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:

• 

  liquid silver - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By whitie - August 29 - 6:33 am

  all ok, A few dealer fine tuning under warranty, hope the bottom dosen!t fall out after warranty. Had 3 previous SSE v6 Bonnies without major repairs,keeping my fingers crossed on Norhstar v8

• 

  What a blast to drive! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By ilovmysolstice - August 27 - 9:33 pm

  Got the Solstice about 2 weeks ago and love it! I was going to sell it, but have decided that its not worth the extra cash to wait until next year to get another. The car handles as well as much more expensive sports cars, looks much better than most costing far more, turns heads like you wouldnt believe. I have had a few people follow me home to ask about it! The shifting is smooth and the throttle response is immediate. It could use a little more umph, but all in all is plenty quick. The people that havent heard about it cant believe what I paid. They usually guess in the low to mid 30s. Buy one!

• 

  not so bad - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Batman2327 - August 27 - 2:20 pm

  This car has been great so far. Bought it used and havent had any problems. Although the acceleration isnt great it does have a fairly consistent acceleration up to 100mph and what it lacks in acceleration it makes up for it with good handling, esecially for a tall vehicle. I can fit two booster seats and a car seat in the back with no problems.

• 

  The perfect car! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Mark - August 27 - 10:23 am

  I bought my first Vibe when they first came out in 2002 and after 36000 miles it has been flawless. Last year when my wife needed a car, we carefully considered Camry, Accord, Mazda 6 and Jetta but endded up getting another Vibe. Im perplexed by Edmunds luke warm review, while Jetta gets a glowing review?? The Jettas interrior and trunk is cramped compared to the Vibe, and the Vibe has better steering response and a far better base engine (I didnt want turbocharged). Edmunds says the Vibe is not "sporty", but I find it nimble and crisp, on par with import sport coups. The larger Camry and even Accord is not as nimble, but the Vibe has just as much interrior room.

• 

  GM came so close to getting this right - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By SpiceUmUp - August 27 - 10:00 am

  The car is good-looking, very comfortable fro very long rides, has a large truck, gets good gas mileage, handles, and rides well. BUT: little parts break off, the latch on the trunk pass through broke the third time I used it, the paint on the radio buttons has worn off, the sun shade flops like a deflated balloon, the paint on the wheel covers is flaking, and the reception on the radio is AWFUL. How hard can it be to put a radio that can get decent AM reception in a car? My VW can get New York AM stations 45 miles from NYC that have long faded to static in the Pontiac. GM needs to start doing the little things well

• 

  Best car I have ever had - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Joanne - August 26 - 11:10 pm

  My husband and I purchased this car after I did lots or research. We went to buy the value leader but purchased this car instead. I am only five ft. tall and the adjustable pedals and seat are great for me. I also have the 17 inch tires.The ride is smooth and for a 4 cyl. the pick up is great. Every time my husband drives it he comments on the power. I also find this car to be very easy to park. I love everything about this car. My daughter drove it and also loved it. This comes from someone who buys a new car every three years. I hope to have this car awhile.

• 

  1 year owned and traded in - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By joe4prez - August 26 - 5:03 pm

  We bought our 06 with 9000 miles on it last year. Over the past year of ownership, it has been in the shop 5 times: for several squeaks and rattles in the suspension (all struts and cv boots replaced); squeaky brakes; thudding in the steering; and what finally made us trade it in was the cv axle coming out of the transmission, which fortunately we were told didnt require rebuilding the transmission (this time...). Others we know have had Pontiac cars, and even the G6 without these problems. We were hoping to keep this car for at least 10 years, but with its shop record, we couldnt count on that. We went back to owning another Honda. I just think we got a Lemon.

• 

  I love it! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Jen - August 25 - 10:23 pm

  I absolutely love this car! Everyone stops dead in their tracks and just stares! Everyone thinks its a Porsche...I think its a lot sexier than a Porsche personally! I get harrassed at stop lights, the gas station, you name it. I hope nobody else buys this car Im having too much fun showing it off to virgin eyes. :)

• 

  Great Ride! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Two Face - August 25 - 9:30 pm

  I love this car! I bought it as a program car, and I have loved it ever since. I have only had one problem that was covered by the warranty. I bought it at 17K miles and I now have 107K and it still has the same get-up-and-go. It has plenty of room for me and my family, and good trunk space. This is as about as good as you can get for your money.

• 

  Best car I ever owned - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By JulieBear - August 25 - 7:13 pm

  I bought this car last Nov. I absolutely love it. I am a die hard foreign car buyer but when I had to replace my car on short notice I decided to by my red sunfire. I am still in love with this car. The car pickups quickly and I have had only one mechanical problem (an O2 sensor which my warranty took care of) with 46,000 and going. The car handles decently and is surprisingly nimble in the Massachusetts snow. My only complaint which I have heard a lot is the cup holders are in front of the heat controls so they are hard to get to if you have a cup in them. All in all I couldnt be happier with my purchase!!