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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  2.5 yrs later I still love this car - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By JET147 - July 3 - 10:00 am

  I started out leasing this car. I recently bought it because I still love it. I added a flowmaster exhaust, K&N air filter, changed the factory 16" rims to Coddington Shyster 17" rims and put BF Goodrich KDSW tires on it. I run a mix of 2 gal racing 100 fuel mixed with the rest 91 octane. These four improvements have really improved the already excellent performance. Now, I have little tire spinning (even with the tires a little wet), no hesitation or knocking (because of the fuel mix), and with the improved air flow the car is really explosive now. I find the car handles better than most of the reviews I read.

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  Only OK so far - 2010 Pontiac Vibe
  By Joey S - July 2 - 8:03 am

  Ive had this now less than a week. Purchased with a clunker trade in and GM card points. Never would have picked a GM car otherwise. Im taking a lot of abuse at work for its ugly exterior styling. Im experiencing the same issue others have mentioned with the tranny in that it down shifts as soon as you let your foot of the gas. Also with only 140 miles the paint has chipped and is rusted. Nice huh? Well see what the dealer says but Im not optimistic. I wont do GM again. Iderad having to deal with the service department.

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  2000 Grand Am - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mary - July 1 - 10:00 am

  Good buy for the money, but now becoming an expense. Drivers widow motor went out 2 years ago, then air conditioner stopped working a little later. Repair estimates came in starting at $800 so I drove around with no air in Atlantas worst heat in history! The one honest mechanic left in the whole world (Poston Motors, Cumming, GA) bypassed a switch and voila - air! And an oil change: Less than $100.00! Now, dashboard coming apart, both outside mirrors bout to fall off, automatic door buttons & mirror adjustment have fallen through the door panel & yesterday, interior rear view fell off! City mileage: bad, Highway mileage: good Forcing pick-up speed too fast can damage computer.

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  A lot better than a Cobalt - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Chris - June 29 - 10:26 am

  The engine is a bit thrashy while its being gunned. The gas mileage is superb for a 4 cylinder that makes this kind of power. Overall a great value compared to the Tiburon GT, Civic Si, and Mazda 3s.

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  Power, but needs other things - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By BIG B - June 29 - 1:40 am

  I have owned this car for almost 2 years. Overall the car seems good. Real good power from the 3.5 V-6. I get 24.5 MPG. The inside seems a little cheep. I need the visors replaced, the door switch, for the widows replaced, and the black is pealing off the radio. Oh ,and dont even think about a U-Turn in this car.

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  The hot rod has arrived! - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By Mach 5 - June 28 - 3:53 pm

  This car is awesome! It is my first car and I would not trade it. there is zero room in the back. The T-tops are awesome, but they can get cumbersome and annoying to take out and put back in. But this car is Amazing, if you can, get the Ram Air version. This is a fun and sweet ride.

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  2005 GTO Delivers - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Craig Lavin - June 28 - 5:10 am

  Ive had quite a few "Sports Cars" and this new GTO would probably rate the best that Ive owned. It has the handling, power and ride of a true sports car, but it has the front seat comfort of a luxury car. The plush soft leather seating compares to my 87 Corvette, but I dont have to crawl into or out of it. The biggest drawback is the $1400.00 GAS GUZZLER TAX. I average about 21 1/2 mpgs with my driving habits. I would also like to see abit more luxury items in the interior, more trunk space. And I would have jumped at a convertable if it was available.

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  Im in love - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By pegboy - June 27 - 11:33 pm

  My father told me to buy an S2000 and my brother said Miata, so I bought my Solstice. I have never enjoyed driving anything as much as I enjoy taking the top down and cruising in this. It is beautiful, sporty, roomy enough for what I wanted, and most deservingly a head-turner. As for the car critics not enough room, interior needs better styling, needs more power and handling, dont get me started. If it were up to the major critical magazines and publications we would all be driving BMWs and Mercedes anyway. For less than 22K out the door, with rebates and employee pricing, I am fully satisfied and laughing at the Z4s and Kompressors. I think Im gonna buy my wife the coupe. The top needs no improvement. I timed myself with no help other than my buddy pushing start on the stop watch. 10 seconds to lower the top, 8 to put it back up. Tell me your automatic put-the-car-in-park tops can do that.

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  TN Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By John Carrico - June 27 - 11:16 pm

  The Solstice is an outstanding investment that is REALLY fun to drive. The Solstice is a lot more than I expected and a far better car than the Miata, S200 or even the Z3. Everwhere we go we are stopped by people telling us how beautiful the car is, and its even more fun to drive!

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  All right, I suppose. - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By KNOFAC - June 27 - 8:36 pm

  This was my 2nd car, and it was average. Got it used in 07, with about 79,000 miles. The interior is a little cramped despite being a larger coupe. The exterior is sporty and attractive. However, the car never ran too great. It didnt have much kick in terms of acceleration. Its not a very good shock-absorbing car; you can feel every bump. The nagging issue: no matter how many times I reset it, the check oil and ABS lights would not stay off. I took care of it, got routine maintenance, and didnt put a whole of of wear and tear on the car, but I dont think it wouldve lasted long if I was putting 10,000+ miles on it.