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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  Love the GTP! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By TomcatRyan2 - October 29 - 10:00 am

  Ok, I only have had the car for a month so I almost hesitate to submit a review this early, But I love the GTP! Its a huge improvement over the 03 VW Junk, I mean Jetta that I traded out of. The GP has excellent highway performance. It is a fun to drive and the heads up display is awesome! This feature has been around for a while, Im not sure why it didnt make it into more GM products. So far my only negatives with the GP is that is a missing a few items you would expect in a car with a $32k sticker, like climate control, heated mirrors, and Navigation, althought they did add it to 2005s. All in all a great car plus over $5,000 in rebates from GM!

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  The fun to drive universal Grand Am - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Seth - October 27 - 3:10 pm

  I love my Pontiac Grand Am se coupe. This car is great on gas on average I get 32 mpg or better on the highway. It is also very fun to drive it takes curves excellent and the ride for the most part is smooth.The display panels are also nice because they are easy to read and the cd player is easy to get to without having to take your eyes off of the road. The space in the car is another great thing. I have fit four guys there golf clubs and small luggage in the car for a weekend golf trip. I highly reccomend this car to anyone looking for an afforable 2 door car.

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  Best GT so far!! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By zenith321 - October 25 - 11:33 am

  Maintenence. Thats the most important thing to remember if you want to keep your car running at top performance. Change oil depending how and where you drive, filters are so important. Every once and a while, take your car to a good, HONEST mechanic. Your car should last you as long as you want it to!! My 99 Grand Am GT has 300,000 kms and still going strong! Remember my first word- MAINTANENCE!!!

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  Pontiac GT6 what a car ! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Bruce Wylie - October 23 - 1:13 pm

  We are relatively new owners but my wife and I find the design both inside and out to be of a quality found in few vehicles. The mileage is also great! The trunk space is not large but more than adequate for this couple in there 60s. We highly recomend this vehicle!

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  love it - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By boomer1 - October 23 - 10:00 am

  Have not any significant problems with this vehicle. Some rust below back inside door. Pockets for gravel and dirt to collect in front of rear tires.

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  Great car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bobthebike - October 23 - 10:00 am

  A true luxo-cruiser. Amazing mileage for size (30mph on road). Quiet enough for a hands free phone. Power is very smooth and unobtrusive. Panel fit and paint quality still look new at 40K miles. Considering all the electrics on the car, never had a glitch. The car tracks very straight with no wandering. And it looks great with tremendous value vs. the competition. Im becoming a Pontiac man!(had another flawless 01 GP)

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  i love my g6 - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By letty - October 21 - 2:33 am

  I have had my g6 for 2 months and i absolutely love it. i just came back from summer vacation and drove from corpus christi tx to orlando florida and back.my car did wonderful, i wouldnt want to have anything else.

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  Love the Aztek - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Don.Descy - October 21 - 2:00 am

  We bought the Aztek because we wanted the camper option... yes, we wondered about the style. But after driving it for a few weeks we are totally in love with it. It does everything and it is comfortable and roomy. We have the All Wheel Drive model. My wife drove back from Minneapolis in a blizzard last week and it held the road like a magnet. The is a Fun car and #1 in versitility!

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  Love Pontiacs - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Brando - October 20 - 10:36 am

  Good on gas and has pep. Love the car. It was a one owner before I bought it so I dont know prior history. Engine light came on once because I forgot to replace the gas cap on it. I reset it by disconnecting the battery cable for a few seconds.

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  Looking for a reason to drive... - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SuprChrged 05 GTP - October 20 - 10:10 am

  I have owned my 05 GTP for almost a month now. The handling is superb, makes going through highway curves at 70 mph a breeze. Engine is very responsive, supercharged power is there when you need it most. Performs well for such a heavy vehicle. The interior leaves much to be desired. The inside compared to competitors is dated. The exterior design had to grow on me a bit. Overall this car is fun to drive, sometimes leaves me looking for a reason to find somewhere else to go.