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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  VIBE - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By JAMES THURSTON - December 3 - 2:00 am

  IN COLD WEATHER LOTS OF RATTLES FROM DASH.

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  ideal car - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By peggy wilson - December 3 - 2:00 am

  for a small family car this one is great,getting around in heavy traffic is great preforms excellent.on wet roads hold great,not and expense car to own and operate.

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  THnx GM Signed Japan - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By axestrum - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Well Typical Gm,60,000 and the Radiator fluid is in the oilpan,replaced the water pump also,have towed this american built gem home with my 1993 130000 mile Nissan Pu more than once,potential great car,just needs to be designed and built in Japan,BYE BYE GM!!!!!

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  Best used car for my money - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Andrew A - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 92 Bonneville after meeting a real estate agent who has owned the $60K Corvette, a Lexus, a Mercedes, 2 BMWs, and 2 Bonnevilles (SE and supercharged SSEi). He said that of all of the vehicles he has owned, he likes the Bonneville best. I can see why. He did comment that he preferred the SE for its smoother ride. After the 92 Bonneville I upgraded to a 98 SE. I rented a 2000 once & just didnt like it as much as the 98. I love my 98. I bought an SUV recently & prefer the Bonneville. So far, no mechanical problems in the 35K miles Ive had it. Im no featherfoot on the accelerator, either.

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  STILL TO NEW - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By ITS RED - December 3 - 2:00 am

  SPEEDING TICKET (21 MILES OVER) 81 IN A 60 NOT EVEN 24 HOURS OLD. I DIDNT REALIZE I WAS GOING THAT FAST. I WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, WAS EXPECTING TO SEE MORE OF A GTO LOOK, I THINK IT SHOULD HAVE THE HOOD SCOOPS ON IT LIKE THE NEW GRAND AM. FOR SOME REASON THE WINDOWS FOG UP VERY QUICK WHEN ITS RAINING OUT,AND LIGHTS AT NIGHT ARENT VERY BRIGHT. 1ST GTO IN OKLAHOMA.

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  NICE RIDE - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By DARKITEC - December 3 - 2:00 am

  My only complaint is the manual trans skip shift feature. Its not the easiest thing to get used to Ive been shifting 1,3,5 for years. Im hoping that someone dosent run into the back of me while Im struggeling to find a usable gear.

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  Better than I had imagined - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By My Goat - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I have owned several Corvettes and a Z28 and was looking for something that was a little more livable. When I saw the GTO I thought that was exactly what I was looking for. The car handles great, is very comfortable, does not have the typical tacky Pontiac design "features" and has a wonderful engine. Some argue that the car does not look like the original GTO, but few cars look like the cars from over thirty years ago. I also like the somewhat conservative styling. The more I drive it the more I am impressed with it.

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  Great! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By GoatMan - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Great performance and handling. Very nice interior but truck space is limited due to moving the gas tank. Styling is too conservitive but oncce behind the wheel that goes away. This is what the GTO is all about lots of HP in a small passenger car.

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  demise of an American icon (Pontiac) - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By kenny appleseed - December 3 - 2:00 am

  It hurts so bad to see the demise of an American icon such as Pontiac, but if this is what they got to offer save your money or put it towards an actual car company. The car is just transportation, but at 19k I kick myself for not going with the Altima.

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  a must drive - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By thediehler - December 3 - 2:00 am

  a must drive......a must buy/lease - i have owned/lease a total three pontiac grand prix gts - 1997 - 2000 - 2004. And it has been fun to own and drive.