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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  Surprise - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Charles - January 6 - 3:40 am

  I was very surprised with the room and the ride. I was use to a larger vehicle. It is just right to run around town. The few times I have been on the road it was very comfortable and handled well. I have not given it a true economy test, but I am averaging about 25 mpg on short trips and around town.

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  Great Car - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Nick - January 5 - 3:56 am

  This is the fastest car that most people will ever drive. The performance is awesome. I must say however, that the suspension does not match the engine. I guess to get that you have to spend the extra $20K and get a Corvette. Awesome car though, worth every penny.

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  First Convertible - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By First Pontiac - January 4 - 10:13 pm

  We are extremely happy with our purcahse. No problems with the top, works perfectly every time. The car is a great cruiser, it is not a sports car. Power is adequate, the car is heavy at 3800 lbs, has good ride with minimal body shake and seats are very comfortable. The car is extremely quiet with the top up and with the top down conversations can be had without yelling. The car is gorgeous with the top down and looks just like the coupe with the top up. Every time we take the car out we receive compliments on its looks. The only issue we had was the door striker was misaligned, but the dealer took care of that in 30 minutes. We would highly recommend the car.

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  2004 bought used - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By gm_dave - January 4 - 5:33 am

  I purchased a one owner clean carfax GTO in December, 2012. The car developed some strange problems including the rocker panels filling with water (removing drain plugs solved the problem), which caused the interior floor to flood after it rained. The horn also went off randomly by itself and the air bag fault alarm was triggered by the airbag sensor located under the passenger seat. I had all of the aforementioned issues resolved and the car has been great since.

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  Love the car, hate the cup holders! - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By torrent - January 3 - 9:43 am

  Love the car. Getting in and out is great, the interior is very roomy. Hate the cup holders. I dropped my keys in the open space and it took me an hour to get them out between the seat and the open space. Wish I knew something I could get to replace the cup holders.

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  My Fourth Pontiac GPT the Best OVERALL - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Reesee1215 - January 2 - 10:00 am

  I only driven Pontiac(s) for the past 10 years. I only drove the Grand AMs (GT)though. However, after purchasing the GTP, Ive been cheating myself. The body style of the Grand Prix is great. The widetrack,the car handeles the road excellently. I love the heads-up display, I can keep my eyes on the road at all time. I have the full package on the car from the heated seats and Onstar and XM Satellite radio the 6 CD Exchanger is the magnificent. The engineer really out did themselves this time. I Love my Grand Prix GTP

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  Best car i ever owned!! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By wade - January 1 - 10:10 pm

  I noticed alot of bad reviews? But i also noticed the GTP is reviewing pretty decent? Could be a different assembly line or something? But my car has been super since i bought it new!! I have owned lots & lots of cars! From mercury cougers,mustangs,s-10 trucks all types. & this cars beats em all. On my date of purchase i was also choosing the gto & solstice. The G6 won because of interior room,trunk space,V6-6 speed = power for type of car it is. & i dont regret my choice! Awesome black ext, panoramic roof, black & tan interior! upgraded The mass air sensor to jet also k&n airfilter, replaced air duct system to straight pipe & put in a tornado air system. changed the stock 240hp to 300+ h

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  Whats Not To Like - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Don - January 1 - 2:26 pm

  I recently downsized from a Ford Explorer Sport to the Vibe Base automatic, mainly for better fuel economy. Ive had it about one month now and love it. Fun to drive, it handles well. Passengers in front and especially the back find it much more comfortable than the 2-door SUV. Its roughly a 1000 pounds lighter, and I sacrificed very little cargo space. Im tracking the gas mileage and will report that later.

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  like new at 103K miles, original brakes - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By RollaRiss - January 1 - 9:16 am

  Our 5 speed manual Vibe has been absolutely trouble free, looks and drives like new. At 103,000 miles it still has the original brakes! Only replaced tires and wiper blades. The oil level tops the dipstick between changes at 3-5K, never added any. The original Continental Contac tires wore evenly to the wear bars at 30K but replacements wear fine. We use the 110 volt dash outlet all the time on trips to charge cell phones. Gas mileage good for such utility. Great highway car. Can be hard to hold back to 70 mph, seems to want to go 75-80. A great only car: economical and versatile. We still get compliments on its styling. The ride is taut, can be harsh on rough roads unloaded.

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  American car? - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Dave - December 31 - 1:13 pm

  I have had the car 1 week and LOVE IT! This is the first "American" car I have owned in over 20 years and so far, its a keeper. I did not realize how much I missed a V8...except for the gas mileage.