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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  Solstice, Wish I had gotten the auto. - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Captcrzy - February 14 - 3:13 pm

  Had several loose bolts on the plastic inner fenders. Carpet not tucked in the front passenger seat. Chip in exterior paint. Manual transmission is very noisy and hard to shift when cold. Other than that great first run for this car. I think its the best looking Pontiac ever. Get lots of stares and second takes.

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  Amazing car - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By branj70 - February 14 - 11:25 am

  I have an 06 6-speed in Spice Red and this is by far one of the nicest cars GM could have offered. The interior is as comfortable as a new Cadillac, and very original. NOTHING on the inside was borrowed from any other US GM cars, since its Holden. The only problems Ive had are the junk stock struts and theyre not difficult to replace. Also, its difficult to get replacement parts since you can only get them Australia, otherwise if you find them here in the US, youll pay through the nose. Its an absolutely amazing and powerful car, just take care of them!!!

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  bad - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By wayne - February 12 - 12:20 pm

  I purchased this car so my wife would have a safe reliable car, this is the first car I ever purchased new, 3000 miles the dealership changed the oil and didnt put oil back in the engine, car broke down on interstate and had to be towed back. got no help from dealership and have since purchased a Honda Civic, do not buy a car like this it is cheap, and not reliable

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  A truely brilliant and special car - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By rennfahrer - February 12 - 11:30 am

  Not many words need be said of this car. Just notice the next one you see on the road that has been properly taken care of. Near perfect sportscar design and function. Yes the live rear end does try to spoil the party from time to time, but the sheer enjoyment of driving the last properly true muscle car made in the world is an event to behold. Enough with the hillbilly ferrari jokes. These cars have exceptional road feel and lateral stability! The LS1 and 6 speed work perfectly together, getting 18mpg in the city and around 32(!)mpg highway. OEM brakes are fantastic. My car currently has 100k tacked on and feels solid as a rock.

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  Great Little ute - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Great little SUV - February 12 - 8:46 am

  I researched and then some in my attempt to buy a small to midsize SUV, looked at the VUE and wasnt impressed, Envoy and Trailblazer are too overpriced, I saw the Torrent and took her for a drive and all i can say is that it I enjoy it thoroughly, nice get up and go, and roomy as hell interior, and price was great, i paid $21,000 for 2wd with the 17 in wheel package, I recommend it to anyone in the market for a small to midsize SUV

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  Excellent SUV - Fun to drive - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Stan - February 10 - 9:13 am

  Excellent SUV! Drives well and looks great. Gas mileage is decent, with the engine offering plenty of power and pep. Im 62", and I find the seats very comfortable with plenty of legroom. My Torrent has the "Crystal Lake" paint color, which sometimes looks blue, sometimes green, sometimes purple! GM has definitely improved on their interiors with this car

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  Piece of junk ! - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Brian - February 9 - 12:26 pm

  Bought this car from a private sale about 4 years ago and its cost my wife and I big money ever since. First the heater fan burnt out (Actually fried the wires)big dollars to fix, then the windshield vent started to leak very badly,tailight cover seals went allowing water in to rust wiring, now it appears the water pump is going and I have a concern with the transmission. Its been one thing after another ! Fuel economy is terrible as well. Only has 111,000 kms on it. Getting rid of it soon once repairs are made and this will be our final General Motors vehicle.

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  MY 2005 GTO - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Brian - February 8 - 8:06 pm

  By chance, visiting my wifes family in Marion, Va. I spotted this Impluse Blue 05 GTO, sitting at the front of the lot at an auto store .. I walked over and bought the GTO on the spot (without even a test drive) & drove the GTO back to our home in Horse Shoe, NC. It now has 1385 of the most enjoyable miles I have ever put on a vehicle. Wife & I love this car! NO I am not having a midlife crisis and YES, I do remember the GTOs of the 60s / 70s.. but, the NEW GTO has them beat--performance, ride quality, & comfort.

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  A Bit Concerned - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By John - February 8 - 4:03 am

  I took delivery of my 2006 GT Coupe about six weeks ago, but it didnt take more than a few days for me to recognize some design flaws: cheap, manual seat recliner, no heated side mirrors, cant close sunroof by one- touch, no rear window wiper, akward cup holders, awkward head rests, speakers vibrate with bass. I have to admit, I bought this car on impulse. I walked in to take a peek at the Solstice and fell in lust with the G6 coupe. Three hours later I drove it out of the showroom. Looking back I would not have bought this car (got lucky with this approach when I bought my Z3, so gave it another try!!). Now there is an interior leak that is causing the interior sidewall to collapse!! UGH

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  If You Think So - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By zigs - February 7 - 7:33 pm

  I think they tried to lure people in with the looks of the van more than the quality of it. This vehicle has never been wrecked. Yet a lot of the seams dont match or some are wider than others. Real poor quality control I would say. Sliding door hits the the driver door. You have to open the driver door so you can shut the sliding door. I havent owned this vehicle very long so I cant say about the long term. If you buy one look at all the seams of the vehicle. With gas prices going up the fuel effeciency is fading fast on this one. It does ride smooth however.