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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  Not For The Northern States - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By BeRuud - November 19 - 11:46 pm

  I really did enjoy driving this car, it had great acceleration, hugged the road well and had amazing MPG. My Fiance did get motion sickness very easily with this car. In the spring, summer and fall this car was tops... in the winter this car was a liability. Traction in the snow was TERRIBLE, I was stuck in normal driveways multiple times because the traction and tire control was poor. In the southern states this would be a keeper, but since I live in NY I cant get rid of it quick enough. My lease is just about up and I am leasing a new Subaru Legacy which will be quite an upgrade over the G6 in almost every way.

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  So far so good - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By larryrbenson - November 19 - 3:50 pm

  I picked this minivan up at an auction a week ago and so far I need to get some front end work done (shocks or struts, it drives well but with the FWD and weight in the front it rides hard and you can feel most the bumps). There are a few issues, Gas Gauge is not working properly, Passenger side sliding door motor does not work, you can hear it click but never engages. Other than that.. Its roomy, engine and transmission still feel very strong and smooth at 187K miles and overall I am very happy with the purchase. Ill update this once I get my front end looked at and find out what the cost of getting the ride a bit smoother is and if any new bugs pop up but so far, good buy!

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  Hope it gets better with age - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bruce - November 19 - 2:40 pm

  We bought a new car so that we would have a trouble-free auto to drive. In retrospect, we might have been wrong. The car has been back to the dealer at least 4 times (you lose count after a while) to repair the check engine light situation. Fortunately it has been under warranty thus far. Needless to say, it takes time and effort every time we take it in, and this is exactly what we wanted to avoid when purchasing a new vehicle. We wanted to buy an American-made car (at least, buy from an American company), but probably not next time.

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  GM makes a good one - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Valuefinder - November 18 - 8:20 pm

  Bought this car to replace a bland Pontiac Vibe. 201 hp vs. vibes 130, plus highway mileage of 32 vs. vibes 34ish...no brainer. G6 looks good, rides good, best GM interior Ive seen. Probably will lack in resale vs. honda/toyota, but try getting in a V6 version of Accord/Camry for under $20k OUT THE DOOR. I have since test driven the G6 GT, and even though horsepower is the same, the GT is geared for fun, and you can tell. The space between the gears in regular G6s v6 is WIDE, not as exciting. Overall G6 is a great looking and performing car, like no other for equal "out the door" cost. Never compare imports to domestics on sticker price.

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  Drive a GTO forget your BMW!! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By NoBMWforME - November 18 - 12:20 am

  I sold my BMW to get this car. I took a bath on the BMW resale, as they do not hold their value (mine had only 34K miles after 5 years!) The GTO has been a fantastic car. I find the styling appeals to me and my family and is, to us, more mature and, say, european rather than screaming "LOOK AT ME" that some others need. I get more than my share of looks from those that know what it is. I replaced the goofy rear spoiler with a more sedate spoiler. I love this car!!

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  Awesome!!!!!!!!!! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Amygirl24/bigmikey3 - November 17 - 2:26 pm

  When we first saw this car my husband wanted it from the start. I must say I really didnt like the looks of it so we looked at something different. I listened to my husband and we bought it. However, I must say, I am in love with it now. The handling of it, its looks, everything. I cant say one bad thing about this car. I would buy another one today. My hubby wants the GTO now. I have never been big on GM cars but I must say they did good with this one.

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  Not worth MSRP - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By In Colorado - November 17 - 7:16 am

  I bought this car with a combination of rebates (regular & owner loyalty) plus GM doubled my GM Card fun bucks. Bottom line: I got a car with an 19K MSRP for 12K before taxes. I find the interior to be functional an it looks ok. The exterior is plagued with poor fitting body panels, poor even by American standards. Acceleration is adequate with the 5 speed manual. Handling is ok, much better than the 2002 Toyota Corolla it replaced. Rear visbility is abysmal and I almost didnt buy it because of that, but the bottom line was that it was very well equipped for what I paid. Its a commuter car that will eventually be handed down to the kid.

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  After 12 years - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By David in PA - November 17 - 2:10 am

  Nice looking car, paint still looks great after 12 years. Previously owned a 1988 SSE. Replaced original two position sport struts with Monroe Reflex after 75,ooo miles. Reflexes are great! Avg 16 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. Traction control is nice in snow. Intake manifold gaskets leaked at 55,ooo then again at 102,000 miles. Luckily engine wasnt damaged. Transmission replaced at 75,000 miles because trans yoke body went bad. Car would surge at highway speed when going up a slight incline. Theres a tech bulletin on this but no recall. Overall I really like the car.

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  Reliable Winter Driving - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Richard - November 16 - 8:33 pm

  Had the car for only two months. Its the AWD model and it gets up our 300 ft 25-30 degree sloped paved driveway even before its plowed. It handles great in all conditions. I enjoy sliding in and out of the cabin with ease. Some minor complaints, would be the trauf that the windshield wipers sit in. It gathers snow and ice. I wish the ignition area would lite up at night. The car is getting about 23 miles to a gallon on mostly highway driving. Could be due to the cold weather and its not broken in yet?????

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  Sweet Car - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Patrick - November 16 - 12:10 pm

  An amazing car for the price. I ended up paying 20600 after taxes, and got a big, beautiful, 256 horsepower 4 door. The only things I dislike is that the remote start does not turn on the heater, so you have to deal with the frost if you have it. Also, I had to get a repair (snowy roads- my own fault) and I had to import a part from Australia.