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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  a o k - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By gtman - May 22 - 2:00 am

  it rocks and i wouldnt sell it ....shes my baby

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  Awesome Car - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By LouisZ03 - May 22 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Grand Prix in January of this year and i love it. The car has a lot of power and it handles really well. On the street, it is more than a match for other coupes in its class. The interior is comfortable and the controls are easy to use.

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  How dumb can GM get! - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By Cancerman - May 22 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my black 3.8l 5M Camaro some months ago and still love it. Bargain performance. Great fun to shift. 205 horsepower blows away the pitiful little more expensive imports.Love the look--sleek and sexy. Seating is adequate, although sometimes difficult to see the gauges unless the wheel is positioned correctly. Its a shame that GM cant see the value in this excellent product.

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  Great overall car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bob - May 21 - 6:26 am

  Although this cars acceleration isnt as great as a sports car its other features overtake this small detail. Its very fun to drive, very roomy, and I always get a look from my friends when I drive it. I take it everywhere every chance I get!

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  Yellow 04 Sunfire - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Tiff - May 19 - 8:46 am

  I bought my yellow Sunfire used. It had 23,000 miles on it. I now have 35,000 on it and love it. Traveling back and forth to college everyday, the car is very reliable. It goes great in the snow and even has a decent stereo system that sounds great with the windows down and the sunroof open. The only problem is that I had to put tires on a little over a year after the dealer put new ones on in the trade in. Occassionally has a rough start up in cold weather but overall the car was a great choice for my first car. My car also features a factory installed stripe package covering both doors that captures the attention of people along with the bright yellow color.

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  Aztek Rocks! - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By mf12345678 - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Overall, best value for this size suv.Sure you can get more conventional looks, but it ,ll cost 5-10k more. Plus, i like the sporty lines and while i think they could be a little more refined, say along the lines of a larger version of the vibe, the actual sillouette of the car is very much the same as the new bmw suv and the lexus 330. Pontiac pioneered it, and while the others may have arguably improved on it,theyre remarkably quite similar. Car mag also complained about the split rear window, yet honda sports cars have used them since the 80s and mercedes does also. The car is priced like a cute ute yet hauls like a mid size. It really cant be beat.

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  Fun to drive!!!! - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By camarosm - May 18 - 2:00 am

  The Grand Prix GTP is a great all around vehicle it combines all the qualities of luxury,sports,family and flat out Muscle cars. The 3800 series 2 supercharged V6 is a proven performer with plenty of torque and horsepower all the way up to its 6,000 rpm redline.

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  Simple Truth - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Millster - May 18 - 2:00 am

  The 2004 Pontiac Vibe is a good choice with todays gas prices and the rising cost of automobiles. Its looks are a bit deceiving because the interior spaciousness is huge even though the outside looks small. Im 64" and 215 and I am very comfortable when driving the vehicle and needless to say, it is easy on gas with 30 plus city and 40 plus highway. For 20 thousand dollars it cant be beat.

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  I love this car!!! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jason Bledsoe - May 17 - 10:00 am

  After losing my first 1999 Grand Am SE in an auto accident I decided to try somthing new and bought a 2000 Mercury Cougar. After only 2 1/2 weeks of owning the Cougar it was in the shop getting a massive repair. I thought to myself "I never had to do this with the Grand Am". So after I got it out of the shop I went and traded the Cougar in for a 1999 Grand Am GT. And I love it. It is the best move I have made. I understand that sometimes some people will get a bad car of any make and model, but it is the Pontiac Grand Am that has made me a Pontiac man for life. I always say to anybody I see "Buy a Pontiac"

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  1 yr, 26000 miles - Nice Car - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Nancy - May 16 - 8:26 pm

  I waited for the AWD to return in 2009, and am happy I did. Nice, tight steering, it has more pickup than my 6 cyl Stratus, & the AWD plows through snow like a champ. Lots of cargo space and super-versatile layout. I can fit almost anything that would have fit in my Blazer. CONS: I wish the Vibe offered more options. In this day and age, itÂ’s crazy that you canÂ’t get power seats even if you want them! Like others, I noticed the chippy paint, but thought it was due to living on a rocky dirt road. Also, everyone is raving about the milage- itÂ’s ok, but I think a car of this size could do better. Overall, I LOVE it! This is a great car for the money and I would happily buy another.