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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  Fantastic - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By FANTASTIC - January 13 - 4:40 pm

  Gm has built a suv that has the best quility, smooth transmission, very quiet. I let my wife drive toyotas,hondas and she picked the pontiac. We have had the torrent for two weeks. Thank you gm!

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  2007 Vibe - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ray - January 13 - 8:16 am

  I purchased the Vibe with having our first born and for the gas mileage. Ive put 27k miles on it so far with no problems. Getting around 34 mpg, with 28 mpg in the winter. Like other Pontiacs it is noisy on the highway and wish there was a bit more leg room. But overall Im very satisfied. Handles great and looks good for a wagon. Very versatile as I can put a variety of stuff inside it.

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  Like the Torrent - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Mark D - January 13 - 7:46 am

  I owned a Dodge Caravan for 12 years and wanted something smaller but still roomy. Im about 6 tall so I like the leg room & headroom of SUVs. I test drove a Mariner, too, but chose the Torrent. Its more comfortable because its wider and the seats are very cushiony.

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  I love this car! - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By patte_a - January 11 - 3:13 pm

  I bought the GP GT after driving a rental GP GT while my wrecked car was being repaired. I buy cars like most women buy shoes, but I will drive this car until the wheels fall off. It is by far the most dependable vehicle I have ever owned. The dealership has been fantastic for service. My stepson has already asked to buy this from me when he graduates from college. It is a definite keeper.

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  Good Vibe - Brations - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By chrilad - January 11 - 10:26 am

  Bought the 2003 Vibe in May of 2003. A little nervous being a first model year. The Vibe has been nothing but reliable. We chose the All-wheel Drive model to deal with winters in Upstate NY. Handles even the heavies snow and ice with no problem. Plenty of room and all seats fold to form a single flat surface for loads. Approaching 47,000 miles and only performed routine maintenance and tires. Not the fastest car on the road by any means, but can get up to highway speed in average time. This is essentially a Toyota, but with Pontiac badge, insurance will be slightly less.

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  Great Car for all - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By rbourne - January 10 - 10:00 am

  The more i drive it the more i love it. The vibe is a quality product that is cheaper than toyotas matrix and looks better to boot. My only problem is that the manual shifter is loose, going to replace it with an after market one anyway so no real complaints.

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  Great - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Escalante - January 10 - 9:53 am

  Great performance, amazing when traveling on road and highways. Nice experience driving it at high speed, good control and stability

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  This things fast and smooth - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By woolly - January 10 - 8:10 am

  Bought the car with 4,000 miles on it, pretty loaded and supercharged. I still have a 1999 Bonneville and I thought it was fast. This car is unbelievable for the money. Looks like an expensive sports car and drives like one.

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  I Love It! - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bethanne - January 9 - 8:40 am

  I bought this car based on reviews that I had seen on the internet. I keep my cars a long time so I wanted something that was reliable, safe and fuel efficient. I love this car! It is so much fun to drive, handles really well in the snow and a very stylish roomy interior. I would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone who is looking for a fuel effecient ride that is a treat to drive!

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  Sturdy, Cheap, A to B vehicle. - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Monopoly - January 8 - 1:30 pm

  Bought new and currently have 161000kms. Car rattles like crazy and is really starting to show its age. in 05 it was the most powerful, affordable eco-car in its class. My base model manual trans black 2dr with decent tires is peppy in a straight line but handles horribly. The seats are unbearingly uncomfortable for long trips. Good things about it is they are super cheap for everything incl. parts and insurance. fuel econ is decent. I avg 600kms a 53L tank mixed driving. I noticed these cars are approx $4000 for one in OK condition. pick one up if your on a budget. itl make a great short commuter and has a reliable drive train. watch for everything else. GMs tend to fall apart at 120kms