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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  more power options - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Karl Swain - December 16 - 8:20 am

  The 2.4 L engine should have an option of being supercharged, because the 2.4 L I4 is lacking power in a big way. At low rpm it drags until you reach around 4000 rpm then it seems to finally say " hey Im at full throttle, lets go" but until then grandma in her wheel chair is passing you. They either need to increase power, have a power add-on option, or just get rid of the I4 all together.

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  Love my Grand Am - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Amy - December 15 - 4:03 pm

  I love my 04 Grand Am. This is the 3rd Grand Am Ive owned and Im not disappointed. I wish they would still make them. My first car ever was 93 - SE, my second car was a 95 - GT and my third car is my 04 GT. Its got enough getup to keep me happy, but it keeps me out of trouble. I have a race car for that.

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  Nice Car - of Course GM Quit Making Them - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By kc hillman - December 15 - 1:13 pm

  This bought used 2009 GT would be our second Vibe, also have a 2004 we bought new. The 2009 has the 2.4 engine which makes a lot of power for a car this size. The 5 speed automatic shifts flawlessly. The northeast U.S. has been getting bombarded with massive snow lately, but the Vibe hasnt let us down once! The 18 inch rims are quite sharp looking, the fit and finish appear to be up to par too. All in all a fine little vehicle!

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  Great ride - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Don - December 15 - 7:00 am

  Bought in Jan and love the ride and quick steering response. I have one issue with the car. It sounds and feels like the engine "flutters" when I am cruising down the road, whether Im going 20 or 65MPH. As soon as I give it a little bit of gas it goes away and evens out. Dealer told me it was the norm for this car. Does anyone else have this issue? Getting about 19.8 MPG avg and performance and responsiveness is great..just have the flutter.

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  2004 Grand Am - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Dan - December 14 - 12:00 pm

  This is a great car! Drives and handles like a charm. Not my first pontiac. Many more to come!

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  Good Little Car - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By GirlieTegRacer - December 14 - 2:00 am

  So far I am pretty happy with this car. The fuel economy seems to be pretty good since it has a large 4 cylinder engine. It is comfortable and easy to drive and it is a little fun too.

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  montana happy - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By joey123456 - December 14 - 2:00 am

  excellent ride and handling, comfortable, reliable.

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  Room for growing family - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By momof2 - December 14 - 2:00 am

  All and all a good van so far (21,000 miles). Need a few changes in the design. First the windsheild wipers suck. Snow and ice accumulate where they are suppose to go down under the hood. Second:the heating system for the second row of seats is not good. If your third row is folded and tipped the 2nd row doesnt get much heat. The dome light blinds the person driving when turned on. Rear wiper is great especially when you live on gravel, but they need to move the washer sprayer to the center of the window and make it an actual sprayer. Now it just runs out.

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  2004 GTO - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By dozlert - December 14 - 2:00 am

  I love it! Already have over 1000 miles on it. This sucker goes...in a straight line as well as the twisties. It is a pain in the but to wait for the rear seat to go forward or backward. Once again, handling and acceleration is unparalelled with any other car I have driven...which is a few.

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  Super car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By TINA - December 14 - 2:00 am

  A cheap Corvette vary fast and fun to drive