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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  Now thats a Pontiac (excitement) - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By CPQNCSP - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Cadilac for a Pontiac price, All the features of the CAD STS. The STS is gone but the GTP is here. Nice job Pontiac. Driving is now a pleasure again

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  First Impression - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Eddybauer1 - October 17 - 10:00 am

  I thought the car has a boring exterior, I thought the interior was really well designed, but the audio controls on the steering wheel felt very cheap, and so did some of the interior hard ware, the sun visors feels like they were made out of card board that were covered with cloth, The seats were top quality on the other hand. I have no doubt that the power train will hold up, I just dont think that 31k is what this car is worth. Save a few bucks, and put a ls1 v8 in a Saturn L300 AKA Catera, and you get 2 extra doors free, that basically is what this car is.

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  great little car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By gerry adams - October 17 - 10:00 am

  With the cost of fuel where it is, had to look for a vehile that got better milage than our 1996 Seville STS. And boy did we find one. Our 2003 Vibe has been a very, very plesent purchase. The milage is wonderful and the ride quite comfortable. The back seat has much more room than anticipated and the rear storage area is just what the doctor order. Have suggest this vehicle to friends and coworkers who are getting ready to purchase a vehicle. So far two friends have purchased a Vibe, and they are completely satisified.

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  2004 Grand AM GT 2 door - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Bert Nissel - October 17 - 10:00 am

  Poor gas mileage, not as indicated on sticker. Night driving very bad ligths poor coverage, even after replacing to Sylvania silver stars. Noisy passenger door has air leak at 60 mph, dealer not able to find cause. Claims thats normal. Ram air ducts in hood are ornamental only.

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  Good for me! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Very Happy!! - October 17 - 7:10 am

  I have owned my car now for 5 years and I bought it with 60,000 miles on it. This is a very good running car and is great for the family. My car now has 196,000 miles on it and runs better than the day I bought it! For those who care the gas mileage is great as well as comfort and performance! I use castrol GTX high mileage and have since purchase. I think this may help with how well it still runs.But other than that the only thing that i have had a problem with is my back speakers, they only work when the car sits in the sun at about 80 degrees outside!!

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  Great Car at an Exceptional value - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Shane Tomlinson - October 16 - 9:06 pm

  Absolutely nothing negative. I think with quality like this the American Car perception is crazy. Anyone that thinks they can they can buy a better import is smoking crack. With a standard 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty, 3 year 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty makes for worry free driving.

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  White Aztec - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By bluewaves - October 16 - 8:53 pm

  Replaced rear hatch shocks, brake safety switch, front passenger side wheel axle, thermostat, rear defrost doesnt work and hatch is hard to close. Fixing things costs a lot of money because you have to go to a dealer. I was better off trading it.

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  Not Made to Last - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Grand Prix GT - October 16 - 3:46 pm

  Bought the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix GT which was the third pontiac that I purchased since 1998. The 2002 Grand Prix was a trade in. The Lower Intake Gasket went out on it at 15000. It went out again at 30000 and again at 115000. The car brakes tend to wear prematurely averaging 30K on brakes and rotors. The AC/Heat Knobs tend to break prematurely. The tires goodyear 225/60R16 last about 30K per set. Ive had to replace speed sensors, the fuel line rail, the rear suspension, and wheel nut caps that crack easily upon removal.

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  Why Another Pontiac - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Maryland - October 16 - 1:46 pm

  I wanted to add to a previous post that one of the reasons I chose a Pontiac is because I am still driving a 1992 Pontiac Transport. I turned 299,000 miles today and it is still running like new. The car has the original engine and has had no major engine work. I had the original transmission rebuilt at 284,000 miles. The overall maintenance costs have been extremely low. Who knows, I might get another 300,000 miles.

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  First time owner - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pettyspontiac - October 16 - 4:56 am

  This is my first Grand Prix and I love it!! The gas mileage is only getting around 21 mpg and that is really disappointing since sticker says 20/30 and have bout 50/50 city/hwy miles. Otherwise its an awesome car. Very sporty, yet its a family car. Its very sharp looking and fun to drive. Radio will blow you out of the car! Overall, Im pretty satisfied.