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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  Gauges - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By baybays4 - September 17 - 3:30 am

  I have a 98 pontiac grand am while driving it ALL the gauges stopped working, turned it off and let it sit for a few weeks, started car let it run for about 30 minutes, and guages still not working.

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  Favorite Purchase of 2005 - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By hmiley - September 16 - 10:30 am

  I love, love, love the Torrent. It is comfortable enough for long rides and roomy enough for a back seat full of grown adults. I am looking forward to using the sunroof and listening the the pioneer radio very loud!

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  Replaces a BMW for half the price - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Terry - September 16 - 9:33 am

  I bought this car to replace my troublesome BMW M3 and to be able to give the family more room. Well I can honestly say its done this and more! The car is great, and seriously CAN NOT BE BEAT for the price! $65,000 for a comprable 5 series BMW or $29,000 for one that can spank it and has more room. This is what I call a "no brainer" Keep up the great work GM!

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  Great Car! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Brad - September 16 - 9:26 am

  The Pontiac G8 is a Very Fun Car to Drive. Is Comfortable and is a great car to take trips in. The car runs effortlessly has no trouble passing or leaving other cars at the lights. Damn shame GM killed it in the states.

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  Love it - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Kathy - September 15 - 1:06 am

  I picked up my new G6 GT a few weeks ago and so far I love it. Ive had several people comment on it and usually find someone looking at it when parked in a lot. I love the styling of the new coupe, the telescoping steering wheel and the Monsoon Sound system...GM did a great job designing this car although the side mirrors are a bit small.

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  No thanks - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By ktrud - September 14 - 6:33 pm

  My first car when I turned 18. Bought it at 86,000 mi and sold it at 107,000. Only had it for a little over two years. Cute for a girl, thank god I have a dad to fix all its problems or Id be in debt for sure. Blew head gasket twice. All the plastic vents broke. Constantly leaked antifreeze after replacing reservoir twice. A/c compressor made loud hissing noise when not activated. Interior buttons and knobs all very cheap and heater core went out. Plastic trim in the interior broke off. Paint started to rust and peel off even though car was kept in the garage.

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  Good Ol Girl - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By nola2012 - September 14 - 2:51 pm

  I bought this car used in Sept 05 with 33,000 miles on it. I am now looking to retire her with 220 plus. Overall shes been very reliable but this car does have some design flaws. Rainstorms are not its friend. Water runs down into the AC system and I had to have the heater box replaced. The blower began sticking on last year, got it fixed and didnt last. The AC system has now burned up in it completely and Im not getting it fixed. The floors will also get soaked in heavy rain which is really strange. The backseat is too cramped but the trunk is the size of Nebraska. I have loved the power and good looks of this car though.

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  2005 Sunny - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Blaine - September 13 - 7:23 pm

  This is the most bang for the buck. I really do enjoy driving and being noticed in my car I love it...Dependability and Reliability!! Test drive one youll like it

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  best car on the market. - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By yikes - September 13 - 7:00 pm

  test drove G8 and test drove 2010 Camero enjoyed G8 more. great handling,very roomy, plenty of power for v6, got premium package, cant ask nothing more out of this car.

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  Not so family oriented - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By shoeguy72 - September 13 - 6:50 pm

  My supercharged Grand Prix seemed like the most practical way to go for me, since I needed a "ffamily oriented" vehicle that has more than 2 doors, and I wasnt willing to take the leap off the cliff to the minivan, but now that Ive owned it for 5 months, I realize how impractical this is for a family vehicle. Too low to the ground which makes car seats a real pain in the butt, rides hard, Black leather interior always makes the car warm, and it has lost so much of its value already retailed for 23k when I purchased it, and dealerships wont give me more than 13k on trade 5 months later? Id never buy one of these again.