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 2003 Vibe GT - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By B-Dog - April 12 - 2:40 pm

  I swapped my 2003 Honda Civic Si for my Vibe GT, "Spinelli" because a) I needed a five door for easy access for my five-year old son, and b) I needed a domestic vehicle for my job. Ive been pleased with the swap. The car accelerates crazily when you hit 6000 RPM, but around town with my wife & son, its quite docile. Its a real Jekyll-and-Hyde kind of car. The handling is nice, the brakes are strong, and I do get 30+ MPG on the highway consistently. I drive over 30K miles/year, most of them highway, so thats a nice add (especially with Premium selling for $3/gallon now). Ill definitely consider another one next fall when itll need replacing.

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  I LOVE MY TEK - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By daluna71 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  I was planning on purchasing a Honda CRV my mom has one and she really likes it but then on a lark while shopping multiple dealers I happened upon the aztek.Call me crazy but I actually like the way mine looks so do most people that see it.I get asked all the time if its that new mitsubishi thats out.I hated the way they looked when it came out but making the black trim body color and giving it nicer rims makes a huge huge difference.The aztek rides much much quieter and softer down the road I could not believe the difference it also corners better and feels more stable on the highway.The tek also has features on it the crv can only dream of.

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  The best family minivan weve owned - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By Laverne Marble - April 11 - 10:00 am

  The Montana was only a passing thought until we drove it. We were looking for an SUV but drove the Montana and we were hooked right away! It drives like a dream. Smooth and the undercoat kills road noise. The kids love the "Montanavision" I call it A Moms savior. We took our first trip as a family two days after we bought it and the kids were "seen and not heard". If you buy this vehicle, you will not be dissapointed!

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  New GP Rocks - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jkeener71 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  Great Car. Looks great, Handles great. Very good power. Impressive Braking. HUD (Heads-up display is sweet). Very informative information center.

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  the fastest and best looking sedan - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jeff johnson - April 11 - 10:00 am

  if you are over 5 feet tall you and you want the fastest sedan available for under 31000 then get the GTP. otherwise you will end up with less.

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  2004 GTP Competition Group - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Robert A. - April 11 - 10:00 am

  This car is outstanding!! The performance, handling and comfort is exceptional. The styling is great and I regularly get comments from people such as "nice, nice". Best automobile purchase that I have ever made!

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  Pontiacs answer to European Luxury - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Jim - April 11 - 6:10 am

  Pontiac has definetly came up with a luxury sedan that rivals the likes of the BMW and Lexus..I purchased this car with 124,000 miles and it still runs like the day it came off the assembly line.The only things that I have had to replace was the brake pads. I put ceramic pads on to quiet the squeaks from braking.

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  Dont miss this FUN TO DRIVE CAR - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By hopen4mail - April 10 - 4:31 pm

  Great sporty car with great value. If you dont want to pay the price for a european rear wheel drive sport car or pay to fix them, this is the car for you. Love the looks, outside and in; the ride is sporty and fun and fast. I wish I would have spent the extra grand on the GT but, oh well. I bought brand new and have put 42K miles on since 4/09. Around town driving you get about 18 mpg and freeway about 24. Of course, I have a lead foot and enjoy going fast in my red baby so if you drive the speed limit, youll get better. Nice thigh/knee support for picky drivers. I would definately buy this car again.

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  G8 GXP ROCKS! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By spaycace - April 9 - 10:36 am

  I drive my car 60 miles one way to work daily, and Im glad I saved the 25 grand more that I would have spent on a CTS-V! This car is a 4-door Corvette & is more than FUN to drive! I race/beat "ponies" and Camaros as well. Tried to get a vette to race me, but the driver simply wouldnt do it. With a few mods/tweaks, this car has more power & is faster than a base vette, and ANY mustang, even the over- priced supercharged one! I LOVE this car! The traction control works AMAZINGLY well considering the power. MPG is acceptable, but then again, didnt buy it for economy. The best mpg Ive seen is 22.8, but the car isnt broken in with only 8500 miles. BUY one if you can find one!

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  Great car for the money! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Rob - April 8 - 8:26 pm

  I was in the process of building a new house when my previous vehicles lease expired so I was on the hunt for an inexpensive vehicle. I cheaped out and leased a 2003 Vibe w/ a manual transmission-the only options on the car are alloy wheels and a 6 disc CD changer. I am very happy with the vehicle. It gets great gas mileage and I was surprised how much stuff I got in it with the rear seats folded down (dressers, lawn mower, tables). I owned a GMC Jimmy several years ago and experienced one quality defect after another so I was aprehensive about going with another GM product. But since this is really a Toyota in a GM skin it has proved to be reliable and solidly built.