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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  Black 2004 GTP Comp G - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ErnieM - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I love everything about it. Ill change some things but nothing I can say I dont like.

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  Vibe - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Deborah - April 27 - 6:20 pm

  I love it for the versatility!

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  excellent car underrated - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By william southard - April 27 - 2:33 pm

  keep the boost gauge at -5 and the gas mileage is pretty good. also ease the power on into boost for the best launch of the start.

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  Great American Car - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Stephen - April 26 - 10:00 am

  This is my 4th Bonne; 88, 93, 97 and now 00. Great car with smooth quiet ride and handles well for a large sedan. Each one was trouble free with less than $200 maint. per year (excluding tires, since thats dependent on how you drive). Fun to drive. They just get better every year.

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  GTP is the pure excitement!!!!!!! - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Grandman - April 24 - 3:33 pm

  This is simply the best vehicle that I have owned hands down. I feel like I own the road when Im dring the GTP. I tried the Maxima and Accord, but they didnt have the excitement or looks of the GTP. The GTP is one brilliantly designed top quality car. I have over 12,000 trouble free enjoyable miles on the GTP.

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  Best Looking Car on the Road - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Gary C - April 24 - 10:00 am

  I think the 2002 Grand Prix competes with the big boys in looks. Actually, I like the design better than the later model design. It also added the 2002 Nascar championship to its resume. What really amazed me about my car with the 3.1 was that I got 33 mpg in pure interstate driving coming home from the dealer. In five mileage checks, I averaged 26 in town. I could not be more pleased with performance. The comfort level is very good especially with the four way driver seat control. I was not used to having automatic controls on everything and that is really nice. The security system is also a nice plus.

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  Great car! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Fabulosa - April 22 - 4:00 pm

  I have nothing negative to say about my wonderful Vibe,I do housecleaning for a leaving and this car have been excellent for my business, I recommend everyone to buy this vehicle. Money well invested.

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  Tire Problem - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Art - April 16 - 1:23 am

  My gxp is a fun car to drive in the summer. I live in new england. This car is impossible to drive in the winter because of the performance tires. The car comes with two different size tires, 255/45R 18 front, and 225/50R 18 rear. I have spent hours on the internet to try to find a set of all-season tires. I have also checked with local tire dealers in my home area. So far, I have had no luck at all with this problem. Buyers Beware !!!

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  Goat-Tastic! - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By masteropunk - April 15 - 1:53 am

  I love this car. Owned a supercharged Cobalt before this and the power in the GTO is so great over the latter. I have recently added an 80 mm turbo amongst other things and am running at a cool 1011 hp off the dyno. I loved this car stock and love it even more with the additions.

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  4th firebird Love those F-bodies - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By alysinwunderland - April 14 - 2:00 am

  I buy at least 1 used Fbody Pontiac Firebird/TA every year! I love them. I have had 3 other 1994-1997 Firebird/TAs. They have been reliable fun to drive vehicles that keep their value pretty well. This is the body syle I love. The sloped front end is more attractive than the new style. I get comments on the car almost everyday...sometimes even offers to buy it. I recommend this for young people and the young at heart.