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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  Good fo rmoney, but - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Petroff - August 31 - 7:23 pm

  I have it used - 35,000. Right after 5000 miles i got engine light ON. It was error from gas tank sensor. Then i begin to see my stop light is ON all the time. When i got 73,000 miles my transmission messed up - hard shifting. All of this problems GM dealer cannot to fix! They are dont know how!

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  Thunder from Down-Under - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Bill H - August 31 - 4:56 pm

  Mines grey metallic with Sunroof and Premium Pkg options; 3 mos. old and approaching 3K mi. Here briefly (because it will repeat what many have already stated)are the pluses: great car for the $$s; excellent warranties; great straight-line or twisty roadsperformance; 87 grade gas with good mileage (hey! Its a V8!) if you properly manage your right foot; nice seating front & back; couple strangers saying Nice looking car. My great deal included dealer adding the Sport Pkgs bright pedals,swapping the GTs dull 18" wheels w/summer only tires with the bright, best looking ones w/all season tires off a base G8 and a compact spare.

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  Montana Vans are worth the money - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Frncie1905 - August 31 - 4:33 pm

  This has been a reliable van. We have not had any trouble with it mechanically or with things breaking off such as knobs, etc. We are in our van almost as much as our house. We are a family of six involved in soccer, baseball, school activities, etc. We have put a lot of miles on this vehicle and it is in great shape.

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  Smart choice - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Fredy - August 31 - 11:06 am

  The sport design is great, is comfortable, powerfull, potent, great machine for its price. It has all you need on the road.

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  Rolling Movie House - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By Pierre S. - August 30 - 7:40 pm

  The front driver/passenger have a fairly good ride Transmission is smooth with plenty of motor power. Misleading ads when it comes to available storage space, compared to the previous models. This model is drifting away from its true mission of what a mini van should stand for. It was poorly conceived to carry baggage with the seats folded. There is a need to increase the size door pockets to storage. This model has too much for for movie goers, with 4 oversized hardplastic headset holders poorly located for passagers own comfort, 2 pop-corn table with plenty of pop holders. The passagers second row of seat has a lot to be desired with restricted leg room. They did away with fog lights

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  147 K to go! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By THEPEST - August 30 - 10:00 am

  The Vibe is all it is cracked uo to be. Anticipate getting at least 150 K out of it. Regular routine maintenace is probably the most important factor; you take care of it & it will serve you well.

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  I cant believe I bought a Pontiac - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By furrydogs - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Never thought Id own an American car, if you can call it that. Bought it in December and I have almost 13000 miles on it. Very happy so far. In the short time that I have had it I have taken quite a few road trips with it and have been quite comfortable. I think it is a great riding car that gets awesome mileage. One small gripe is my front fender panel is loose so I will have to take that in to get fixed. Also, the A/C isnt very cold. The options I have are: Moonroof, 200 Watt CD Stereo, Rims, and power package. My MPG with a 5-speed manual averages 33 on the hiway and about 30 in the city. I almost forgot, the cargo room is exceptional.

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  Economic Fun - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By DerekS1287 - August 30 - 10:00 am

  The Pontiac Vibe is a great cross between a SUV and an economic sport sedan. The four cylinder engine has plenty of power for passing/getting into traffic. Attractive styling and great fit and finish.

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  The critics dont own the cars they rate - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By new pontiac fan - August 30 - 6:40 am

  This a great fun package, and I am one of the few around that owned the original Ford version. MY first car 40 years ago was a rusty old ford retractable hardtop, and I was hooked. Have had other convertibles since and own a nice 1980 corvette now. Have never looked at Pontiac till I saw this convertible and had to have it. 3.5 v6 powerful enough and very smooth. White diamond tri-coat with taupe leather, what a stunning car. I knew there would be no trunk and bought it anyway instead of a mustang convertible. Intend to keep this car for at least 10 years.

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  Pretty and Expensive - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Eric - August 29 - 2:13 pm

  Bought the car with 55k on it. It did all normal maintenance on the car. I had to change brakes every year, rotors about every 18 months. The clips in the drivers side window broke several times, leaving me without a window to use. At 90k the car just fell apart. First the wheel bearings and rack and pinion needed changed. Then the power steering pump went. Not two weeks later, i had to have the intake manifold gaskets replaced. After that the fuel pump went out on me. Not reliable at all. But fun to drive.