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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  A beautiful disaster - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By MW - December 30 - 4:00 am

  I fell in love with the Grand Am when my grandmother owned one, and let my family use it at the time our old Plymouth broke down. I threw the car up on a pedestal and practically worshiped the idea. Today, Im here to tear that idea down. Since buying the car LESS than a year ago when it only had 50,000 miles on it, it has given me nothing but hell. The brakes are poor, three power windows broke down, the head gasket went ($850), tie rod good-bye, CD player Error 20-ed out... and the PassLock system believes Im the enemy! Granted, the car is fun to drive and looks sleek, but the amount of money invested is NOT worth the pain unless $3000 is in your budget in a six month span.

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  my firebird review - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By dr2 - December 30 - 2:00 am

  I have had 3 sets of window motors replaced, 1 battery, 1 alternator, 2 intake manifolds, 2 gaskets, and now have a new engine assembly. This car has been nothing but trouble for me. I may have had a lemon, but nothing happened for about a year. Other than engine probs, I have a blown speaker,replaced a rear seal on the hatch, and i pushed a hole in the console with 1 finger, while I was cleaning it. The plastic on both door panels is splitting. Anyone else have probs like this?

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  Never Again.... - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By BorderCollieBingo - December 29 - 11:40 am

  I purchased my Vibe the first year they came out. Never again! I hope they ironed out all the kinks! I am really disappointed with this vehicle and definitely would not buy another. I have a ton of complaints about this vehicle. The molding at the bottom of the door is falling off, the plastic cover under the front bumper and in the wheel well was falling off and dragging on my tires, the seat belt strangles me no matter how I adjust it, the visors are useless to someone my height (54"). The tilt steering is a joke...it tilts about 1 inch! The size of this vehicle is VERY deceiving. I cant fit anything in it, and the back doors dont open far enough to get anything large inside!

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  Pontiac Vibe, a good fuel-economy car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Kristin - December 28 - 8:26 pm

  This car really surprised me. I loved the design but was weary of how the performance was going to be. When I got in the car to my surprise the little 4 cylinder engine really has some spark to it and allows for good acceleration. The car is light and this makes the body and the engine fit perfectly and the fuel-economy is way above what I was used to. The interior is of course not as roomy as I would have liked it to be, but the hatch back has a lot of room and the seats will fold down to make a great deal of room which was excellent when I was moving stuff to another city. The interior is also very sporty and the seats comfortable. On the negative, the silver exterior paint chips easily.

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  Exterior is a rival for imports - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By JED GT6er - December 27 - 1:40 pm

  Love the interior options and exterior design. Car drives smoothly and accelerates quickly. Tires are a bit dicey--seem to slip at the least bit of rain, ice, snow. I would suggest a better gripping tire for this model. Get tons of queries and looks from passers by. The car is an eye catcher! The sporty feel and handling are excellent.

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  pleasantly surprised - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By danny boy - December 27 - 10:16 am

  The hardtop,convertible sold me on the car as well as the looks of the car.Driving the car I found it to be very "tight".I could not hear any squeaks as I went over bumps.The steering wheel is a little"tight" but once you realize this it is easy to overcome when turning the wheel.I like the car and the style. Im glad I purchased it.

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  Bang for the buck - 1997 Pontiac Firebird
  By Brooklyn - December 26 - 6:13 am

  Few cars match the extrerior styling of this car. It looks almost more expensive then it is. It is fun to drive providing strong acceleration even in the v6 form. The v6 is both strong and economical giving almost 30mpg on the highway. The 3800 series II is a popular engine found on many gm cars and is also reliable

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  I would buy it again - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By Trisa - December 25 - 11:53 pm

  I use it like a work horse and it performs amicably. I works well for the family and all the stress children can place on a vehicle. The Montana Vision has made long trips tolerable with the kids.

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  hell yeah - 1997 Pontiac Firebird
  By crucial929 - December 25 - 10:00 am

  love this car .....

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  I love my GT - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By chicagogt - December 24 - 7:23 pm

  Ive had my GT for a little over a year without any problems. The gray metallic paint, coupe styling, spoiler and 17" brushed aluminum wheels get lots of compliments. Its fun to drive and I appreciate the maneuverability in city driving. City mileage is just fair, but I just returned from a road trip and got a little over 36 mpg on the highway. A little too much wind noise on the highway - but less than in my co-workers 2007 Camry! I was very pleased with this car when gas was $2 a gallon - I"m thrilled with it at $4.50 a gallon!