Pontiac's Last Standing Warriors

Speaking of high performance cars, the Pontiac G8 fitted the bill perfectly from the year of its launch in 2008. Fitted with a 3.6 liter V6 engine, the sedan was the first to get people excited. This followed with the 6.0 liter V8 engine GT, the popularity of which saw people wait months for delivery. The craze for small, sporty cars brought about the launch of the Pontiac G5. The G5 was a high performance vehicle that was fuel efficient. The fuel efficient era had many car manufacturers scrambling for better fuel saving technologies that were environmentally friendly as well. Pontiac did their part by rolling the G6 Sedan, Vibe, and the G5 off the assembly lines.

The G6 Sedan was the replacement of the Grand Am sedan. The Pontiac G6 Sedan was one of the first to provide owners with 30 miles per gallon on the highway. The G6 had more horsepower than similar models in its competition. Safety features included dual front and side impact air bags and anti-lock braking system with traction control. Also included was GM's Onstar Services with crash notification, hands-free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, and vehicle diagnostics. The four trim lines in the 2008 G6 Sedan were the G6 Value Leader (VL), the G6 Base Sedan, the G6 GT Sedan and the G6 GXP Sedan. The popular G6 GT was powered by a 3.5 liter V6 engine with standard sport suspension and 17' Chrome-Tech alloy wheels.

Pontiac Vibe

The Pontiac Vibe is amongst the most affordable and fuel efficient cars with a better fuel economy than most hybrid cars. An impressive 32 miles per gallon on the highway brought relief to many looking to save on their fuel bills. The Vibe is equipped with StabiliTrak stability control and six standard airbags for passenger protection, as part of its safety features. The 5 door hatchback is powered with a 1.8L I-4 132HP engine with 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive. The Vibe is the only Pontiac to carry on into 2010 model year. Even though the car is small, it has an amazing 49 cubic feet of storage space.

Pontiac G5

The Pontiac G5 is the most fuel efficient car in Pontiac's lineup, giving 35 miles per gallon. First introduced in 2004, the G5 is available in the US as a coupe. The base model features a 2.2 liter I4 engine while the sporty GT version is powered by a 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine. Among the standard equipment is a 5-speed manual transmission. Optional with the G5 are a sunroof and side impact airbags. Power steering problems saw a recall of the G5 by the company.

Pontiac has been a leader in smart car design and has extended that to fuel economy as well. Every Pontiac has its own unique features and has had motorists coming back for more year after year. While only the Vibe remains in the 2010 lineup, this brings a sad end to one of the most formidable cars to hit the roads ever.