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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  Wouldnt do It Again - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Father of 5 - September 14 - 7:30 am

  Well, for those of you who care, here is a rare opportunity to get some more feedback on this vehicle roughly 5 years after the original post. My Montana is now 10 years old and now has 176K miles on it. I think the repair track record (in addition to the normal stuff) speaks for itself: 1. Head gasket ~ $1,500 2. Failed water pump 3. Engine will intermittently rev high and only returns to normal after the engine is shut off and restarted. 4. Driver side sliding door literally fell off – failed weld on the main bearing assembly 5. Interior ceiling trim around driver side sliding door fell off. (Held on by double-sided sticky tape) 6. Passenger side sliding door motor failed closed

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  GXP is Great - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Mr MRG - September 12 - 4:53 pm

  No better combination of performance, ride, comfort, handling, safety and practicality. I can have my fun and haul the family away in comfort on the weekends. Solid build and even with the 300HP never seems out of control.

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  I love my Torrent! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Roger Rosswaag - September 10 - 6:23 am

  The 2006 Torrent is my first new vehicle in 3 years. I am very happy with it so far. Its a great looking car and fun to drive. I also got an excellent lease deal too!

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  98 Trans Am - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By J Laack - September 10 - 4:36 am

  I love the car! Its almost like my Vette but with a back seat!

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  Sunfire great but flaws - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By ed - September 9 - 10:43 am

  This is my first car. Runs great cant complain. I had an accident with it. Another person hit me. On the left hand panel. It was like a tank. Nothing broken but the exterior. Lately I was going down the highway and the speedometer went crazy. It looked like I was traveling at 110 mph. I hit the brakes and pulled onto the shoulder. I found out it wasnt the speed sensor but more like the panel cluster which is a huge problem in these cars. It has been causing lots of problems and is now a money pit. With no problems it is very fast and reliable but when it goes get rid of it immediatly.

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  The All New Pontaic GTO - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By WARREN DAVIS - September 8 - 5:30 pm

  This new car has great speed and cornering. It has a new race car look. Perfect to show youself off in. I love my new toy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Unbridled power and head turner. - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By Great Play - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Added a Corsa exhaust, K&N filter, and skip-shift eliminator. Incredibly fast and powerful. Traction control makes it usable in winter weather as well. Appearance, performance, and sound stuns other drivers. A pure pleasure to own.

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  Shes Red!!!! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Wild Crazy Redhead - September 8 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my FWD Vibe and I love it. its roomy, comfortable seats awesome moon roof and stereo. It has good pickup and interior of gauges is RED lol.I love the flexibility of rear seat going flat and for longer items, passenger folds too, family cant believe all the room. My grandkids love the big side windows too.

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  Loops of joy - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By truthforwho - September 8 - 10:00 am

  1st G.P. was a 89,Loved it, side impact totaled it, I got out with only a scratch. Then had a 97 grand am, O.K.but not very sturdy. to many repairs. Traded in for 01 GP. Loved it, handled awesome, good mileage, Sharp looks. Took a corner a little to fast, rolled 4 times, but still walked away. Now looking at an 02 G.P.- G.T.

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  Almost there, but....... - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Floorit - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Turned in my 2002GT. Major improvement, but still needs more. I have put over 8K on it since early September with no problems. My biggest problem is with my lead foot - my gas mileage is not even close to what it should be (20 mpg on my last tank - freeway miles)! Would have preferred a MAJOR restyling, rather than an update, but its still better.