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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  none - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Raynald R. Labonte - May 9 - 2:00 am

  For apperance it needs the chrome wheels as I have. The heads-up with the other add-on it intails, I wish I had and the car would be perfact, The gas miliage leaves a lot to be desired as I only get about ten city, and highway is twenty-one at best. The car is rated 18- 28. I also have the sunroof and leather w/heated seats.

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  G6 junk - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By recii - May 8 - 12:50 pm

  Worst car Ive owned to date. Steering locks randomly on curves. Body lines are not straight. Radio malfunctioning. Car has mild stalling problem. Panaromic roof leaks.

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  Love the car hate the gas - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By stillarebel31 - May 7 - 10:50 pm

  Where is it going? The gas, one minute i can fill my tank on $40.00. 3 days later I am on E. Not happy where is it all going? I am sure not hotrodding it cant afford to go out much or drive all over ) just go to work and back. and i had over a 1/2 tank this afternoon same day i have quarter of a tank... my only problem is the power steering hose and the gas the GAS where is it going... My boyfriend is a mechanic I bought the car from a mechanic and i am getting mad. that i cant keep gas in this car,

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  buy one of these!!! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Driz - May 7 - 8:56 pm

  I love my vibe! After driving a variety of vehicles from SUVs to compacts the vibe is the best of both worlds. The fuel economy of a compact and the interior room of a small SUV, not to mention the feeling of sitting higer than any car I have ever driven. The vibe is fun sporty and on average $1500-2000 less than his Toyota brother. Top that off with the availability of On-Star and you have a real winner in this zippy wagon.

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  A Great GT - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By biggercarrot - May 7 - 10:00 am

  Looks sharp! Handles well in snow. Throw on 4 Blizzak tires and 7 feet of Buffalo snow wont stop you.

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  Grand Prix - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By me01 - May 7 - 10:00 am

  Just sold this car for a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse. It was a good car. Had it for 3 years. It ws reliable, sporty for a midsize sedan. It had good styling and was fun to drive.

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  Tired of American Auto Manufacturers - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SickOfAmericanAutos - May 7 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle was purchased by me about three years ago. I have consistenly gotten 27 MPG. I drive my Grand Prix hard and it still runs like new. However, the whole Wide-Track gimmick is just plain lies. I have driven alot of cars that can out handle this car that arent even GTs. .78 G on the skid pad is a joke. As far as braking goes, these cars are terrible. Noisy and innefective is what I call them. The engine is torquey and strong. It would be well suited for a 5 speed though. This has been a very reliable car, but I would not reccomend it to anyone. There are any number of import cars that are far superior to this car.

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  Major Gremlins - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By Demers Family - May 5 - 11:26 am

  We loved the gas mileage this van got, and the space and comfort was superb, as was the interior configuration. However since we bought it used it had no manufacture warranty, nor dealer warranty. The summer of 2004 the a/c went out, we spent $700 on trying to get it fixed, they thought they fixed it, it died again the next day. Then the bearings went out, and both sets of brakes as well as all the shocks and struts. We only put 25,000 miles on it when we owned it. We put $1000 into it, not counting the a/c and it still needed $1800 worth of work, and two car shops later the a/c problem still could NOT be solved! We traded it for an SUV, it is a sad loss we loved our van greatly.

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  Fun with the Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By JIM PAULE - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Great combination of practicality, economy, and fun in a sensibly priced package. We got 29 mpg on our first road trip at 70 mph with 400 miles on the odometer and this is the awd version! I own two Corvettes, so I understand performance, and the Vibe is lively and fun to drive. I see the Toyota inspired quality which prompted us to purchase the Vibe.

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  Learning Experience - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By andldvor - May 4 - 6:43 am

  Owning the car was fun, obviously it is nice to look at and definitely attracts attention. Before this car I was use to smooth riding coupes or sedans so this was a change in road feel. I realized that I enjoyed driving a smoother ride much better, so am going to trade it in. i also purchased the manual transmission which has become a hassle now that i live in a city with endless red lights. I felt like the engine stuttered a little at times in third. It has never broken down on me or anything like that, but I definitely miss a bigger four door car with a smoother ride.