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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  My shot at better gas mileage - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Ed Smith - June 6 - 8:46 pm

  We traded a 2004 Yukon for this vehicle and thus far it has been problem free. It feels sure footed and corners nicely with little lean. It has a bit more road noise in the cabin than I care for but it is not overly annoying. The 2.4 liter engine is peppy for its size but no wheel spinner either. Gas mileage has been fairly good at near 22 around town and running slightly above 30 mpg on the highway. Rear seat room is above average and comfort. All in all I consider it a good buy with the c/d player radio and ON Star. Id buy another one!

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  Great Car - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Heather - June 6 - 4:03 pm

  I am currently leasing me 4 door G6 and I absolutely love it! I drive over 100 miles a day and i am averaging about 27 mpg at about 75 mph which i think is just great! I am in a reliable car with plenty of safety features and great gas mileage and an awesome payment for the car! Low payment and a lot of luxury for the money! Its been exceptional so far and I would recommend it to anyone!

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  Love it, way less $ than another Outback - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Alaska Gal - June 6 - 3:30 am

  Got it last week after ten years of Outbacks... less $, no heated seats or mirrors, but peppy, a little more noisy but more room for rear passengers, lots of pizzazz, better braking distance, WAY better price. Still have 00 Outback SW. Only tows 1500, vs. 2700 now for OUtback, and 2200 when I bought mine,....but I did not get it to tow. 28.5 mpg last tank of gas ;D, about 25 my first... I usually get city avg mileage from EPA, 21 or 22 avg on Outback; 15 avg summer on Chev Trlblazer EXT.

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  Driving it until it dies. - 2009 Pontiac Torrent
  By mollyd - June 5 - 10:00 am

  Originally owned a 2007, traded in for a 2009 AWD when I heard they were stopping the line. I literally walked on the lot, said how much and then started negotiating. This one rides smoother than the 2007. Im 5 feet tall and not only do I feel safer in an SUV, this one isnt so wide that I feel like Im driving a bus. The AWD really gets me around in almost impassable snow. We had 13 inches and I didnt have a problem. I really love this car, mechanically I have not had a single problem at 30k+. My biggest challenge is where the front end ends, I always have about 12 inches of freedom I dont know about. Plus, parallel parking isnt tough unless its a tiny spot. Fuel econ 17/21.

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  just real fun - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By 4rdc - June 4 - 5:53 am

  A very raw vehicle, no fancy dashboard computers, just a basic car, just a basic fast car, reminds me of cars gone by. Closest I have come to a real factory racer.

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  Love this car! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Jrosauer1 - June 4 - 4:53 am

  Great car! Considered the Solstice at first, but was more impressed with the hardtop option on G6. Decent interior, best to opt for Sport Package for quicker 3.9 V6. Quiet with top up, good looks with top up or down. Great visibility, minimal blind spots. Looks far better in person than online pics.

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  Good Car - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Preston&Jonathon - June 3 - 11:16 pm

  We bought this Grand Prix roughly a month ago. We love it! Before this we had a Grand Am GT which was great, and help in purchasing another Pontiac. The grand Prix, is much more refined and much smoother looking and running. Although for its size and weight the base 3.8 can feel a little bit weak at times. And fuel economy leaves room to be desired.

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  Good Car - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By greg - June 3 - 4:10 pm

  This car is pretty fast and fun to drive and a very great buy for its price. Its my first car and I happy with the choice I made.

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  It takes a lickin, but keeps on tickin - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By adam - June 3 - 12:03 pm

  This car really seems like it could run forever. Its a 3.1L V6 automatic. It runs pretty well still, and can even provide a little excitement when accelerating. Overall even after all these years it has had no real major problems engine, or transmission related. However, a new transmission/ tune-up/ allignment/ tires would help bring this baby back to superb quality. Other than a few minor replacements here and there, i still know that i can count on this car for just about anything. Problem is that with the ridiculously low resale now, theres no use in even attempting to fix her up. Its kinda sad, but Im gonna have to get a new car next time she has a minor problem over 400 bucks.

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  Fun in 2k5 - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Dave - June 3 - 11:30 am

  The 2005 GTO has finally started to take note of the people hollering about appearance items. I really like the scoops and the split tail pipes. A lot of what they did to the 2005 was available on the 2004 model but as dealer installed options making the cost go up greatly. This year they added these as standard. There are still some dealer available options that really dress up the car, these should be looked into for the fun loving GTO freak in all of us.