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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  Good Transportation - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jolena911 - June 18 - 12:00 pm

  This is a reliable car and I still like the body styling. The styling makes it look kind of hot, but with the 2.2 four, it cant really do anything performance wise. The interior is one of GMs (unrotunate) specialties: hideous hard plastics in dank colors. The dash is really ugly with two hard plastic lumps that I suppose are supposed to resemble an airplane cockpit??? The GAms interior is so bad that I rode in a friends Corrolla and thought I was in a Bentley. On the other hand, the GAm is extremely reliable. Ive only had to do regular maintence. No breakdowns and no nagging problems at all. This car is good transportation, but its market value is weak.

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  G8 GT - The Car I Didnt Know I Wanted - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By DaveK - June 18 - 11:16 am

  I thought my next new vehicle would be a compact electric or diesel SUV, until an unplanned test drive of the 09 Pontiac G8 GT placed it in my driveway. It is more than the silky power that keeps a smile on my face, and makes me find more excuses to drive more often. Over 3600 of the 6000 km in the first month of ownership was on a single round trip over mountain highways. Fully loaded with family treasures, we averaged 9.1 L/100 km. Great seat design and driving position allowed two daily legs of 1100 km with complete comfort. The handling inspires confidence and low stress on the twisties and road irregularities. All features demonstrate thoughtful, quality design and manufacturing care.

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  Great ride - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By Pete - June 18 - 9:46 am

  The firebird is fun to drive and the 3.8 liter V-6 provides ample acceleration. My car has 52000 plus miles on it and so far it has been very reliable while having only very minor problems (i.e turn signal flashers going out). Overall I am very happy with this car so far.

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  Great little car - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By RoundhouseMan - June 18 - 8:56 am

  I have had two years of fun and economical driving. It has lots of space for carrying people and cargo. The cargo area is high enough that I was even able to get a boxed dishwasher in the back with the seats folded and the lift gate closed, yet it still feels like a compact vehicle. Manual drivers seat adjustment up and down is possible (not just sliding the seat back and forth), a plus for short people. Mileage is 30-33 on the freeway. I would buy another in the future if they were still making them. Dealer and service are great.

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  Feed up with GM lack of quality - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Feed up with GM - June 17 - 4:10 pm

  GM builds crap and wonders why they have problems. Our van has been in the shop way too much for big items. The van has 87,000 miles on it and we have to replace the whole gasket system and front wheel hub at 65,000 miles ($1,600 fix). The battery has gone bad twice. The DVD player barely works and the heated seats have been replaced twice and continue to short out. Now the Fuel pump has gone bad at 87,000 miles another $1,000 fix. This makes the little items like rubber stripping on the sliding doors falling off way to annoying. Do not buy GM you will regret it.

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  Motown Metal - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jim Maus - June 16 - 2:00 pm

  The aluminum V8 is the heart and soul of this car. It weighs about the same as a V6 (especially with those gorgeous light weight aluminum rims)!! I got 25 mpg on my first measured tank. Everyone loves the seats. I came out of court once and about 6 lawyers were gathered around and gawking at it (with admiration)! Some of them spent much more and got less!!

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  performance - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By fire hawk - June 15 - 3:20 am

  hot looking and dependable

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  a love affair - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By A Dimarco - June 13 - 1:56 pm

  this is my wifes car but I drive it on out-of-town trips because of utility and gas mileage. What a vehicle! She is 52" and I am 64" and we both love it! Its practical as well as classy. Gas mileage outstanding. Handles well both in town and on highway. I notice that the reviews by "experts" are all 20% lower than reviews by owners. Theres a reason for that. Roomy interior and flexible seat heights a plus for multiple users. the standard 1.8L engine is definitely light on hills -- be prepared to downshift -- but its an acceptable tradeoff for gas mileage. If you want the power get the GT and pay for extra gas(were considering it - WV is hilly)

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  Fun Fast and ALL its cracked up to be! - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By BruceUSA - June 12 - 5:56 am

  So far so good. All of the advertising leading up to the introduction of this car has been right on point. The balance of handling and the pure power of the V8 combine to make this the best performance bargain out there. GM has always had a little numb steering, even in the two Vettes Ive owned. This car has the spot on steering feel that performance cars should have and driving becomes a pure pleasure once again! The fit and finish are world class and the few quirks (as with any car even my 2004 Porsche 911 Targa) are not all that big of a deal. Home run Pontiac! Go test drive one and youll want to buy it.

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  G5 GT - Not For Me! - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By Bigron - June 11 - 11:00 am

  I bought this car this past January, but was disappointed. I really only bought it for the gas mileage (since gas prices were peaking just over $4.00 per gallon!). Im an avid weightlifter, a big guy (62 260). I have a small waist (I wear a size 33 inch/34 length cargo pants) but I have very large arms and very broad shoulders. My point is, my upper body feels too cramped in a car this size, and there is not much headroom. Bigger guys definitely should not purchase this car because I guarantee you that you will not be comfortable!