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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  I love my Torrent! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Cyndi - September 20 - 11:56 pm

  I just love my Torrent. It handles nicely, I would recommend the Torrent to anyone! It is roomy inside.

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  suits me! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Lynn F1 - September 20 - 1:10 pm

  Have owned this car for two months and about 750 miles. its very well put together, fast, and comfortable. stereos good. dash and radio customizations are nice.

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  Awesome Car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Dan H - September 20 - 3:50 am

  This car is wonderful! Im 19 yrs old and drive this care every day to school. It is great on the road. I also visit my friends in Oswego, NY which is a 6 hour drive..and if i lucky i get there on one tank of gas!! The gas mileage rocks! It is so versitile. All my friends love the look of my car. and the sound system is incredible! good job pontiac i was looking for a good american car to get and i found it!

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  Fun Car to Own & Drive - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Peggy Woodward - September 19 - 1:10 pm

  Finally bought my first convertible. I looked for about a year before deciding on the Pontiac G-6. So far, I have been pleased with it. I have had a few rattles develop, but the dealer has taken care of them, no mechanical problems. I get a lot of looks driving around town with the top down, Really fun car to drive, and for the money, you could not beat it.

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  AAA - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By ouse - September 19 - 10:00 am

  its awsome! good great mega fun and awsome, oh yea, and awsome its great!!

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  Great but only when new - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By alex3877 - September 19 - 10:00 am

  Lots of repairs! Alternator went, climate control panel replaced twice and now gone again, coolant in the oil, transmission acts funny, the list goes on… The V6 gives it a good get and up and go but its noisy. Now the cabin noise is high at highway speeds and much of the suspension needs replacing. The extended warranty covered the car through 75k and it paid for itself at least 5 times over and it was only $900 to begin with. When the car was new, it was absolutely beautiful inside and out. More repairs are needed but I think I will just throw it away for a new car, trade-in is almost nil.

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  Perfect car for the college kid! - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By PontiacRocker - September 19 - 10:00 am

  I love the car! It looks great and runs perfect. It is very fun to drive and the handling is incredible. Its great for making the trek across 3 states to college with plenty of room for all my stuff. Most importantly, it is affordable! All in all, Im very happy with it.

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  Love the new GP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By drob - September 19 - 10:00 am

  So far, so good on my new 2004 GT2. It additionally has everything the GTP has minus the engine. Its quick enough, but Im sure the extra horsepower would be nice... I love the looks and the interior is 1000% improved. I drove a 94 GP to 201,000 miles and it was reliable till the end. Ive had the 2004 back to the dealer twice (steering alignment, and the rear defogger was cutting out the radio.) Other than that, Ive been pleased.

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  take care of it, it will return the favor - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By englisap - September 17 - 2:03 pm

  I have come to love my Grand Am. I have also come to believe that if you take good care of it, it will repay you. Got it from my mom in 2006 with 25k on it. It had been parked in her driveway collecting waterstains and mice. Initially I named it the lemon (I never liked it, but my husband did) after getting new tires, new fluids, getting rid of rabbits chewing wires and some other normal things, I made a deal with it. It takes care of me and I take care of it. Yes, they have quirks, but if you take really good care of it, it will run like a champ. It thinks its a sports car. I drive it at least 51 miles everyday. It now has about 145k miles on it and still gets 26mi/gal

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  So far, so good - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By dmblystone14 - September 16 - 1:32 am

  I just bought my G8 GT 4 months ago, though Ive been looking for one for over a year and a half. I originally wanted one when they were new but they were a little too expensive so I went with a used Grand Prix GXP (big mistake). So far I love this car. I get "nice car" comments weekly, even by my local GM/ex-Pontiac dealer who apparently doesnt get to service too many of these. If you are looking for performance and value you really cant beat this. For a new car with this performance youd easily spend $35k.