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 Supercharger! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By MICK - October 4 - 4:10 am

  This is my first brand new car and I love it. Its black and chrome with red calipers. I keep it clean so its sexy all the time. Tinted windows, back illegal, front darkest legal shade. The motor and exhaust sound nice. I have a k/n filter. Didnt see a lot of gas improvement. 22 mpg hwy, 18 city at 50,000 miles. Extremely happy with performance and comfort. The only bad thing in the car is headroom clearance for operator getting out of the car. I love everything about this car. I highly reccomend this car to anyone.

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  12 years and still running - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By cpa0217 - October 3 - 6:46 am

  I bought my Montana new 12 years ago. It currently has 172,000 miles on it. Overall, I have been very happy with it, but I have had a couple of moments. Ive had to replace the intake gasket twice - clearly an issue with this vehicle! Everything else was a result of age & normal wear & tear.

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  Great Car...At First. - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Jones - October 3 - 12:00 am

  We bought the car with only 20k miles on it and when we bought it we did not like the idea of buying another Pontiac because of our previous 1996 Pontiac Grand Am. Basically the Grand Am was just renamed and remodeled into a G6 and still had the same reliablity issues.. So far, we have had the usual Pontiac tranmission replacment, steering column replaced and still having popping issues, cd player broken, keyless entry stopped working (even after replacing battery inside the remote), power steering failing while driving, constant brake issue and rotor warping. This car is fun to drive its not all bad, but Pontiac just covered their issues with a new body style. no improvement.

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  2004 Pontiac Grand Prix gt2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Mel - October 2 - 7:30 pm

  I bought my can in Sept.2004. Since then my car was in the shop and has a new engine put in it. Now my car is making a noise while excelerating. Havent taken it in yet. Over all the car is ok. Would i have know i would of had this many problems i wouldnt of bought the car.

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  bryans aztek - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By xedf003 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  i thank the aztek is a great srv for the active lifestyle that alot of people have today, but the press have such a square minded outlook on cars and trucks that if it looks diffrent than any other car or truck they are to soon to knock it. A gm is so worried about the prsss opion that they have not done alot of promotions on the srv!!!!. Saying all of that, for the features and price this is the best veahicle in its range...

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  I love my aztek - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By hmdb - October 1 - 2:00 am

  I dont care about wanted poeple think about the aztek. Once you drive it you will fall in love with the car

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  Teds Tak - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By Teds tek - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Great Looking, fun to drive, tons of cargo space, many options available.Drives like a car with the ground clearance of an SUV.

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  My Aztek I love - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By vwcar98 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  The car/SRV/SUV has been great. Excellent milage, lots of room and fun to drive. I also love the looks I get from other drivers. Either you love it or hate it. I love it.

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  best small gm car ever - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By maureen s. - October 1 - 2:00 am

  This is my second sunfire purchase and I love this one as much as the first if not more. Its a great car and I have no complaints at all.

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  More than looks - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By mantis406 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Ok, a lot of people hate the looks of the Aztek; I personally love it. There is so much more to this vehicle that makes it really great. Engine has some power to be desired, but it gets great mileage (especially compared to other SUVs) and still has enough power to pull my two snowmobiles down the highway. There are some minor issues like the rear hatch not always releasing, but typically a dealer can fix that while its still under warranty.