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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  vibe - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By mac - April 27 - 12:13 am

  This is a fun to drive vehicle. It has a lot of power for only 4 cylinders and has excellent fuel economy

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  GTO is AWESOME! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By fitty - April 26 - 5:03 pm

  I was in the market for a new Mustang but could never find a black on black and all of the dealerships I went to were very unfriendly. I then decided to pursue a corvette and ran into the same problem so I got online and searched many different sports cars from $30k-$50 and found that my GTO was the best buy for the performance. $34k is not a bad price for a 400 horse power car.

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  2003 Pontiac Montana - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By kpersinger - April 26 - 11:40 am

  I have had my montana for almost 3 years and now have 70,000 miles on it. I have not had any trouble with my van.It handles and runs great. I just wish it had a built in DVD center. I have rear air and rear audio controls which has been a lifesaver for me and the kids on long trips. The kids love the van. I like it too just wish it had better gas mileage. From the sounds of some reviews I am lucky. Also it would be nice if there were more cupholders

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  Totally Excellent !!! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Doug - April 26 - 8:26 am

  I love the styling , the ride and the handling of this vehicle. All of the controls are visible and easy to reach . The seating is firm and comfortable . This vehicle feels solid on the road , easy to drive .

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  Brandons Review - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bfaulkner - April 25 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased this awesome vehicle. Within the first week I already got 2 tickets. Before this I had never had a ticket in my life. The car is fast with great performance. Pontiac out done theirselves when they remodeled this car. Well done Pontiac.

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  great for the family and more - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By Brysons Dad - April 25 - 8:43 am

  The van has been great. Drives nice in all weather. All have plenty of room, even bringing extra kids. Easy to park and load. Not a hint of trouble yet...

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  Great car - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Pontiac G5 - April 25 - 1:00 am

  I love this car, i got it as my first car and i love the features i got. Its a really fun car to drive and i recommend it.

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  best performance car forthe money - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By bluebyu05 - April 23 - 6:30 pm

  ive had my gto since july 05 and drive it on weekends and every time i take it out i get more and more impressed with the performance , handling and comfort. its basically a corvette that you can fit 4 people in comfortably . not to mention with the amount of hp 400 the gas miles is better than the mustang which has 300hp. its really a fun car to drive.

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  Pontiac Sunfire - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By uabgal01 - April 23 - 12:06 am

  The only thing I would complain about is that as soon as the warranty expired (5 years), the car started having multiple problems. Nothing that cant be fixed pretty cheaply, but still. Otherwise Ive loved my car. It has NEVER broken down on me, and the mileage per gallon is awesome, especially now!

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  2009 Vibe Versatile and Practical - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Frank Dolen - April 19 - 6:20 am

  Purchased car end of May and have driven about 260 miles. Good mileage about 28 mpg with 50% city and 50% highway. Should improve with break in. 5 speed automatic shifts smoothly and 2.4 engine has plenty of pep. Comfortable and smooth ride.Would recommend. Vibe seemed to run smoother than its twin the Toyota Matrix and was priced better.