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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  2006 4DR GTP - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By George P - July 5 - 7:20 am

  I traded in my oldsmobile with 236,000 miles and bought the G6 GTP. I love this car. its sporty, has plenty of power and a very nice interior. I have people stop me on the road to ask about it. The panoramic roof is awesome gives the passengers in the rear seat an open roof. The leather bucket seats are sporty with the double colors. The handling of this car is great with the big 18 inch tires. The monsoon radio is loud and crisp which makes listening a good experience.I wish there was 8 days in a week to drive this sports car!

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  All Performance - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By All Performance - July 4 - 11:03 pm

  If you pull up to this car at a red light dont be fooled, its gonna blow your doors off. Best performance car you can get for under 35,000. New 6.0 has that extra feel good punch. Fixed the exterior a little in 2005 with ram air hood and true dual exhuast. Great handling. Smooth ride for a coupe with a sport suspension.

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  Whats not to love. - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Raynald R. Labonte - July 4 - 7:46 pm

  This is the most fun car to drive I have had in a long time, and we lease two new cars every 2-1/2 to 3yrs. I traded in a 2004 Grand Prix GTP (it was totaled in a wreck) with the super charger, and this G6 is just as fast exept for the high speed passing. Everyone that sees it say they love it, young and old. I am 62 and I love it. I have seen pitchers of the hard- top converable they are going to make, and when my lease is up on this one I entend to lease a loaded one of them. Everone that sees it just loves it. Everyone that sees the sunroof open asks to see how it looks in the different posisions.

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  Overall great car - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By GXP doc - July 4 - 8:06 am

  I priced other imports and none of them came close to this car,as far as size,performance and value.I drive approx.100 miles a day and this car is just flat out fun to drive!I have been very pleased with my purchase.The dealer treated me better than any of the import dealers I have dealt with.

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  GM Only Driver - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Trish - July 4 - 3:06 am

  I have not driven a better Pontiac in several years. This car has both a classic and sporty look and feel. The blind spots are just alittle difficult to get used to. Overall this is a great value and expect to enjoy the ride for many years

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  Best Car for Your Bucks - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Stacy Volin - July 2 - 5:16 pm

  If you want a car that can store a lot, look nice and feel comfortable even on long car rides, buy this one. Price is reasonable for everyone. It rides like a Lexus without the price tag. I almost bought a 330X Lexus. Saved myself lots of bucks and gave myself OnStar which is quite an advantage.

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  Fun Car - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By dm - July 2 - 2:13 pm

  This is a fun car to drive, gets decent gas mileage - I get at least 27 on highway and 22 in the city. Youll contantly look at the speedometer because its so easy to go over the limit w/ this car. I have about 15K miles on the car w/ no problems.

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  None better - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By Pontiac - July 1 - 6:26 pm

  We bought our Montana new and have had very good luck with it. We just got back from another trip to NY and got 28 mpg.. very good for a 4,000 lb safe vehicle. We get approx 30,000 on a set of average tires and 30,000 miles on brake pads, unlike stories I hear from other vans. The body looks like new. The galvanized body panels are the best, they resist rust better than any other metal. The original stainless steel exhaust will last much longer. Its still in great shape. The interior does not show wear after all this time. The best interior material we ever had. Our Montana has moved, hauled and transported many kids and material. We will be buying another Pontiac.

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  my 2004 gto - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Earlsgto - June 30 - 2:00 am

  this is the best car I have ever owned. the interior is great and the motor is awesome, this baby has power to spare.it makes you feel like a teenager again when you get behind the wheel.

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  Love This Thang - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By darkback - June 28 - 10:00 am

  I dont know why everyone keeps bagging on this truck. It does everything I need, and more. It also goes everywhere I need to go. I camp, surf, mountain bike, snowboard, rollerblade, and work as a science teacher. I need to haul a lot of crap around to a lot of places. This truck gets me there with room and gas money to spare.