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:

• 

  Love it - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By scott - October 24 - 4:03 pm

  I have put 21,000 miles on my car and consistently get around 30 MPG. 80 highway 20 city. I have read the reviews and all the people complaining about radio, seats and engine performance, and other stuff. Let me tell them and you, do not go cheap, get the GT loaded up. The only option I did not get is the automatic. I did not want it. This little car handles just fine in the snow too. Traction control is very helpful. I have had no trouble with it so far. (8 months) If you are thinking of buying one, do not hesitate. Just go buy one.

• 

  The Ultimate Sleeper - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By Richy Rich - October 24 - 10:00 am

  If you ever pull up beside a quiet sounding Formula Firebird, dont test it. This is the fastest car Ive ever drove. And most the people I show it to assume its a 6 cyl. because of the stock exhaust. The Firebirds are some of the best looking cars on the market, and the 350V8 Really backs its up.

• 

  Wonderful Pontiac - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Bob - October 23 - 11:16 am

  2 1/2 half years experience, 31500 miles. Replaced the battery this week, no other issues. Changed Bridgestones for Goodyear Eagle F1 A/S - 10,000 miles on the Goodyears, just do it. Upgrades - K&N Series 63 intake system, Magnaflow muffers (yeah they sound mean), upgraded floor mats and piano black dash trim kit. Adding LED taillights soon. White exterior/sand ultra lux leather interior. No Nav or optional paint. A+ build quality. Have some fun? Disconnect the battery overnight - drive the GXP hard the next day over several drive cycles. Becomes a REAL hot rod (I promise). Rare model - turns heads. Almost 20 mpg town w/27 highway. Wanna race?

• 

  Love it!!!!! - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Jeni - October 21 - 4:40 pm

  This is my first car and Im so in love with it. I bought a bright yellow 2003 Sunfire GT fully loaded and its one sweet ride. It handles well and when the pedal hits the floor you better hang on tight for the ride! Its hard not to speed with this baby - getting cruise control added this week :)

• 

  Pontiac Momtana SV6 - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By b burns - October 20 - 8:10 am

  Very nice vehicle, DVD for the kids&plenty of room. Decent fuel economy W/ a great ride. Glove box is a little cheap, excluding that it was a great buy!

• 

  Driving the Pontiac Vibe - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Lou Welke - October 19 - 8:33 am

  This Pontiac Vibe is one of many Pontiacs that I have owned. Having AWD on this car is awesome I was driving on packed snow and ice and it just kept on going and driving through deep snow didnt stop it and I passed vehicles on my street that had fwd and were stuck. The acceleration is very good and the gas mileage is acceptable. This is a great car and my wife loves it. We just drove from Grand Rapids Mich. to Pensacola Fl with a lot of baggage and it had lots of room for all of it.

• 

  Fun car to drive without sacrificing MPG - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By weaslespit - October 18 - 4:33 am

  My wife bought this car in October of 2004 and we have enjoyed it every day since. The handling is excellent, acceleration is good and the fold-down rear seats allow for vasts amounts of cargo space when needed. I also get great MPG (28 average). Edmunds rates that the engine is noisy, but I disagree. You can hear the growl without having to shout over it which is exactly how I think it should sound! I agree with all of the Pros listed by Edmunds. I wish our car had the HUD as that is the only option that our GP does not have. Mechanically, our I-shaft experienced stick-slip, but it was covered under warranty and was taken care of by the dealer without issue. No other issues since

• 

  Still great to drive! - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Happy with this one - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for 6 years and a month. I has been much more reliable and gets about the same gas mileage that my slower and smaller Grand Am owned before. At 65000 miles it is still running great. I intend on keeping this car for a few more years based on its behavior (knock on wood), so far so good. Still get confused as a new rental car with my friends.I havent noticed much improving on the 04 model to make me jump over to the dealership at this point.

• 

  2003 Pontiac Grand Am GT - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By KWAH - October 18 - 2:00 am

  This is my first GM vehicle. The car drives and runs pretty good. Wind noise is pronounced when driving on a windy day. Gas mileage could be better. The V6 is quick and has lots of torque. I am pretty satisfied with my purchase.

• 

  From Toyota to Pontiac - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By norton - October 17 - 11:10 pm

  After owning Toyotas for 35 years, I finally bought a new US auto. 06 GTP with the 3.9L engine. At the dealership I had no intention of buying a new car as I was there only to pick up the company vehicle. But there it was. $5k off red tag, $1k incentive + $1k off for owning a Toyota.$22k with all the options that I think that you can get. The last time that I had this much fun was when I bought my 04 Roadster. Gas mileage may be lower then expected, but what price can you put on fun. The 3.9L is snappy and the car handles well. If there was one thing that I dont like, might be that the exhaust could be a bit more throaty like the GTO.