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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  transam the legend lives - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By c. hall - September 1 - 10:00 am

  Had problems with paintwork on both sides of roof pillar,all ok now,30,000 on clock and all is ok.

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  Nice Car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By hmiwb3 - September 1 - 10:00 am

  Great little commuter car. Comfortable, manuverable and easy on gasoline. Love the looks, the good performance, easy shifting, and the space for odds and ends.

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  I like it - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Pop-A-G - September 1 - 10:00 am

  This car is perfect for me. More then enough passing power. I dont even have problems passing at speeds of 80 mph (in the 4 cylinder) roomy enough to sit 2 adults and one child in comfort in the back of the 2 door. I get roughly 380 to 395 miles per tank. The engine is quiet and strong. Great car in bad weather to. The snow strom of 2002 didt even stop me.

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  Its My New Baby - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By bobi1956 - September 1 - 3:50 am

  I bought a white one which I strongly desired and drove 150 miles to get it. It has the two tone interior which I love. It rides smooth and corners well. Great value !

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  Very happy buyer-needs quality materials - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Florida dad - August 31 - 2:26 pm

  We bought our 2005 sv6 using the employee discount and paid $25k for a $31k model. Bronze ext., tan int. In the month or so that weve owned the car, weve loved the design- both interior and exterior, enjoy the DVD (I was originally lukewarm about this feature) and my wife loves the powered doors. Performance is adequate, but no more than that. Fuel economy is fine for this type of vehicle. The jury is still out on the usefulness of the storage box behind the rear seat. Sometimes we use it, sometimes not (usually not). At least its removeable. Overall, weve truly enjoyed our purchase and with 2 kids (and a 3rd due in April) we need this vehicles versatility more than ever!

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  My new toy - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By jimmy - August 30 - 2:56 pm

  I purchaced a 2006 g6 GT in november of 2005 when they came out. I couldnt take not having the power i used to have in my grand prix GTP so i traded in the GT for the G6 GTP. It has been an eye-catching black sports coupe. i love everything about it!!

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  Best car ever owned - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By tom - August 30 - 10:00 am

  I bought this 97 grand am in fort hood, tx back in 2005, mind you car already 8 years old. Make a long story short 13 years later and 182,000 miles the only thing I have majorly replaced was the cooling intake and flex pipe by manifold. I see a lot of complaints about this car, make a long story short reason this car is at 182,000 and still going change oil right at 3000 miles. Injector cleaner every other fill up, plugs done at every 5000 miles and etc. Once again best car I ever had

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  A Great Little Car that GM Killed - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Michigan Man - August 30 - 10:00 am

  A great vehicle that unfortunately fell due to the fate of GM. Purchased 2 years ago and no issues at all - always follow the scheduled maintenance and visit a GM dealer. I would purchase a Vibe as my next vehicle if it still existed.

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  GM Got It Right (Again) - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By mIchMlbrn - August 28 - 9:06 pm

  My wife and I were looking for an exotic car without breaking the bank. Corvette, BMW, and another Mercedes were considered. We rode by our local dealership the other evening and WOW, check that out. A Solstice. A friend of mine let me drive his the first day he got it and I wanted one. OK, now I got one and am quite happy with it. The only thing I can say to the GM R&D folks is "do you think you could shoe- horn in a Hi-Po V6? Overall the car is a blast to drive and handles like a dream. I would much rather own this than a Miata. (Im an American) The dealership is great to deal with and I am pleased.

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  As good as Honda Pilot or Rav4 - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Jay - August 28 - 6:23 pm

  Very nice fit and finish and exceptional features for money. Handles freeway and in-town driving very well smooths out the bumps in Southern California freeways. Comfortable seats (couldnt believe they were in a GM product), very good ergonomics and a loud sound system to boot. Bravo GM, you have a repeat customer in me and won my wife away from buying another Toyota.