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:

• 

  Good little car. - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By paintballove - September 11 - 11:01 pm

  Its a functional wagon. Good MPGs, but with any car its all in how you drive it. The 5spd manual is fairly fun. The steering is responsive and effective. It wont win awards for looks, but I bought her at 88,000 miles and hope to keep it until it dies. You really dont discover the usefulness in having a wagon until you own one. The stereo layout looked too 90s. Not acceptable for a car made in 2006.

• 

  2001 Grand Am GT - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By bnosyt - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I really like this car. It handles great, has good acceleration, and is comfortable to drive. I only have 7400 miles on this car right now, and there is nothing to complain about. I would recommend getting the GT rather than the SE.

• 

  Attainable Dream Car! - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By freddie01r - September 11 - 10:00 am

  No out of warranty problems to date and all warranty service was done well, thanks Pontiac!

• 

  Poor gas mileage - 2008 Pontiac Vibe
  By chipvic - September 10 - 4:20 pm

  Bought this to save on gas mileage, commuting 1 hour a day to work Hwy. Im only getting 25 mph, sticker says 26-31 and am not happy. We planned on traveling and using luggage carrier ( we unfortunately discovered rails to hold carrier don"t come with car so you need to spend extra to buy that) but where to put carrier as radio antennae is on roof? I do like driving it tho, not sure if we will keep car tho with gas mileage poor.

• 

  best for the money - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By Snappy - September 10 - 2:30 pm

  I have been a sedan or coupe driver all my life, I also build and drive street rods, but this torrent is the most fun vehicle I have ever owned. I always am looking for an excuse to go somewhere. I have looked at other vehicles and it seems to me that this car offers a lot more goodies for the money.

• 

  Value and Style - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By jbanks25 - September 10 - 8:10 am

  When it was time to replace our 3 year old leased Malibu we wanted something with similar gas mileage and a little more style. The G6 fit the bill perfectly. 25 More HP than the Malibu, and 27.5 average MPG.

• 

  Fun to build on - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By jas - September 10 - 4:03 am

  I love my sunfire. I have actually built onto it by putting two 12 in. subs in the trunk and a 1000 watt amp. I also put in a new indash that sweetens up the ride along with lowering it 2 inches and putting 17 inch rims on it. I love my car!!!

• 

  04 FWD AZTEK - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By Mike T - September 8 - 7:50 pm

  I bought vehicle Certified w/ 32K miles on it. Previously owned 2 gas guzzling Cadillac Devilles and wanted a roomy car w/ better MPG. Our Aztek is probably the best looking one on the road. Black w/ 17" factory alloys, auto-leveling suspension with rear compresser jack, 2 tone heated leather seats, moonroof, trip computer, spoiler..every option but AWD and the Pioneer stereo. Apparently Onstar was also an option but you couldnt have a moonroof with that package.. I also bought the optional camping package online for $300 which Ive used 2 times. FWD w/traction control gets better MPG than AWD and handled great in 06 Michigan winter...its too bad this vehicle was discontinued.

• 

  Pontiac did build excitement! - 1997 Pontiac Firebird
  By 1776data - September 8 - 6:30 pm

  When you think of american muscle cars, you always thought of pontiac. The firebird is synonomous with having fun and getting to where you gotta go a little faster. The 3800 V6 has plenty of pep, the suspension is tight, and the body style is enviable. Add the t-tops and the optional ground effects package and you will have people turning thier heads. The 97 firebird has beautiful flowing body lines and curves, it makes you feel proud every time you turn the key.

• 

  Great Car! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Blondegirl - September 8 - 3:43 pm

  I bought my GTO in October and I love it! It is a little tricky to drive in the snow, but some sandbags in the back helped that. The car looks great and runs fantastic! I would definitely recommend them!