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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  Horrible - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Lala - June 27 - 6:43 pm

  I bought my G6 and at first loved it, until it snowed. These are the worst cars to drive in the snow ever! Battery went dead and now the cd player is broke. I will have to buy a new cd player for $350. I hate everything about this car, cloth seats are horrible and very uncomfortable.

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  The Nice Pontiac - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Jake - June 27 - 6:00 pm

  Well, my mom had to go to Chattanooga. So, we had to rent a car. So, it was a choice to rent a brand new Kia Optima or a Pontiac G6. So, I chose the Pontiac G6. But, when we drove off onto the freeway I saw my mom was going 100 mph! But, the car was in kph! We did not live in London or anything related to that. So, we had to drive like this the whole way to Chattanooga. It was too late now because we were already on the way to Chattanooga. But, we managed to get to Chattanooga safely.

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  best buy - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By fact finder - June 27 - 3:53 pm

  Vibe is Toyota Matrix twin but COST LESS,has XM radio,floor mats,stability control,and onstar at no charge [these cost extra on Toyota]also has 5 year 100,000 mile warranty, gas mileage is 2 to 4 mpg better than promised 25city/31 highway, motor and automatic transmission are extremely smooth,easy to load and unload with rear seats down, comfortable smooth ride

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  Great "Sporty" Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By G6-GT-Owner - June 27 - 11:13 am

  Ive owned this car for 3 months, and I am very pleased with this car. I personally spent alot of time researching and test driving different cars and this is what I settled on. A foreign alternative to this car would cost me an additional $6,000, and none of them would have pleased me like the G6 Coupe. The performance is great for its class. Passing cars is a breeze compared to my 00 Taurus. The front seat is very comfortable and has plenty of head/leg room for my 60" frame. The remote start and heated seats are a MUST HAVE for this car. Granted this is not a sports car, even in the GT/GTP packages, but they definitely make for sporty, comfortable, and classy daily driver.

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  nice little car - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By red98grandamse - June 27 - 2:00 am

  No real problems as of yet, other than the ABS sensors getting dirty...

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  trans am ws6 review - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By t/a man - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Though minor problems have been experienced, such as mass airflow sensor,this car is a joy to own, and even more fun to drive. Reliability has never been an issue,nor has ride quality, as some might think. The ws6 ram air package is also worth its weight in gold. In summary, I would most definately recommend this car to anyone in the market, and I plan to still have this car for many, many years to come.

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  The "car" of the future - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By djemterry - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Not really a car, suv or wagon, its a great combination of all three. This is what "cars" should be like in the future--durable, good fuel economy, roomy, comfortable, stylish, practical, and flexible. You can feel and see Toyota quality, but also enjoy Pontiacs sporty styling (much better than frumpy-looking Matrix) especially with the gray body cladding instead of the more expensive and easy to scratch/chip body-color sides.

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  GREAT CAR - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By D.Reed - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Just picked up a GTP with COMP G package. Love this car! I looked at the Monte Carlo SS, Accord EX V6, and the Mazda 6. This car just overall beat the others hands down on performance and overall value. The dealership really made the deal with no pressure, and only 1 trip back to the sales manager. When I told them my bottom line, there was no argument. Bottom line got the car for 1313 less than Edmunds TMV!

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  Grand Am Cup Holders - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Pamela - June 25 - 11:16 am

  I absolutely hate the cup holders...the design makes no sense at all (in front of the gear shift). When the car is in park you cannot have a cup in the cup holder. In addition the cup holders are so shallow that everything tumbles out and spills on the carpet. I also hate the sun visor...they are so small, they are of no use! I went to edmuds.com to book out my car and the resale is very poor. I also have a 2002 Honda CRV with 100k+ miles and the value is 6 times higher than my pontiac. We have had continuous problems with the tail lights. and the..we keep replacing bulbs ..there was a bulletin on this also....The radio volume no longer works...

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  Sporty Looking! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By CLEOPATRA - June 25 - 10:00 am

  My 1999 Grand AM GT 4-Door, Black, Leather Interior Fully Loaded, was purchased ...after looking at various GM vehicles I found this one very much applealing to the eye, as well to performance. This is the best vehicle I have owned..roomy, sporty looking, great handling features. Good performance vehicle, has guts..when needed....Excellent Purchase