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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  Loving The Vibe! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Lauren =) - January 5 - 8:10 pm

  Ive had my Vibe for about six months now, and loved every minute of it! I have three dogs, and love to hike and camp, and the Vibe is perfect! Lots of space, easy to clean up, and fun to drive! Great gas mileage from the car makes the 30 minute commute to and from work less stressful, and the interior design makes any trip a joy. Im not worried about my family growing, either, seeing as how every part of the vehicle is easily accesible and easy to clean. I might make my next vehicle a Vibe (with a manual transmission this time

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  I Love My Sunfire - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Sherrona - January 5 - 3:36 pm

  After test driving the Pontiac Solstice (and deciding I wanted the car) I spotted a used rally yellow Sunfire for a third of the price in the car lot. I was sold after just two blocks of the test drive and a year later, I have nothing but great things to say about this car. My only expenditures have been gas and a couple oil changes. You turn the key and the car starts and is the most reliable vehicle Ive ever driven. I recommend this care Sunfire to anyone who wants a reliable, economical vehicle thats fun to drive. Love the sunroof & the stereo (above average). Only drawback is the police love to stop me ---sporty car profiling at its worse as Ive yet to get a ticket!

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  Pontiac Firebird - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By ev - January 3 - 10:00 am

  The car is absolutely beautiful and very fun to drive. I have only had a couple of problems with this car. The running lights have a tendency to burn out very quickly and I have also had problems with the motors in the lights. It does eat up a lot of gas but its worth it. I have had no major engine or transmission problems with the car yet.

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  GTP COMP G - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JG GTPCOMPG - January 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is awesome.

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  Couldnt be happier! - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By Shena02 - January 3 - 2:00 am

  I have a 99 Firebird and am exremely pleased with it. I love the body style and detail of the car, also the interior design. It runs smooth and turns heads everywhere I go! After driving this car I couldnt picture myself in any other type of car. I plan on upgrading to a 2002 soon.

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  Nice Surprise - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By D Dwyer - January 2 - 11:16 pm

  I was not expecting a car like this to handle the way it did. Very tight and nimble. Nor did I expect to get the power from a 4 cylinder, which I bought for the city driving mileage. The engine and transmission mesh very well. Turning is true and direct. I like the variable turning too, finger tip easy at rest and appropriate resistance on the fly. We love everything about this car. We did not think we would get such a smart interior. Nothing phony. What trim there is looks smart. We chose the fun and sun package and the rear spoiler with the mud guards in metalic silver. Looks real sharp and sporty. Got a good deal too.

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  getting rid - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By bummed2008 - January 1 - 11:56 am

  Well, I wanted to like this thing, because of its character. the interior has good design and fun to drive with decent power. and actually looks good. we loved taking this car to outside events and the kids could sit on the tailgate. here comes the sad part.. at only 40,000 miles we started having major electrical issues that were expensive and battery replacement was $600. now the head gasket or something is having trouble and tranny is slipping up hills.. this car is not a keeper. PS also had electrical issues on a 1999 Grand-Am when it was brand new. wont be buying a Pontiac any more and its a shame because I love how they feel and drive

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  SV6 nightmare - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By dartguy43 - January 1 - 5:06 am

  When I bought this van back in 2006 I needed a family vehicle that I could also have the room to move a few musical instruments around in. This van does about 3 to 4 long highway drives a year (approximately 1000 km there and back). The rest of the time it just gets driven around the city. I have always done the regular maintanance on the vehicle at the dealership and still this thing has been nothing but problems. They have had a steering column recall,comes with crappy tires (good for about 25000 km at most,has had to have numerous brake jobs, a transmission flush at 78000 km,bushing arms replaced, rotors replaced etc. \

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  2005 GTO (a tiger in goats skin) - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Arch - December 31 - 10:36 am

  2005 GTO automatic in Cyclone Gray. A very nice car, nice cool interior and very comfortable. Holden did such a wonderful job on the interior, and it is quite obvious this is no ordinary GM car. Though I love the Mustangs outer skin, its the Goats interior and performance that have me hooked. For all those who cry "import". So what! Last generation F bodies were built in Canada and they kicked the Mustangs rear all over the place for approx 10 yrs. The GTO automatic will stomp a Mustang GT big time. Anyway, the exterior could have used better styling or freshening. Ram Air would have been nice, but this car has so much power it doesnt really need.

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  Must be a GXP ... dont skimp! - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SciMjr - December 31 - 9:00 am

  The 2005 Grand Prix GXP is my first new car & I LOVE IT!!! I have black exterior with the Ebony Suede/leather interior. LOTS of power and you have to learn how to step on the gas w/o chirping the wheels! If you are planning to FLOOR the gas at the light you must hold the wheel because theres a little torque steer and the wheel will try to jump. Not a big problem. Interior is very nice and the two front seats are very comfortable in my opinion. I love the cockpit design; all radio & climate controls are angled to the driver. I feel the back is roomy and I am 6 1" ... the seats are a little hard though. Gas milage is good for a V-8 but I do 10 mile runs so it may be off for me.