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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  Won over - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By G Mundy - October 20 - 11:00 am

  This Was the first American car i have purchased in 15 years. After owning this car for several years I am happy to see that American manufacturers are getting it right again. The Vibe has been trouble free and a joy to drive. I am ready to trade this one in for a newer model and will be getting another Vibe here shortly.

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  Goat is back, Mustangs cry... - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Zmangto04 - October 20 - 7:20 am

  Of all the bad things Ive read and heard about the styling this car packs a punch. Not to mention the aftermarket parts are a plenty and this car holds alot of power! Love the car, I cant get enough of crusing in it. People dont really know what it is and I get questions a lot. I have no problem showing them what it does and I bet they like the way my back end looks pulling away!

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  2006 GTO Struts problem - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Josefina - October 20 - 7:10 am

  2 weeks from purchase my daughter drove the car to later find that she couldnt drive the car because it was making a very loud noise on the passenger side. of course we scream and question if she did something to the car. of course not . We found that the strut was defective we figure ok is a defective strut no big deal. The car started making the same noise on the left over the weekend of course is going in tomorrow for another strut I told the dealer to check the other 3 struts but they said they dont have anyting from the manufacture for a recall. a little frustration having a new car

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  I Like It! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tony - October 19 - 3:20 pm

  Havent had it long, but boy do I love this car. I had a 2001 SE that was great, so I bought this GT2. With the Fusion Orange paint on this car, it looks awesome. There is power when you need it, and on recent long highway trips, I got just over 30 miles to the gallon. Not bad for a 3.8L.

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  My Cool Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Amy - October 19 - 1:26 pm

  I have had my Grand Prix for almost a year now, and I love it just as much today as the day I bought it. It is cool,fun car to drive, and it rides great. I love how the front seats sit, but my husband says they are a litte uncomfortable for him and he calls it my "chick car" which I am fine with. That just means I get to drive when we go places together!

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  The beauty is also a beast - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Tom - October 19 - 1:03 pm

  My is a 2005, 6 speed w/18" wheel package. Ive owned 80+ cars and yes one of the orininal GTOs (1970 Ram Air III 4 speed) as well as Corvettes, Trans Ams, Z28s & etc... I am very impressed with the new leftover 2005 GTO that I purchased in March. The car is great, powerful, soild, great handling and brakes. Ive driven a 2005 Mustang GT 5 speed and was disappointed with the Mustang. The GTO is hands down a better car overall. It does come up short of the Mustang in two areas: #1. Exterior Styling is not quite on the mark. #2. the front seats are not as comfortible as the 05 Mustang GTs are. The lower seat cushion hits me in the back of my leg and feel akward when depressing the clutch.

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  not best car - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By minotrice - October 19 - 6:58 am

  *had the 2.2 with autotran, was not a choice. bought brand new, had it 11 years untill it was totaled and overall just not a great car. blew tranny at 80,000 miles blew fuel pump at 60,00o lots of other issues, electrial gremils ect. the worst part was when hit the tree the airbags deployed minutes after the crash not durng, i was stoped and already shut off motor

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  5 years and counting... - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By jk - October 18 - 4:03 pm

  Purchased new in 2004, it now has almost 100,000kms. Anybody expecting luxury and the finest build quality in a Sunfire is barking up the wrong tree. Its an economy car that gets you from A to B. Gas mileage is great in the city/highway, reliability has been good. Biggest issue was having to replace the struts within 1 year of ownership. No problems with transmission or engine. Although the 4 cyl is a peppy engine, its not refined and is harsh above 4,000RPM. Passing power is good with the automatic, hitting it at 70km/h seems to be its sweet spot. Overall a good, practical and fuel efficient car.

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  Great gas mileage - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Noahs Ark - October 18 - 9:23 am

  I have had this car for almost 4 years now. We bought it before we had children, and two children and two dogs later, we have almost outgrown this car. It handles well and has held up well being rear-ended once (no scratches even!) Gas mileage is wonderful. The sound system is great. The drivers area adjusts well between my husband and me without a lot of moving things around. Its a little slow in the acceleration, but manageable. Overall, not a bad car, but a little small for family trips.

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  The VIBE-What a Car, what a Buy - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Margaret Hall - October 18 - 3:06 am

  Oh how I love my Vibe!!! Good looks (mine is stealth Black) Great MPG (28- 30 in the winter with AWD and lots of warm up idle time) Incredibly comfortable seats, Best Visibility EVER, Handles like a charm in snow, Fun to drive, can haul an amazing amount of stuff, Practical, Fun and Affordable. A BIG little car. If you havent driven one of these yet-go for it. Youll be pleasantly surprised. Every one tha has seen it, sat in it or driven it loves it!