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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  Whoa! Pontiac hit a home run with this! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Jeff - August 8 - 10:30 pm

  Im not one that likes to attract attention with the car I drive, so its a little tough answering all the questions and turning down the offers people make to buy my car in the grocery store parking lot! Fun car, Im looking forward to the summer!

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  97 Pontiac Crand Prix - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By sayhibob - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Great Commuting Car motor can easily take the reqts of heavy daily use

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  Aztek from Mexico - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By aztek39 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Has a very comforable ride, drives like a car, city gas mileage varies from 19 in the summer to 16 in the Winter. Highway milage is about 25 can hold alot of stuff. very good workmanship.

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  Great car but a impossible to fix proble - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By gtowner - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Baught the grand am gt used with 60000. I think that the car has superb handeling the 3100 is a powerfull engine, but there is a problem where I will lose all power while excellerating only happens once or twice a day but it drives me crazy.

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  Sporty for this mom! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tamee88 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Just bought my 2002 Grand Prix GT and I totally enjoy it! Its got so much power I have to remind myself the speed limit is 55! Im a mom of a four year old and I tool around town feeling like a teenager again. My son thinks hes got a cool mom too!

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  Loved It - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By kat83704 - August 7 - 6:56 am

  This was the best minivan I have ever owned. I never had any problems with it and it was very reliable transportation. I had two children that were in car seats when this van was purchased, so the dual sliding doors came in very handy.

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  Im surprised....so was the wife! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By daddyearwig - August 7 - 12:43 am

  This is a great car, Im impressed and surprised. Great riding, strong V6, nice clean appearance, and very roomy. Wide wheel base makes this thing turn like a boat. Console and shifter area kinda awkward. Too close together. Not enough storage. Small trunk opening. Sharp looking, I guess the people that stole my factory wheels thought so too. (Get wheel locks.) My wife was avid about not getting this (or Pontiac in general), had to give her her own set of keys.

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  2003 Montana Luxury AWD - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By ralphoid - August 6 - 4:36 pm

  Very Happy except for storage space in the front seating area. Fun to drive, economical and spacious.

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  2009 G6 Coupe is sweet ride - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By D - August 6 - 7:53 am

  I used to have a toyota corolla. It was really boring. I just bought this used former rental 09 G6 coupe with leather, sunroof, and alloys a couple months ago for pretty cheap. I have to disagree with the Edmunds review. I love it. The exterior coupe looks sporty, the leather seats are comfortable and have good support, and it rides like a dream. I am getting 27 mpg mixed driving with the V6 3.5. I love the power. It feels good to drive an American car that has a lot of power, gets good gas mileage, and is fun to drive.

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  Could be better !! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By John - August 6 - 6:26 am

  I purchased this car not long ago and let me tell you it did NOT completely satisfy me. It has good handling and it looks impressive but it has too many details I didnt like. It has bad wind control,very small trunk, poor turn performance, bad steering wheel, interior is plastic, a hard-to- understand top. It also has just a few of the standard features and even those features are very common and basic. The car has good brakes though and it seems reliable on that. I also found the engine to kind of shake when i shifted gears. As my last comment i would advice that you also try others before buying it never hurts to stay informed. I would rate this car at a 7.7 out of 10.