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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  Nice car - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By PGPS - June 1 - 2:00 am

  So far this car has been great to me, I bought it 9 months ago and it was nice to me. The acceleration is really good for a heavy sedan, the handling is excellent, its very spacious inside. I have 17 inch wheels on it so the ride isnt that smooth but a lot smother than other cars with 13 or 14 inch wheels. The sound system is awsome. I like the six speaker CD player and even on noisy radio stations it plays clear. So overall the car is awsome I had no problems with at all except change the oil and filter. What I dont like about this car is the where the cup holders are located, its hard to swith gears when its open, other than that its a very nice car.

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  A Great Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Paul Rhamy - June 1 - 2:00 am

  I like this car because its great to drive its got power and very nice stiling (intior & exterior). It stands out in a crowd of kids with there Honda Civics and its fun to show of to people.

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  Great Car- - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Gene - May 31 - 1:13 am

  Great Car, have had more people approach me to talk about car then any other car I have owned. Power is awesome. Car is very easy to drive fast in corners. Best muscle car for the money.

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  bonneville - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By jolaine wagg - May 30 - 4:20 am

  This car handles the road well, corners nicely.It is a beautiful riding car and very comfortable. Fuel economy is good for a V8.

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  G5 is FUN to Drive! - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By timetodrive - May 30 - 3:01 am

  Not only for teens, being a 60+ guy who wanted to try a stick shift again. Bought new, there is now over 18,000 miles on my G5 - all of it put on by me. Its a blast to drive. Id forgotten how much punch a manual transmission provides compared to the non-premium automatics. The freeway on-ramps are fun again and driving in traffic is even much more interesting than driving an automatic. Ive had absolutely no problems with the car. Mileage is over 28 mpg in town and over 35 on the highway - with regular gas and a fairly "heavy" foot. The ride is fairly quiet and comfortable. Finally, my wife loves to go out with me in our "sports car!"

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  What a Blast! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By 2005 GTO - May 29 - 7:03 pm

  I was very happy when GM decided to manufacture another modern day Muscle Car. I had a 68 Impala with a 427 when I was in High School, so when the 05 GTO came out with the 400 HP 6.0 I had to have one. This is the second car Ive owned that makes me smile the minute I turn the key. The big 6.0 V8 jumps to life and the low rumble of the dual exhaust starts your adrenaline flowing. The rest is just pure excitement, amazing acceleration, the sound of that V8 and the brakes reel it in with confidence. The car is also quite rare, you only see a few GTOs a year. I am averaging 20 MPG even with a heavy right foot. So if you have a chance to test drive one, do it, youll buy it.

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  Very disappointed with this ride! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By KCOOK - May 28 - 5:03 pm

  This car has given me nothing but headaches. I had 2 head gaskets blow when it had only 12,000 miles on it. I also cannot keep brakes on this car. It only has 32,000 miles on it and I have had the brakes worked on multiple times. The rotors just do not last. My latest repairs included spark plugs and wires and leaking sunroof just this past week.

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  You gotta get one of these - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Monstrgrn - May 28 - 10:30 am

  Ive owned imports and German cars my entire life. I cant believe I looked at a Pontiac and bought it. Seriously, I know there are lots of people out there like me reading this, this is a fantastic car you would be a fool to ignore it you are looking at BMW. Mercedes, Infiniti, Lexus. etc. Go drive one and tell me Im wrong. This is not the plastic fantastic Pontiac that I remember! It is a refined truly remarkable machine that will blow the doors off of 98 percent of the cars on the road today. Buy one and have some fun, you know you want to.

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  Good Soild Car - 2010 Pontiac Vibe
  By ultrawolf - May 27 - 10:03 pm

  I drove a 10 Vibe, 1.8L, automatic transmission rental for a week, and put 1100 miles on it, almost all highway miles. My wife and I both own 09 Honda Fits (me-Sport, her-Base). Compared with the Fit, the Vibe has a smoother, softer ride, and the powertrain is also very smooth. It shifts very smoothly and the engine has decent enough power considering its only a 1.8L. Even downshifting to 3rd gear at 70 MPH climbing hills, the engine doesnt sound like its going to rev itself to death. Overall, a very competent car. But, compared with the Fit, pretty boring, not at all "sporty". Also, the windows are small, and the high door sills make you feel like youre sitting down in a hole.

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  Firebird Rating - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By Cheri - May 27 - 6:46 pm

  The steering and handling are outstanding and the car has been reliable.