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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  Cool hoop - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Chris - October 10 - 1:46 am

  I have had this car for about 2 years. It has about 40,000 miles on it and has been very reliable. My only complaint is that the body moldings on the two rear doors are separating from the door. Also, the front air cowl is too low and hits the parking curbs. All in all, this has been a very good car for me.

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  80,000 miles and still going strong - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By rdm - October 9 - 2:20 am

  My car has been great so far. No major problems and the regular maintenance has been inexpensive.

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  Good Little Car - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bob - October 8 - 11:33 pm

  I switched to a vibe after owning a Dodge Ram 1500, mainly because of the gas mileage. I really enjoy this little car better than I expected. I forgot how fun it is to drive a car. Im a big guy (64" 310 lbs) and this car has plenty of room for me. I love all the storage compartments everywhere. If youre in the market for good gas mileage and lots of seating and cargo room, this is the car for you.

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  We love our solstice! Fun and awesome!!! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By ROBERT BOUCK - October 8 - 7:53 pm

  We received our Solstice 12/21/06,1st day of winter Solstice! We love this car.It is bright red and beautiful, handles like a dream, takes curves,etc. with great stability.The radio is great with 6 speakers and XM radio.Everywhere we go, kids from 4 to 80 yrs. old yell "Nice car" or "I like your car" as we are driving down the road. People ask us if we like our car because they are thinking of getting one. Of course, we tell them we love it,and they add "Then we are getting one, too!" These cars sell themselves.The only disadvantage is the small trunk space, but who cares! We have managed just fine! Thanks, Pontiac for a WONDERFUL ride! It makes us smile just getting into it! YAHOO!!

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  Turned out better than I thought - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Need4seats - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Overall, a good van. Beware of reviews with one major problem with van. Any vehicle line can have a bad car or two. Had some minor annoying trips to mechanic for recalls, etc, but overall at 62000 miles, it is working great. Acceleration is better than any other minivan Ive used. Features are great. Only 8 seat minivan available at time I purchased (I need the seats).

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  Pontiac (2001) Sunfire - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By warmblood2002 - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Pontiac sunfire for almost 3years now. It handles and drives great. I love this car. The fuel economy is worth it. It is n;ot a gas guzzler like some of these other cars you see out there. Plus, it is sporty!

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  Great vehicle!! - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By myndcrym - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Love the styling. The ride is great. Just a little under powered but can still get up and go when needed. It has a ton of room. Buying used gets the best deals. Jeremy

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  GREAT PERFORMER, STYLISH AND DEPENDABLE. - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By zippadeedudah - October 7 - 2:00 am

  HAD A FORD FOCUS PREVIOUSLY.....SAME PRICE AS THIS CAR. WHAT A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE.

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  pontiac gt2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tracy mello - October 7 - 2:00 am

  best care i have ever bought

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  I love my Grand AM - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By The Guru - October 6 - 3:13 pm

  I call my car a mini-rocket..Superb Acceleration..good mileage as compared to the cars in the same segment. No issues with the maintainence as such, small tweaks bound to be there. Only discomforting thing I found is the way the center console tilts towards the driver. Thats one of the small things.