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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  Nice Car - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By D Jensen - December 15 - 9:56 pm

  I just bought my Vibe and love it. Was looking for a small fuel efficient car that has lots of room and does ok on highway. But wife uses it around town mostly. She loves it. Cant wait to take it on a longer trip to see how it does. Its not a big car but it feels close to it.

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  STINKS ON GAS!!!! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Edie - December 15 - 3:23 pm

  I dont know if anyone else has this issue but this car all of a sudden is getting bad gas mileage. Was getting around 32mpg before but now Im lucky if I get 14mpg. Have had other issues too and the car is only 4 years old. Will not buy a Pontiac again.

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  Best of both worlds - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bryan - December 13 - 11:00 pm

  I was looking for a vehicle to be a four door and sporty with enough power. The Grand Prix has both of them and great fuel economy for its size. Am a traveling salesman and this vehicle is a perfect fit for my present situation and would recommend it to similar people

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  Vibe Excitement - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Joe Hood - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Nice Nice car...we should do more cars with Toyota....

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  Great Value - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Liner56 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  The Sunfire is a great car from my experiences so far. It is very responsive when it needs to be and is a smooth ride. Performs well on highway and in the city. It gets good gas mileage (26mpg city; 32mpg hgwy). The 6 speaker sound system is very impressive. I am very pleased with its performance to date. Highly recommended buy.

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  Great design and ride but poor quality - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Abbott - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Love the design, performance, and ride. But,quality has not been good.Power steering and rack went out at 1000 miles.Other problems in the first 25000 miles include lose headliner, sunroof track misaligned, leaking window, power window broke, cracked speaker, numerous door rattles, ignition switch replaced, manifold gasket leak, replace tie rod ends, replace steering shaft. Now at 38,000 the transmission is acting up. The console has a 2 cup holder but the holders are too close together so only 1 cup will fit.

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  Shimmy Shimmy KoKo Bop - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By the booky - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Although I have really enjoyed the three Bonnevilles Ive owned, this 2000 model is the worst of the bunch. Lots of rattles & squeaks plus a lot of front end difficulties. Now they tell me the drive shaft is shot and needs replacement. Some strut squeaks and woes thrown in for good measure. Replaced brakes (new) make a lot of noise too. Still it has been reliable in all other regards.

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  Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By dpitts6719 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I have taken it to Florida from North Carolina twice since I bought my Vibe and have gotten great gas mileage-- 33/35 mpg highway, Every where I get people wanting to know if it is a minivan a station wagon or an suv. I just tell them its a mini-suv. everyone loves it and most would like to own one. I love the idea of not having to crawl in and out of it like a small car or step up high like an suv. I have hauled a heavy-duty storm door without the back door open. I simply popped the backglass open and it hung out about 2" laying flat. I can seat 3 large people in the back seat without them being crowded. My friends like that. I LOVE MY VIBE

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  I love my Vibe!!! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Shammie - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I love this car! Ive owned hondas for 25 years, but after 9/11, I figured Id buy something more American. This car not only looks great, it is totally functional, comfortable, and practical. And its just the right height for me and my elderly mother to get into - no more climbing up out of a hole!

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  Good value for domestic car - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By George - December 13 - 2:30 am

  We bought the car in June 09 with 5000 miles on it (as a demo) we have put 20,000 more very few issues. Ours has the 2.4 L 4 cyl and 6 speed auto trans, it gets in the low 30s on long distance trips, mid 20s around town 50/50 mix of fwy and city driving. No major issues so far, most recent problem has been some brake issues, but seems to be solved with new pads. The turn signal stalk came loose, replaced under warranty. Only other issue, a speck of rust has started on the trunk lid, will be repaired under warranty also. The car has a muffled rattle in the headliner, our Malibu had one too. This car was loaded up with all of the stuff you could get on a 4 cyl model. Its a keeper.