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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  Too many problems - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By eugenemd - September 27 - 10:00 am

  New transmission at 33,000 miles. New head gasket at 50,000 miles and new intake manifold gasket at 65,000 miles, among other less annoying and cheaper failures. Quality lacking in this machine. I wont buy a Pontiac again!

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  Fun at a cost. - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By JasonUtah - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Nice car to drive. Handles well. Comfortable. Nice features. Good engine and smooth transmission. Lots of untimely repairs. Two major and costly warranty repairs. 3 alternators, 2 window motors, 2 fuel filters, 2 O2 sensors, driver side control arm, fuel pressure regulator, starter motor, and the big bad water pump that costs about $550 to repair. Just hope the thermostat never goes out. Thats in the water pump.

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  Rust, Rust, Rust!!!! - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By PC - September 6 - 1:40 am

  This vehicle has turned into a rust bucket. It started with the rocker panels on both sided from wheel to wheel where rust was eating away. I spent $1,000 to have them replaced at a nearby body shop. Next, the windshield cracked. The folks replacing my windshield said it cracked due to the frame rusting and bubbling, creating pressure on the windshield and cracking it. When I steam cleaned the carpet, rust comes up through the floor of the van. Im all for buying American made products, but after spending over $33,000 on this vehicle, I just can not afford to go out and buy another Pontiac. Ill look elsewhere.

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  Good car - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pmn - September 4 - 1:53 am

  Basically a good car. Have had small problems. Heater knob cracked, starter replaced, power window control replaced, leaked antifreeze, had seals replaced. New problem every 6 months - thankful for extended warranty. Have owned 2 pontiacs for 7 years each, both grand ams. Have to say Im disappointed with this grand prix. Exterior paint did not hold up and interior carpet matted

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  Good first car, lots of problems. - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By whiteside1013 - August 23 - 7:36 am

  This car is a good first car, but not much more than that. I purchased it from my older brother, who owned it for about 2 years. Before him, it was owned by a family friend and before that a car rental service, so my car has seen its fair share of abuse. When my brother bought the car, it had a leak in the cooling system to where it had to be filled every week or so. It was too expensive to fix, so Ive been living with it. The driver side windows have been broken twice. The oil switch broke, which almost totaled the car. The starter went out. The washer pump is broken. The horn is broken. The dashboard is warping up. The keyless entry system is broke

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  better than a tempo - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By jake the snake - July 27 - 10:00 am

  The 1997 Pontiac Sunfire is a nice litte car. It accelerates well, with its 2.4L 150 horsepower engine. The convertible top leaks, but so does every convertible after awhile. The stereo can barley be heard at full volume on the freeway with the top down, hence my speakers are all blown now. It has the smallest trunk in the world. My #2 cylinder died at 93000 miles. A used engine installed cost me $3300. Its fun, pretty and looks like its smiling all the time (not very aggressive looking, at all), but its not very cheap to maintain and its about as reliable as compaq tech support.

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  MY VIBE - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By TCC - July 23 - 10:00 am

  IT IS A SMALL CAR I AM NOT A SMALL CAR PERSON IT IS NOT VERY COMFORTABLE FOR ME I WOULD NOT TAKE IT ON A LONG TRIP

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  2006 Not Worth It - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By archie74 - July 22 - 11:51 pm

  Paint on drivers side rear wheel started peeling after 4 years. Dealer dismissed this as it was off warranty and nothing they could do. Paint is now peeling on tailgate, front passenger 1/4, rear driver 1/4 panel and inside the rear passenger door. Im waiting to see if GM is going to step up as this is not the result of normal wear and tear. Inferior paint is a known problem on 2006 models.

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  Pontiac Aztek - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Cars4me89 - July 21 - 10:00 am

  Almost everybody I encounter ask me why did you by such an ugly car? I now realize how ugly it really is. The design for the money doesnt balance. I could under stand the styling if the car was like $19,000 or so. But it isnt very good value.

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  Never buy a GM vehicle again! - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By Military Momma - July 20 - 11:36 am

  Has same issue with the blend door actuator as the 06 model for which there is a recall. GM wont do anything for the same issue in the 08. My son is n active duty member of the US Army and can not afford the over $1000.00 repair Bill. Ridiculous!!