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:

• 

  Unexpected Sunfire - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By firewire007 - January 19 - 10:00 am

  Was going for a back and forth to work shuttle. Got a car that was fun to drive, both economic and powerful enough for the highway, reliable, well- built, and it even looks good. Fold down rear seat gives extra utility. Car just makes me feel good.

• 

  Very Satisfied - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By KyDave - January 19 - 4:06 am

  After selling a Honda S2000 over year ago I decided to jump back into the vert world. The Solstice really wasnt in the running until I got the $3000 dollar coupon from my GMCard. I paid just over 16.5k for a brand new 08 with the wheel package, Monsoon radio (a must), and a few other goodies. The car stickered at $26,062. An unbelievable deal and Im pleasantly surprised with the ride, handling and even the performance of the 2.4 ltr. The fit and finish is great and the materials arent as cheap as I had expected from a GM product. This may just be the best car deal Ive ever made.

• 

  Perfect Everyday Car - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By 89Stang - January 16 - 7:10 pm

  My old 93 Grand Prix had 130k on it and it was time for something new. I needed another car with a little kick, V6 and something Id love driving for my daily 50 mile commute to work. I already have a sports car, so I didnt need a V8, but I wanted something w/ a little puch to it. I had good luck with my Grand Prix so I gave the G6 a look. Ive had the car for about 5 months, put on 8K already on it and I love it the more I drive it. Engine creeps up on you and before you know it your doing 80 w/o breaking a sweat. Great seats, like the interior layout and info center. Sporty looking style for a 4 door. Surprisingly good room in back seat and I get 26-28 mpg with good power. Great car.

• 

  Good vehicle - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By dennis - January 15 - 9:23 am

  No major or minor repairs except maint. And gets24 or25 mpg with a 50/50 split between highway and town driving. Still only uses 1/2 qt. Of oil at 4k oil change.

• 

  Worth Waiting For-40th Anniversary Editi - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bowler558 - January 15 - 2:00 am

  I wanted to splurge on a new vehicle, and after doing some research, I decided to order a 40th anniversary edition. Ordered in August of 2001, following my order through production, it finally arrived in November of 2001. Always a head turner, I only know of one other in the state of Delaware. It has been a pleasure to drive (been to Texas 3X) and gas milage is exceptional considering the engine size and supercharger. It came fully loaded, but I did get the optional heated seat and sunroof. Surprisingly, these are the only items that have needed repair, and fortunately covered under warranty.

• 

  This Goat cant be beat - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Rodney - January 14 - 11:43 pm

  Anyone who has ever sat/driven a GTO always comes out praising the cars amazing acceleration, handling, and particularly its interior design. Youd be hard pressed to find a more luxurious inviting interior in a car within this price range. Its smooth enough for daily commutes and long trips, and can hit you with the violence of all 400 Hp at any moment. For half the price you get a Corvette with seating for four (real rear seats by the way, not the child seats other cars like the RX-8 and 350Z have), whats not to love about this car.

• 

  2002 GTP - Eat My Dust!!! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By MasterGunnerZ - January 14 - 10:00 am

  I love this car! I put a K&N filtercharger and big exhaust pipes. I I love racing other cars, especially Monte Carlos. I just burned a 02 Buick LeSabre w/ the same S/C 3800 Series II engine. This guy was so mad, he wanted some more on the next light, so the next time I pushed my performance shift button, and burned him even more. This car got seroius power, well my has about 260HP and 290 Torgue. Everybody better watch out. I cant wait to buy the 2004 G-Force with the new improved 280HP/280Torgue.

• 

  hello kitty - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By seanfine - January 14 - 10:00 am

  An excellent package for the price of the car. The quality of the finishes and materials are very high. Car is also very fun to drive and has a nice powerful engine despite being a 4 cylinder.

• 

  Oh what Car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By slammerbob - January 14 - 8:00 am

  This is the second vibe we have owned, we had a 2004 vibe and had traded in on a honda civic hybrid that was a mistake . We bought the awd in august and really enjoy driving it. Plenty of space to haul anything like a mountain bike or a power washer with room to spare. The earlier vibe had a problem with storage under the shifter staying closed. We intend to keep this one I hope subaru takes note their vehicles are getting to expensive for the average family to afford.

• 

  Very nice ride! - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By kcwilson05 - January 13 - 4:56 pm

  This car drives great and rides very smooth. The interior is very sleek and with the black and chrome, it just cant be beat! Overall, this car is wonderful. It handles very good and the gas mileage is great as well.