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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  What fun!! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By harmsaj - July 23 - 3:06 pm

  I love my GTO, Pontiac may have rushed this car to production, but I think they did a good job. Only irritation is with the dealer, tried some underhanded stuff and took their sweet time with the financial stuff. Car is a rip snortin good time though, and that traction control on the shifter makes green light tire chirping more tempting. Always turns peoples heads, especially when the exhaust note hits their ears. Loud Tim Allen grunts with every punch of the gas pedal. Gas mileage is as expected, also like the constant monitoring system and modes on the dash, fun to play with. Strero rocks, but would prefer Boston or Bose like my 2001 GP.

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  takes your breathe away - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By airf15692526 - July 23 - 11:30 am

  styling is awesome, and the comfort and ease of driving , and when you see the open road you are in comand, it gives you a feel of freedom and excitement at the same time ,

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  My Review... - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By vibegirl - July 22 - 10:53 pm

  I have had the car since Valentines Day 2003. Great little car and great gas mileage. Only things Ive had issues with so far, part of my luggage rack fell off and left side of my stereo is dim and GMAC wants $230 to fix a light! CRAZY PEOPLE!!! Oh, and the windows that are very noisy when winding them up, one came off track, dealer wanted $165 to fix it, cost me nothing and had a friend do it just to tighten a loose bolt!!!

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  Love this car! - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By adrian blindt - July 22 - 10:16 pm

  Wasnt looking for a new car but couldnt resist this when it came out. I cant wait to go out driving every day and look forward to an excuse to go for a longer run. The performance from the 6L V8 is simply amazing for a stock $30,000 car and it handles like a dream. Very comfortable seats (Im a physical therapist and seats are important to me), great driving position. Spacious rear seat. Excellent stereo. Great trunk space. Did I mention the engine and the performance?! Even managing decent fuel economy (20+mpg) on longer runs thanks to cylinder deactivation.

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  Very Happy! - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By twostepper - July 22 - 9:20 pm

  Bought this car used and have been very satisfied. Gets great gas mileage. Had the transmission rebuilt, but was worth it to me because I wanted to keep the car. Other small, fairly inexpensive mechanical problems but its a used car and things go wrong.

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  Best Car! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Lakhota - July 21 - 8:30 pm

  Ive got the 2.2 Ecotec & Im extremely pleased with it, get almost 40mpg hywy! Very easy to modify ie; added factory spoiler and upgraded to factory monsoon sound system (took some time), fold down seats were a breeze to add, even keyless entry was easy to install. Comfortable, quiet, looks awesome love all the features & most of all, Solid Form Design!

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  Super! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Impressed! - July 21 - 2:46 am

  Awesome leg room in the front and back seats. Comfortable ride. Excellent power and fuel economy. No problems. Reliable and fun to drive. Ive owned GM vehicles for years and this is the best one yet.

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  2002 GTP - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GTPMAN - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I think this veicle is a really nice car it perfores really well i brought it to the track several times and at first i was geting 14.9 but then after it got broke in and it was a little coller out i was running 14.2 at 98 miles an hour bone stock. now i grew up going to the track every weekend and iv never seen a stock V6 no less run a 14.2

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  fantastic value - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By angel 52 - July 19 - 10:00 am

  this car is a great value for the price.it is very peppy with the base engine.

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  Im in love with my car - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By bendover - July 19 - 10:00 am

  this is my second Bonneville and its not my last !