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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  Great Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Pontiac Fan 19 - September 16 - 2:00 am

  I recently traded a 02 BMW 330Ci for a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, I am extremly satisfied with the performance and build quality. I feel it is better than the BMW, and certainly a better value.

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  RGs Bonneville - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By RG - September 14 - 10:00 am

  Since purchasing this vehicle I have made a round trip from CT to CA and also from CT to FL. The car was very comfortable handled well and gas mileage was almost 29 MPG

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  diggin the vibe - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By jpt - September 13 - 1:53 pm

  I have really enjoyed owning a my Vibe. I love the affordability and the versatility of it. Especially, for the limited driving I do. If I spent a great deal of time in the car, I probably would not have chosen the Vibe because it is underpowered. It has been a great car and completely reliable. I most definitely would recommend it and would likely buy one again. I would love to see it with a more powerful engine and am sorry to see that they have discontinued the AWD....which is sure footed here in Michigan. The best part is that it is an American nameplate with Japanese reliability.

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  why i didnt buy a new Porsche - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By henry schwartz - September 12 - 10:20 am

  Detroit, you are back! This car is fun fun fun pontiac i am 60 years old but when in my gxp all i can think about is zero to 60. dont let your corvette owners drive this one- you will never be able to produce enough

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  Kickass - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Fardoe - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I think this is the best sport car a person can get without dropping 50000 on a Corvette. I was driving it the other day a some kid pulled up next to me a a highly tuned compact. When the light turned green I was half way through the intersection by the time he got moving. This car is truely kickass.

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  Great!! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By polar2010 - September 11 - 7:23 pm

  I bought this car in August 2011 for $4,550 and it had about 147,000 miles on it. I only replaced the fuel pump, my enemy put diesel in my gas tank. I got it replaced for $800, but the car runs really good so far! Now it has about 155,000 miles on it. I change oil every 3,000 miles or every 3 months. I barely let my gas to go below half tank. It works really good but sometimes the light "trac on" and "check the engine" will come on, I got them checked but nothing was wrong with my car.

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  Dont miss out - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By stever - September 10 - 10:00 am

  As they have been discontinued and may be hard to find, dont miss out on the last of GMs pony cars. As nice as the next gen. GTO seems, it still lacks the Trans Ams styling big time.

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  A Really Good Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By missbirke - September 10 - 7:16 am

  I drove this car as a rental on one of my trips then traded in my Focus for one a month later. This is a really good car. Easy to drive, smooth on the road. Nice lines, good fuel economy, lots of rear leg room (very important for tall family members). A great family sports car (love the power of the V6 engine) and a good value. My parents have one too. Its too bad they are getting rid of the Pontiac line.

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  Great Car - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By John - September 10 - 6:46 am

  More standard features than the Charger was a huge selling point for me. Anyone complaining about the gas mileage didnt do their homework before they bought. For a large V8 it gets me 19 in mixed driving and as much as 30 on the open road. No issues with torque steer due to the larger front tires. Love the HUD and Monsoon stereo.

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  The Pontiac Torrent Rocks! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By vicki powers - September 8 - 6:20 pm

  I love my new 2006 Torrent. I wish there wre more colors available though. The purple haze almost looks brown in the light instead of purple. We chose the blue metalliac streak. Awesome color. My Torrent handles very well, and the amenities are too many to count. My Dad now has lots of leg room in the back seat. Very stylish. We just love it.