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 Goat Returns! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By DABT - April 24 - 2:00 am

  The 2004 GTO is an awesome car! I actually like the understated exterior look. The interior is very well done, with excellent head room, and comfortable front and rear seating. The Blaupunkt stereo is also a nice touch. However, for me, the new GTO is all about performance. I have the six- speed manual, and have found the power and ride of my car to be simply fantastic. Bottom line, you are getting Corvette-like performance for $20,000 less. For me, this car delivers the goods at a fair price.

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  Luv my Vibe! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By SusanDL - April 24 - 2:00 am

  I generally dont like smaller vehicles and have owned larger trucks and SUVs for years. Decided I dont need all that room and gas going out the tailpipe, so looked into smaller SUVs. Many are so-so on gas mileage, so started researching these "crossover" vehicles and discovered the Vibe. Went right out, test drove it, loved it and bought one on the spot!!

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  THE GR8 WHITE HOT - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By GR8WHITEHOT - April 23 - 6:10 pm

  The Pontiac G8 GT is a phenomenal creation of performance, value, and yes a family sedan. My wife and I traded our 2008 Lexus IS 250 for this modern day muscle car. She rides quiet and smooth until provoked by your right foot, then shell growl at you. A Corvette with 4 doors for well under 30k unheard of, until now.

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  Wow - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By lea - April 23 - 12:03 am

  I just bought a Grand Am GT and I love it compared to my other car (Ford Focus) I love the power it has in it. And the system is awesome in it. It will beat my boyfriends car now. I wouldnt change anything.

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  Perfect car in every way - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By roger sudut - April 22 - 9:33 pm

  Had this car for 5 years & I still look forward to driving it.For something with such good exceleraton that gets 30.5mpg/24 city who would what a 4 cyl thats not half as fun to drive. I can leave my SUV at home and still haul 8 2x4s with the folding pass. & rear seats. The only problem in 5 years were a water leak @ On-Star antenna & front seat cover tear.Car is tight,no rattles or wind noise just sorry to see Pontiac going away.

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  Great Car - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By RonNV - April 22 - 2:10 pm

  I have driver this car for about seven months. Some computer chip issues which were resolved by the dealer. I got big 19 inch snow tires for this baby since it is not really driveable in snowy weather. That reduced the mileage factor slightly. I used to have a problem accessing the highway ramp in my old Buick Park Avenues. With this car you have zero problem..regular or snow tires the cars acceleration is nothing less than fantastic. It is hard to explain but there is a confidence factor that you have with this car. You know that you can pass virtually any car out there. The brakes are excellent and versatility in emergency situations is really good.

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  DDB - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Donovan - April 22 - 10:00 am

  I chose all tens because I am selling one of these vehicles. but realistically, I would only have issues with a couple things. These are the gas mileage and the blind spots. Power is great for a six banger. The car is useful and the audio system is great.

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  Amazing - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Jared T - April 22 - 3:53 am

  Bought this car for $222 after taxes from my dealership about a year ago. A fillup of chevron gas and a dose of Mystery Oil and she is running like a brand new car with 322,000 miles!!!! Best buy I have ever made. It gets better gas mileage than my 4 cyl camry, and it has more power than any V6 I have ever owned. It runs 90mph without any effort. The ride is smooth and fairly responsive, but it does lack the grip my camry has, which might have somthing to do with the cheap tires it is riding on. Overall I love this car best $222 I have ever spent!

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  LOVE IT - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By LOVE IT - April 21 - 5:43 am

  I have a 2008 Pontiac GT and it is the best car I have ever had. Before I had this car I had a VW that would give me problems all the time. This car tells you everything from gas, to tire pressure, oil needed. EVERYTHING.

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  pontiac GTO is great - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By glenn cummings - April 21 - 12:26 am

  this car is the best car i have ever owned to this point. i am 67 years old but i still have my passion for cars and performance. in high school when everybody was driving fords and chevys i drove a 1950 olds "88". i have always driven performance cars be they two doors, four doors or pickups. in my opinion the GTO is the best i have owned or driven ever.