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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  Manual Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By simon mcinnes - January 2 - 4:00 pm

  I have the 4 speed manual. I used to have a Durango, but always rented manual when in Europe and enjoyed them so much that I was happy to ditch the Durango for the Vibe. Plus, the fuel economy is excellent, especially the way I drive often in neutral to coast into stops and lights, or on downhills. I also appreciate all the bells and whistles it has (sun roof, cargo straps, roof rack,etc).

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  Meets All Requirements - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By z2im - December 30 - 10:00 am

  When looking to purchase a vehicle to replace a full size truck, I was interested in a smaller car w/ AWD, fuel economy, dependability, and satisfactory crash test results. The Pontiac Vibe satisfied all the requirements. My 93 AWD Vibe gets over 30 mi/gal. The 123HP of the 1.8 liter engine in the AWD model is a bit underpowered but, being a joint venture w/ Toyota (see Toyota Matrix), I expect the powertrain to be dependable. The crash results were better than any other car of its size. The comfortable and spacious interior and stylish exterior finalized my decision.

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  WOW this ROCKS!!! - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By Bobby G - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I only test drove this SUV because it was on the same lot a Jeep Liberty. The AzteK blow it away on all accounts. It better at the gas pump and is more fun to drive. I got the FWD but should have gone to the AWD.

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  Diamond in the Rough - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By BachStrad111 - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I find it to be a good bang for your buck. Its rooming,inexpensive,and all around joy to drive. I find the visability questionable other than that I would find it hard to find a better cargo carry ride on the market.

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  love it - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By jaypf - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I love it, fun to drive, great on gas,what else to say, for the money I am happy, and I love to drive my new car.

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  Sweet ride - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Great car so far ! - December 29 - 9:26 am

  I just bought this car and totally love it. Great pick up, smooth ride and pretty damn quiet for a pretty big 6. Love all the features,sunroof, power everything and seat warmer to keep me warm in the winter.

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  Room to Spare-Love it! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Laura Ogren - December 28 - 7:16 pm

  I love my Vibe. The drop down seat and cargo capacity is wonderful and leaves people asking "What kind of car it this?" It handled extremely well last year in the Denver snowstorms and never got stuck. The fuel economy is great - I am getting about 32 miles per gallon highway. The overdrive is also great and the car is comfortable.

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  Too Good to Lose - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By GTOgirl - December 26 - 8:43 am

  Bought this beast in Mar 06 n then I wrote a review in Dec 06. Since then, Ive had a baby and because of the almost impossible feat to get into the backseat (esp holding a newborn) I was forced to sell it. I cant say enough about this car. Im still unable to find the words to explain how awesome it is. Thick, solid, muscular, fast, sexy, sleek, smooth, low key but at the same time eye catching. Unbelievable

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  BMW 4 Less! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Carqwik - December 25 - 4:36 pm

  The car Pontiac should have always had! Its a true American (despite Oz origins) sport sedan that can run with most of the imports costing up to twice as much. Yea, its not a lux mobile, but the V8 power, the acceleration, the handling (surprise - it has excellent road manners), and the perfect size makes it an excellent value!

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  Absolutely love my Vibe! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Kira - December 24 - 4:23 pm

  I now have 161,000 miles & still drive it everyday. Been to Florida & Wisconsin several times, never any problems. Great gas 34mpg hwy. Replaced battery, brakes, tires only. Hit a deer $4000 damage to front end, it stopped in a straight line, no-one injured except dead deer, was amazed. Only problem Ive had is the gas door broke off at hinges recently. I would buy this car again today if I could. So much storage space. I have slept comfortably overnight in this car many times because you can fold the seats down flat & make a bed on top. There was a recall on front side windows for loose bolt replacement, work completed for free, no problems since. No recall on gas door yet,I reported it.