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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  This car keeps on going!! - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By D. Stanhope - May 6 - 3:03 pm

  I bought this car at 147,000 miles and Ive put 61,000 miles on it and its only stopped me once, alternator! Yeah this bitch is a beast. These little motors from Chevy never last past 200k miles, but I can bet u that mine will go on to 300k easy. Great car, great gas mileage. The a/c still works, never been serviced, ever!

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  Vacation Time - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Jean Baptiste - May 6 - 7:43 am

  I love my G8 GT for a lot of reasons. All have been stated many times over in other reviews. However, I have a special reason to like this car. In past years when my wife and I loaded up previously owned cars with maybe 500 lbs of tools and luggage for a few months at our vacation house, I had to shim the rear springs to help keep similar (and safe) driving dynamics. In my G8 GT this past fall, the heavy load had little or no impact on my mormal driving experience. I credit this to the great suspension of this car.

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  Own it - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Ward - May 4 - 9:30 pm

  I bought this vehicle the end of July 08. Always thought I wanted a Charger. After test driving both I found I prefer the G8. It has more power than Ill ever need and very comfortable seating. My teens vibrate the whole car with their music, but otherwise the sound system in great. And I found it affordable.

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  Big Performance in a Big Package! - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JKanel - May 4 - 2:00 am

  This car is really great. You should buy one right now.

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  A drivers car - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mikej - May 3 - 4:53 am

  This car is outstanding with 18" wheels the ride and handling rivals anything on the road. Fit and finish are excellent, this is a drivers car. Dual exhaust also gives this car the sound of my 70 corvette.

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  Nice Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By montrose - May 2 - 1:30 am

  After driving larger vehicles for many years I found this car fun to drive and very economical. May 2006 when I bought it gas was around $3 gallon. Shortly after buying it I drove from Michigan to Houston and got 34-36 miles per gallon. City driving I get 20-22 mpg, not bad and its fun to drive.

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  I LOVE my Trans AM!!!!!! - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By MSPOOKIJO - May 1 - 2:00 am

  I have had my Trans Am for 5 years and I LOVE it; the only way I would trade is for another Trans Am.....and they quit making them!!!! :( I hope they bring them back, and soon, Ive got 145,500 miles on mine but cant think of anything I would replace it with.

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  THE GREAT PEOPLE TRANSPORTER - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By FAMOUSA - May 1 - 2:00 am

  I DID NOT THINK I WOULD LIKE A MINIVAN;BUT THE MONTANAVISION IS VERY PLEASING AND FUN TO DRIVE . ESSPECIALY WITH THE FAMILY ON BOARD. I WOULD BUY IT AGAIN.

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  Fantastic car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By obiwan - May 1 - 2:00 am

  This car is so much better than anything Pontiac has ever produced. Plenty of power on tap. Superb handling. Well appointed interior with top quality materials. Fit and finish is above and beyond any GM car Ive ever owned.

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  They got it right - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By The Rock - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Finally, a roomy car with style, class and a manual transmission