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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  Its a toyota with GM pricing - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By weatherman3 - November 29 - 3:10 am

  this car works because its a toyota, the design is all japanese and thats a great thing. luckily, pontiac actually improved over the matrix styling and mines really hot. I have the base auto salsa with the sports package and 17 inch alloys. the extra spoilers on the back are unique and really add to the body kit. i also have the moon and tunes pkg with abs and black interior. the vehicle is really sporty looking and handles well with the big wheels. the best part of this deal was the gm employee pricing plus i haggled an additional 1300 off that, which deducted about 5000 off msrp. got great financing too.

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  G6 - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By not happy - November 29 - 12:16 am

  Good looking car, agree with others, ergonomically, could be better, for the money, could have been better trimmed. too early to rate reliability, have only had this vehicle 3 weeks

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  Driving Experience - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Review - November 28 - 12:46 am

  I have looked around for a new vehicle, and this Pontiac has it all, the power, of the V8 and the great looks, I bought the Black one, I think that is the only color it looks good in, the ride is great, it could use more room in the back seat, the trunk space has alot of room, if you are looking for a new car, take a look at the Pontiac GXP,AND MOST OF ALL take it for a test ride, you wont be disappointed, this car has alot for the price.

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  Pontiac should be ashamed!!!! - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By larondag - November 27 - 5:27 am

  i received a recall letter for the transmition in Dec 2012. I took my car to the dealership to have the recalled part repaired in March of 2012. Two days after the repair I start experiencing problems with my steering and my power steering went out a week later. After searching the internet i found out that this is a huge problem for this model. I then called Pontiac and they opened a case for this issue. i was advised to take my car to my local dealer and if they advise that it was not due to wear and tear or lack of matianence then they would assist with reimbursement. I took my car to the dealer and was advised that the torque sensor was bad.

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  Great Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Love Pontiac - November 27 - 3:50 am

  Had the car a few months now, and Ive loved every minute of it. Great engine and powertrain, Ive had no problems from it (almost at 100,000 miles). Handling is good, so are the brakes. I average about 20 mpg, and can go 2 weeks on one tank! Very fast (especially for a v6) will beat any v6 and many v8 muscle cars you run into. The interior is a little cheap, but love the boost gauge, hud, and the seats. Oh, and did I say its fast! Overall a great car!

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  I have 2 Vibes - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Old Sarge - November 27 - 12:56 am

  Fun and easy to drive. It’s real easy to get excited about this car. It gets great rating all around. Some times I take for granted how good a car it is until I have to drive something else. I don’t know why some “experts” say it’s underpowered. With 4 passengers and luggage it may have a little trouble getting uphill, but other than that its 130 or so horses has plenty of giddyup. The experts also say the steering wheel is too far to reach. I have short arms, it’s not a problem.

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  I love this car!!! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Cameron - November 26 - 9:26 pm

  The title says it all. This car is awesome! I get compliments on it all the time, and Ive had it less than a month. Coming from a Nissan Maxima, I considered purchasing the Infiniti G35 as well as the BMW 3 series as well, and neither comes close in terms of bang for buck. What took you so long, Pontiac???

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  Not worth what i payed for it - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By sullyhaute - November 26 - 9:10 am

  The interior design is cramped. I am only 6 ft. tall and I feel like i am way too big for this car. It will get up and go, but that is about the only thing good I can say, I have already had to replace turn signal bulbs, the paint is peeling off the front bumper and mirror covers. I had to replace exhaust clamps, I have to take it in for re-aligning. I would expect this from a old beater car. but this car still only has about 62,000 mile to date.

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  Love it! - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Roxanne - November 26 - 3:10 am

  Bought this car with 62000 on it in 2002 and now it has 138000+. It runs great, only one major repair, front struts, the rest has been basic maintenence. I do agree with a previous writer that the side view mirrors tend to become loose, why, I dont know, but plan on driving it till it drops! I would definitely buy another!

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  Sporty And Functional. - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By James - November 25 - 3:03 pm

  I have owned this car for about 4 months now and I commute 500KMS every 4 days. The Fuel Milage is awsome even at speeds of 120KPH. There is plenty of pep for a little motor. The seats are very comfortable, the interior is very well designed and very functional. I have used this to Haul T.Vs welders windshields, dogs. and much more. It is just so versitile.