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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  My Beautiful Lava Red Vibe - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By OmahaBob - February 5 - 4:06 pm

  Current miles = 3471. Highest MPG so far using ethanol blend = 32.6. Avg MPG so far = 28.0. I Like: • Price with rebates was good. • Good forward visibility. Easy to enter & exit. • Body is solid, not tinny. • The auto trans is geared well to accommodate small engine; Smooth shifting. • Great utility. • MPG is good, but not great. • I love the handling and easy, quick steering. Comfortable to drive. • I like the anchored front floormats Dislike: • With sunglasses on, can’t see whats on clock/radio screen. With the car in “park” it’s difficult to adjust A/C controls. These are minor. • With the A/C on at 75-80 MPH, it automatically downshifts on some hills and hits 4400 RPM.

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  Great Fun! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By aesmith - February 4 - 10:00 am

  This car is alot of fun to drive. It is quite a bit roomier than it looks from the outside. The fact that the entir rear of the car turns into one large cargo area is probably the best feature. As far as performance goes, it would be hard to find a car that performs better in a small, tight, and fun to drive package.

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  Comfort and style - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Binnsky - February 4 - 10:00 am

  This is a wonderful car. Coming up on our two year anniversary with this car without a problem. Cant believe all weve needed to do is change the oil and rotate the tires. We usually trade every three years or so, but have no plans to sell this one - dont like the looks of the new model anyway.

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  2008 Great Car - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By KAR - February 2 - 3:00 pm

  The 2008 Solstice is a great car and fun to drive. This year the acoustic headliner, 1 year of OnStar, XM radio, input jacks, are all standard. The handling is also great with the Stabilitrac system. The exterior design is second to none.

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  Best Car Ever! - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By PontiacG6 - February 2 - 10:00 am

  I wasnt planning on getting a G6 but when we test drove one at the dealership I fell in love with it. It rides so amazingly, it has every feature I would want and more. The inside is so roomy and it is very sleek looking. It looks great on the outside too. It only gets about 21 mpg but to be honest I could car less because I just love it so much. Seriously best car I have ever owned, too bad Pontiac was discontinued.

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  A solid, fun car - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Brian - February 1 - 11:13 pm

  An excellent vehicle so far! The 3.8L V6/4-speed auto combination is among GMs most reliable powertrains and provides more than ample power in everyday driving. Power delivery is seamless, and merging onto fast-moving freeways is a breeze. More than enough room for four adults (five in a pinch), and the trunk is large with much usable space. I drove a 2003 Grand Prix 43,000 in 2 years without a single problem, and this ones shaping up to be even better.

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  Sporty and affordable - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Mike - January 31 - 1:23 pm

  A nice affordable 4 door sedan. The 4 cylinder is peppy but a little slow on the quick starts from a dead stop while negotiating traffic so I would allow extra time but it puts you back in the seat while passing at highway speeds. Has a a lot of nice features and safety equipment for a car in this price range. The lower corners of the rearview mirror is blocked by the back seat headrests and the blind spots are large forcing you to look over your shoulder instead of relying on the side mirrors. The buttons and knobs have a nice tactile feel to them and are easy to use.

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  Great adventure companion - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By basshed - January 31 - 4:36 am

  I bought the GP after outgrowing an eclipse to take on 4-5hr road trips with the gang. Efficency was a must, but I also like some sport with the utility and that all came together at a great price point with this car. I routinely take 5 friends on 3-day weekends with all the gear. Its never short on space or comfort with routine rotation on who sat in back. Mileage exceeds 27mpg always, even fully loaded and its quick and reassuring when pressed hard. Aside from the known hiccups which were fixed quickly and professionally - bouncy headlights notably and the PCM reflash, its been 10K miles of carefree fun-for-5 getaway adventures.

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  GREAT CAR - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Alan - January 30 - 7:26 am

  The best car Ive owned in my 63 years of living. Iam 63" tall and have all the room I need. My 100lb German Shepard comes with me on errands and seats clean up easily. Again, great car!!!

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  AWESOMEST CAR EVER - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ogr123 - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I love my car. If I ever get a new car i think i will by the same thing except for maybe next tiem i will get the gt or the gtp model