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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  Best Pontiac Ever - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Joe Ozone - April 1 - 2:56 pm

  Ive had my Pontiac for a little over a month and I love it. Its the best Pontiac ever. Its great on gas, which is a great thing when gas prices are so high. The salesman that sold it to me told me that the engine is a Toyota engine and I did my research and he wasnt lying. The car has the durability of Toyota on a great American design!

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  WS6 All the way! - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By 01 Ram Air - April 1 - 10:00 am

  Great car, no problems besides gas eating and balding tires.. Oh, and guys in "fast" cars thinking they are faster... But thats part of the fun. Interior could have been done better. Exterior looks are exceptional. Power is way under-rated. 12.9@112 mph, you tell me... Me vs. C5; 13 to 1..... Impressed yet?

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  98 Firebird - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By luvmycar20 - April 1 - 10:00 am

  This car is a very fun car to drive. You will definately get a lot of compliments on this vehicle. It has a beautiful build, inside and out. I love the steering wheel radio controls. The handling is wonderful. It takes curves beautifully. The car is very reliable. I have had few problems with it. I would reccomend this car to anyone.

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  Hate to see it go - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By BobbyDough - April 1 - 10:00 am

  Lease is coming due and I have mixed feelings. I love the car but Im looking at that 350Z and...hmmmm. Fun to drive. Awesome color (midnight metallic blue). Great sound. I hear a little rattle on the right side I need checked and the fuel pump went early on (replaced by warranty). Brakes changed twice. Otherwise..no problems. Ive even been on the same set of tires for 50,000 miles! 4 cylinder not bad.

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  Pros Only Need Apply - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By SULLIVAN - March 31 - 4:43 am

  I used to race a 1968 GTO on the track (pure stock). That WAS one of the biggest thrills of my life. I now have a much bigger thrill. I didnt think this much power could be legal under $35,000.The comfort and appointments were a pleasant surprise too!

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  First Time Owner - 2008 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jerry - Bloomington - March 30 - 6:30 pm

  The visibility, fuel economy and cargo space for us is outstanding. GM is missing the boat by not promoting it more on TV. The joint venture between Toyota and GM is evident regarding the motor and drivetrain quality. Our experience in wind, rain and snow has been good. Vehicle has good heater and air conditioning. Cant afford a convertible so the sunroof gives us our fresh air fix. We have driven it on 500 mile trips and at 2600 rpm it is just whispering down the road. Sitting comfort for 2-3 hours at a time was excellent. The car is only half of our joy. The other half is the dealer who takes care of it for us. Most of our driving is in the city but I would recommend it to anyone.

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  Trouble From Day 1 - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By RJB - March 28 - 9:13 am

  I bought this vehicle brand new and it has been nothing but trouble since I drove it off the lot. The warning lights on the dash light up constantly and randomly. You never can tell which lights or group of lights will come on. Of course the dealership never found a thing wrong. Its most recent behaviour is to either stall of have the engine nearly choke off each time you step on the accelerstor. Ive had the system gone over with a fine tooth comb and you guessed it. Nothing so far has corrected the problem. This was the first time in my life I had both car payments and repair bills. This vehicle is a true piece of junk. Always has been and always will be.

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  Nice Ride - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Nunz - March 27 - 4:13 am

  Super Sporty Car. Lot of power for a small car. Lot of back-seat room for a small two door car.

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  I Love my G5 - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By LINZI - March 26 - 9:40 pm

  I have had my G5 for sometime now, and have had zero problem. I travel approx 30 min from home to work, and back each day, plus i do a lot of additional traveling aside from that, so with that said i am very happy with my car.

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  Hey Its A Pontiac! What Can I Say? - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By evnsptc - March 26 - 1:18 pm

  I ordered this car brand new to my specifications (Cranberry Red, Tan Heated Leather, Moonroof, Monsoon Audio, 12 Disc CD Player, otherwise came with everything standard) This car is my absolute favorite out of the 4 Pontiacs I own (00 GP GT sedan, 01 GP GTP Special Edition Coupe, 04 Bonny GXP and 07 GP GT) It by far has the best steering/braking/suspension! The 4.6L Northstar V8 is super powerful but leaves me with a little more power being desired (Because of the fact that GM has the 2.0T and 3.6L which make about the same power). The exhaust sound is magnificent. I dont even know where to start about the looks of this car because it is super hot! Mine has 27K miles and is reliable.