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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  New 2009 Vibe - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Vibe Owner - June 11 - 10:23 am

  I love my 2006 Vibe and purchased it due to the reliability in northern snow, gas mileage & the height of the seating, head room and the ability of additional load capacity when the back seats are down. I also love the side covers that protect the bottom of the doors and around the tires where road rocks put pings on most autos and hurt the paint. Your new 2009 Vibe has changed most of the good features by lowering the height of the auto, making it less apt to maneuver in deep snow. Lowered the angle of the windshield at a loss of head room and removed the protective side panels so the new 2009 would look sportier.

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  2006 Grand Prix Sedan (Base) - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By MawDeuce - June 10 - 4:36 pm

  My previous car was a 1997 Bonneville, Series II 3.8L V6. I have to say, that with this new Grand Prix, I felt so secure with the purchase because the engine is just exceptionally dependable and easily modified. Id never owned a GP like this one, and so far I absolutely love it. Easy to maintain, smooth shifting, and somewhat powerful(could use some mods though). I cant wait for dual exhaust, short RAM intake and my new hood. I have to say that the shifty squeaking/clicking I get in the steering column is something I could do without though. The factory sound system is more than I expected, with more than enough bass to keep me happy for a while.

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  Pre-Retirement Thrill - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By slnews - June 9 - 8:10 pm

  In my search for a comfortable, roomy car for a big and tall person like myself, the Bonneville was last on my short list. After driving it, I had to have it! Deceivingly roomy, yet drives and performs outstandingly. The creature features are just enough to pamper me but not too much to spoil me. Id rather have a responsive "big" car in todays deteriorating roads, jam packed with inattentive (aka cell phone handicapped) drivers. The 3.8 liter V6 is the perfect bridge between typical 3.5s and less that cars around this weight class usually get, and the gas guzzling V8s. I dont know if its on purpose, but Pontiac dual exhausts have always "growled", which you wont hear in a Buick!

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  Great car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By GOAT CONVERT - June 9 - 6:50 pm

  Excellent car, everything the edmunds review says it is. Great handling, power, comfort, and surprisingly fuel economy( 28 mpg hwy ) understated appearance, much like the first generation gto looked like grandmas tempest with a hot rod engine. Love the car !!

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  WOW!!!! Sit back and hold on!! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Nick - June 8 - 3:46 pm

  I think I got the last one in the midwest. Whatever, I think there were only 1823 built. Still working on that one. This car is ridiculous, a 3900 lb. car 0-60 in 4.5? Yes. Im 55, this is the best, most fun car I have ever owned, and Ive owned some, from corvettes to T-bird Super Coupes that were not stock, very fast. This thing is it. Even the Stereo is ridiculous. Oh, by the way, I could care less what the gas mileage is. Wonder what this sucker will bring at the Mecum Auction in 15 years when all the muscle cars are gone????

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  Mikes road-horse - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By michael - June 7 - 11:06 pm

  Ive owned two of these now. The manual 5 speed has the best fuel economy. The automatic tran needs to be refined for quicker shift response and less fuel pedle. (You have to floor-board it to get response)

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  My G5 - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Jessica - June 7 - 8:50 pm

  I bought my G5 a week ago and love it. I love everything about the car. The way it drives, the way it rides, absolutely everything. I could have not picked a better car for myself. And the price for a brand new car was amazing. Not to bad.

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  Best American car - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Liz - June 7 - 4:43 am

  I have had mine and have no problem with it. It is the best car I have ever driven. The side mirrors and rearview mirror are needed a little more than on most cars, but if you can drive you can handle it. I would not trade this car for anything. I have had no problem with it. I drive it without abusing it. My family is constantly calling it the "show car" because I am washing it every week. I would recommend this car if you want reliability and most of all fun. We are all tall in my family and all have enough room in it. Great sound system also. Fantastic 8 speaker stereo system. Pontiac really got it together with this car. I hope they keep making it. My next car will be a G6.

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  Still loving it - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Uncle Alan - June 5 - 10:00 am

  Bought this used at 1 yr old w/ 15k miles. I am so happy with it... great performance. Those 240 ponies make you hug your seat on take-off. I have had no shop issues to date... the only thing that I have had to do is add coolant around 4-5months... i dont think i have a leak...guess it just evaporates more than i thought.

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  Get over it! - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Tusktek - June 5 - 10:00 am

  I test drove a lot of vehicles. I was going to buy either an SUV or a Grand Prix GTP. Due to comfort reasons, chose GTP. Went into dealership for GTP came out with 2001 Aztek GT.