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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  GM sold me a lemon!!!! - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mindy - May 22 - 2:00 am

  My vehicle was a lemon and GM would not stand behind vehicle. Currently in lawsuit with GM to get my money back. GM did not treat me like a real customer. A customer who before making the first payment car was in shop. Then in shop about every 2-3 weeks for same problem. GM customer service was terrible. If you have a GM product I will pray for you!!!!!

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  Great Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GPGTP - May 22 - 2:00 am

  My GTP is awesome. I love the supercharger and the mileage. I get 24 mpg combined. Would recommend to anyone.

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  Love-Hate Relationship - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By andacious - May 21 - 7:12 am

  To start, I love Bonnevilles. I owned a 98 Bonnie all through high school and college and it served me well. Bought this GXP once I graduated, and its definitely a love-hate relationship. As far as style, this car has it. Interior, exterior, handling, performance - all fantastic. However, the biggest issue I have with this car is the reliability. I bought it with 64k on it and in 2.5 years Im at 83k and have put over $8,000 worth or repairs into it (I have a warranty). There is no way that it should need this many repairs when its just a daily driver with less than 10k a year.

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  Great overall car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bob - May 21 - 6:26 am

  Although this cars acceleration isnt as great as a sports car its other features overtake this small detail. Its very fun to drive, very roomy, and I always get a look from my friends when I drive it. I take it everywhere every chance I get!

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  Yellow 04 Sunfire - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Tiff - May 19 - 8:46 am

  I bought my yellow Sunfire used. It had 23,000 miles on it. I now have 35,000 on it and love it. Traveling back and forth to college everyday, the car is very reliable. It goes great in the snow and even has a decent stereo system that sounds great with the windows down and the sunroof open. The only problem is that I had to put tires on a little over a year after the dealer put new ones on in the trade in. Occassionally has a rough start up in cold weather but overall the car was a great choice for my first car. My car also features a factory installed stripe package covering both doors that captures the attention of people along with the bright yellow color.

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  Aztek Rocks! - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By mf12345678 - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Overall, best value for this size suv.Sure you can get more conventional looks, but it ,ll cost 5-10k more. Plus, i like the sporty lines and while i think they could be a little more refined, say along the lines of a larger version of the vibe, the actual sillouette of the car is very much the same as the new bmw suv and the lexus 330. Pontiac pioneered it, and while the others may have arguably improved on it,theyre remarkably quite similar. Car mag also complained about the split rear window, yet honda sports cars have used them since the 80s and mercedes does also. The car is priced like a cute ute yet hauls like a mid size. It really cant be beat.

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  Fun to drive!!!! - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By camarosm - May 18 - 2:00 am

  The Grand Prix GTP is a great all around vehicle it combines all the qualities of luxury,sports,family and flat out Muscle cars. The 3800 series 2 supercharged V6 is a proven performer with plenty of torque and horsepower all the way up to its 6,000 rpm redline.

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  Simple Truth - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Millster - May 18 - 2:00 am

  The 2004 Pontiac Vibe is a good choice with todays gas prices and the rising cost of automobiles. Its looks are a bit deceiving because the interior spaciousness is huge even though the outside looks small. Im 64" and 215 and I am very comfortable when driving the vehicle and needless to say, it is easy on gas with 30 plus city and 40 plus highway. For 20 thousand dollars it cant be beat.

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  Great Van - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By abtowell - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Great two year experience - only problem was a misaligned hood latch and a flimsy cup holder.

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  SSEi, Yeah, Baby Yeah! - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By dan-d-Dave - May 17 - 10:00 am

  So far, so good. I havent had any real problems with this car. Initially, there was some issue with starting the car. Somehow that has worked itself out. Other than a cargo net anchor breaking, this car rocks! If you have the opportunity and the means, get one!