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:

• 

  1 word "FANTASTIC" - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By natedavis - July 11 - 9:06 am

  I bought this 02 Base model (4spd automatic) Firebird with 87k miles on it and you would have sworn it was new. Even though its just a V6, this thing still has a lot of power (205HP) stock and handles amazingly on the road at any speed. Hugs the road like no ones business. Sounds great. Super comfortable and very durable interior. Great looking exterior! Only thing Ive had to do to it was replace the fuel pump at 92k, other than that its been great! I paid $4,200 for this car, but after driving it, I would GLADLY pay double that for another one! All I can say is I found the car that no matter what else I own, will always be in my driveway!

• 

  Ideal performance, value and fun blend. - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By SDG8GT - July 11 - 6:06 am

  My 2009 Panther Black Metallic G8 GT is my first brand new car. Picked it up with 12 miles on the odometer. It has the two-tone seats, premium, sport and sunroof. The 6.0 L V-8 makes getting freeway merging and passing effortless, even when the car is filled with passengers and cargo. My G8 GT is a head turner and driving in it, is much like driving a in a fish bowl. At 62, finding a comfortable driving position was easy. The back seat handles 3 real-sized adults easily. The trunk will swallow 2-3 golf bags no problem. On a recent road trip we got up to 22 MPG on 87 octane. A lot of that trip was surface street driving.

• 

  Absolutely Impressive!!! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By MrMcCaff - July 10 - 7:33 am

  From the second that i test drove my GTO at the dealership, Ive been in love with it. In the past two years, Ive owned a 1998 Trans Am and a C5 Corvette and those are both great cars but I truly think that the overall package of the GTO is better. The quality of the GTO is amazing, I feel like Im riding in a high end BMW. This car is the perfect combination of style and performance.

• 

  Why I love my car - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SweetC - July 9 - 8:46 am

  I love my car. It snowed about two weeks ago and I had the opportunity to use the traction control. It worked great. The remote start is also a very nice feature when it is cold. I can stand inside the building at work and start my car.

• 

  Great "big" little car. - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ernie - July 8 - 8:26 am

  This car feels bigger than it is. The ride is exceptional for something so small and while we are not huge people, there is room enough for even a large person. The back seat is very comfortable for two. Three might be pushing it. Fun to drive and handles nicely on our twisty turny up and down roads we encounter daily. Gas mileage, 27 to 33, has been above expectations and will only improve as it breaks in. I would recommend this car to even good friends.

• 

  Vroom Vroom - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By GRNNSXE n Cali - July 6 - 2:43 am

  I got my Solstice in January 06, just after my daughter turned 21 years old. Now, its just me and the Chihuahuas. Such a fun, fun car to drive. Heads turn all over the place, especially with the top down. Love the sound that she makes. A neighbor once asked if I had made modifications. Nope I told him, she just purrs like that. Vroom, vroom.

• 

  Love the Solstice - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Bob Dow - July 5 - 7:03 pm

  I grew up with British sports cars and was always hoping to see a design I liked as well. We fell in love with the Solstice. We use it to go out for fun, as a second car, and for day trips, etc. The handling has been great, it is fairly quiet when driving. The audio is good. We took a 3 yr lease so we could turn it in if we did not like it. We are buying out the lease and keeping. Eventually we will keep it in the family and leave it for the kids. We had not bought a U.S car for 20 years but the build quality has been very good. No rattles or other problems.

• 

  my BA sports car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By hayden fuller - July 5 - 6:40 pm

  Wow my new Pontiac gto is the best car I have ever driving I am a 17 year old male and I wouldnt want another car I bought it last month after saving for 3 years and I wouldnt have bought any thing els. This is bye far the best car I have ever driven the inter is like nothing els im only a little skared of what im going to do in the winter.

• 

  my vibe - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By mike r - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Have owned my vibe for 15 months. It is the most practical car I have ever owned. Drive 65 miles one way to work every day in Atlanta traffic. Haul everything I need to in the back with the seats down. Open the sunroof, turn the radio up, crank up the ac and cruise ( or stop and go).

• 

  Great Car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By tinosasso - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Great pickup for a 1.8 liter. Moon and tunes in great. Love the body styling (better than matrix in my opinion). Absolutely love the red dash and radio at night, it looks great. Awesome mpg. Eager to see how it will fair in the winter. Overall this car is an excellent investment. Pontiac styling with toyata reliability, cant beat that.