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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  Sporty Look and Ride - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Peachy - October 22 - 5:06 pm

  Smooth ride, reliable car. Took a chance and bought used at 108K for $3K. Had to replace power steering pump and rack and pinion, because someone poured something in there. Cost $550. Relay switch burned out and interior fan would not cut off. Cost $125. Other than that..great car..good gas mileage and leather is holding up not too bad. Has a CD player and cup holder and back seat has a little fold out to put longer item in the trunk. It juts out into the back seat. Rear bumper paint worn, but all else good. Our color is plum. Driver side mirror loose, vibrates just a little. Dash lights are sporty red at night.

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  Excellent car for the money - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tarponking - October 22 - 2:13 am

  Great car, very responsive. Love the supercharger, love the looks, drive and feel of this car. Plenty of room for family of four. Would love to see better gas mileage. For the price you cant beat this car.

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  Still Thining! - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Klawdad - October 20 - 8:36 pm

  I traded in a Toyota truck just because of payments, but I love Toyota. When I read that the Vibe was essentially a Toyota, I went to the dealer because everything I read was good. I have never had a small car, so I was hesitant, but this car is actually fun to drive and the MPG is awesome--right now Im getting 28-30 in combo driving. Yes the wheel caps fall off and yes the ride is bumpy, but I am not sorry I traded--except when I needed a half ton of mulch last week.

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  very surprised - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By damien - October 19 - 6:23 pm

  very good pick up speed , ive owned a lot of cars and this one is fun to drive, no problems of any sort.....

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  SSEi review - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Scott85 - October 19 - 8:16 am

  This car is alot of fun to drive. It will definatly surprise some people on the road and it really pulls good on the highway. The gas mileage is OK for the supercharged engine, just wish it was a little better. Ive only put about 8K on it since buying and the only thing Ive had to do to it was to change the plugs & wires(it has 117K on it). The car handles well for how big it is .

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  Good First Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Melissa - October 19 - 6:10 am

  First car ever. While I mourn the lack of power windows, the car itself isnt all that bad. Has quite a bit of zoom for a 4cyl, with excellent freeway acceleration. Also, good gas mileage. Ive done 400 miles on a tank. Ive made a few boo-boos, and drove for over a year without the passenger side mirror, as well as crunched a few fenders. However, this car has a horrid side crash safety rating, which occasionally gives me nightmares. On the whole, it makes a good first car, since its fairly cheap but has some power.

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  VAVAVAVIBE!!!! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By coxclan - October 19 - 2:00 am

  We contemplated for a year before buying our Vibe. The deciding factor was the versatility, spaciousness and the fact that it is really made by Toyota. We currently have about 4000 miles on it. Problems: nothing that really stands out as major-the dash rattles/squeaks when it is really cold out, the dome light goes off and on when the hatchback is locked and the standard is a pain in town. Other than that, it is a fantastic car for us at this time.

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  2001 Aztek front wheel drive - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By jrd farms - October 19 - 2:00 am

  The mileage ave 22 in town and 27 on the highway 70+ mph. The front seats arent all that comfortable for me- but my husband is bigger and fits very comfortably. Dealer service 2x;the radio (am,fm,cassette,cd), the check engine light module needed replaced (65000 miles). I have a whistle sound when the weather is cold but as the car warms up the sound goes away. (The dealer told me that it is the throttle housing and wont hurt to not have it replaced-just annoying). Versitile interior, the rear seats fold, or remove which gives me lots of options.

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  WONDERFUL AZTEK - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By BLOSSOM - October 19 - 2:00 am

  "WE LOVE IT",it is very sporty,very roomy.We love how it rides,the seats are very comfortable.It feels like we are seating up high,almost like recliners.We can remove the back seats, to have more room.We get great gas mileage,it doesnt cost much to put gas in this suv.We get a lot of complements on our suv,it is a "eyecatcher".

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  Solid Fun - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By T-C - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Big car that performs! This car makes it fun to go to the store, but the headrests are useless on a long trip. Great options and good gas mileage for the size.