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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  2007 AWD Pontiac Torrent - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Heidi - October 28 - 3:03 am

  We really like our Pontiac Torrent. The exterior and interior are very well designed. I miss having a light by the vanity mirror. We love the leg room in the back seat. Its very reliable for us and comfortable for our entire family.

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  Over 20K miles and still lovin it.... - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By vmp711 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I commute 70 miles round trip to work, driving both highway as well as hilly mountain roads, and I was sick of paying through the nose for gas. So I bought the Vibe, and I LOVE it! My bonus was its roominess -- you can fit a lot of stuff in this car (groceries, bikes, dogs, kids, skis, etc...) If you want to go from 0 to 90 in 2 seconds, dont get this car. If youre looking for luxury, youre better off with a Lexus. But if you want something affordable, roomy, and fun to drive, this is it!!!

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  My first 30k miles in a vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By markrh - October 27 - 10:00 am

  A true multi pupose vehical with a great fuel milage. 30,000 miles in one year at 32+ mpg saved a lot of coinage. No need for a pickup truck. It carried everything I needed and more. Three kids in the back seat, skis on the roof. See favorite features. What can I say, Just plain fun to drive.

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  cheaply made - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By never buy pontiac - October 27 - 10:00 am

  this car really disappoints me. the passenger window fell out of track @ 40,000, the speaker sounds busted, air conditioner controls do not work, and most recently the fuel pump went out. (very expensive!!)would never buy a Pontiac Grand AM GT again.Plus the resale value is horrible.

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  What a Driving Machine GTO - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By GTO Guy - October 26 - 10:46 pm

  I love this car, it handles well, its a torque monster, the engine note reminds me of the cars from my youth, and the interior is outstanding Pontiac and the Aussies got it right! I have driven my GTO from L.A. to Las Vegas twice what a blast (26MPG) I had the car up to 110MPH and I had plenty of pedal left. Ive had my GTO for 6 months and at least 2 times a week someone tells me how cool the car looks and sounds, bland exterior I dont think so. I just saw the 05 Goats at a local dealer and I dont like the hood-scoops. I have only seen 3 other GTOs on the road in 6 months but I see at least 10 to 20 Stangs a day on the road. Pontiac has brought the Muscle back to Muscle car.

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  First New Car Owned - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By First New Car ever - October 26 - 8:33 pm

  We bought this car after quite a bit of reviewing similar cars. We liked the way the back seats fold flat. We compared it with the Matrix, but we didnt like the looks of the Matrix as well. We needed a practical car to fit our dog, and to haul stuff on occasions. This vehicle is working out very well. We bought the 5 speed, no bells or fancy stuff. Car gets 34+ MPG in the city, and gets 37+ MPG on the highway. With careful driving could get more MPG maybe 35-38 plus. Its fun to drive, so it is not easy to keep the foot of the gas...the wife would have liked the automatic better, but she is liking the stick now. The vibe was a good buy decision for us, handles great, good visibility.

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  Great Value - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By GJB - October 26 - 3:53 pm

  starting to use oil and the heater fan is a little load on high. Other than that, it has been a great car.

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  Never Again - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Not Happy - October 26 - 11:03 am

  Bought this van with excitement and now cant wait to dump it. Fuel economy is horrible (Average 17 highway) and keep getting message that the All-wheel drive is disabled. Had it in the shop five times and they say nothing is the matter with it. Had to buy new tires for it because the ball joint in the passenger front went bad and tore up the tires. A joint in the steering column had to be replaced and when you apply the brakes, the whole van shutters. To top it all off, the interior stains horribly with just water. Not impressed.

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  Love My New G5 - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Silver Wolf - October 26 - 3:36 am

  I purchased my new Pontiac G5 on 9/30/06 and I love it! It is fun to drive and handles really well. The CD/radio sound is especially awesome. It is easy to park in small spaces with the manual transmission.

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  Two years and love my Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mafasa - October 24 - 11:03 pm

  Great car to drive. Most reviews Ive read are on manual transmissions. I ordered an Automatic, hey! Im getting on in years and manuals are just to difficult for these tired broken limbs. Anyway, I had to wait almost six months for it to come into the dealers. Well worth the wait. I love the sports car feel, its like you can feel the weather lines that run horizontally across the pavement or the lines where the concrete pieces in the road come together.