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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  Weird looking but cool to drive. - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By robier_a - January 31 - 10:00 am

  I was impressed by the interior the most. Very roomy, & confortablle, especcially in the back seat. I like alot of space when I drive and even when I have my seat to where I want it there is still a bunch of room for the passenger in the back.

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  ok - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By cntrygrl - January 31 - 10:00 am

  Watch for the roofs may leak And paint may pill. Overall great car

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  welcome back pontiac - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jlocascio - January 31 - 10:00 am

  night and day from the other grand prixs in the past

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  a grand prix - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By alano - January 31 - 10:00 am

  this is my second grand prix.this gtp isin most every way better than the 1997grand prix.a very good balance of ride @ handling.better front seating and driving postion.better trunk and amore solid feel.unfortately some of the test drives from some of the popular magazines under rate a very good automobile.

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  New 2009 GXP - 2009 Pontiac Solstice
  By passkey - January 29 - 6:56 am

  This car had only 2,600 miles on it when we picked it up in Florida two weeks ago. We drove it back 1,300 miles to upstate NY. Fun experience is at the top. Seats are comfortable but soft top noisey on the road. No storage to speak of but, we brought our supplies in duffle bags. Suitcases are out of the question. Some items can be place behind the seats but only with seats slid forward. 27.2 mpg driving highways and speed limits. Small gas tank (13gals.). The turbo engine is super responsive. It does get the looks and positive comments from friends. It fits the bill for what we were looking for. A 2,600 mile trip in two weeks. Top speed 145 & 0 -60 in 5.5 sec. (havent confirmed either)

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  new vibe owner - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By lovemyvibe - January 29 - 3:30 am

  Ive had my Vibe now for a whole 3 weeks and I love it!! I have owned 3 other new cars since my Vibe and not one compare to the comfort and reliabilty of the Vibe. Best practical car out there.

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  Solid Car, Well Built, Excellent Quality - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By GoatFink - January 28 - 6:10 pm

  Fast, fun to drive, nice comfy interior and still outsmokes a Mustang GT with 1 or 4 occupants. 0-60 is at 4.6 seconds and you wont find that in a Mustang in 2005. Its unique, not many on the road and looks like a Euro sports car rather than an American Boy racer machine. It is not an embarassing car to drive that requires striping, etc to be arrogant or flamboyant and the engine roars just to let you know who is boss.

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  Exciting New Ride! - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By sassls - January 28 - 3:46 am

  After test driving the Highlander, the Equinox, and the Vue, we test drove the new 2.4L FWD 2009 Vibe and drove it home. We have only owned it a week (purchased 05/09/08) but have found it to be a practical but fun family ride. Gas mileage is as promised and should get better when the car is broken in. Great value for the money.

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  Good Deal - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By NarleyCarley - January 27 - 7:10 pm

  If you want a car thats cheap to drive, and cheap to buy this is it. I have done NOTHING to this except change oil and tuneup. Yes the interior is a little cheap but what do you expect? Out of the 10 something vehicles I have owned, this has been the best bang for buck. This is a great first car for your 16 year old daughter or commute to work car. A few rattles and road noise, but again the car is under $12,000. Stereo was great

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  I love this car! - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By JTB - January 27 - 7:00 am

  I have about 9500 miles on my 2008 G8 GT. I drove BMWs, Mercedes, Infinitys, etc. and this was the car I just simply fell in love with. Talk about fun to drive. Even after 9500 miles I still look for excuses to drive it, sometimes making 3-4 trips to the grocery store (my wife thinks Im reformed)! I have installed several bolt on high performance upgrades (cold air kit, tune for premium gas, shorty headers with high flow cats keeping the rest of the exhaust system completely stock). The car hauls now. If I get the jump on a corvette its by-by baby! The seats are more comfortable than BMW or Mercedes, no kidding. its very quiet, but most of all, its fun, fun, fun! Reliable too.