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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  The Last Bonneville - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Mark - October 10 - 6:56 pm

  Good looking Bonneville GXP, simplified, clean lines, SE & SLE should follow suit. Smooth, fast, quiet, excellent suspension, holds the road beautifully, though steering is a bit numb. If you want a true full- sized car (and no, Acura TL is not full- sized), and you are partial to American muscle, and sentimental over Pontiac, get a GXP. The sticker shock is worth it. Chrysler 300 Hemi is faster, but tries too hard to look like a Bentley.

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  A Great New Minivan - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By Francis Patt - October 9 - 4:06 am

  The drive was very quiet, much quieter than Chrysler products and much less body roll than either the Honda or the Toyota vans. Acceleration was reasonable, if not peppy, it again was better than other "top reviewed" vans. The power doors arent hard to close and the remote button is awesome. Handlimg was all I would have expected and the braking was excellent. Much better than the priginal Montana and better than the Chrysler product we traded in. Apparently the four wheel disk brakes function much better than the drums in the rear of other vans. This van is for my wife and she loves it. Id say GM hit a homerun with this vehicle.

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  2003 aztec - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By cassie_1 - October 7 - 10:00 am

  veratrack make it handle as good as the higher cost cars lexus/porsche.

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  2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ALONZO JONES JR - October 7 - 10:00 am

  FOR SOMEONE SHORT LIKE 4FT 11 INCHS THE SEATS NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST THE HEIGHT. WOULD BE NICE BECAUSE THE SEATS SIT SO LOW SOMEONE SHORT HAS TROUBLE SEEING WHICH MAKES FOR A LOT OF BLIND SPOTS,OTHER THAN THAT THE CAR HAS A WONDERFUL FEEL AND IS COMFORTABLE TO RIDE IN ,WE USUALLY HAVE OUR GRAND CHILDREN WITH US DOES NOT FIT CAR SEATS VERY COMFORTABLLY THIS IS NOT FOR A LARGE FAMILY BUT 3 OR 4 CHILDREN IN THE BACK IS DO ABLE.TRUCK SPACE IS NICE I ALSO LIKE THE FACT THAT THE BACK SEATS CAN LET DOWN FOR MORE ROOM THAT IS A PLUS FOR SHOPING AND FISHINF AND MANY OTHER THINGS.

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  Great Car - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Shattered7 - October 7 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car that I purchased new last summer. Excellent fuel mileage and its so fun to drive for a 4- cylinder. I do have a small rattle in the driver door that I have taken in once and its back again, so who knows what that is. Not too bad though. Considering everything else it great. Stomp on the gas and GO!

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  Pontiac Grand Prixs Rock!!! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By TommyTrout - October 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my 5th Pontiac Grand Prix and I think its the best of the bunch. Great ride with extremely responsive handling. Love the styling and the new graystone metallic colour looks amazing.

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  One Super Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Allen Payne - October 7 - 10:00 am

  This is one fun car to drive. The performance is terrific and attention to detail is superb. I have over 6000 miles now in three months and cannot find one flaw. Everything fits perfectly. I am very proud to be an owner of a Grand Prix.

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  Love it! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Brian - October 6 - 11:40 pm

  I recently purchased the 06 G6 GTP sedan. I absolutely love it! The car is fast, the stereo is loud and the panoramic roof is excellent. TONS of room in the back to get my 5 year old in and out. If you have kids, and want performance this is definitely the way to go. Anyone who drives it absolutely loves it. Recommend to everyone.

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  The "G" in G6 stands for great! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By JP - October 6 - 11:16 am

  My wife and I fell in love with the 2006 G6 sedan when we first saw it and took it for a test drive. It is a great car that is a lot of fun to drive. If youre not careful, you can be going alot faster then you realize, as it has a very smooth/comfortable ride and pick up and go. I am extremely happy with everything about our car! We highly recommend a G6 to everyone.

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  Cool Aztek - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Zetta7 - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Nice features and fun to drive, good visibility up front, get a little round convex mirror for each side to cover blind spots.