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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  My Bonnie - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Mr Ed - October 28 - 10:00 am

  Great Vehicle for a traveling sales grunt

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  2002 Ram Air, Hurst Manual 6 - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By JWats - October 28 - 10:00 am

  This, simply put, is the best performance car in the 30-50k range. The only thing that could possibly be better than this is a Vette Z06. Its completely reliable, unless you think you dont have to change the oil or air up the tires. The only problem with this car is that stupid press people (i.e. Edmunds.com, Motortrend) seem to have forgotten that a car should have the goods, and not the hype. If youre ready for the real deal, a sports car that can blow the doors of any Japanese import or Ford product, then step right up. Posers may take Mustangs and Celicas.

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  happy new driver - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By ws6sarabird - October 28 - 10:00 am

  Love it!!! My first v8 sports car with rear drive. Every other vehicle was 4 banger turbo of some kind.

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  Vibe GT review - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By badbary - October 27 - 11:13 am

  Overall this car has been great. The build quality is excellent and it is extremely fun to drive. It is so versatile. The sound system is great and mileage is still impressive with 100k miles on it. 6 speed manual adds to the fun. Have only had to replace brakes and tires once and keep up on oil changes.

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  Not a BMW 5 series killer... - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Gomez - October 26 - 3:33 pm

  While the exhaust notes are a delightful symphony, the suspension and torque steer remove any fantasies of carving a canyon and putting the whup on any German engineered product. First impression: throaty growl stimulates adrenal gland...then ride on the street is like drinking sour milk. Suspension is so soft that the front emd bottoms out at speed over moderate undulations in the road. Feels like floating in a raft in the pool. Torque steer nearly planted me in the car in the next lane on the freeway. Under hard acceleration, it is not unlike flying a helicopter: dont even think of releasing the controls! Constant input requirement drowns the fun of the acceleration.

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  a - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By MTNowa - October 24 - 11:00 pm

  very dependable, very fun to drive car. Has surprised quite a few people who have ridden in it by how quick it is

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  Family Van - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Upriver - October 24 - 12:53 pm

  I have owned a Montana for 4 years . it had 112000 klm on it. Now has 141000. All around great vehicle but it has had rear end troubles at a cost of $16000. thankfully under warranty. Now the rear end has gone again. Should it diengage the awd when cornering, Dont know. But they will spend another $ 11000 to fix it under warranty. It runs good just makes a howling noise when turning. I would buy one again.

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  Love it but lacks common features - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By costeld - October 24 - 10:22 am

  Fast, comfortable and smooth ride on poor roads. Very quite cabin. Responsive steering. Good brake performance. Very supportive seats. Distinctive styling. Solid clutch and transmission. Good consistent power. Nice exhaust note. Head turner (thats a Pontiac?).

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  feel the vibe - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By riasntx - October 24 - 10:00 am

  The interior of this car has a rugged type design. It is fun to drive.

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  My Review - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Diomede22 - October 24 - 12:26 am

  Found it to be a good little family car with good gas mileage. Lots of neat little features and great use of space. Base 4cyl engine could use a bit more of a kick, but its got some anyway. At 61, I am more comfortable in this smaller sport wagon than I was in my SUV I used to have.