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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  blank - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Robert Mann - December 19 - 10:00 am

  i love it

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  2003 grand am se - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By midnite - December 19 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. not too big not too small. I traded in a 2003 Corolla for this grand am. The best part is the smooth pickup with enough power to move out quick if necessary. It is a little too noisy . seems I have to turn the radio up there is so much background noise in the car. and the radio dosnt seem to have good acoustics. Gas milage is 25-28. am happy with this car. I owned a cavelier for 10 years, but enjoy the Pontiac much more . it is a 4cyl twin cam.

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  My grand am - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By CBCutiepants - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Comfortable on long trips, pleanty of cargo room, pritty good pick-up, but could be better [nothing the aftermarket cant handle].Nice agressive styling.

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  This Is A Must See Vehicle - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Carl - December 19 - 7:43 am

  Performance is very good - no problem accelerating into rush hour traffic on I-95. Panoramic sunroof is closest thing to a convertible w/o the headaches. Minor wind noise at high speed closed, but dealer fixed - no noise and no leaks. Great styling - classy car. We love it! Its the best car weve had.

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  Great Little Car - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By DR - December 18 - 1:03 pm

  Purchased this in May 08. I test drove the Chevy Cobalt and ended up liking this a lot. Gas mileage is fairly good. (25 city/32 hwy). Price is right too. Beats buying the Japanese products!

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  Good - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mabel - December 18 - 4:30 am

  So far so good, good in snow. Good gas mileage and comfortable on long trips. Lots of trunk space.

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  GXP me. - 2009 Pontiac Solstice
  By gxpdavid - December 18 - 1:03 am

  As my car breaks in more and more (15,000 miles.) i like it it more and more. Some of teh switches and cup holders are in slightly wierd places but you get used to it. As for comfort and performance: I love the car. Handles, fast , good fuel economy and it turns heads everywhere I go. My friends all know I can buy a more exspensive car. So they allway ask me why a Pontiac? Its a top notch performer, thats why. Near perfect 50/50 wieght and 260HP add up to lots of fun.

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  An Honest Review - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By stelo27 - December 17 - 8:23 pm

  I had a 2006 Grand Prix GT V6 Supercharged and fell in love with it. I have always been a big Mazda fan growing up but had to switch to Pontiac after trading in my Mazda 6S for the 06 Grand Prix GT. I had it for 8 months and then sadly wrecked it. So i turned around and jumped right back into a 2008 Grand Prix, but the GXP this time. I love it. There is room for improvement, which i believe they have accomplished it in the new G8, But people, this is an awsome car. Especially for the price. I got mine slightly used with 9k miles on it, it MSRP for $29800, but being that its the last year for the Grand Prix and with the G8 now available, I got my GP GXP for $19000 and you cant beat that.

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  Love it! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Tony - December 17 - 6:30 am

  I recently purchased the G8 and so far have nothing but praise! The car is as smooth as silk but when prompted takes of like a cannon, I have owned five mustang GTs including a Cobra and this car would smoke them all! I had my eye on this car when it first came out and do not regret buying it at all. If youre looking for a smooth ride with plenty of power I would suggest you buy this car! You cannot beat the price for what you get!

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  Not So Great - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By dl922 - December 17 - 12:04 am

  These cars have an extremely poor build quality. My center console lid has broken, had to replace one window motor, and another soon, vent selectors dont work, the plastic cladding on the outside of the door gets caught on the fender. The list goes on and on. Ive had this car for just over two years, and I simply cannot wait to get rid of it.