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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  Love my Vibe - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By STEPHANIE B - December 26 - 7:23 am

  This has been the best car I have ever owned. I love it and now my sister is going to purchase one also. My daughter wants one also. This tells you that it is a great car!

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  Honest Review of the Grand Prix GXP - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pontiac owner jim - December 25 - 5:56 pm

  Im a young professional and I need a car to take clients out. I test drove a gently used maxima, a tsx,and an IS 250. Liked them all. I test drove the GP GXP and was pleasantly surprised. The V8 power,options,and handling of this car far outperformed the others above. And it was ~ $8,000 less. The car is not perfect. Fuel economy is not good and there are some cheap materials on the interior. There is torque steer due to front wheel drive but its not intolerable. But the performance and options you get for the value far outweighs the negatives.

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  Best Car on the Road - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Dr. Mike - December 25 - 4:36 pm

  To the idiot writing the first review: brakes,tires and ROTORS, are normal wear items on any vehicle. My Grand Prix is the best purchase I have ever made. The Pontiac 3.8 L engine is by far the best production engine ever made. If it is well mantained it will never wear out. Ive had mechanics tell me theyve seen 3.8s with the oil run out of them and seize not even need new rings! They run strong with excellent fuel economy and power - what more is there to want??

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  Uh-Mazing - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By MooCow1527 - December 24 - 2:20 pm

  I had purchased a Dodge Caliber in January 07- over the course of my 2 year relationship with that vehicle it was terrible. I wanted something new, but a similar body style. I found the 09 Vibe and fell in love. Its an amazing car with lots of features for not a lot of money. I got the dark silver paint with black inside. Sunroof, power everything, monsoon stereo and chrome rims. My husband says its like a space-ship inside. This is a fabulous car and Id recommend it to anyone who wants a fun, spunky car!

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  1995 Pontiac Grand Am - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By srw - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle was very reliable out of the 7 years that we owned it. It was sleek and easy to handle, with a V-6 engine it had a lot of get up and go. The Pontiac Grand Am is not designed for carrying lots of people or baggage though..perfect for a single person or a couple without children. The passenger side seatbelt constantly got stuck in the car door...it never would automatically retract...I read that this was a common complaint among 1995 Grand Am owners.

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  last of the bred - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By tarntino - December 22 - 10:00 am

  love the 5.7 v8 very fast and great milage average about 20mpg for a big car and large v8 thats super,I think it looks great most cars on road today all look the same,only problem is quality pontiac has a long way to go before they match the imports.

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  Aztek is a sleeper - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By LadyofShallot - December 22 - 10:00 am

  Looking at the Aztek driving down the road is somewhat hard on the eyes. The interior is "youth-oriented" so a little unconventional. But, it is comfortable, smooth riding, and incredibly functional.

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  Much better than the old Grand Ams - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By plasticman - December 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought this vehicle in mid 98 right after it was introduced. I dont usually do that, since I like to give the manf. time to work the bugs out. I really like the way the car handles and the V6 has good power for a non- sports car. The only problem I have had is I had to replace the water pump at about 55,000 miles. The mechanic blamed it on the new Dexcool antifreeze.

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  Great Car - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Fscottjr - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive and it looks great in it,s victory red paint and chrome tech wheels. I had only one problem and that was with the drivers side window and the dealer fixed it right away. This car has an incredable feel to it and is a pleasure to take out on the road.

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  One BAD Bird - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By BIG_Bird from NJ - December 21 - 10:23 pm

  I bought my Trans Am in 2002 and LOVE every time I drive it. It was my first sports car and will hopefully be my last. I put on a Powerdyne super charger, MAC headers, LT4 Hot Cams, 36 lbs fuel injectors, 58mm throttle body, and 3 T.V.s in it. This car has some serious horse power and is a head turner. The tinted windows give it an even better look. Im so glad I didnt get a Mustang. All my friends like my car and want to buy it. Too bad Im not selling it. I sure hope that GM is making some new ones even though they say theyre not. If you dont have one of these go out and get one. My friends have the mustangs and EVERYONE thinks my car was better even before all the work I did.