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:
Showing 961 through 970 of 8,540.00-
Sunfire 2003!!! - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
By Sunfire Goddess - December 21 - 2:00 amI love my car. The Sunfire is the coolest looking car on the market today. I love the radio, the seats, the performance. I feel safer in this car than I did in my Dodge Neon (1998 model). I wish that people would not give this car such a hard time. It is a great car for a great price. The only thing that I may not be happy with about this car is that it is hard to open the drivers visor without messing up the rearview mirror.
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Pontiacs best buy! - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
By roger - December 21 - 2:00 amI love my Aztec. I have two grandbabies now and we gave up our Jeep Wrangler for a bigger vechical. My Aztec rides and drives great. I have plenty of power for the highway and it is perfect for around town shopping. What a deal I got on it. I hope my salesman doesnt get fired. This car is white with the body side molding the same color instead of last years model of contrasting with black. It also has 16" alloy wheels that make it really stand out. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I think people are judging the Aztec on past models and really need to drive one of these to see what they are missing. I truly have a classic in the making.
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2004 AWD Vibe in Colorado - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
By Carl Almgren - December 21 - 2:00 amWonderful car. Good design - seats 5 adults when needed. Best car that we own for driving in winter waether. Can accelerate UP an icy hill. 30 MPG on a ski trip, fully loaded. Very easy to drive - almost as easy as riding a bicycle. This ones a keeper
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Vibe GT Auto/trans - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
By KingRumble - December 21 - 2:00 amVery nice little car. fun to drive, not that great in snow. get a little tail happy in snow turns.Looks very diffrent with the front and rear spoilers. add something to the car above the normal Vibe.
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Love The Vibe - 2008 Pontiac Vibe
By BMW - December 20 - 6:26 pmThis is now our second Vibe based on our great experience with our 05 Vibe. It is used as a commuter and vacationing vehicle - it has great fuel economy and comfort for long trips. We are both over 6ft tall and have had trouble finding a comfortable seating arrangement that is not a SUV. Headroom is great but *watch out for the sunroof if your any taller than 6ft*.
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Nice car - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
By Troyboy - December 20 - 2:43 pmThis car is a great car, nothing wrong with it at all. I bought the cheap kind with the cloth seats and nothing fancy, get the nicer stuff, its so much better, my cousin has one and its great. Engine though is unbeatable, had it until about 140,000 miles and would have kept it alot longer but I hit a deer. Great crash safety! I hit the deer going 80, and it didnt even scratch me! Great car will never let you down!
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You Got Somthin Here - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
By Panda - December 19 - 10:00 amHandles. Smooth. Go 70 all day. Change oil regularly-- Dont let it go past 5000 mi.
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Good Vibe-rations! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
By Shane4252 - December 19 - 5:23 amFantastic in every way! Pontiac definitely has a winner here. Be sure to testdrive the Vibe before you make a car-buying decision. You wont be disappointed!
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White Lightening Review of GP GTP - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
By GFD 6K3 - December 17 - 10:00 amI have put all 81000+ miles on my Grand Prix GTP, is has been the most fun in the world....next to sex.
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grand am - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
By ttrer - December 17 - 10:00 amnice handling good gas milage
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Pontiac Aztek 501 Reviews
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Pontiac Bonneville 462 Reviews
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Pontiac Firebird 385 Reviews
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Pontiac G3 25 Reviews
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Pontiac G5 150 Reviews
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Pontiac G6 925 Reviews
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Pontiac G8 287 Reviews
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Pontiac Grand AM 1,106 Reviews
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Pontiac Grand Prix 1,601 Reviews
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Pontiac GTO 540 Reviews
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Pontiac Montana 369 Reviews
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Pontiac Montana SV6 62 Reviews
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Pontiac Solstice 286 Reviews
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Pontiac Sunfire 449 Reviews
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Pontiac Torrent 258 Reviews
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Pontiac Trans Sport 37 Reviews
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Pontiac Vibe 1,097 Reviews