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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  Built Like A Tank - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By BLUZ LVR - September 18 - 4:36 pm

  Unfortunately, in the 2 years we have owned our GT my husband & I each had an accident. I launched it off the mtn side falling out of mid-air into the creekbed after hitting a patch of gravel...no real visible damage. My husband got a flat, steered it across traffic, up an incline downing a fence, then rolled it after hitting a huge boulder...no one was hurt. It held up better than the Toyota Corolla it replaced. Windows stayed intact; no fluid leaks...What a champ!! Having a hard time finding another now that this one was totaled. Lots of research went into this purchase for us...my husband needed comfort and we needed to be able to transport music & sports equipment. Highly recommended!

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  Love my Bonneville - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Honeypml2003 - September 18 - 2:46 am

  I really love my car! I have had it for over a year and have driven it to death. The only problem is that the fuse to my interior lights keeps blowing. Other than that it is comfortable and a fun car to drive. When you keep the oil changes current it really accelerates! Gas mileage is okay! Oh and the plastic things in the car keep breaking (cover for the vanity mirrors for example) Other than that it is wonderful and a pleasure to own! IT is VERY reliable!

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  110 k and still a great little car - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By paganpink - September 17 - 9:00 pm

  I have the regular FWD with auto. and moon and tunes pkg. Get around 30 mpg (combined) no matter how hard I drive, which is impressive. Recently passed 110,000 miles and have had to replace nothing but oil and tires, and just bought tires for the first time in 3 years. Super little vehicle with an amazing amount of space inside considering how compact it is on the outside, smaller in size than an older Honda civic! Easy to drive and park, small turning radius, and (w/the optional sound system) very loud and great sounding sound. No squeaks or rattles and handles surprisingly well in the turns. One of the best cars I have ever owned and I have had dozens. A Toyota at heart but w/Pontiac styl

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  Drive Excitement! - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By Bowers - September 17 - 12:13 am

  Bought this after looking at the Ford, Nissan, Chevy, and Hyundai models that compete. With the $3,200 GM rebate and the $4,500 "clunker cash" rebate, we drove out way below the other models. Only 600 miles on it so far. Suspension seems tight, handling is sporty, interior is gorgeous, exterior is very appealing. Getting 25 mpg in town. Have not been on the interstate yet. Love the XM satellite radio and the built-in phone. Also have the OnStar. Just touch a button to activate the phone and speak out the number! Wonderful machine. Our 3rd Pontiac and loving it!

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  4 Years in Germany @ 163.2 mph - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By Zebranapper - September 15 - 12:46 pm

  These cars are amazing. I moved to Germany in Dec 2000. Was there until Jan 05 and I had 6 miles (10 kilometers) of Autobahn everyday @163.2 miles per hour (except in the rain I slowed to 120 mph) which is where the STOCK rev limiter kicks in (5th Gear 5750 rpm) Then drop it in 6th the car slows to 150 mph at 3700 rpm. At 110 miles per hour I got 26 Miles per gallon on a 300 mile trip. For $28,000 new you still cant beat me for the bang for $. I am returning to Germany this Spring for 4 more years (maybe more if I can retire there) of exquisite experiences of running down the autobahn at small aircraft velocities and still get reasonable gas mileage. Minor mods make this and excellent "Bahn Burner

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  Great Cheap Car - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By BrendanP - September 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car a week a month ago, and i love it. It is definetely worth the buck, and a great buy if you are young and looking for a car easy to soup up, and cheap too.

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  Great Car - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Chris from FL - September 15 - 2:00 am

  This is my second sunfire SE coupe. I purchased this car in April 02 with 2 miles on it --- now it has 32,000 on it. This car is great. it has the sun & sound package and it gets 33 MPG on the highway and 26 MPG in the city. No problems runs great. looks good and less money than a civic ( I compared prior to purchase ). It has good performance for a small engine. just put custom wheels on it. looking forward to many trouble free years.

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  my new used car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mojogo20 - September 15 - 2:00 am

  I just got this car two weeks ago to replace a 2000 SE-1 which I got in January of this year and was totalled in an accident in September. I love this (these) car(s)! The handling, power, ride and styling are the best I have ever owned in a vehicle. The layout of the instrumentation and accessories are very user friendly and easy to understand and use.

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  I Love my Pontiac Bonneville - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Mary Ann - September 12 - 5:03 am

  I had a 1995 Bonneville and with its mileage at 128,000 I knew it would last much longer but in 2005 they made the last one so I had to make a decision and decided to get the 2005. I absolutely love it. Cant say enough about it. I can go a week on a tank - it gets me about 26 miles/gallon around town and to work. Its comfortable to drive and even spend time in parked watching movies on a dvd player/doing computer work, etc. Love it ! Bring it back so in ten years I can buy another! GM must be slowing down selling cars because they are lasting longer!

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  Great used car for teen driver - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jhairston - September 11 - 5:40 pm

  Im only 16 years old, and I got this as my first car. Bought it used from an elderly woman who rarely drove it, so it was practically new. It had 100,000 miles and now 10,000 miles later it has been very faithful and never hesitates to start. Pros: Excellent performance, reliability, sound system, interior comfort and room, exterior styling, interior add-ons like automatic lights, etc, great sounding exhaust, sporty suspension and great cornering, Heads up display:displays info on windshield, Cons: Cup holders: when cup is there it gets in the way to get to the shifter, rear lights:water can get in them but it is a pretty easy fix, small amount of interior rattles (but that comes with age).