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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  The beauty is also a beast - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Tom - October 19 - 1:03 pm

  My is a 2005, 6 speed w/18" wheel package. Ive owned 80+ cars and yes one of the orininal GTOs (1970 Ram Air III 4 speed) as well as Corvettes, Trans Ams, Z28s & etc... I am very impressed with the new leftover 2005 GTO that I purchased in March. The car is great, powerful, soild, great handling and brakes. Ive driven a 2005 Mustang GT 5 speed and was disappointed with the Mustang. The GTO is hands down a better car overall. It does come up short of the Mustang in two areas: #1. Exterior Styling is not quite on the mark. #2. the front seats are not as comfortible as the 05 Mustang GTs are. The lower seat cushion hits me in the back of my leg and feel akward when depressing the clutch.

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  The VIBE-What a Car, what a Buy - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Margaret Hall - October 18 - 3:06 am

  Oh how I love my Vibe!!! Good looks (mine is stealth Black) Great MPG (28- 30 in the winter with AWD and lots of warm up idle time) Incredibly comfortable seats, Best Visibility EVER, Handles like a charm in snow, Fun to drive, can haul an amazing amount of stuff, Practical, Fun and Affordable. A BIG little car. If you havent driven one of these yet-go for it. Youll be pleasantly surprised. Every one tha has seen it, sat in it or driven it loves it!

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  GREAT CAR!! - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By zkjsfbdkws894 - October 15 - 11:36 pm

  This car is great! The car is very well constructed. I recently got this car as my first car and I wouldnt take anything else. Its pretty fast for being 13 years old and that 3800 Series II engine is a beast. My car personally has trouble starting and the key gets stuck in the ignition. i know the key getting stuck in the ignition is a common problem, but if this happens, there is a hole (you may need to remove a little plastic cover) under where you would insert the key on the steering column. You just use a pen or something, push in the little knob and you can remove the key. There are some websites or videos telling you how to. But this is a great car and would recommend to people!

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  Great car - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Danfm1 - October 15 - 12:50 am

  The car is amazing - Pontiac has really improved their products and it can easily challenge foreign cars. The turning is tight, the engine provides plenty of power while sipping gas, there are no rattles and the interior quality is great. Its safe, good looking, and a great ride.

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  Why I decided to buy an Aztek - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By KvB - October 14 - 1:40 am

  I test drove every SUV (foreign and domestic) in the up to $30,000 price range and NOTHING compared to the Aztek for comfort and the quiet ride. The combination of its extremely odd looks and the fact that I have never owned a domestic-made car made me quite leary of purchasing the vehicle. I kept going back and re-test driving the foreign models, but as there was really no comparison for comfort and ride, I took the plunge and bought the Aztek. If something happened to my Aztek today, I would rush right out to buy another one. It is such a pleasure to drive!

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  Very competent not so cute AWD - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Brad - October 11 - 11:16 pm

  I purchased this car used with under 40K miles from a Ford dealer on e-bay. My trip home averaged 27 mpg. I often drive the car to Northern Vermont, a six hour trip feeling refreshed and confident that the AWD will perform in snow as expected. With side airbags, ABS, fog lights, truly comfortable heated seats and an average mpg consistently in the low to mid twenties and a price below $12,000, this car offers good value. It is easy to find in parking lots bcause of its size and rarity. If the car had a more appealing exterior, I would probably own TWO.

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  I love my TORRENT! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By jkmint18 - October 10 - 2:36 am

  I purchased this vehicle from a family friend who runs the hummer dealership, he said even though Pontiac is out of bus, their cars are still reliable. relatively low miles when purchased, and ive had no problems with this vehicle. Just turned 18, my first car, paying for it myself. want to eventually buy a torrent GXP and bump up to a 263 hp engine. I LOVE MY TORRENT.

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  GTO rocks - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By dmglobal - October 8 - 8:20 pm

  The 2005 Pontiac GTO is quite possibly the best built car ever offered by Pontiac--and a worthy successor to the GTO name. Its styling is understated yet aggressive, the fit and finish impeccable, and the performance shames sportscars twice the price. This stealth fighter packs a 400- horsepower 6-litre V8 (the Corvette LS2 married to a Tremec 6-speed)that rockets it from zero to sixty MPH in four and a half seconds. A thoroughly satisfying drive that handles and brakes as well as any domestic and many European sports cars. It leaves Ferraris, BMWs, Mustangs and Porsche Boxsters standing still. The best part is surprising exotic drivers who dont know what it is. The new GTO rocks!

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  Awesome - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By hjames - October 8 - 11:23 am

  I have number 663 and just picked it up on Monday. The car is one of a kind it reminds me a little of my e30 m3. Very redefined in every letter, and speaks to the driver during acceleration. This car will make a statement and Im glad I have one. I can drive my g8 with the likes of BMW and Lexus. I can also run the boys on the weekend if I like. The answer for any mid life crisis.

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  Great new car - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By CG - October 7 - 5:06 pm

  Had the car for a month, average 24 mpg driving in mix conditions. Very happy with it. Handles great. Seating is very comfortable especially compared to other 2 seater convertibles. Monsoon sound rocks. Power is plenty for my type of driving. Raising/lowering the top is easy and takes about 30 seconds. I have been able to carry groceries, just not Costco shopping.