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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  This Car is a Nightmare - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By dmh - September 27 - 9:36 pm

  Ive owned this car for two years and it was great at first. Now The passenger side window wont roll up the back window wont roll down, but it falls down. My headlights have started flashing on and off so I cant drive at night. My windshield wipers work intermittently. And my Traction, Anti-Lock, and Brake light all have come on at the same time. My warranty has run out. I took the car to an auto electric shop and he said I would need all four window regulators which are over 300.00 dollars a piece. Thats just the beginning. Anybody want to buy a car?

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  Is that a Pontiac? - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Franko - September 26 - 10:00 am

  That is what I heas all the time when I drive this car.

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  Grand Prix GTP - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Pat - September 25 - 1:06 pm

  Overall the most bang for your buck in a mid-size four door. Can not imagine why it only received a 6.9 by the editor. My only 6 was fuel economy.

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  It is what it is - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By enduran - September 24 - 10:00 am

  Has been a decent vehicle for our family. My Grandmother owned one that was plowed into a tree at about 30+ mph and I liked how the vehicle withstood the crash so we bought one. My wife loves it and I have had to make quite a few repairs lately because she doesnt want to let it go. If your Montana is overheating, without getting oil in your antifreeze, and antifeeze is being pushed out of your holding tank its the head gasket. I learned that the hard/expensive way. Currently has 151,000 miles hope it gives me plenty more.

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  Perfect First Car - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Chad - September 23 - 7:16 pm

  I got this car a few years ago as my first car. I was originally shopping for Accords, but they were out of my price range and I was recommended the Grand Prix because the 3800 V6 is supposedly "bulletproof." In the 5 years Ive owned the car it has lived up to the reputation. It has had a few small issues(key gets stuck in the ignition occasionally and LED backlight on radio went out), some of which I caused(warping the brakes 3 times oops!), but it has been an excellent car! It has good looks, enough power to get out of its own way, and it has been reliable. Its a "sleeper" in the sense you can save a ton of money over a Japanese car since they depreciate a lot, but are quite reliable

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  A Torrent of Engine Problems - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Krafty Aunt - September 19 - 10:00 pm

  SUV was under 4mos old, less than 5,000 miles and started leaking!! Dealership determined it was a porous, defective engine block!! New engine installed, but this is not what I expect from a Pontiac. Nor does it give me confidence on continued driving. My previous Grand Prix GTP hit 156,000 miles without a hitch... will I get this from the Torrent?

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  6 years and 100,000 miles - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By David256 - September 19 - 5:30 am

  I bought my 06 Solstice in 2008, when it had about 15K miles. Upon delivery the top fastening hook was damaged, and the rear end was bad (differential too noisy to be OK). The water pump has a small leak, too. A dealership replaced the rear end as a warrantied item, and I fixed the top. Nearly 85K miles later, the water pump seal was finally passing enough coolant to warrant replacing the pump. I got the car out of the shop Saturday, and today marked 100K miles on the odometer. Overall this car has been a very good car, very satisfying to drive, and has never stranded me.

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  So far, so good! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By CougarVibe - September 18 - 4:40 am

  With the rediculous rise in gas prices and the incentives available from GM (Employee Discount/$1K Cash/$1K "Conquest"), I was more than happy to buy my Vibe and get rid of my Explorer. Besides very good gas mileage, I bought this vehicle because of its AWD ability and Toyota drive-train. The exterior is much better looking than the Matrix, the car is very functional thanks to the storage room and 5-doors, and it definitely has a stylish character. The interior layout is good, with only a few complaints (center armrest is too short, CC is located in awkward place, no power drivers seat). Overall, Im very happy considering I got an AWD for the FWD MSRP!

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  Keeps on Running - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Chris from Michigan - September 15 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Grand Am in 97 with only 4 miles on it. It now has over 105,000! Only repair that has been done was a water pump (at around 50,000 miles). Other than normal maintence, car has not cost me anything. Runs great everyday. I have the 4 cyl / 5 speed combo which works great. I wish that they had offered the 5 speed with the 6 cyl engine. Car does not excell at any particular thing, but does not bother me since it runs so good. Been very happy with my Grand Am.

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  Bonneville Reliability - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By astribling11 - September 15 - 10:00 am

  Bad experience. Bought car new. Had electrical problems for 2 months after I bought the car. I had transmission problems at 42,000 miles. Pontiac dealership fixed the problem. Then, at 45,000 miles the entire transmission had to be rebuilt. Also, electric window motor on passanger side front has gone out. Car reliablity is very poor!