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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  Wouldnt trade it for anything! - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By FREX10 - May 19 - 1:20 am

  You havent driven until youve driven this car. The power and response are thrilling. The safety features are comforting. I took a TBone hit square in the driver side front door (i was crawling and she was traveling at 40 mph- and she never hit the brakes!) and my 10 yr old was in the front passenger seat- neither my son nor I were hurt at all, the cars frame was not bent, the glass did not break - it was amazing. the traction control feature is amazing as well. if you hit the brakes in light rainy conditions and your wheels fail to grip properly, the car takes over and bumps the vehicle to a stop (no idea exactly how, but it has saved us a couple times!). Pontiac should resurrect production!

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  Love Pontiac - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Air Assault SGT - May 18 - 6:16 am

  I bought a 2003 sunfire and fell in love with it on the test drive. Since I bought it I have changed things that way I can race it. The only issues that I have had are the o2 sensers and the converter. I have almost 200k on it and not one drop of leakage. I have lowered it and uped the hp and it runs like a champ and handles better than any other car that I have drove and I run a low 11sec in the quarter mile. I race my car with a stock engine and it has never let me down. This is by far the best 4cylinder that is out there. Better than the Vtec and the Zetech. Just do your regular maint. on it and it wont let you down. I love my car and it loves me and shows me every race.

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  Excellent all around! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Misterbaker - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This is the best car Ive owned!

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  Nice Car - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By shumpert - May 17 - 10:00 am

  First Pontiac owned, good power, handling is excellent for a full size car, quiet and interior styling good. back seat is a little rough for 6 footers, and not to thrilled about placement of the battery underneath the left rear passenger seat. Otherwise, a fine automobile for the price.

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  Its a Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By cmacrae - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Car is dependable, totally hugs the road in bad weather, steering is tight and accurate, is a great car to drive and it has a personality. Extra packages are good choices and it is priced right. I believe a very good buy.

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  Solid car/wagon - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Deborah - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive! Best feature is gas milage: 34 miles on the highway. Roomy for boxes, and comfortable seats.

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  4th GP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tom Misialek - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This is the 4th GP Ive owned, traded in my 40th anniversary edition for this great looking GTP

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  Daves comments - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By DBrian - May 15 - 9:36 pm

  My 05 gto is a great car, light years ahead of my vintage muscle cars. Also a good perfomance value with muscle and acceptable mileage.

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  Great car - 2010 Pontiac Vibe
  By Dan P. - May 13 - 10:33 pm

  Bought the last new Vibe GT in the northeast. Traveled almost 200 miles. Worth every mile. Great acceleration with the manual trans. Comfortable seats. Roomy enough to store all my junk and then some. Better looking than the Toyota Matrix. Even my 9 year old son likes the looks of this car. I stole this car for $15k after all the discounts. Finally I have a car that I enjoy driving.

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  I didnt expect this! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Willhbauto - May 13 - 4:36 am

  I really didnt expect such a great vehicle. Ive been a high volume fleet and internet manager for my Pontiac dealer for a long time, but honestly I never thought Id personally buy a G6, but it came time to buy a house and I wanted room in the budget, so I got rid of my loaded up Sierra truck and got this G6. It is a great riding car, great build quality, powerful, I am really surprised. Ive had Pontiacs in the past and never cared for them. I think theyve stepped up a notch and are a great value. I highly recommend the G6 if you want a great vehicle for your money