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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  A family car but sporty - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By TheKid - July 5 - 10:00 am

  The grand am GT is a fun family car. It is very reliable and comfortable. It is fast for a sedan and can beat most car(civics, integras) off the line.

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  Driver response - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Hapnyny - July 5 - 3:50 am

  The GTO is actually a hybrid in the sports car industry. The characteristics of American Muscle! The truth be told the European design becomes questionable with American tag on it. The GTO is much like Audi S4 or a BMW M3 as apposed to the Mustang and Corvettes. I further would like to add that I have had the privilege of running all the cars mentioned. For those who look for a performance daily driver this is a good reliable automobile. If you want to step it up a notch and have the coin. This car can produce 550hp to the rear wheels and handles it quite nicely with the traction control. In a nut shell this is a euro handling vehicle with American muscle. It is the best of both worlds.

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  Looks, Comfort and Fun to drive - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GT - July 4 - 12:06 am

  Handles like a dream. Very responsive - will "move" when needed. Great size - not hard to park but big enough for adults to be comfortable front and back. Sporty but classy. Perfect.

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  Teachers Pet - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By me - July 3 - 1:36 am

  So far Im happy with my purchase of this used Vibe. Since Ive been driving it, Ive noticed more of them on the highway. I love the 30-32 mpg while using the AC continually during the hot August summer in the Midwest. I love the room I have to haul lots of teaching stuff. It seems to handle well and the seats sit me up higher which is a great help to my back problems. And the seat covering make it easy to get in and out-unlike those velour seats.

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  Love this car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Pam - July 1 - 7:56 am

  I bought this car brand new with 2 miles on it, it now has 115,000. I had a fuel pump go at 105,000 but other than that it hasnt had any problems. It is wonderful to drive and I absolutely love the way that it handles. I have been looking to get a new car, but I just cant bring myself to trade it in. There is nothing else that I like as much. I would definitely recommend.

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  New G6 - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Rick Wilk - June 30 - 2:06 pm

  I am thrilled with the combination of comfort inside and sporty styling outside. The car is loaded and under $30K. The interior feels roomy and very comfortable front and back. The head room in the back is not as generous, but a small price to pay to get the cool panoramic roof. You could get picky with it could have this or that, but I think you would have to jump-up to $40k to get it. They got it right.

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  I might get another! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By packisgreat - June 29 - 10:03 pm

  Ive had 2002 GT Cpe since 2005 and at 125K its going strong. Only larger repair has been a wheel bearing. It gets up to 30MPG-which was a 2200 mile trip at about 83 MPH in Mn and ND when it was at abt 110K. Uses no oil. Only irritating thing is the water leaking into tail lights. Im looking to get a 2001 for my son.

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  Good Little Car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By jstant01 - June 29 - 6:30 pm

  My Vibe is a good little car. I downsized in mid-2005 when gas reached $3.00 per gallon. It gets good gas mileage, is fun to drive, and is very roomy for such a small vehicle. The back seat is HUGE. My only problems have been some rattles in the dash and an ongoing "starting" issue. It doesnt like to fire up right away when the engine is warm. Other than that, no real problems. Great car!

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  Best Safety for the buck - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By tom - June 27 - 10:46 am

  Bought this car for my daughter due to safety, price and looks, so happy with it we bought one for my wife three weeks ago! Love OnStar phone service and safety with all 6 airbags, rollover ratings and traction control

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  Torrent - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Cheri Dingfelder - June 27 - 4:40 am

  The rear seat is wonderful. It has so much space between the front seat. I am not getting kicked while I drive from the kids. Gets much better gas mileage than my Gran Prix that I traded in and the drive feels the same.