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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  Great Sporty Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Lenora - May 10 - 10:00 am

  The GT is a very smooth, fast riding car. Lots of front leg room and width room. Fun to drive. If your looking for a 4 door car thats sporty and young looking - this should be your first and only choice.

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  pontiac man - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Larry Lee - May 10 - 4:56 am

  I love driving this car. The pure power of that LS2 is amazing. I have been a pontiac man my whole life. I have owned a 66 GTO, 71 GTO, 74 GTO and a number of Trans Ams including a 2002 Firehawk. My 06 Goat has neck snapping power that is a joy to drive. The interior is the best of any pontiacs Ive owned. I believe the exterior could be improved even though the sleeper look at times is beneficial. I hope they bring the goat back. I did have one problem which I learned about on other reviews. The problem with the struts. When I read there was problems I went out and checked my struts. Sure enough the strut on the right side had blowen. I took back to dealer and they fixed it.

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  Super G8 - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By G. Roy - May 8 - 3:33 pm

  Its been a long time since Ive owned a car that came close to this G8. Unbelievable value and price. The driving experience is outstanding, dont miss the opportunity to test drive this car youll love it.

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  Outstanding! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Bert - May 8 - 12:50 pm

  I have been following this car since it was first introduced by pontiac. They are very difficult to find and I was lucky enough to find a vehicle that was ordered by someone who decided not to take delivery because he was not comfortable in it. I originally thought I would use the vehicle as a weekend driver but its so fun to drive I cannot leave it at home. If you are looking for a fun affordable car this is the one.

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  Strong enough for a man but made for me - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By Gail Oldow - May 7 - 12:30 am

  My husband went on and on about seeing this beautiful vehicle, so we went to test drive it. As soon as I got in and adjusted the seats and realized that I would never again need a pillow to get close enough to the steering wheel, I was in love. And then to top things off,I finally had a place to store my huge purse; the center console lifts up to hold a purse or anything else. And then you can fold the center back down again. For a woman who pays a lot of money for purses, I never have to throw it on the floor, or the back seat, I can have it next to me but neatly stored. Someone was really thinking there. Thank you!

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  Love my Aztek - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By twiglet - May 6 - 10:00 am

  This car is can do everything. What I really enjoy is the comfort, This has to be one of the most comfortable small to midsize SUVs on the market. I love that it does look different, it is not one of those cookie cutter designs,it stands out. Some people say ugly, I say just different, and alot of people agree me!

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  Absolutely Wonderful! - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By Sassy17965 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I got the base model, which really didnt come with much , but the handling is great! I love the interior, so roomy! As far a "getting up and going" it does that pretty well. I test drove the Aztek in rain and bought it in the rain. Couldnt be happier with its proformance!

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  exterior needs improvement - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By TRANS AM MAN 2 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  inside of car is hot,although exterior need needs a lot of improvement,,it should shout out ""GTO"" like the TRANSAM RAMAIR WS6 does.

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  got two of them - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Pete04 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I drive the GTP model and my wife the GT2. Both look sharp and much better than 98 GT and SE models we had. Car got great ext’r changes, but GM took away some of the nice features from the old cars. The GTP burns more gas than GT2(let me think maybe the 260hp engine is at fault here).I love to drive this car and my wife loves it too, even though she had a problem with the CD changer.

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  Love mine. - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Jason - May 5 - 11:43 pm

  I have loved mine since I have purchased it. Wish it had the 05-06 Ram Air hood and dual exhaust but other than that I love it. I have replaced the box air filter with a K & N cold air intake. Removed the stock exhaust and replaced it with a Corsa exhaust and replaced the stock headers with a set of Edelbrock and love it. Are there cars out there faster? Sure, but there are not to many and a lot of those have some form of power adder. If you purchase one be prepared to have Mustangs, Chargers, and Challengers want to see what you got. You can show them or do what I do, let em go, because they are not even worth the gas.