It has recently occurred to me that of all the car manufacturers out there; Pontiac is the maker of more performance vehicles than almost anyone. If you don’t believe me, then prepare to become a believer. To kick things off I think it is appropriate to begin with one of the greatest muscle cars to have ever hit the American streets back in 1967, the Pontiac Firebird.
The firebird has always been a midline affordable sports car with aggressive and breathtaking styling that would eventually make this car a legend in its time. Having ceased production in 2002, we can now only await what could possible be a comeback; that is if the all new retro Camaro, GTO, and Cuda achieve the success they are being hyped to.
Speaking of the GTO; this is one sweet ride if you don’t mind me saying. The overall looks are lacking somewhat as far as the retro styling of the original; but if raw, untamed horsepower offers bonus points in your book, then I think you just might be able to over look the styling for the fun you will be having behind the wheel.
Next on our list is Firebirds little brother, the Pontiac Sunfire. The Sunfire was Pontiac’s attempt to combine a family based compact with performance enthusiast styling. Unfortunately the Sunfire never successfully took off in the market and is now also gone with no chance of a revival in the future.
In its place we now have the Pontiac Solstice which is obviously a whole new beast (literally), but on the other hand it’s actually a rather practical cruiser with enough clever design and features that appeal to families and singles alike; exactly what the Sunfire was supposed to do. The Solstice offers plenty get-up-and-go and aftermarket following to play with, but is also economical and affordable enough for any working family.
Looking back in Pontiac’s history, we can’t ignore the infamous Pontiac Fiero that was a beautiful vehicle whose budget constraints killed it before it was even able to get off of the assembly line. Fortunately for you owners out there; there is quite a multitude of Pontiac parts for the Fiero to not only boost performance, but reliability as well. Pushing back a little farther in time we will find the Pontiac Grand Am and the Pontiac Grand Prix.
The Grand Am and Grand Prix are both quite similar luxury sport sedans/coupes, but the Grand Prix has always been considered the more luxurious model with all the bells and whistles; and by whistles I am referring to the whine of the supercharger that the Grand Prix boasted in the late 90’s. Today these vehicles are being phased out for the Pontiac G6 and G8; the G8 however will not be found on the lots until 2008.
The Pontiac G6 is quite a sharp looking sport sedan/coupe, and has been designed to not only show off in the parking lot; but also toot its horn when you are out on a deserted mountain road with its 201 horsepower V6. Complete with stylish alloy wheels and a chrome exhaust tip, Pontiac is going all out on this one, and it is looking to pay off in the long run. Okay, now just as we can’t all have fashion magazine cover models for our spouses, neither can Pontiac just have sports cars for their customers.
This is where we drop off from the performance line-up and introduce the Pontiac Vibe which is yet another crossover SUV, that is fighting among all the other manufacturers to win over the hearts of every soccer mom across the US and Canada. With its five star safety rating, the Pontiac Vibe is definitely a good value for its asking $17,000 price tag.
And as if one is not enough, you soccer moms will also have the choice of the Pontiac Torrent. The Torrent is a slight step up from the Vibe and has a little more traditional SUV feel. Complete with an available OnStar package and a price tag of just under $22,000 I would say that it really does not matter which one you choose; as long as you have an extra $5,000 to burn!