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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  Its a contender - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Kurt - February 28 - 5:43 am

  I bought this car used (15k miles) and have just put over 1000 miles on it in one week (vacation). Good performance from engine and sound handling dynamics. Fuel economy is surprisingly good; 23 city, 34 mpg on country roads at 60-65 mph, and 32 mpg at 78 mph on the higway, all with the AC running and 3 passengers. This vehicle is a HUGE step forward from past GM efforts, but it has room to improve.

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  Quite impressed - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By ryanjm183 - February 28 - 2:16 am

  Even with the unfair advantage the my wife was supposed to buy a truck for me while I was in Iraq this car has impressed me. Being in siding and window sales I lacked space and often bottomed out the suspension while carrying a lot of samples. It is also difficult to get a child restraint in and out of the back seat. All in all I would have to give my Firebird an excellent rating and would recommend it to anyone without infant(s) and/or sells siding. Ive only had it in the shop a couple times for minor repairs that I didnt have time to do myself.

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  Satisfied Buyer - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By Saundra Lockhart - February 28 - 1:53 am

  I bought my 99 Montana new as a demo. I bought the extended warranty bumper to bumper for 100,000 miles. I did have transmission problems at 95,000 miles but the repairs were covered under the warranty. That was the only major repair. Now it has 145,000 miles and I still drive it every day. Most of the miles are city driving, but I also make cross country trips every year. Now I am giving this Montana to my son who starts college this fall. I will buy a new car.

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  G6 GT sedan (Average) - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Nate - February 27 - 5:50 pm

  I panicked and traded in my 01 Tacoma TRD for this when gas was almost 5 bux/gallon in cali. I kinda regret it. It had about 28k miles when i got it, and they didnt tell me it was a had been a rental until i was signing the papers. The gas mileage is ok, i get about 18-20 in town depending how i drive, but on the 6 hr drive home, i can get 30 mpg if i stay at 65-70. I struck a deer back in jan, and the car actually held up pretty well. I am now thinking of trading it in due to pontiac goin bye bye and getting a silverado etx cab. Overall, this car isnt bad, but isnt great. Id suggest a toyota or honda if purchasing a sedan.

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  I love my Montana! - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By shellybtraveling - February 27 - 2:53 pm

  With two small children, we needed a reliable mode of transportation. Our Montana has certainly proved to be just that vehicle. Weve owned our van for over two years now and other than having the oil changed, weve only had to buy new tires and a battery. Id call that reliable!

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  Cool Car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By funloving - February 26 - 10:00 am

  All i can say is I have had this car for about a year and bought it with about 89000 miles on it. It runs great and over all is a fun car. I have had to fix a few things but nothing that would not be expected to be fixed at this kind of miliage. I drive the car over 150 miles a day to work and not yet once have had a problem with brake downs ect.. I would suggest this car to anyone.

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  Warning!!!!! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By jed_460 - February 26 - 9:12 am

  This car is by far the worst car I have ever owned. At 47,000 miles i had my 2nd pair of rotors put on. At 50,000 I had struts replaced. At 70,000 my cd player went out. At 75,000 My transmission needed to be rebuilt along with the catalytic converter and all of the o2 sensors. It seems like every time I have fixed it; it breaks down again. This could just be my experience but I would not wish this on anyone. I am at about $4,000 in repairs and the car is only worth about $5,000.

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  carol - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Crone_Art - February 26 - 3:53 am

  I have driven it 6500 miles in six weeks. Absolutely no complaints of any kind. Mileage is fabulous.The last 820 miles was 31.8 mpg at average 73 mph. For the entire 6500 miles average is 30 mpg. Space for storage is great.

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  Tremendous Budget Buy - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Briandear - February 23 - 10:00 am

  I licked my chops over the 2003 Vibe, but then I was showed this 2001 clearance model. Once inside, the versatility and features won me over. Great for hauling my musical gear, and everyone asks me about it. Smooth quiet ride, really sits and drives more luxuriously than its outdoorsy interior. I couldnt find anything else in an SUV or wagon with leather seats, much less heated, for 23,000. Enough said. Also, Consumer Guide gives the FWD version the higher score, for better acceleration and ride.

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  Perfect Car - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By Nicholas_Bostaph - February 23 - 10:00 am

  What can I say, its the perfect car. No car was ever designed that looked this nice, or performed this well. In my 3 yrs (50k) I had no problems whatsoever..except the car got more power! The seats are more comfortable than my parents 97 Vette or 99 Lexus and the blood red interior lighting is great. Im so happy with it that I sold it just so I could get a 2002 before they were discontinued. Its too bad people believe all the BS they hear and dont bother to give the TAs a chance :(.