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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  Love It!!! - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Terri - August 23 - 2:26 pm

  I own the Vibe GT... and I love this car it is soooo fun to drive. I really like the turn-ratio.. the pick up is really good it you let it get to 4000 or 5000 rmp the car will take off!! great gas milage.. love the 60,40 fold down seats... over all best car I have owned in a long time

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  A good choice - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Viber - August 23 - 12:23 am

  I just got my new Vibe after selling my Prizm. It is great! At this time with gas over $2, this was the only one that give reasonable mileage and the nice SUV feel. The Toyota engineering makes it an easy pick and this has the better styling than Matrix.Of course I got tons of incentives too, making it a bang for the buck. Lots of cool features. I love the cluster gauges and lighting. Really nice looking and practical interior. I cant really complain about the power because my prizm was about the same range. This seems to have good handling. Only concern I have at this time is - the suspension seems to be rigid. My Prizm handled bumps much much better. Overall, it makes you a proud owner!

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  great car - 2008 Pontiac Vibe
  By great car - August 22 - 10:43 pm

  I have just had this car for 3 weeks, but, I am a tall woman (5,10") and this is the most comfortable car to drive, and still be fuel efficient.

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  2008 Solstice - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By happy owner - August 22 - 8:00 am

  This is a great car! The handling is great, no front end wandering, takes corners like they are not there. The fit and finish are teriffic, I worked in the auto industry for 30+ years and know about fit and finish. Have always driven GM and had two bad cars when GM had the quality issues, but those are gone and the product is now excellant. The styling looks good - we have had comments of "Cool car, Good wheels, Love your car" from teens and adults. You can ride with the top down at highway speed and carry on a conversation, and we do not have the opt. wind screen. With the top up wind noise is non-existent, just the soft rumble of the exhaust. A pleasure to drive!

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  VIBErations - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Vibe Viewer - August 22 - 2:56 am

  From the first time I drove my Vibe, I was completely satisfied with ALMOST every detail. The only exceptions would be the compromised visibility due to the wide plastic rear window supports and the cramped control panel when the gear shift is in park. The gas cap release lever could be a bit larger. I am a heavy man but the seats and leg room are still extremely comfortable. The gas mileage is about 30 mpg, even with the a/c. The car is tight (no squeaks) and the ride is excellent for almost any size vehicle. The price was excellent considering the many factory-installed options. Well done, GM!

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  Fun to Drive WIDETRACK - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GP sedan owner - August 21 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new. I had 10 problems which the dealer repaired under warranty over the first year. Oil pan leaking, power steering reservoir and hoses leaking, SRS light coming on and minor interior and trunk defects, where the delaership fixed in couple of attempts and charged GM over $1,700 (GM I hope you are listening, I dont think you made any money on my car). For the past seven years only had one other problem where both headlight lens fell off, which was also covered under warranty after lots of complaints. Now the car is 100% and runs great. This has been a very dependable car for me after the first year.

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  I would have spent the money elsewhere - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By JD11 - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Just not impressed with the vehicle. As mentioned in previous critiques, there are many little problems with it. There was no compressor/airconditioner put in the car when there should have been, right tire rod had to be replaced (25000 miles), now experiencing muffler problems (40,000 miles on car). IN addition, there is a continuous rattling behind the steering wheel. THese are problems that should not occur in a new car. Just a dissapointment

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  Zero Buyers Remorse on This One! - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By RandyG - August 21 - 10:00 am

  I struggled for a long time trying to decide which SUV to buy. The test drive set the Aztek above all. I hear complaints about the looks, I think its very good looking. So its not conventional. Not everyone wants to be plain and conventional. Its edgy, and its for people who dont care to necessarily and boringly blend in. Inside, thats what sold me. The test drive. The handling is superb, the comfort is unmatched in its class and the ride was smoother than I expected. I wanted to run my old car over a cliff after I drove the Aztek. For the first time ever, I have no buyers remorse. The Aztek rocks hard. Its the unsung hero of automobiles.

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  New Grand Prix - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Grandprix drivr - August 21 - 10:00 am

  The new grand prix is an excellent performance vehicle. I did the 1/4 mile in 15.66 with mine. The available stages for the car provide a new level of excitement. The only problem I have is that Pontiac stopped making the coupe Grand Prix.

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  Just amazing! - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By American Muscle - August 21 - 4:40 am

  Words cannot describe how truly amazing this car is. Having owned many other sport cars in the past I didnt think I was going to get much better. Boy was I wrong! The Formula has an extemely powerful LS1 engine which is the same engine in the Corvette. The engine is incredibly smooth and sounds great. Also, I get 26 miles per gallon highway! I ran 13.48 at 105mph (stock) and I have the conservative 2.73 gears in the rear end. I am not one to insult the inports but those cars (300zx turbo, 3000gt vr4 and rx7 turbo) have nothing on this car when it comes to straight line acceleration plus it handles very well. The only import car I would put up against it is a Supra TT. Drivers race!