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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  toms vibe - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By tom - March 29 - 11:43 am

  have a vibe just turned 100,000 miles. never had any repairs other than oil every 3,000 miles. couple sets of brakes, and few sets of tire. and couple of head lights. best mechanical car i ever owned.

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  Great car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jamesb1323 - March 28 - 5:20 pm

  Bought this car due to the low price. Price means nothing now, this is a great car and dependable. Fun to drive around town and excellent on the interstate, great starting in the winter (ND winters at time 30 below)

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  Pontiac GTP - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By pmp - March 28 - 2:36 pm

  We love our new G6 GTP. The car has lots of power and the exterior looks great, very sporty. My neighbors cant believe its a Pontiac. From the outside the car looks smaller than it really is. In fact it is as big as the Camry and Accord, but you would never guess it due to the sleek low profile. The best attribute of the GTP is the power and sporty ride. Also love the panoramic sunroof which makes this 4 door sedan almost a convertable This is no boring Camry, but it is also not as refined or quiet as the Toyota or Honda. The interior has also been greatly upgraded, but again not to the standard of the Japanese. If you want a sporty family sedan, the G6 GTP is a great choice.

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  Fun on the cheap - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Dave Reed - March 28 - 11:20 am

  Great Styling, low cost sport car. Fun, but unrefined. Noisy Ride

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  This car is great - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Mike - March 28 - 12:56 am

  I recently purchased a 2008 GXP coupe, this car is fantastic. The ride is firm without being too firm, its tight around the corners but quiet and refined over bumps in the road. The interior cabin is quiet and the stock 200 Watt stereo is excellent. The two tone leather seats look great and the highly bolstered sides are conforming without being intrusive.

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  Love my Sunfire - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Emily - March 27 - 2:56 pm

  I love my Sunfire! I think that it is so much cooler looking than the Honda Civics that the rest of the college kids are driving around my home. The only complaint I have is that there is too much lumbar in the seats and they cannot be adjusted! When I have to take it from TN to MI my back is killing me by the time we get there. But, it still does the trip like a charm. I only have to fill it up twice for the 10 hour drive. I also wish that it was offered with a V6 engine.

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  Buy a different van - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By PatS - March 26 - 10:00 am

  This minivan is nice to look at but it pretty much ends there. I had to put a new transmission in it at 90k kms and just blew the second tranny 100k kms later. Wipers run into each other, intake manifold leaked, seat fabric is subpar and is starting to deteriorate, back door latch and key lock no longer work and the body has already shown signs of rust. Front bumper lost all its paint within the first 3 months of ownership. Airbag light comes on when it feels like it. All in all this was a very expensive dissapointment.

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  montana - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By SAMUELLAUGHLIN - March 26 - 10:00 am

  COULD HAVE USED MORE SOUND DAMPERING MATERIAL. POWER SEATS SHOULD BE STANDARD.

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  Great Vehicle! - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By WL Diamond - March 26 - 10:00 am

  I love my Aztec. You wont be disappointed if you get one. I have owned quite a few cars, and this has been the best!

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  First Car - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By fastlane99GA - March 26 - 10:00 am

  Bought off a private party. Got best deal anyone I know has ever gotten on a car (about 4 percent under TMV). Great car for short runs or highway driving. Love the V6. Have had no major problems so far other than the pwr windows which if need fixed will be under ext. warranty. Previous owner took great care of the car & had all records so I may have better luck than others w/this car. Only real complaint is that GM needs to makae the gas tank bigger to accomadate the V6. Fuel economy is right what where it should be. Cant wait to get it in the snow. No other big problems with the electornics or mechanically. Only big bill was scheduled maitenance.