed - November 29 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car new and put about 8500 miles a year on it. It isnt a bad car with lots a major mechanical problems but it just isnt a great car. The radio face shows up in red and cant be seen very well during the daylight hours. Also had LED light go out on radio. GM wanted $350 to replace so went to Best Buys and got by cheaper. I also use a pillow on the console armrest as it is too low for arm to fit comfortably without leaning to the right.

• 

  Pretty good for the money - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By chlywily - November 29 - 2:00 am

  The car has been very reliable, but has an intermittent knocking when started sometimes. Can be hot or cold and the dealer has no clue.

• 

  Check Engine Light - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Karen - November 29 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Pontiac for a year and a half. I love it. I do not love the problems. My check engine light goes on and off and the engine machines says it is fuses. We have had all those changed check eng light still on and still says fuses. Also my wipers stopped working and we do not know why. I have always bought a GM but now I am not so sure. My seat has already broke the water pump went what problems I am having. Should have bought a 1000 car instead of a 12000 car

• 

  A classic already - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By scott fuller - November 28 - 7:23 pm

  This car is amazing. It is fast, easy to drive, handles great and looks terrific. Lets hope GM keeps the GTO as long as it is worthy of the name. Too often it kills off cars too soon and never allows any brand or model loyalty to develop. This is one car that lives up to its name. It is a true classic right now. Great value for the money. Six speeds, true dual exhausts, classic sound, neck snapping acceleration. I love it !

• 

  better than other years - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By dlpVI - November 28 - 3:03 pm

  this is the 3rd Grand Prix that I have owned, and I must say that Pontiac got it right this time!! The last Grand Prix that I owned was a 1999 GTP, but this new car rocks. Its fast and rides really nice. The cock-pit is nice and easy on the eyes at night. Everything seems to be in the right place (well other than the dimmer switch). This car was the dealer demo so I got a gr8 deal on it. Was going to buy a Maxima, now that I own this Pontiac, I would not consider owning the nissan now. what more can I say, Ponaic got it RIGHT and now all they have to do is stay there and they will have many happy and loyal customers. I know I will be looking forward to the next new Pontiac to hit the market

• 

  Amazing! Simply amazing! - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Jason DeSmit - November 28 - 3:56 am

  I finally decided to trade in my 2002 Grand Prix GTP for the new G8 GT (one of the first 888) and Im anything but disappointed! I cant truly express in words as to how much fun this car is to drive! I fall in love with it every time that I get inside! Whenever Im not driving it, all that I want to do is drive somewhere...anywhere! Road trip anyone?