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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  Dont Buy This Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Azby - November 16 - 9:46 am

  Bought this car brand new. Smelled gasoline first day - cracked fuel injector. Visor mirrors have broken repeatedly. Fixed 3 times under warranty - now just broke. At 13,000 miles, groaning in the steering column. Left outer tie rod & steering gear replaced. Now, at 20,000 miles, knocking in the steering column. Dealer response: Sorry, warranty ran out at 3 years (even though there is a Technical Service Bulletin about this problem). The starter also hesitates frequently. I dont trust the car anymore and feel unsafe driving it. A recall should have been issued when the NHTSA investigated steering issues in the G6, instead of sticking owners with the cost. I wont buy another Pontiac.

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  Wish they made them past 2004 - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By Wart - November 15 - 10:00 am

  Wish they wouldnt stop making these.

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  Love my Aztec!! - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By pbwaters75 - November 15 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I just purchased a 2004 Aztec. We took a lot of time looking for a new vehicle, wanting more room than our 01 XL7 offered. The Aztec is everything we wanted and more. Its so comfortable that you quickly grow to love the entire vehicle. Plus, it was a great deal, its like a best kept secret or something, we got an 04 demo w/7100 miles for a fraction of the orginal MSRP. Reviews for this vehicle are great, take the time to look them over.

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  Great car for the price - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By sm214 - November 15 - 10:00 am

  Im not sure why Jon Leibowitz and fieroguy had so many problems with the car. I have a 96 sunfire with 200,000 miles and it hasnt had any bad problems yet. For the price, they are durable cars. the 2.2L ecotech is nice too. If you know how to use good driving techniques and maintenance then the car will last a long time.

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  Excellent - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By michael barker - November 15 - 10:00 am

  I could not ask for a better car for what i paid. The power of this car is unbeatiable for a 4 banger. I motify cars for a living and my sunfire is totally pimped out now with extras includeing chrome rims, masterflow exhaust, nos, and dozens of other extras. This car is just plainly an excellent car to work with and there is no other way of saying it in words. When i drive down the road even when it was a complete stock car i still turned heads to see peole looking a awwwwwing.

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  THE SUNFIRE ROCKS! - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By rocky1 - November 15 - 10:00 am

  The pontiac sunfire is an awesome affordable sports car with the most horsepower in its class!!!

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  The new GTO, is it really back? - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By GTO GIRL - November 15 - 10:00 am

  I have purchased many new vehicles with out any problems but this one has had me in the dealership twice so far. Battery replacement and now speedo gone hay wire. what is next?

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  Wonderful Ride - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By w8rjg - November 15 - 10:00 am

  I picked up my car o a Wednesday, and drove the family to Carolla, NC. 700 mile ride each way. Had no problems at all. Quiet, wonderful ride. I kind of wish I would have purchased the more expensive modle which would have had XM Radio. But nonetheless, I love the car.

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  Great Performance Buy - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Buckeye 350 - November 15 - 9:23 am

  I replaced my 2005 Grand Prix GXP with the G8 GT. Much better room inside, performance and even gas mileage. The G8 is an incredible buy. All I would change is 1) add XM radio option 2) get rid of the Atari instrumentation in the center of the dash and replace with the Grand Prix driver info center and 3) get rid of the annoying passenger seat belt warn lights on the rear view mirror. Otherwise, great performance, great seats, great rear legroom, great trunk and mighty fine looking overall. Nice work Pontiac!

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  Best car in the nation - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By lady t - November 14 - 7:33 am

  Gas mileage is unbelievable. 11 gallon tank. The car is very roomy can carry a small sized couch.