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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  Great Car - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By bflbarlow - August 20 - 5:15 am

  I bought this car with 155,000 miles on it for a straight $2000 in 2008. I loved my Bonnie, but I was a pretty brutal driver. Although some things broke (lever for high beams, speakers, side mirrors, etc), Im actually surprised more didnt break under some pretty heavy use. The only engine problem I had was serpentine belt snapping that lead to a few other problems such as a blown radiator and teaked power steering. I took this car to DC and back a few times and had an extremely comfy ride. This car is HUGE and great for moving. Has great pickup and gets to 100 easily. Bad city mpg, but great hwy mpg approaching 28-30mpg (lazy 5th gear). Heavy handling, but fun enough to drive. Great Car.

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  My Second Vibe/part two - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ron - August 19 - 8:40 pm

  I must admit that I too was driving my Vibe for the first week in third gear not realizing that 3rd gear is left and 4th(overdrive) is right at the same position on the automatic shifter. That erases my earlier comment on the need for a "4(forward)speed transmission" as the 1.8L Vibe has one. ...not sure I understand the comment about the noisy ride as mine drives quietly---certainly less noise than in the 03 version. Looking forward to 200K miles in this vehicle!

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  cool car - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By The trans am - August 19 - 12:13 pm

  I dont know what to say, its a youths car. its very impressive. I race it on a drag track some time and its a beast

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  The new and improved Pontiac GTO - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Brien Levy - August 16 - 12:43 pm

  For some reason, the new GTO has been ignored by the reigning car magazines but theyre missing a great machine for performance comparisons. The main complaint is the exterior styling when compared to the new Mustang GT. A point missed is that Mustang sells a ton of smaller engined units that look like the GT so owners see themselves coming and going. The GTO doesnt look like a kids hot rod but it runs like one and its handling is far superior. Its ride and comfort befit a high-end sedan. So, if like me, you were a teenager when the first GTO hit the streets but youd now feel silly driving a teenagers car, consider the 05 version. Youll get all the storm and fury and feel pretty cool.

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  A fun car to drive - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Gayle - August 16 - 8:13 am

  I have owned many cars in my fifty years of driving and I rate the Vibe close to the top of them. It is a fun car to drive, handles great, looks good, economical to operate and very versatile to haul stuff with. I plan on keeping this one a while.

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  First Impressions- short ownership - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Don Adams - August 16 - 1:36 am

  We have only owned vehicle for a very short time, but extremely impressed with ride quality for such a small, short wheelbased vehicle. Having owned GM full size & luxury Models all my life , this is a pleasant surprise-- Handling and cornering are equally impressive- vehicle feels like its on rails during sharp, quick cornering. Overall visibility and ease of manual top operation are great. My wife absolutely loves this car and is making it her daily driver.

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  Great Car - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Goatin - August 14 - 11:06 am

  Simple: Best car Ive ever owned. The performance and build quality are absolutely unmatched in this price range. I also love the uniqueness of this car. Ive currently seen only one other GTO on the road other than mine. Ive heard a lot of complaints about the styling, but Ive been getting constant compliments on how nice the car looks since the day I brought it home. Awesome car.

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  vibe - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By DJF - August 14 - 10:00 am

  Sits high like a van, yet you dont have to climb in. Each seat, except for the drivers folds down.

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  Loved it at first!! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Karens commuter - August 14 - 10:00 am

  This car is a great car. Fun to drive, great looking, fits all sizes... at first the gas milage was 32, now it averages 26-28. Still good, but not what i wanted. There is no back support and if you commute, invest in a pillow!! That is my number one complaint. Other than that, I love it. (it looks bigger than it really is)

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  I love my Aztec - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By Cricket - August 14 - 10:00 am

  At first I thought that this was an ugly vehicle but I have changed my mind different yes but not ugly. I enjoy it very much.