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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  Fun multipurpose compact - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Lewis G. - July 20 - 9:36 pm

  This car has performed better than expected. A peppy 4-cylinder with excellent handling. Well-build interior and comfortable seating. Good gas mileage (about 31 hwy. / 27 city), but less than advertised (35 hwy. / 31 city). Roof racks and hitch (added on) makes it a good transportation choice for most recreational activities such as camping, kayaking and cycling. With the exception of a rubber window liner that was replaced under warranty, the car has had no problems at all.

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  Hi Im from Australia - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Anthony - July 20 - 8:33 am

  I purchased a ve holden commodore S which is the same vehicle as the Pontiac g8 (different nose & vents on Pontiac). It is a six speed manual shift & does 0-100 km/hr (66 mph) in 5.6 secs and standing quarter mile in 13.4 secs- so it performs brilliantly. It is also well built and handles like a sports car. It is also very well equipped-turns head - black with silver stripes. Very pleased with it!

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  LOVE THIS CAR!!!! - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By ksford1 - July 20 - 3:07 am

  14 yrs. ago I was in a Pontiac dealership having a repair on my 1990 Sunbird, it was already at 150K mile. So as I was wondering around the showroom and spied a Red T-Top 75th Anniversary Edition Firebird! Can you say IMPULSE BUY?! Well Ive never been disappointed with her. She sits in my driveway right now, looking just as good as she did the day I drove her home, and a few offers to buy her. Sure, there could be more room in the back seat, have replaced EGR Valve, a headlight issue I solved, and recently a new ignition cylinder, but shes got almost 140k miles and Ive Loved every one of them! I plan on giving her to my great-nephew in 3 years for his High School Graduation, or not...

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  Nothing but problems!!! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By bucaboi - July 20 - 12:10 am

  My biggest mistake in life so far has been purchasing this vehicle. NO JOKE. So far Ive had nothing but problem after problem with this horrible car. The engine is great. I love the power, the steering, the design of the body. But when you get past all that and everything just seems to fall apart starting the 2nd day after you bought it, you get a little upset. Let me just tell you a couple of the problems ive had.........sunroof doesnt work (took it in 4 times and still nothing), sunroof and side pillars leak when it rains (causing carpet and seats to grow mold),......ABS,traction control, and airbags stopped working. car shakes when braking, rotors and brake pads replaced.

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  My 2003 Bonne - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Larry Stevens - July 19 - 5:46 am

  Overall I would rate this a good buy! It has performed better than expected. The only problem is something that just came up in the last 6 months which my dealer calls "knuckling," which is when you turn the wheel you experience a "grinding" sound. I am told that GM has no solution for this which is a great disappointment to me.

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  Gto performer - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By MIKE TESINSKY - July 19 - 3:40 am

  Great performace vehicle. Well built,with no problems after 9,000 miles. Fun to drive.

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  Good car - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By sh - July 18 - 7:10 am

  Just bought a 2006 Grand Prix Program car. It is solid, comfortable with plenty of power. and gets great highway mileage.

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  2008 pontiac torrent - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By tammy/robert - July 18 - 2:46 am

  So far so good. Lots of room. Very comfortable. Good braking. Nice exterior design. Getting fair gas mileage.

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  Fun and style - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Ray Phillips - July 17 - 5:40 pm

  Yes I dont have many miles yet. But what a beauty.She has the lines that have other more costly sports car drivers looking. A police chief while we both were getting gas stopped over and marveled at the design. Im not hoping to see him soon under differant conditions. However the state side boys finally have an American made car we can all appreciate. I think the automatic is fine. This feature helped me sell the better half on the absolute need to aquire this work of art.

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  Excellent - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By John - July 17 - 4:53 pm

  This car gives great fuel economy and handles very well. It is fun to drive and I would recommend it to all.