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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  super car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By joeklag - September 11 - 2:16 am

  performance for a little 4 cylinder engine is great, get the 5 speed, its worth the shifting to have fun when you want to. interior configuration is fabulous, if you cant find a way to get big stuff into THIS little car you need a truck!

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  grrrreat vehicle - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Keith McDonald - September 10 - 2:10 pm

  Just bought the new GXP, my first Pontiac. Have had Chevy, Geo, Nissans, Toyota, and Mazda before. This by far is the slickest, most powerful, fun to drive, and packed with the most features for the money. This one came fully loaded with everything except navigation system. The driver and passenger seats are very soft and comfortable and can be positioned in numerous ways. Dual climate climate control is nice. Radio automatically adjust for sound as you speed up or slow down. The V-8 will cut off 4 cylinders once you get to cruising speed to save gas mileage. This puppy gets about 27 MPG on the highway which is nice for a V-8 with 303 hp.

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  glad i bought it - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By janis - September 9 - 7:00 pm

  we purchased this vechicle for traveling reasons.. i love interior..its roomier(3 adult children fit in the back seat) then it looks....the sun roof comes in handy on those spring sunny days .........ill hate to get rid of it when we have too

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  Best Car Ever - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By 01TransAm - September 9 - 10:00 am

  A more beautiful (yet mean looking), fun to drive, and comfortable car has never been made. I have the WS6, automatic, and it is still practically like new. The only thing it really needed that is not stock is subframe connectors to get rid of the body roll. I completely disagree with the Edmunds review about the interior. The interior plastic is not cheap. It it much better looking than any new car interior, plus the lumbar support leather seats are top notch. The proportions are perfect - low profile, long hood, enough of a back seat to put stuff in. Millage is 17 city, over 25 if all highway, which is not bad, but who really cares anyway.

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  Take that Hybrids! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Kamea - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Many friends laugh when I mention my car gets over 35 mpg on hwy. I average a 150 mile commute everyday and my meter can vary from 32-42 mpg (varies on my speed, 65-80 mph). either way I LOVE IT! I schedule my oil changes every 5,000 miles (not 3,000). I have not done my transmission fluid change, yet. and Ive put over 87,000 miles and it still runs like new!

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  Best car for buck - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jesse Graves - September 8 - 10:53 pm

  I got my grand am for my first car at first I was thinking I was just going to have it until I could afford a truck. Then I fell in love with the car. Having the 5 speed makes it so you feel like park of the car. Since I fell in love with my car I have done many sound systems through it which led me to start my own business. I had the windows tinted and custom graphics put on I also work at a graphics shop now. I put rims on it and a few other little things and it seems like a different car. It went from just another Grand Am to a GranDAMN. Yes thats kinda chessy but it works.

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  Pontiac G5 - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By misty - September 8 - 3:53 pm

  I got my Pontiac in May brand new and it ran great until it started getting cold out. Then it decided to have problems starting.We tried jumping it and nothing happened. I have had it in the shop 3 times for the same problem. 1st they asked if I pressed the clutch in far enough, 2nd they replaced the ignition, and 3rd they replaced the starter not to mention they had to put a hose on the radiator due to a recall and fix a leak in the windshield and do some work in the transmission due to grinding when going into 4th gear. So my advice, get the extended warranty, you will need it

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  Good car for a Republican. - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By 6thmeridian - September 8 - 8:03 am

  Id rather have a dozen root canals than buy a new car, but after returning from serving in the Peace Corps we needed dependable transportation. I researched new vehicles a lot, with economy, price, and dependability as goals. The Vibe seemed to have a lot of room and promised good mileage. We got a 2004 demo with 4,500 miles and have put 16,000 more on it in a year. Drives easy, solidly built, plenty of room, no problems at all. Its really my wifes car, but I drive on trips. We got the auto trans, I would have liked the six speed manual but of course GM wont let you have it without the turbo engine. Its been a good choice, I recommend the Vibe without reservation. Im 57 years old.

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  Great car for the price - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Lee - September 7 - 4:23 pm

  The 06 Pontiac Grand Prix is one of the best buys that Pontiac has in this class. You have comfortable seating for 5 and with folding rear seats that open the trunk area up, a very large amount of area to easily hold many items most vehicles could not even hold in the back seats. This car has ample power and is very agile while handling tight corners. The estimated 30 miles to the gallon highway mileage is accurate since I average 29.8 on the highways i travel often. Take good care of this car and you will have very few problems for years to come.

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  Love this car! - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By shopgirl24 - September 7 - 1:20 pm

  I bought this car 3 years ago with 19k miles on it. It now has about 60k miles; I have had to replace the O2 sensor once (about $300). Otherwise my only expense has been the usual maintenance - oil changes and first full round of tires 4 months ago. This car has been extremely reliable, and is a great family vehicle. It also gets decent mileage for its size; I get 28 mpg city/hwy combined. It is also quite stylish for the price and fun to drive! I am very satisfied with my purchase.