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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  Fantastic - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Bri - April 28 - 12:20 pm

  I love this car. It handles great and I get much better gas mileage than what the dealer and websites all say. I have been averaging about 34miles/gal. The cars design leaves little to be complained about and its very reliable.

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  Awesome 04 gto 6 spd - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By kell75ss - April 27 - 6:00 pm

  I bought my 2004 gto 6spd with 28,000 mi. The car has been running great ever since I bought it. No problems at all and for one of my cars to have that last that long with no problems. That says a lot about the car, I like to drive the car the way that it was meant to be driven if you know what I mean. 175 mph stock and I was just shifting into 6th gear at 160 it was still pulling for more. Tires dont last the longest but you have to do a burnout here or their its a muscle car. Everyone underestimates the car until they go for a ride in it a true sleeper around town about 19 mpg on a recent trip up to Canada I was getting about 26 mpg doing 80 mph+. The 6 spd tranny really gets the job done.

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  Good car overall - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By jas600 - April 27 - 1:33 pm

  I bought this car in March 05, and already have 7200 miles on it. I just love the look of the car - I bought a black one, so it really stands out with the chrome wheels. So far, it has gotten fairly good gas mileage (32 mpg highway, and around 27/28 city). As far as ride goes, it is a lot smoother than my previous car (01 Grand Am GT), and I feel safer in it. The only issues Ive noticed so far are in the driver and passenger doors. The door panels seem to be a little loose, as you can hear a slight (annoying) vibration when you go over bumps in the road, or when you are listening to certain songs with more bass. And the drivers side door sometimes sounds like it is not closed.

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  Corvette for the family - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By bdavis - April 25 - 9:26 pm

  After buying the wife her convertible, I had eyes on a new Vette, but with a 12yr old still at home 2 seats just did not fit. Have had performance cars all my life (from SS402 Chevelles to 5.0 Mustangs, Shelby Z Daytonas, Turbo 350Zs and still have a 76 vette )and enjoy a car you dont see every day. Researched and found the GTO, power, handling, comfort and different styling. Found a 7500 mile 06 6spd (owned for only 3 months) and have smiled ever since. It is not a BMW M5, but the performance numbers are close enough, and my son enjoys riding in it as much as I enjoy driving it. Not to mention it is less than half the price of the M5 and a lot less to insure.

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  Please Bring it back Pontiac - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Proghartedo - April 24 - 6:10 am

  Most reliable fun to drive car I have had to date. The interior quality is one of a kind for a Pontiac. The six speed is a blast to drive.

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  I love my Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Driver - April 23 - 7:06 pm

  my Vibe is very manueverable, has excellent accelleration & gets very good fuel mileage. Having the household outlet built into the car is a great accessary & all cars & trucks should be equipped with at least 1 outlet. I had a back injury 2 years ago & the heating pad I plugged in is the only thing that got me through a 60 mile drive to & from work safely comfortably. As much as I love my Vibe, there are a couple of things I would have designed differently, cruise control & larger mirrors.

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  SLP - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By sweetsears - April 23 - 10:00 am

  I have had the car since new, 13 miles. I have yet to have a major mechanical malfunction. I have had to have in the shop once for a o ring that was loose off of the EGR. Overall no problems.

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  the best vehicle I ever driven - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By adam12401 - April 23 - 10:00 am

  the overall confort of the suv. Easy to get into. Handeling is great!! cant beat it

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  GRAND AM - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By cjfarquhar - April 23 - 10:00 am

  This is my third black Grand Am GT. All three have been extremely reliable up to as much as 110K miles on my first - with an alternator and faulty gas gauge being the biggest issues among them - both covered by warranty. I had each of them for four years and always have to give it a front break job about 2 years in. More detailed comments and suggestions are below.

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  Good, Cheap, Fun. - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By nwittig54 - April 22 - 9:10 am

  This was the second car I ever bought and have owned it for about two years now. I got it with about 73k on it and am now about 83k. Its been a reliable car but the previous owner did not take care of it at all. The build quality of the interior is a little cheap but the seats are super comfortable and the car hugs the road perfectly. The only major issue Ive had, like with all GM V6s, was the intake manifold gasket. Upon replacing the car drove like it was brand new. I will never sell this car and it is about to become my weekend car. I get compliments from people all the time. Also, beat some punk in a Supra to give you some perspective... my car is bone stock.