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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  New G8GT - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By suprfan - January 24 - 7:56 am

  The hype is not hype at all. This car finally brings Pontiac into the next millennium. The car is truly a performer that is an everyday driver even with kids. A+

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  baaaaad ls2 goat - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By thegovnr - January 23 - 10:33 pm

  I have a 6 spd manual and I have to say its the best car Ive ever owned and Im putting this against past cars of mine such as 91 mr2 turbo, 96 Impala ss, 95 infiniti g20 and 00 Lincoln ls v8. It rides better than the Lincoln and has more power than the Impala. On one hand it doesnt handle like an mr2 but for what it is its fun to push into the corners and bring out with 400 ft. Lbs ! Sideways. The tires are cheap to replace because of size. Exhaust tone is better sound to me than the very nice 6 disc blaupunkt stereo. Bose should have been the choice on that. Service is easy. With 20k for miles when I bought it for 18k its a steal ! Avg mpg is 24 and thats from stop and go to 75 mph highway.

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  great economy car - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Heather - January 23 - 7:06 pm

  I`ve had this car for almost 2 years. bought it at 31`000miles and it`s now at almost 80`000. The car still runs like new, no oil leaks, or burning oil. Only thing I`ve had to do is change the brakes and maintenance. Stock sound system is decent. It`s pretty peppy for a 140hp. Handles very well for what it is. Love this car. Haven`t had any issues, would buy another one

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  Overpriced Econobox - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By spark - January 23 - 4:43 am

  Once the novelty of the car wears off you start to notice the harsh ride poor cornering and all the squeaks and rattles. The car is difficult if not impossible to get like trans fluid ($12 a quart, filter not available)filters etc. Poor fuel economy for its size about 29 mpg highway and has poor acceleration. The car is about $4500 overpriced. Tires are are extremely expensive due to being high performance (why????) as the only ones that fit and wear very fast.

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  2000 Bonneville - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By thargarther - January 23 - 1:07 am

  I love the car but it has been a little bit of a money pit. I hate how it rust right under the gas cap and on the hood. The front end is clunking and I can not figure out why. Every time i accelerate kinda hard it starts to shake up front and it feels unsafe. The gas gauge is messed up, every time it gets bellow half, it goes to full.

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  Unhappy - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By unhappy G6 owner - January 22 - 10:23 am

  I was extremely happy with my purchase until i reached about 3,000 miles, that is when my brakes started squeaking then at 4,000 miles i get into my car and attempt to make a turn, i personally being a small female could not turn my wheel. I then called roadside they towed my car to the dealership who had it fo 5 day to replace the entire steering column-- i cant exactly say that i was very happy with the situation and from now on i have a bad outlook on the g6

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  Great & Fast - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Curtis - January 22 - 8:43 am

  I bought mine used with 2750 miles on it from a Pontiac dealer. It was traded in on a new Z-28. Is in perfect shape. It is Black Metallic and has custom chrome wheels that sets it off. Best fuel mpg is 27 and has averaged 24-26 running at 72 mph on average.

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  great car - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mr_smith - January 22 - 6:53 am

  My first car was this 1996 Grand Am. All I have to say is that this car took a beating and kept on going. I ran it hard and didnt take care of it the way I shouldve. My parents gave me the car with about 115,000 miles on it. The only repair they had done was giving it a new alternator. I drove the car for about 50,000 miles (hard and without proper maintenance) with no problems. I backed into a tree and a minivan (hit the van pretty hard) with no damage at all. I rear ended a blazer and the only damage from that was a hole in bumper from the trailor hitch. The only problem I had with the car is that the gas gauge was messed up but if you kept over a 1/4 tank then youd be fine.

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  ok car-nothing special - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By gc22 - January 22 - 2:00 am

  basic car nothing special good mpg reliable

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  Excellent Car - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By xmcmannes - January 22 - 2:00 am

  If you buy a SE model, make sure it comes with the 3.8 liter V-6 engine. The engine makes the car, it is a very smooth and fast machine. This car has lots of power and it is very comfortable with a great sound system.