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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  Love my Solstice!!! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By HiloMary - December 8 - 12:20 pm

  When I first saw the ad for the Solstice I knew I just had to have one. Its Bright Red with the black top, with the two tone interior and leather seats. It really hugs the road and the sound system is awesome. It is a real "head turner" and some people think its a BMW or a new Ferrari design! Now thats a nice thing to hear. :^) Besides hugging the road it has great handling and I find the 2.4L engine has plenty of "get-up and go."

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  The One Year Wait - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Jack Reese - December 7 - 3:20 pm

  When I first saw the Solstice at the dealership I knew that the disappontments with previous attempts to purchase one were rewarded with my patience. Just walking around the vehicle was a stunning experience. Pontiac outdid itself on the styling of the fantastic car. I had seen many photos of it but when I saw it in person there was no question in my mind that this was the car for me. I call it the poor mans Corvette. After driving it I bought it no matter what it cost. Great Sports Car.

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  Looks sporty but not very reliable. - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Dave Crump - December 6 - 11:13 pm

  I got this car with 83,000 miles on it. First time owning a Pontiac, and I tell you Ill never buy again. Drove it for two weeks and it died in a parking lot and stayed there for 3 days, checked everything my experience told me to look at and changed the crank and cam sensors and finally gave up and took it to a shop. Charged me $75 to tell me they couldnt find anything wrong with it.( It started right up after having it towed, apparently). The motor has an annoying tap(upper engine), the brakes are the worst Ive ever dealt with. It seems like Im fixing something Bi-Weekly. The car also has a lot of electrical glitches that are annoying. Cup holders are way to small and in the wrongplace

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  My Grand Prix - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bcnut74 - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Its vechile handles like a sports car. With the upgraded engine it response like a dream. My pervious car was a small cavailer. But this out handles and moves so much better.

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  Great S U V, for the money - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Don Dieboll - December 6 - 4:23 am

  This is a fun suv to drive, very comfortable and great handling on curves, with the awd. Like the pioneer premium 7-speaker sound system. Also like the sun roof, never have had that before on a car. Fuel economy could be better, but you cant have everything. I paid extra for the sporty running boards and they really look great and sporty with them on. Also like the radio controls on the steering wheel.

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  Great commuter, lots of fun - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By T19 - December 6 - 1:13 am

  Love the yellow, Im 6ft 1, 280 lbs and this car fits great. its fun to drive, not what I expected a commuter to be. Controls easy to use, radio good, ride good, road noise very low, build quality good. dont like the light material on the seats and doors, should have bought darker. just hope I can keep my lic. My Son wants this car, wants to dump his old civic.. so why do the car critics trash this car?? I would buy another one.

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  Great Car - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By BG - December 5 - 5:10 am

  I was a little skeptical about this entry level car but so far it has made a believer out of me! It is a real eye catcher and its low ride and sporty looks reminds me of the good old american cars from the 70s. Its starts every time up here in Canada and gets pretty good gas mileage even in real cold weather. Our other car is a 2004 Civic and to date the Sunfire has had less problems than the Honda, go figure!

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  Lots of fun - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By vlee - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my GTP this month from my company. It has been my company car for four years and Ive now put 117,000 on the clock and still a sweet ride without any major issues.

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  Love My GT!!! - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Swave232 - December 4 - 8:20 am

  I love what they have done with the 2006 model. If you get a chance to get the leather interior I would highly suggest it for max comfort. The back seat room is totally fine and the sun roof does not crowd the head space. I am 6 foot 2 and can sit in it with much ease. (Also have a wife and a 19 month daughter that are able to sit very comfortably as well. If you are looking for a stealth design with some need for speed while still being able to up hold some class, the GT version is the way to go hands down without breaking your pockets.

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  Love our Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By ertel5175 - December 1 - 6:43 pm

  We put a lot of miles on our Vibe and it has been great. It seems to be very reliable and has a lot of cargo space especially with the seats folded down. Outstanding gas mileage is real nice with escalating gas prices. Highly recommend!