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:

• 

  update for GTP; keep looking! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Madusa - October 19 - 10:00 am

  Well, no further problems to report...just the same ones! The windshield is too low at the top (must scootch down to see the street light). the top of my head rubs against the ceiling (Im 64") but never had this problem with my 00 GT. Im hating NOT having an auto-dim rear view mirror. Night driving stinks when youre constantly blinded. People still confuse me with a Grand Am (including my girl friend)..YUK! Drove in the "Detroit Dream Cruise" all weekend and got my butt kicked almost every time. 0-60 in 6.6 NO WAY!! Seen 7.1+ on other sites and feels even slower to me. All talk and no walk. SLUGGISH! STAY AWAY. Dont be tricked by incentives(like me)

• 

  Best. Car. Ever. - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By selinamarie - October 16 - 5:01 pm

  For my first car, I chose this cute little 2001 Pontiac Sunfire. I had no idea what I was getting into- it was a Craigslist find. I started out with 140 k miles, and now it is at 151 k and still running pretty well. Several cars Ive looked at that are newer seem to have issues at this point in the odometer stats. The only major problem Ive ever had were the brakes as well as my gear shifter becoming loose. My CD player sucks, and the window motors are going bad, but this is an easy fix. The previous owners said this little champ got them to Arizona and back from New York!

• 

  310,000 km and no complaints - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Brian - October 16 - 2:40 pm

  I love my car. 13 years, 310,000km and no reason to even look at something new. This car runs perfect like the day it was new. New Brakes, Tires, Battery, AC compressor, Waterpump, tuneups but that is expected. Very reasonable and no complaints from me. 2.4 Quad 4 has done very well for me.

• 

  RECALL, but wait! - 2010 Pontiac Vibe
  By wade - October 16 - 1:53 pm

  purchased with the help of GM points and cash for clunkers program. So, whats a good GM vehicle? Ouch, me too. Guess what, the Toyota built (80%) with a pontiac skin, is GMs best car! Check out the rating guides,its Gms best period! Ok, looked at it, and wow! Sporty look, interior room is suv like. Im serious. AWD,great for wisconsins winters. Its funny, Ive read other reviews and zippy was mentioned often. My wife and I nicknamed the car "zippy" when describing the ride and feeling we get when driving. But, now we have a re-call on this vehicle! 100% fact. My service man has said we will recieve a re-call letter from Pontiac. We are @ the bottom of the food chain. Minor I hope!

• 

  Basic Transport with attitude! - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Tundra88 - October 16 - 8:36 am

  My family needed to replace a very unreliable Volvo and decided to go with this Vibe. Toyota build at a GM price. Of course since the purchase weve had to deal with the gas pedal recall but otherwise its been flawless. During the recent Atlanta ice storm we parked my 4WD pickup and drove the Vibe. It was great in the icy conditions. Stability control is awesome! Good gas mileage, decent handling and (subjective) good looking. Everyone in the family loves driving the Vibe, its no race car, but then its not supposed to be...

• 

  Jones GP Review - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Wanda Jones - October 15 - 11:06 am

  Had to replace transmission twice,other than that, Ive had good performance and reliability from the GP. Great looking car and very comfortable.

• 

  2002 Bonneville - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By pmdta76 - October 15 - 2:00 am

  The 2002 Bonneville has tight handling and quick reflexes. The suspension/steering package hold this vehicle squarely and securely on the road even in hard cornering, but leaves a smooth ride and feeling of control. The styling is contemporary and makes a stunning visual from any angle. The 3.8L V-6 automatic is smooth and moderately torquey, but can snap the car cleanly and quickly down the highway if need be. The instrumentation is easy to read at a glance and all controls can be accessed without leaning from the drivers seat. Seating is comfortable, but the thigh bolsters and head room are less than previous model years.

• 

  Great car - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jeff002 - October 15 - 2:00 am

  Great car but the cupholders need some help

• 

  Great car to travel across America!! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Michael Dinsdale - October 15 - 1:46 am

  We have had this car for about 3 weeks , and Love it!!! the fuel economy is way better than what was put on the sticker.It drives really well on the highway and in town. We are very pleased with our choice of this type of suv.

• 

  Totally awesome! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By jls25466 - October 14 - 5:16 am

  I bought this car last night, and I am nothing but impressed. I saw a commercial for it, and I had to have one. I traded a truck and was afraid of losing space, but I did not lose a thing! This car handles great and is so much fun to drive!