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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  Piece of junk - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By LCYon - October 3 - 2:00 am

  Im not sure how Pontiac designs cars but they completely failed here. Even the repairs were not done very well by the dealerships (as evidenced by the repeated failure of the same part). I will never purchase another Pontiac and have moved to a more reliable car, a VW. Years 1-4 - three bad oxygen sensors - plastic molding on both doors fell off (replaced 6 times!!!) Year 5 - bad oxygen sensor - rusted through brake rotors ($500) - cracked power steering rack ($1200) - completely fogged headlights ($400)

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  Very Decieving - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Not Satisfied! - October 3 - 2:00 am

  This car is not what you think you are getting. Have had to replace racking pionion 5 times, transmission had to be replaced, new brakes in less than 5000 miles, makes popping noise all the time, front end will not stay in in-linement, Tire Rods has had to be replaced 4 times, Tires are to expense to have to ahve replaced so often because of the rubbing of the tires. Do not recommend this car to ANYONE> It is a LEMON!

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  in need of more info - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By would like more info - October 3 - 2:00 am

  we bought this 8 passenger van used, we have found out it was a lease vehicle. Before our first months payment was due the vehicle was in the garage because the abs and trac cont service lights were on this was taken care of because we purchased the extended warranty-good thing. Then our next month it was back in because we could get no heat. I really love this van because of the space it provides but am curious as to the potential for further repairs when our service contract runs out. We now have a loud vibrating howl by the windshield.

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  I love it - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By yes2rock - October 3 - 2:00 am

  had this car for a year now, no sign of the problems other reviewers have had. The handling is on par with sporty Europeans, and the engine is powerful enough so you dont really need a stickshift. This is the first automatic car I have had that actually performs . The ride is surprisingly quiet, and you just have to love all the little niceties that are usually available only at 30K and up. Best car for the money.

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  Great Car, Great Rebates - 2008 Pontiac Vibe
  By Moonscape - October 2 - 10:16 pm

  We were looking for a family car and came across the Matrix and then realized the Vibe was less $ and had a lot of rebates. We like the Vibe styling better the the Matrix. We have the base model with no options, its perfect for us. It is a undertaking to make sure all 5 doors are locked. Good power/gearing. A/C seems on the light side. Cant turn off head lights at night! Check the vibe forums to find out how to turn off seat belt beep for passenger seat (if you put a backpack on the passenger seat it will loudly beep at you. Blind spots are bad, buy blind spot mirrors. Nice stock tires. Lots of cool little storage areas. Love how the seats fold down. Liked 08 better than 09.

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  still going - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By xxx - October 2 - 6:16 pm

  I bought this car with 27 thousand miles on it, now I have 177 thousand miles on it. I had the oil changed every 10,000 miles if its lucky. The quality of this car is amazing. The only things ive had to replace is the bright/dim switch and a water pump. Anything else is routine. (tires, brakes, battery) everyday I go out to drive it it starts. Astounding car and still gets about 30 mpg

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  Poorly made car to say the least - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By joshchevy4 - October 1 - 7:53 pm

  I had bought this car used in 05 and am the first real owner as it was a rental car prior to my purchase. For a kid I put quite a few miles on it, came with 28,000 and now it has 93,000. Brakes were a huge problem, replaced them and front rotors a couple times. Caliper went out, wheel bearing went out, and now Ive been facing these electrical problems which eventually led to the passing of this car. No dash lights, smoking from the dash area, no brake lights, and now the fuel pump is shot. Interior falls apart each time i sneeze, and Ive had nothing but the worst experiences with it (excluding the time I topped out at 120). Do yourselves a favor and buy a Honda, Toyota, or Mitsubishi.

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  2006 grand prix - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By chaseprusia - October 1 - 10:50 am

  great full size car sporty comfortable fast awsome mileage i 160 miles a day and average 28 mpgs

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  Jeckyl and Hyde Van! - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By Wagner Family - September 29 - 10:03 am

  Such ironies! Bought with 19,000 miles and now have 109,000. Transmission great. Engine accelerates good and never a problem yet has always had cheap sounding, rough idle. Luxury and techie features are great, was ahead of its time. Yet same problems as everyone else! Leaking coolant cost $1k. Headlights/grill wobbly and cheap. Doors rattle, rear rattles. Nice ride on smooth roads but rattletrap on rough. Road noise in rear! And yes my radio/clock has now gone out. Obvious where production had flaws. Now trying sell and resale STINKS! Bottom line - close but no cigar - wouldnt cosider GM for new van or Ford/Chrysler for that matter. Bought 2005 Honda Ody - WOW! QUALITY!

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  The fun car to drive and own - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Glenn Borden - September 29 - 10:03 am

  I have no complaints about the way the station wagon handles or the fuel economy, and I still get a lot of complements on its appearance. I still cant figure out why the dealership doesnt promote the Vibe.