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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  longevity & fun - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By cah1023 - August 18 - 2:00 am

  Im just now thinking of selling my 97 GTP....i like performance, and have been out looking at replacing with BMW or equivalent. Id love to buy another, but it has NOT retained its value...although it has retained its performance. Things just now (125K miles) starting to show wear. I do a lot of highway miles, and the GTP made it fun.

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  Love my tek - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By florida guy - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I have been wanting an Aztek from the first time I saw one. So I am now the very happy owner of a 2003 Aztek. It is roomy, fun to drive,and has some of the coolest gadgets. If you are thinking of getting any other suv, try the Aztek out and see for yourself. You will love it too.

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  Second Time Around - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jake - August 18 - 12:16 am

  1-12-09 replaced 03 Vibe with 09 AT Pwr Pkg msrp 19,480 due to adv deal I couldnt refuse, 11,913+tax/title; 2000 under invoice, 1500 rebates, 3000 GM Card (upped from $1850 by GM offer), 250 dlr coupon. Free Garmin GPS. Sold 03 33m miles for 9,500. Only issue so far is a few rattles. Less engine/road noise than the 03 and many extra safety features - 4 whl disc ABS, Stab Ctrl, 6 airbags. Just enough bigger than the FIT to be practical with nearly same mpg. Getting used to electric power steering but that is the current trend. Drive by wire seems no different. Just as comfortable, no harder to see out of than the 03 - got to use your mirrors. Hope to keep this Matrix twin 10+ yrs

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  Pontiac/Toyota Made A Winner - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By OustedSoul - August 17 - 5:33 pm

  My wife and I wanted SUV cargo space without buying a gas guzzling SUV and the Vibe fits our needs to a tee. There is lots of head, leg and arm room. Plenty of cargo space. And we are averaging around 31 mpg. We got the Moon & Tunes package (which really really rocks), the Power Package and the Safety Package with Side Air Bags & ABS. The car is very fun to drive and we havent had any problems with the car at all (No vibrations, Nosies, Etc.) I highly recommend the Vibe to anyone looking for a great family car that is fun to drive, good on gas and has lots of cargo space.

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  Not bad overall - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By John - August 17 - 5:30 pm

  Current Mileage: est 77,000 When i got this car it had 1500 miles. For the majority of the time i have owned this car its been a reliable. I can now start to feel it wanting to die. She sometimes needs two trys to start. She is very good in the snow and drives good. Just got to watch your foot because she will take off if you dont watch..

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  My last GM? - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By GMnomore - August 17 - 2:03 am

  After buying a 2008 G6 GT (with the 3.5 L V6) I would not recommend this car. This is my 5th GM, 4th Pontiac. Seems the designers wanted to build a nice car, but fell short. By 18k miles the car: -Front suspension clunks -Steering clunks -Vibrates at highway speed -Idles rough -Heater smells of coolant (core leak?) -Transmission sometimes fails to shift (rare) -Tire pressure monitor cannot be set manually -Heat shields resonate -Brake pedal binds slightly -Steering column makes rubbing sound I made several trips to 2 dealerships. So far, most problems have been considered "normal" by GM dealerships and remain unresolved. Sadly, this is very likely my last GM.

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  Great Car to Own, driven 25000 miles. - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By WestWorth9 - August 16 - 5:16 pm

  My Pontiac is a standard coupe with options. It has remote start (great for winter for heat or summer for A/C) built-in antenna, painted alloy wheels, full power seats, windows, doors, etc. Body on outside is great. The interior is overall good besides a little rattle of the smallest, imobile vent in the dash that is intermittent. Everyone loves my car but Ive seen the same frame on the reliable, world famous 2002 Impala. That is not a bad thing at all, the interior is way different! I cant be more annoyed by prissy-foot drivers saying, "too much torque!" IT IS A PONTIAC!! THEY MAKE ALL CARS FASTER!! My Pontiac NEVER got stuck in the 2009 winter storm of Seattle!! 8" anywhere!!

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  Its so cute! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By CJ - August 16 - 5:30 am

  I just love this car! I just turned 40 and this car is turning heads daily! Someone stops me to ask about it all the time. Nobody knows what it is; a Porsche, BMW, Jag? It looks much more expensive than it is. Love the styling, the way the interior just wraps around you and the when the top is down Im in heaven! My husband is so jealous, but hey, he has his Harley, and now I have mine! Hair in the wind, seats two and has just about as much cargo space! It is so much fun to drive! My only complaint is the lack of trunk space, but that hasnt stopped me from Costco runs! Youd be surprised how much it can actually hold! To sum it up, GREAT car, much better than the Miata!

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  Awesome car - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Bonneville Scott - August 16 - 12:10 am

  My Bonneville has 288,000 miles and it is still going strong! My 96 had 203,000 when I wrecked it. Extremely reliable car that fits my family of 5 comfortably and gets better gas mileage than some of the compact cars its age.

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  Awesome! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Tom - August 15 - 10:40 am

  I love this car! I read all the great reviews on this web site before buying (Sport Red Metallic GT, V8) and the car has more than lived up to the rave reviews. The power is fantastic. Gas mileage is very good for a car with this power (averaging 19 to 20 mpg mixed highway/city). Over 25 mpg on highway when I can control my right foot. Acceleration off the line is amazing! I test drove the V6 and V8. Get the V8! It does not cost that much more and the gas mileage is almost the same. The extra power makes it that much more fun.