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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  opinion - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By msvinz - June 12 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle in 4/2003 and totally love it. It is the primary vehicle for my family, we take it everywhere! Its comfortable and very roomy. I dont spend anymore on gas than I did with a car and my insurance premiums didnt go up either. Great vehicle!

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  interior durability - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By janice - June 11 - 10:40 am

  Very happy with my Vibe so far except that I notice the interior scratches easily. I dont have kids or dogs and I am not hard on my cars . I havent even gone camping yet and my interior is all scratched up. Anyone else have this problem?

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  Ok outside, very, very bad inside. - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Cato Hagen - June 11 - 12:43 am

  Horrendous inside. Window regulators breaks every year! $500 to repair each. Interior side of the doors get loose. The quality of assembly and the material is very, very bad. Also, had to change air-condition once and starter twice.

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  GTP Lover! - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GTPlover! - June 10 - 6:03 am

  I have owned my GTP for a while now. It is bright red with every option except sunroof. I love it! I would definitaly recommend this car to anybody. I have never had ONE problem with it. The only thing I wanted to replace before it got worse was the tire rod which could happen on any car. The performance is outstanding! Passing power is effortless and cornering is amazing! This car could honestly beat anything out there except for an LT1 or LS1 Camaro or Trans AM. Watch out FORD MUSTANG GT! All in all, if you can find a grand prix gtp, you should HIGHLY CONSIDER buying one! A++++++ PONTIAC!

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  Piece of Trash - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Ms. Farmer - June 9 - 9:33 pm

  I leased my G6 GTP in 2006 and the lease will end 2010 and I cant wait. I had the car in at the dealership many times on the sunroof, cd changer, blower, brakes, rotors, power steering pump, and now a gear shift controller. All of that has been replaced, but now the I cant get car out of park, after the dealership put in a new gear shift! This is definitely a lemon, and dont want to ever purchase another GM product. Cute body style, but its a piece of trash. Hurry up Jan 10, so I can take this mess back since that is when my lease ends. GM need to stop making this car and to get better parts so this car can be reliable, because its not! Shame on you GM!

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  Nice Car for the Money - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By First New Car - June 9 - 2:23 pm

  Ive only had the car for a week, but I really like it. It handles well, and it is very fun to drive. I finally got rid of my 95 beretta Z26 with 133,000 miles because I have a six month old son, and I needed four doors. It is very easy to get him in and out of the car. I like the panoramic roof, and it makes noise just like any other sunroof. My husband likes the 6 disc changer, but as someone else noted, it doesnt play MP3s. The manual shift mode isnt that exciting. I didnt like the interior until I sat in it. Once I sat in the car, I really liked it. Note that to get your TRUE gas mileage, you have to calculate it yourself. Trunk is exactly the same cubic feet as an Accord.

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  Love my 07 Torrent - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By RODEONan - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Guess I got lucky, I love my Torrent! We downsized from a Chevy Suburban. Sure there are little things like the chrome on the shifter, a spot on the outside mirrors can catch the sun just right @ 0600 & the rubber seal on the front windows can come loose, needing pushed back in, but overall, very reliable car. Handles great in snow, mud, rain & in the fields. Other cars slip & slide, mine stays true, havent felt this good behind the wheel since dads 80 Auto 4WD AMC Eagle, my 80 Mazda GLC (rear wheel drive) & my 93 Subaru Loyale (on demand 4WD). Folks carried star route mail rts, weve driven all kinds of cars in all kinds of conditions. We find a car we like, we try & keep it!

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  Good Little Car - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Good Little Car - June 8 - 7:03 pm

  Bought the car with only 1200 miles on it, and was always a great car. Always got me where I needed to go, never left me stranded. The AC always blows cold, and I have never had to do any major maintence besides brakes, and fluids. The engine is fast, and gets great fuel economy. But, one day we took it up town, went in the store, came out, and would not start. Car had 242,000 miles on it by then. Was a great car, and we were expecting it to go. Guy at the shop said the engine was blown, and we had the option to crush it, or rebuild it. We crushed it, and now own a 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser.

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  amazing 6er - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mat - June 8 - 9:56 am

  The comfort level inside the car is amazing I took a lot of team trips where every seat was filled and only the middle back person complained but still appreciated the extra room compared to other cars. This car is good for any age driver everyone could get something good out of it!

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  Drives and survives (Not AWD, base automatic trans) - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By joshhasavibe - June 8 - 9:53 am

  As a delivery driver for a certain "freaky fast" sandwich shop, this car is perfect. Tons of room in the back with the seats down, oodles of gas mileage, its an all around great car for my job. Now, Im 20, so naturally Im gonna drive this car pretty hard. The car does kind of slug through first gear, but after that it takes off like a rocket. I often forget its just a little 1.8L. Ive had no major repairs at 104k, bought at 90k. Only really "major" things Ive HAD to do are transmission fluid/filter. Other than that, this cars a little champ. Has a nice engine noise for being a 4cyl, nice torque, good suspension and cornering. Definitely a head turner when folks see its just a Vibe.