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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  The GTO returns - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By tahvette - February 7 - 4:10 pm

  Being of the age, that experienced the original muscle cars, I had to look into the GTO. In the market for a new car, but not willing to shell out for the mega-buck C6 Corvette, I test drove the 05 GTO. Not quite refined as the vette, it is still a blast to drive. Handles well, very comfortable and is very fast. Very fast. It is a real kick to blow away the boy-racers, but still take my wife to dinner in a very civilized car. Love it!

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  2006 Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By John - February 7 - 4:00 pm

  This car is a blast to drive. It handles beautifully, as if you are driving on rails. The ride is not too harsh as in a Porche - this is a daily driver. Despite being a small vehicle, it is very solid and safe feeling. My sister bought a new Mazda MX-5; I have driven it and prefer the feel of the Solstice.

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  Oldmans hot rod - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By t-bone - February 7 - 2:00 am

  Great all around car. Lots of pep and handles great.

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  Too bad its an automatic - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Firefighter Scott - February 7 - 2:00 am

  This car is a great "family" vehicle that doesnt look it! My wife and I are very happy with it. There is plenty of room in it for a car seat and all the items that go along with a baby. Great handling, acceleration, and feel. There is one downside to the vehicle. A car this sporty should have a 5 or 6 speed manual tranny as an option on the V6 motor.

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  The best muscle sports car around! - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By s - February 6 - 11:00 pm

  My 06 ls2 Pontiac gto is an automatic and its great fun to drive with the 0- 60 at 4.4 sec and runs 12.8 1/4 mile down the track. it can pretty much beat anything out there!

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  Fun Drive w/rattles - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GT - February 6 - 2:10 pm

  Fun drive! I had a 2000 Grand Prix GT that I loved & traded in at 70,000 mi. The 200HP non supercharged got 20 city- 29 HWY mpg.The 06 260 HP/SC gets 10 city- 24 Hwy,"overall lousy mpg." Dealer cannot get rid of rattles in rear door panel and sunroof.Anyway, I should have kept the 2000.

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  It got a bad rap - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Mina - February 6 - 9:36 am

  At first I thought it was just plain ugly! Then I drove it and bought it, needing a car NOW. Fun to drive, great U-turns, comfortable, enough features. New engine at 72,000 miles - a piston/cylinder spring broke - but thats the only problem. 26 mpg on trips - really good for the space we had. Seating was good, even used the tent and mattress once (were older). Liked having shoulder belt in middle of back seat. Disgusted that Pontiac/GM didnt have a comparable sized replacement, now in 2007 Rendezvous. Like that, but, again, discontinued.

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  Big Mistake - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Jimbo - February 5 - 6:13 am

  Havent had a GM product in about 15 years, daughter needed a car for school and the price was right so i bought the G5, what a mistake, has been in the shop twice in less than a year for new rear axel and rear suspension failure covered under warranty. but i need a reliable car not a reliable warranty. Should have gotten a honda. Im so stuck with this its not funny.

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  Best Kept Secret - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Mark - February 3 - 1:10 pm

  The Pontiac G6 is Americas best kept secret, based on my experience. It is starting to peeve me whenever I read some smart-aleck journalist who slights it like they seem to do all US-makes, who would likely take the same car, if branded "Honda", and name it car of the year. My experience has been outstanding: Its peppy and stylish and fun and built so that I have had zero problems with it (although, I know, less than 10k miles). It feels great on the road, and people seem to like the looks and are surprised its a Pontiac. I like blowing past Altimas and Camrys because of the horsepower, yet getting as good gas mileage if not better (30+ hwy even with the 6-cyl). Its a good choice.

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  Can You Say Bye Bye? - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By bjferge - February 3 - 5:06 am

  I bought this almost 10yrs ago, and Im still in love. The power, the performance and handling, you can not ask for better. It will blow the doors off on just about the road today. This car aint a childs toy. Seats are great, but dont have a bad back. Hard to get out of.