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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  GMs Huge Mistake - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By GoBlue18 - January 11 - 2:00 am

  This car is the performance bargain of a lifetime. A car that out performs cars costing twice as much, along with its menacing head-turning looks, how can you go wrong? Anyone who has the means and the opportunity to own this car would be doing themselves a huge favor to check it out. Once you drive it youll understand. Why anyone would choose the uglier, boxy, slower Mustang is beyond me. GMs decision to end the Firebird/Camaro is a true shame. Pontiac is left with nothing but boring cars with body cladding.

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  Not a bad van for its time - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By Dash9 - January 9 - 10:00 am

  We also had to have our head gasket replaced at about 70,000 miles. This was very disappointing! Luckily I caught it about 3 weeks before my extended warranty expired. Other than this major problem, the only other issues weve had are trim pieces breaking and dealing with squeaks and general fit-n-finish problems. The display of our radio just went out about a month ago. In all this vehicle was good in 1998; however, there are MUCH better choices available now. An updated model is due soon, but its basically the same van with only a few minor tweaks. Its not a new design. Check out the competition 1st. Rebates arent everything.

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  reliable, sturdy and comfortable - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By little red vette - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Sturdy with lots of interior comforts. Very reliable, never a problem. Appears a bit bulky in the exterior design, but you cant compare the quality and reliability.

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  fast for a V6 - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By tireburner1997 - January 6 - 10:44 pm

  fun car to drive! this thing handles like a dream! the v6 is reasonable fast for a v6 but a LeBaron is faster in a straight line. there is a few things I dont like though, in the dry I can floor it and it well not do a burn out! however in the ran this thing is a drift car! but I have really good tires on it. I rated the "reliability" so low so because the check engine light come on every time it hits 5500 rpm which is no were near the 6100 rev limiter

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  GP CompG - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GP2004_compG - January 4 - 11:53 am

  The car has run great, performance is excellent. It has a large trunk and is very comfortable. The Heads Up Display is a plus. This car replaces an 04 Altima. Reason for replacement was the Altima, like many Foriegn brands, have no space.

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  Vibration that wont stop - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By dave - January 3 - 10:40 pm

  Overall, I like my GP although it has been in the shop 3 times in the 1 month since purchase. There is a vibration in the front that the dealer cannot repair. After balancing, new tires, full alignment and rebalancing, the vibration persists. So far this experience does not make me a happy customer. I may have to go back to Chrysler products to be satisfied. Any ideas to fix the vibration before we have to replace all the rims to try that? HELP! I like the car but dont need the vibration.

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  Needs toys to get going - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Greg - January 3 - 8:53 am

  I bought my GTP when it was two years old and had only 7k on it. At first I really like the torque of the supercharger, but after ridding in other non-supercharged six cylinder coupes/sedans im no longer impressed that much. The car has a nice exterior look to it, but once you open the door and set inside the cheesy interior appointments is what gets your attention. Way too much plastic inside. I have to say that the drivers seat is very comfortable, but the passenger seat is a bear. Ive put 2k worth of go fast goodies in her and she now performs at a level that she should have stock with the almost 30k MSRP she had when new. Pontiac has lost there love afair with true real world performance

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  Reliable transportation - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jeremy - January 2 - 7:40 am

  I bought this car with 11,000 miles on it. I enjoy driving the car and like the good 35-40 mpg I am getting on the freeway. However, I do find the driver seat to be a bit uncomfortable on longer drives. I have had two service calls, one for a leaky front wind sheild and another for some weatherstrips that came loose on the passenger side window. No problems with anything mechanical. I would recommend this car for anyone seeking good mpg and a reliable car. Open the hood and you will see that pretty much everything has Toyota Motor corp on it. Get Toyota reliability for American prices!

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  4+ years and going strong - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Steve S - January 1 - 6:53 pm

  I bought this car the first model year as I liked its good gas mileage, a small exterior for easier parking in NYC but a lot of inside room. As I am 62" I was impressed that I could sit and have plenty of head room. It also gave more leg room that vehicles that are a lot bigger. Good car for the city and hwy driving is nice but could use a bit more pep. Mileage is great. I have had only one problem with the vehicle which came within the warranty period. One of the sensors in the gas tank malfunctioned which prevented any gas from being pumped into the tank. Took 4 days for the dealer to get the part and fix it and then they lost the keys. Would definitely buy another one.

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  Sensors - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By KJG517 - January 1 - 10:00 am

  ABS sensor is always going and having problems. Brakes wore down very quickly. Still going strong however because I keep it up and dont let my cars die