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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  Great car - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By bobbo - February 26 - 12:03 pm

  Ironically I was looking at the Matrix as my final choice. I play the drums so hauling my kit was a big factor. When I saw the room with the seats down I was most impressed. Ive put 25,000 miles on and have no complaints, in fact when I told the service mgr I was looking at a Toyota he said" Well this IS a matrix with a Vibe body. Im getting between 33 and 36 mpg consistently in combo driving.

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  Super - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Lester123 - February 26 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely a Great Car

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  Pontiac Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By dsweet - February 26 - 10:00 am

  This is easily the best vehicle that I have driven for the price I paid. This Pontiac is an indication of the great quality GM vehicles now have.

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  Grand Am GT - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jdub85 - February 26 - 10:00 am

  I really enjoy my car. Its fun to drive and has a decent amount of power for your money. I did however have some problems with it in the beginning. Everytime I turned on my blinker it continued to click like 3 or 4 more times after it was off. I had the dealership do something with the wiring now its never made a sound since. My only other problem was the it had a little trouble turning over when I started the engine. Then I had the dealership upload a hard start program on to my cars computer and it now starts much better. The car is still on the plus side and fun to drive just a few things needed to be fixed.

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  The BEST value and Quality - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By FairJudge - February 25 - 5:56 am

  I dont pay for the price of a Hyundai Pony and expect it has the same feature and performance as a Mercedes. This van cost me CAD$28000; if I am getting the same feature in an Odessey will cost me CAD$37500; Sienna will cost me CAD$36800; Quest will cost me CAD$37000. I am getting the best value of my dollar for the most features and quality. It does not run on EXPENSIVE premium gas as the Quest. The frequently replaced "no flat" tire as the Sienna. Mind you "no flat" tire cost 25% more each and it has life 30% shorter than standard tire.

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  good car - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By grandamgt62 - February 25 - 3:06 am

  I have had mine for 2 years with no problems. Very reliable and fun to drive

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  A Minivan Im not embarrased by - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By JohnB - February 25 - 12:33 am

  My wife and I always vowed we would never buy a minivan, however when our SUV was starting to die we couldnt deny the mileage advantages of a minivan. The Montana has been great, 2 tone black with leather, lots of options and fun to drive. Plus it has been rock solid reliable.

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  Wonderful! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By kisseshoney8 - February 24 - 10:13 pm

  I have been test driving every SUV, Sedan, and coupe out on the market. Honda, Toyota, Saturn, Mit, MB, BMW, Lexus, Acura were some that I have driven. After test driving those and not getting what I want in the vehicle or finding the color I want, I decided to test drive the G6. After just sitting in it I feel in love. Best car for the money and loads of standard features. It looks like a MB at night which is awesome. I am so glad I bought this car. It was the best decision ever. Thanks GM for making a great car. BTW go with the silver with black interior.

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  Great car!!! - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By newe82 - February 24 - 7:16 am

  Bought this vehicle late in 2003 and have never had any problems. I love the space and the way that it handles. I bought it in white and I really like the way that it looks. I wish they would keep making them, but I will buy another Pontiac for my next vehicle.

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  tranny at 90000 - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Highwayman - February 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car with 31000 miles on it I like it because it feels like a solid car and it gets the gas milage I was looking for 30-32 mpg regular oil changes 3-5000 miles seems to be a quiet ride since new tires and alignment since 90000 miles tranny is shifting very hard I was hoping to get a little more out of it before I would have those problems