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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  IST CAR - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By SGIBSON - May 13 - 10:06 pm

  GREAT CAR FUN TO DRIVE

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  I love my new car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By lshields05 - May 12 - 10:20 pm

  We just bought the G6 at the end of June, but have taken several long trips so far. It is a very comfortable, smooth, quiet ride and gets good gas mileage. We are very pleased with it so far and have absolutely no complaints.

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  2003 Electric Blue Sunfire, Solid Car!!! - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By koppa - May 12 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased this car and I feel that it is the best car ive driven. The Ecotec 2.2L engine has lots of power with 140hp and 150lbs of torque. It has good handling as well. The price is amazing for a brand new car after all the rebates. Who cares its based on an old platform they got it right this year. I think of that as a pro not a con.

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  Great Car! - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Emmaleigh - May 12 - 1:56 am

  I bought my vibe in January and it does a great job in the snow of Michigan. It is fun to drive, and has tons of space. It is also extremely comfortable and great for long drives.

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  After 1 year still more impressed daily! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By oldgoat - May 12 - 1:33 am

  This is one of the most mild natured cars we have owned. It is quiet and smooth riding with an almost luxurious interior. Very civil and predictable putting around town and in the parking lots. But when you head up the entrance ramp to the highway and push down on the throttle, the thrust is unbelieveable. No complaints about anything on the car. The stereo is adequate. The mileage has been between 20-21mpg consistently with the automatic. With 350HP that is pretty good, I think. A 117HP car would need to get 60mph to match its MPG/HP efficientcy.

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  Great gas sipper - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Matt - May 11 - 10:40 pm

  I bought this used car with 12,000 miles on the odometer. It now has 38,000 miles on it, including round trips from Minnesota to Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ontario. It gets 37 mpg, 35 with 2 bikes on the back, and 30 even in congested Toronto.

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  5th grand prix,but still fun to drive. - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By 5th gp,still fun - May 11 - 8:06 pm

  Very comfortable, solid build quality and gives performance and handling with many choices from sedan to gxp. Two trips and averaged 32 mpg on the freeway, some small cars cant achieve. I have tweaked my car a little and the 3.8L V6 is probably the best gm V6 that they made, rock solid and reliability to back it up. Excellent looks and big enough for the family and huge trunk for the summer vacation. My grand prix is fun to drive and is that what its all about, enjoying driving your car and for the price its a darn good deal.

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  Your Gonna Love this Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Everett Wa. - May 11 - 2:26 am

  This is a great Car, Styling is Great. I had looked at the 4dr sedan but didnt buy, and waited for the 2dr coupe to come out, and im glad i did.

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  Fun to drive - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By DBrickey - May 10 - 12:50 pm

  I find myself wanting to drive past my house so that I can keep driving. There seem to be a lot of Mustangs and little punky 4 cyl out there that think they can keep up. I dont think so...

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  The Car of Your Dreams - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Nails - TX - May 9 - 7:30 pm

  I have never seen so many double-take, jaw dropping, envious stares in my life! The kind of attention I get is only matched by exotics. The car was bought for my wife to run around in. She LOVES it. I LOVE it. EVERYONE loves it. Pros: Everything.. Style, Performance, and Price. Cons: Not a Family car! Gas mileage is on the low side, 16-18 straight city/ 27 HWY. Somewhat limited trunk space (although I have stowed an entire grocery basket full of groceries).