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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  Happily Sunfired - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Tommy - February 7 - 12:06 pm

  I was looking for a car to replace my tired 95 Baretta. A no-frills 01 Sunfire, with 66,400 miles, caught my eye. I was very impressed with the power from the 2.2L engine. The 5 speed manual trans shifted smooth... even reverse was noiseless. The body design is subtly sporty. Seating could be more comfortable, but that is a minor concern. After 3 months its the gas mileage that impresses me most. Driving a mix of highway & city, it consistantly gets from 31 to 33 mpg! Overall, this Sunfire is the best used vehicle Ive ever owned.

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  Love my Aztek - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Form483 - February 5 - 10:00 am

  As you can tell from my mileage I live in my Aztek. I drive 160 miles round trip every day for work. Due to an auto accident I have herniated disks in my back, my last car, a small truck, caused me great amounts of pain. The drive in my Aztek has not caused me any pain. I have not had to take my Aztek into the shop for anything but general maintenance such as oil changes. I can not say that of the last vehicle I owned, a Ford Ranger. The seats are easy to remove AND replace. The cargo tray and nets keep things from sliding around in the back and the extra power source is great for parades and sporting events.

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  Great American Car - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Kevin - February 3 - 2:03 pm

  I purchased this car about a year ago from a private party with 70k miles on it. Now have over 90K miles Always liked the style but never owned a Pontiac. Wanted a large car for golf with a somewhat sporty look. The inside leather is luxurious. The response and handling is great with the 3.8 V6. Just a great car. The mileage on trips has never been less that 30 mpg at 70 mph. I have a 95 Lexus ES 300 and a 2006 Corolla S. Both the wife and I enjoy this car as much as either of them. I can only say this vehicle is very well built and an overall great value.

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  Fast, Fun and Beautiful 2005 GTO - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Fast Fun and Quality - February 3 - 1:33 am

  After my first test drive in this GTO I knew it was going to be mine. I have owned the GTO for approximately 1 year and still cant wait to drive it. With a small investment including a chip, exhaust and intake, this car has truly become a beast. You can drive the GTO to work on a daily basis with no mechanical issues. Caution: all vehicles on the roadway think of the 6.0 GTO as a threat and will attempt to race you, Ferrari, Porsche, Mustang, SRT-8. I get questions about this car at every service shop. If you purchase a GTO be prepared to love your ride, it is a fun beautiful car.

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  So far so good - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Larry - February 1 - 4:23 pm

  Only two weeks old, first tank of mixed town & country was 22 mpg.nice firm ride, great handling, quiet/comfortable ride,excellent brakes.Seems to be a good value for the price, but I will wait a few years to make that call. Cannot read the DIC. without reading glasses which I dont drive with. Still trying to get a 19" rim for the spare, none apparently available yet.

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  Get one before it is too late! - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By jay baronoff - February 1 - 8:40 am

  Disregard what you hear about the new goat not being "retro" enough and buy one before gm kills it off. I had a 64 gto as a teenager and again about 15 years ago. I have waited a long time for pontiac to do it again and the wait was worth it. The performance and the quality are second to none. I changed the front grilles and spolier to the sport appearance package items. Also bought three sets of the "gto" letters from the 04 trunklid and applied one set on the right rear decklid and two sets on the rear quarter panels, just like the goats of the 60s. Makes a big difference in capuring the gto look. I bought this as a "keeper" to tuck away and drive on sunny days.

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  You Get What You Pay For! - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Rock12 - January 31 - 9:13 pm

  The thing that is really fun about the Vibe is that it sits higher than a sedan. This means that you can look into the Hummer next to you and the driver can see you smiling as you fly past the pumps because of the fuel economy. I havent been in a domestic product for years. The only reason I bought this one was, it is a Matrix/Corolla power train, Matrix and Vibe jointly developed, and well employee pricing got the $21K sticker down to $17k. The drawbacks are the usual complaints that I have with domestic products, poor quality paint and plastics throughout. I had quite a bit of trouble initially with the transmission, although I believe this was an anomaly specific to my vehicle.

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  Put another Shrimp on the Bar-b!! - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By danevick - January 31 - 4:06 pm

  When you have a bad back like me, a vehicle must have a comfortable seat. What Pontiac doesnt tell you is that BOTH front seats actually have 10 way adjustments with the premium pkg. Ive owned Lexus, BMW and Mercedes, and this car is the equal of any of them. The level of refinement is unbelievable for the price, and, I can actually sit behind myself with room to spare, which I cant even do in a Suburban, since I set the seat far from the steering wheel. Back seat comfort is also great.Throw in 361hp, great ergonomics, Bavarian looks, uplevel materials inside, and better than Mercedes build quality outside, and Pontiacs got a WINNER! Go for it before theyre gone because of CAFE regs

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  Weird looking but cool to drive. - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By robier_a - January 31 - 10:00 am

  I was impressed by the interior the most. Very roomy, & confortablle, especcially in the back seat. I like alot of space when I drive and even when I have my seat to where I want it there is still a bunch of room for the passenger in the back.

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  welcome back pontiac - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jlocascio - January 31 - 10:00 am

  night and day from the other grand prixs in the past