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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  Yes, this was the car I expected. - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Zambini - March 19 - 1:20 am

  Exactly what I expected it to be after reading the literature and tons of reviews. It is a great ride, and very willing to perform. A few minor oddities, like the cup holder placement and lack of courtesy lights for rear passengers, but nothing that affects the overall drive-ability. It is a shame it was cut. It was destined to be a top performer in the GM line.

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  The Vibe is a nice car for retired folks - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By randy - March 18 - 1:40 am

  I have about 3200 miles driven and am well pleased with the vehicle. I researched and test drove many vehicles. This car met the needs of our family. My wife and I are recently retired and went down to only one car. The Vibe gives us a roomy interior for carring home groceries and for hauling materials for my home inprovement projects. The gas mileage is pretty much on target. I do lose about 2.5 MPG when I use the air and also when the air temp. drops below freezing. The head room is amazing, I am 6-3" and even with a sun roof there is more than I need. Leg and hip room are also quite adequate.The Vibe seem to handle very well and the engine is responsive. The style is also great.

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  Ricks review - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Rick Joy - March 17 - 12:16 pm

  For the price this is the best handling fastest car I have ever owned. It is a super fun car to drive. With the options available it is really nice looking.

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  Montana Van - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By TDAWG - March 17 - 6:13 am

  Overall the Montana is a very nice van. We bought it used, 2 years, with 34000 miles in great condition. I really like the van. The size, the easiness of loading/unloading, the pep in the 6 cylinder engine is more than enough, very quick and handles wonderfully, especially for a long/extnded mini-van. We love all the electronic gadgets but have had numerous little problems with several of them.

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  No Complaints - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By spyglass - March 17 - 5:50 am

  I have the 1.8L with the automatic option. Some professional reviewers knock it because it isnt "fun" like a BMW or a Porsche. Well for the money the car is great. Build quality is A-1. Seating is comfortable and it can take 4 passengers a long way before any of them start to feel cramped. Bought it for our son who is 62" and 215 lbs (football player). He loves it. Gets great mileage. We got in the neighborhood of 34-36 mpg on the highway with the cruise control set at 70 mph. The 4sp auto tranny shifts smooth and the 1.8 engine wont win any races, but its ideal for a car this size. Would buy it again in a heartbeat.

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  Water pert near floating spare tire - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By laniki - March 16 - 9:22 pm

  I can not find the source of the leak. I had to use the spare in the middle of winter and had to chip ice in the middle of a snow storm to access my spare!!! I almost tore out the wires for the trailer plug removing it! Car washes and heavy rain fill this compartment up to the tire!!! I have caulked all possible leak points that I can see to no avail. Any help in this matter would be appreciated.

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  loved my car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By xkelsox - March 16 - 5:36 pm

  Great car. My dads a mechanic and said it was known that almost every one will blow a headgasket mine did that was the only problem with it \, decent on gas if u drive without a lead foot, wasnt that great in winter I recommend putting studded tires on it, controlled way better in snow with them. Very sporty! My inside was loaded very Nice leather, car would heat up really quick in winter that was a plus! All in all love the car

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  Old, Mostly Reliable. - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By GrandAmCaravan - March 16 - 12:20 pm

  Ive had this car since it was nearly brand new and I have never had anything major go wrong with the engine. However, various stupid things go wrong with it, instead. Design flaws include: The back wheel wells were designed so rocks chip the corners of the back doors and it rusts like crazy, the security system will randomly cut off the fuel so it wont start, the exterior mirrors will break off if a light breeze blows past, there is something in the front doors that scratches the windows, and the brackets that hold up the power windows are flawed and break easily. Also, many parts are flimsy plastic that break. Other than that its a solid vehicle thats a good size and drives well.

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  GM still doesnt get it quite right - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By alanb - March 16 - 10:00 am

  Bought this 2004 Bonneville 2 weeks ago. It was delivered with rusted brake rotor hubs that look like they came out of a scrap yard. If they are going to use these new style, very open wheel designs, they need to treat the brake hardware so that it doesnt rust like crazy. Also, the chrome plated aluminum rims have chrome bubbling and flaking off the clearly visible inside diameters. Dealer has ordered 4 me new wheels. This is shameful. The A/C cools erratically for the first 2 or 3 miles of driving. And this car came from the GM plant that JD Power rated the best in North America!! How can that be????

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  70,000 Miles - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Brandi - March 16 - 2:23 am

  I keep up the maintenance on it and I drive it with care. I have not had any of the brake and rotor problems that I read about. I did have a loose screw in my brake caliper and something was wrong with my rack and pinion that was covered under my warranty. The seats are hard and unsupportive. The plastic on my factory radio buttons has peeled off from normal use and until the motor warms up it has trouble switching gears (since I hit 60,000 miles). I get great gas mileage though around 28 MPG. Also due to the design, the back doors stay dirty and I cant keep them clean. I would recommend this car, but dont buy one new or you will be 8-10k upside down as soon as you drive off the lot.