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:

• 

  great car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By checkmate - August 6 - 10:20 pm

  54,000 miles on it so far. had no problem with it yet.good car for the winter. had no problem getting around.the car has a lot of power. nice looking car.

• 

  great car - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Tom - August 5 - 10:20 pm

  I have owned this car for 5 years. I bought it used with 35,000 miles and now has 225,000 on it. Only problem was the fuel pump went out at 150,000. If all cars were this reliable then auto makers would go out of business. Awesome car. The 2.4 L is very peppy and 32 mpg. What more could I ask for? Did I mention this car is an automatic?

• 

  Great new Pontiac - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Jules - August 5 - 7:46 pm

  My wife and I just traded in our Mustang V6 and bought the G6 V6 with the 3.3l a month ago and were really pleased. Even though the G6 has a smaller motor than the Mustang, the G6 has more get up and go, way better on gas and plenty more room. It was rated @32mpg on the highway and on one of our trips we averaged a whopping 34.9mpg, way better than I expected. Im glad we got the V6 over the 4 cyl. With that kind of mileage, why would you get a 4 cyl.?

• 

  se are just as good - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By country city boy - August 4 - 6:26 pm

  This is my primary vehicle to drive and I am geet great gas mileage that exceds the mileage listed on the sheet. 20-25 city and 33-36 on the interstate. People complain about the 2.4 but when it drops 2 gears on the interstate it does not seem so wimpy.

• 

  Simply Put...FUN!!! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Claudia - August 4 - 7:46 am

  It was hard waiting the 13 weeks to get my Deep Blue Baby, but the wait was worth it. I have the most fun driving with the top down...and I dont mind traffic (sometimes) since it gives others the chance to check her out. Love the attention she garners. Hope they keep the production numbers down so that I own something more unique ... and keeps the value up. Just wish there was a door lock button inside the car... that would make much easier access to unlock the passenger door instead of stretching over or fumbling for the remote. Other than that, everything else about the car is an absolute THRILL!!!

• 

  Mostly Good, Just A Couple Quibbles - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By DennyMo - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Two kids in car seats, a 54" mom and a 63" dad: definitely a challenge to find an affordable vehicle that we all would fit into. Full-size sedan/wagon? Getting car seats in and out of a car is a contortionists exercise. Minivan? Blah. Full-size SUV? Too big, too expensive. The Aztek is the best, almost perfect, fit. Only regrets: we wish wed gotten the power seats and CD changer.

• 

  worth decreases too fast - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By kim Pettus - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Overall satisfied, jsut ready for a change

• 

  the greatest - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By gittings - August 2 - 2:00 am

  great to drive and its fun

• 

  Joy Ride - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By STEP - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Its a complete joyride everytime I get behind the wheel. This is the smoothest manual trans - shifting is smoother than on some automatics Ive driven! The power is simply amazing. Granted, the fuel economy is not the best. But I have no problem paying an extra visit to Chevron... driving the GTO is an incredible experience. I think I need a cigarette... :)

• 

  Barebones Speed: GTOs BAAAAAKKK! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By spiffx77 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Quality + big engine = huge FUN!!!!