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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  Rock solid... - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By TreyT - April 19 - 2:00 am

  This car has been rock solid. I had an after market krager wheel break causing a spin on the highway which managed to mess up the rear suspension and the front susp but the car remains solid, performance is excellent and Ive managed 29mpg on the freeway with the 6 speed manual. Excellent daily driver and excellent performance at a bargain price.

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  NOT A COOKIE-CUTTER, IT RULES ALONE! - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By DAVID - April 17 - 2:00 am

  EXCELENT VEICLE FOR THE MONEY! READ MY FAVORITES. HIGH QUALITY BUT IF YOU LIVE IN A COLD CLIMATE, DONT EXPECT THE HATCH TO OPEN.

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  Works for me - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Ryan Smith - April 17 - 2:00 am

  I love it. It has great acceleration, Ive had nothing go wrong with it, and I like the style. I just drove 2000 miles on vacation and it still runs like a champ. All my friends love it too, they want to drive it and I have had many offers for it.

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  GM got this one right. - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Rod - April 15 - 5:10 am

  The G8 has every thing one would want in a car. It has awesome performance, great looks, comfort, great road feel. One of the things that impressed me the most was the reaction from the mechanics I work with. Even our resident cynic thinks the car is awesome (he finds flaws in every car but none in my G8 GT). T The G8 is a very solid feeling car, the ride is not for luxury ride lovers, it is to firm and handling very responsive.

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  deal for money - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By michelle d woosley - April 12 - 8:40 pm

  What a great car. have had two hondas and a toyota. a friend at work had one of these and loved it. never a issue. cant say the same for honda. This is a wonderful car. wished i would have looked at it sooner. did consider the nissan. however this car is a great size and has the smallest gaps of any car i have ever driven. its about time gm built a car that americans can have faith in. a message to gm ford: keep up the good work and never forget who pays your bills do recommend this car a teacher

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  Best car for the Bang get one! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Go Red G8 GT - April 11 - 5:50 pm

  4 days and love it I cant get out of it, bought it brand new 2009 GT model. The red is hot and turns heads. the v8 6.0 omg it rocks when a sedan goes 0- 60 5.3 all I can say is wow for the money best bang for the buck! got the sport package and let me say this, its a mean cat with claws and this baby grabs and goes, goes and goes, Im talking about the tires 245/40R19 allot of traction is not saying enough. another thing I wanted allot of room for 4 adults I can get 3 in the back no problem and leg room np, height np. ok, blapuk system 11 speakers and sub woffer please 11 speakers come, the sound is perfect. get one and you will be happy!

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  Smiling Owner - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By New Goatee - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned my Red Goat for about 3 weeks. It is true that the exterior is a bit subtle. But on the other hand, when you start it up, that is when you turn the heads. It is hard to keep from smiling when you drive it! And like another reviewer said, you find yourself turning down the sound system to listen to the engine!

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  Love my Vibe GT - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Scooter Mama - April 9 - 10:00 am

  After trading in my Montana Mini-Van, I was fearing regrets of losing all that extra space. The regrets lasted maybe a day. This vehicle is so much FUN! It has proven you can be a mom, haul kids, and still feel like you have something fun to drive! I have heard it dubbed a crossover utility vehicle - Its cause you can taxi the troops but feel like you are driving a Camaro! I am over 6 feet tall and I easily fit and with the sunroof and jammin stereo, I cant to run those errands to the store. I LOVE MY VIBE GT!

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  Old farts like it too - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By rebbullbro - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased our new Vibe in February and are very happy with our choice. It is solid,responsive,fuel efficient and comfortable. This is a great "little big" car and a great value too. We got the FWD four cylinder automatic.

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  Instant Smile - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mike - April 7 - 8:36 pm

  Having ordered this car in May, I just received it in Dec. All I can say is worth the wait. I cant wait until I can drive it top down in the summer. Did I mention the cornering ability is great.