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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  A great car - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Gaspode - March 26 - 10:30 am

  This is a great car for "grown ups" who dont have children but haul a lot of various things around.

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  Very Pleased - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mwoomer - March 26 - 2:00 am

  I am very pleased with my car thus far. It is much nicer than the similarly priced Chyrsler I owned before I bought my GT. Has very good acceleration, and nice styling. It takes corners like no other car I have ever driven under $40,000.

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  love my spacebuggy - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By mystie - March 26 - 2:00 am

  i love this suv, not only is it fun and funky its a dream to drive..plus you never lose it at the mall ( mines yellow)

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  Love my Aztec - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By bzgirlie - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Traded in short-based G-20 Conversion Van for the 03 Aztec. Love that Aztec! Fun to drive, easy to handle. Extremely happy with the features. When you still need room, but not THAT much room, this is a perfect vehicle and reasonably priced.

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  Sleek car - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Msscoot - March 26 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely love this vehicle. Feels like your riding on a cloud. Love thie lines on this car the sleekness of it.

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  the best car I ever had!! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ksc - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Ive had many cars in my lifetime and I honestly bought this without much research. I absolutely love it. Its comfortable on trips, great stereo system, I love the sunroof. Drives fast when needed.

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  g6 gtp - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By G6 GTP - March 25 - 1:23 pm

  Excellent power, fun to drive and room enough for the kids and all their stuff

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  Locked up steering and ignition - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By dgulrey - March 24 - 8:36 am

  This car has locked up 8 times on us since we bought it in April 2008 I have been told thats the way there designed and thats normal for torrents.

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  I could keep goldfish in my headlights - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By tuesdaysgone - March 24 - 2:53 am

  Just as other reviews have stated, I too have had to replace the bearings. The headlight housing fills up with water during every rain storm. This in turn has caused my Instrument Panel to kind of short out. First the heat/water gauge, next the gas gauge, then the speedometer. Which comes and goes at will. Its arount 700-800 $ to fix, but with the water short problem, I dont see the point with the poor design. Also everything plastic in this car has broken. The cupholder door in the front of the van. The window switches on both sides. The motor is going on the drivers side window which is used more. This is my second GM product and I wont be fooled again.

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  smooth - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By steve - March 24 - 2:40 am

  dont like dash lights that come on and off. drivers seat a little uncomfortable but handles road great , good fuel mpg if ypu keep it at 60-85 hwy