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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  Only two problems - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By bobs - September 8 - 10:03 am

  Great car with enormous power and spectacular performance. Can not use tire chains which limits skiing trips. Gasoline mileage is poor but about what expected for a 6 liter high performance engine. Seats are extremely comfortable and interior noise very low at highway speed. Good sound system. Wish it had exterior temperature indicator and mp3 input jack.

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  awesome - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By gene10 - September 7 - 3:43 am

  oh please!!!a 1.8 engine in a 2700lb car..well i love the little 1.8.I installed a k and n air filter..a world of difference.Great gas miliage. Im thinking about buying the supercharger/gm product..or the k and n cold air intake system,you will get more hp and torque..im always comming up with excuses to drive it...im hooked.

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  2004 Sunfire is understated for Value - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By G Smallfield - September 5 - 10:00 am

  A very good car for the money. I own a Jag/2003, Honda Civic EX 2002/ Transam 2000/ Suburban 1999 and of course a 2004 Sunfire. I believe Hondas and Toyota are overrated for the cost it takes to own them. Between the honda and sufire/ sunfire for price quality. I has options like traction control/ side air bags that the Honda Civic doesnt even offer. The seats are softer than Mercedes or Jaguar. It is cheap on the interior, but everything you need is there. A $18,000 Sunfire with $4000 rebate and $3500 GM bucks ends up costing $9677 with taxes and tags. Try that with a Honda! Considering it is $6500 cheaper than a Honda or Toyota.

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  Very Vibe Happy - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ross - September 5 - 6:53 am

  I am very happy after getting rid of my gas guzzling Isuzu Rodeo. Very roomy for all my camping/mountain biking gear. Comfortable for 4 adults if needed. Great mileage for such a roomy vehicle. Feels very solid. Winter diving performance remains to be seen. The GM incentives/pricing made this a no brainer.

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  Nothing like it before! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By morris44 - September 5 - 6:06 am

  I had owned a Grand Am previously, and thought the new G6 would have a comparable feel to it, but it seems that Pontiac has redone it completely! Its a great car!

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  Best Car Ive Owned - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By eric116 - September 1 - 7:16 pm

  I love this car. I bought it only for $100 dollars back in April after I traded in my 03 impala for it, yes i know I downgraded to a 2000, but the Impala was starting to rust and the Grand Prix had no rust and Ive always wanted a GP and it always slipped through my grasp until now. The only problem I have had with the GP is the windsheild has a crack in it, not the big of a problem being that it is not in my line of sight. Plus my ac and heating had a weird problem where the drivers side only blew hot air even with the ac on but the passengers side worked just fine at first but it corrected itself right before summer.

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  Viben it down the road - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Linda Kauffman - September 1 - 3:26 pm

  When we had some bad snow storms come thru in the last two months, this Vibe did awesome. It handled the snow as if it was a 4x4. This is a good fuel economy car to own.

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  2006 Vibe - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Gregg - September 1 - 3:16 pm

  We drive 50 miles a day over Bozeman pass to go to work. The Pontiac Vibe handles the hills and curves with ease in all types of weather from wet roads to 3 foot snow drifts.

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  The Solstice Rocks - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By kevin - September 1 - 7:10 am

  Overall I love the car, however GM should have worked on expanding the leg room for the driver and the passenger. The seven speaker sound system is great to listen to and even though its a four cyclinder, it still has some pickup to it.

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  Fun Car - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Jack - August 30 - 9:26 pm

  It is a great car to drive. People ask questions about it all the time. They are always saying how good looking the car is. It has plenty of power, and it handles very nicely.