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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  Still like new - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Steve S in TX - April 22 - 2:00 am

  Smooth, quiet, powerful. Looks nice and rides nice. Not mushy like the other full size GM front wheel drives. Handles well. Good mileage for bigger car. 26MPG city/highway and 30+ highway MPG. I bought it with 80,000 on the clock and you couldnt take it away!

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  Something New & Unique - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Jodi James - April 22 - 2:00 am

  The 2003 Aztek is a very smooth riding SUV with a unique exterior design. It offers many interior features and a sporty look both inside and out.

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  love it so far - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mfarrugg - April 22 - 2:00 am

  i bought the grand am GT1 with the sports perfromance package. this car looks great and for a relatively cheap price. its still early (9,000 miles) but so far i love this car. my main complaint is the cheap bumper. living in NYC, the parking is tight and i often find a new black scratch and dent in my silver bumber when the other car just taps my car. its called a bumber for a reason....its should act like one

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  All around excellent vehicle - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Mark - April 21 - 10:43 am

  If you are looking at Accords or Camrys you had better check out the G6 before you buy. GM hit the bullseye with this car. Great styling, great fit and finish. Interior is well laid out and comfortable. I have had the car 6 months and have 21,000 miles on it. I average 28 - 30 mpg on the highway, and I dont baby it! Tremendous room inside for a car this size. One word of caution. If you are tall (0ver 6 ft) the large sunroof may cut into your headroom. I am 510" and have no problems. Trunk size is larger than I expected. Because of the adjustable pedals and steering wheel, both my wife (52") and I (510") can easily find comfortable driving positions.

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  Worth the wait - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By AverageGuy - April 21 - 5:26 am

  Our 1998 Chevy Tracker fit in the garage allright, ran without any problems for many years; but was always a SUV wanna-be. We needed an SUV that was small enough for the garage but big enough for comfotable trips to and from our daughters college; 450 miles return. The Torrent exceeds our expectations.

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  Great Car to Drive - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Frank256 - April 20 - 9:53 pm

  The fit, trim and overall attention to detail is excellent. The visibility is good. Driver positiion is excellent. The DVD player is awesome. Why didnt they have this when our kids were younger?

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  LOVE MY G3 - 2009 Pontiac G3
  By tonidale - April 18 - 1:42 am

  I bought my g3 new july of 09, and love it, i have over 20,000 already have to have new tires :(. other than that i love it, i am a large size woman and when dealer showed me that car i laughed at him and said no way i can be comfy in that car, he proved me wrong. i only had i small thing wrong with it when i fisrt bought it. and since then it has been fine. i dont think i get that great of gas milage. but love the car.

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  Not a great Vechile - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Frank Weir - April 17 - 12:23 pm

  Bought it used last year. First rain storm found out how poor it handles in the rain. Traction control is scary when it comes on. It came with four good snow tires but is total useless in the snow. When on ling trip this summer and had reasonable trip except when it rained. Found that the spare tire compartment fills with water when it rains. Lost right side from stereo and the turn signal has no sound. First and last GM product.

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  My First GTP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tj1davis - April 17 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Sport Red GTP for about 6 weeks and love it. It is a big step forward over the previous model years. I love the look of it from the outside and inside. Any time there is a body style change if you loved the old style it takes a while for the new one to grow on you.

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  Great Reliable Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ROBERT - April 17 - 5:23 am

  This car starts for me all the time in the dead of winter especially here in norhtern Il. I love this car, it is the best car I have ever owned. I love the acceleration of this car while on the highway especially going through Chicagos expressways.