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:

• 

  I like my Vibe - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jon Dixon - March 26 - 7:16 am

  I think your review is spot on. Its a good overall package of style economy vesatility and performance. I had to make a couple of quick maneavers to avoid trouble and handled confidently and stuck to the road. We didnt need a big SUV, but wanted to have some utiliy. A good balance.

• 

  My new G5 - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Amanda - March 26 - 4:46 am

  I love my new G5 it is fun to drive. I have a new Dodge Ram as well so I get the best of both worlds. I wanted something sporty and fun to drive. I found it.

• 

  stunner from down under - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By largeadam - March 25 - 5:10 am

  So, i am English with a penchant for American Cars; Compared the G35, the charger and the stang...clear winner was my new GTO. the g35 was average, well appointed but did not make me grin. the charger was made a nice noise, but i really wanted a stick (Duh!) the stang was a dissapointment; same money-ish but not a real contender. consider this....my GTO has a super sound system....but i still have not turned it on, i just drop the windows and listen...my wife has never seen me grin like the chesire cat from alice in wonderland....get on !!

• 

  Reliable - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Ford - March 25 - 2:00 am

  Very reliable car. I have over 100,000 miles on it. Only major trouble was with intake manifold gasket warping (I hear this happens a lot with the 3800). I got GM to pay for the part, with plenty of complaining. just a few minor problems. Keyless entry when new had very short range, now it is even shorter because it doesnt work. I tried to get a new remote for it, cars computer would not let mechanic program it( I refused to let them hook it up to the dealers computer to find out why, because it would have cost $75 over and above the cost of the remotes). Ignition switch shorted out. I could not get the key out, or the car out of park.

• 

  Sporty Mom car - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By nmhst - March 25 - 2:00 am

  This car not only looks good,but drives wonderfully. I have three kids and they have plenty of room. The trunk space does not let me miss my SUV. Dont let the name "Bonneville" mislead you. It is not the big old bug car.

• 

  very mad - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By very mad - March 24 - 8:33 pm

  This is a list of the things that went wrong with the vehicle since 2-05: Alternator replaced (going to be recalled) 11-05 Left crankcase seal (dealer said its due to faulty build at plant) 11-05 All lettering fell off rear hatch (finally replaced 12-05) Rear hatch handle faulty (never fixed by dealer properly) Transmission slipping (dealer had found no evidence of this) Tracking system engaged during dry Texas weather, locking up the wheels and making van undrivable unless you turned off the tracking system. Happened 1-1-06 when nobody could help us. Stability tracking system service message on (dealer on 2nd try found a short in the computer which made wheels lock up.

• 

  5 years, no problems - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By wm - March 24 - 3:30 am

  I purchased in Dec 2003, and nearly 5 yrs later I still love this car. It is incredibly functional, durable, and reliable. I have had ZERO mechanical/maintenance problems with it. My only complaint is the sheet metal for the exterior is easily dented - expect to see some dings on the bodies of older models. I am proud to say I just made a long distance drive on the freeway with the cruise control set at 65, and got more than 33 miles/gal. At 58,000 miles Im just changing the tires. She still looks good, and is the perfect car for a dog owner/family man like me.

• 

  Car will make you excessive compulsive - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Rod - March 23 - 4:00 am

  3 months and 3500 miles and this car has come alive. You stand on the gas and there is a sound you cannot believe till you experience. You look at the hood to see if it is collapsing as this monster 6.0 sucks air in, it makes a more awesome and powerful sound than my 70 426 Hemi Cuda did. If you love cars you will love the G8 GT, all you have to do is test drive it and you will want it. If you want a ultimate performance you can afford this is the best deal out there,.

• 

  bad dealers info - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By mikolo - March 23 - 12:20 am

  City driving; average 19l/100km, not even close to what dealer and Gm claims:13l/100km. Cargo space is ridiculosly small, also legroom at 2nd and 3th row. Rattling noise on cracks on the road.

• 

  Still love it after 3 years - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Terry D - March 22 - 5:43 pm

  Its a great car and fun to drive. Although most reviews have an issue on the cars power, I find it can to be enough to get on the highway or merge into traffic. I took a long trip last year with the family and it was comfortable and held a lot of luggage, a cooler and two big kids in the back. I had no problem going 80 - 85 mph and keeping up with the flow of traffic. I have only had a problem with a screw coming loose in the moonroof and it wouldnt close properly but it was fixed under warranty. The Vibe wasnt my first choice but I an sure glad I have mine. Its a pleasure to drive!!!!