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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  Fuel for the Soul - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By motorin - February 1 - 2:00 am

  The GP 2004 was my choice for company car for the next 3 years and I am not dissapointed. Excellent acc. off the line and moderate to good handling make this car a sales reps dream. The interior design is fine outside of the classic stock GM stereo (easily replaced). Improvements in glove compartment space and hangers for suit jackets in the back would be nice. This is an excellent step up from other pontiac contributions in the past. I would never chose this car over an import if I were going to spend my own money.

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  Excellent Features/Fun to Drive - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Dan - February 1 - 1:16 am

  We Love our 2007 Torrent. The new interior layout with the Driver info Center is excellent. The New Onstar Nav feature is just as good or better than a screen nav, and it comes included with onstar. The info center gives fuel econ which is important to us. We have averaged about 21-22mpg mixed City/Hwy. The radio functionality is great, with XM built in, and a aux jack for ipods, etc. Would highly recommend this car to anyone wanting alot of space, a solid quite ride, and many features, for a great value.

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  Great Cargo Area! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By C. Moran - January 31 - 4:33 pm

  Bought this car for its resale value / reliability, gas mileage and cargo space. 100% satisfaction with these features. Bonus: we got rear-ended at 45 mph and walked away from the totaled vehicle without a scratch..... were going to buy another one.

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  Excellent Roadster!! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By My Baby, 4 Weeks old - January 31 - 12:26 pm

  I have had my Solstice for 4 weeks, my first manual car and I love it. The car completely wraps around you when you are in it. Completely comfortable, the suspension is unbeatable. After test driving Minis and other small cars this one definatly passed the test for comfortable driving. I love the looks I get driving down the freeway, people slow down so you can pass them and then speed up so they can see what your driving!! Excellent roadster, I cant wait till summer so I can put the top down and really test her out!

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  Id buy the same car again - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mlaner92 - January 30 - 10:16 am

  Its hard to write everything I like about the car: performance, handling, mileage (for the performance, its pretty darn good), the front seats, features, options, looks...im sure theres more. The drawbacks: I probably could have been OK with the added MPG of the GT over the performance of the GTP, but whats the fun in that? Im glad I dont ever have to ride in the backseat. Ride seems to stiffen a lot during cold weather, more than any car ive owned in the past.

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  Great car - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By tater - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I have a 1997 Pontiac grand am se 4 door sedan, it has the 2.4 litre four cylinder. I bought it used with 130.000 miles on it to use for a work car, I drive 80 miles round trip to my job at a mine in Montana, I love this little car, today after work the snow was at the bottom of the doors and it was 12 above zero and my Pontiac never once hesitated, she has 172.000 miles in her and I will drive it until it wont go anymore. Have had minor problems but nothing major. And 36 mpg on the highway.

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  Pontiac-One of Detroits best. - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Dwayne - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this vehicle for four years now and I have had absolute no problems at all. I purchased my Bonneville with almost exactly 60,000 miles on it and was expecting some sort of major issues, but so far they have not occurred. I live in a Downtown Metro area and drive both city (and I mean gridlock city) and highway. My average MPG is 24 which is very manageable. This car has handled everything I have thrown at it and I couldnt ask for anything more quality wise. Very well rounded competent vehicle with a wonderful blend of sport and practicality.

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  Very Reliable - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By C. Davis - January 29 - 2:00 am

  This is far and away the best car Ive owned. Recently the lighting behind one of the instrument panel displays went out. That is the first and only problem of any sort Ive experienced with this vehicle and Ive driven it for almost 3 years and put about 50,000 miles on it. The car is a pleasure to drive. Acceleration is outstanding, nearly on a par with Corvettes I’ve owned. Handling is good for a car of this size. It is not quite as nimble in city traffic and parking as a smaller car, but not enough so as to make driving to and from work unpleasant. We’ve found the car to provide more than adequate interior room to make long family trips pleasant.

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  Dream Car - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By DSworo9 - January 29 - 2:00 am

  Got this car back in March and wish I had got it sooner. I absolutely love this car! SOM, LS1 power of 300+ HP, 6speed, the works. It has just about everything youd want for a muscle car w/ room for improvement.

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  Farewell flagship... - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Boz - January 28 - 10:00 pm

  I bought this exceptional car as a statement of rebellion... and got the reaction I wanted. I had wanted one of these cars for about 8 or 9 years, and with most people starry-eyed for the cheaply built Honda or Toyota, this bad boy turns heads while going down the street. The Black Cherry Metallic paint sparkles in the sun, as well as in the evening, and exterior styling puts the car in motion, even at a standstill. Interior styling has no end to luxury and comfort, and features and options are limitless. GXP specific guages and Driver information center also set the car apart, and to finish it all off, Pontiacs signature dash backlit in glowing crimson.