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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  Not great, but definitely good. - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By 2.2L Automatic - September 2 - 1:40 am

  Bought this car used with around 30k miles on it. I added 17" wheels and high performance tires which greatly helped handling. Overall this has been a good car with only two major problems thus far: At 62k miles I had to replace the fuel pump and computer. Was told that the bad computer attributed to the fuel pump problem. Total cost to repair was $480 (Would have been more but thankfully I have connections). I average around 28 mpg which isnt bad for an automatic. This car seems to still have that "hip appeal" because all of my sons teenage friends like it and my son wants this to be his first car. Hell probably get his wish in a couple years!!

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  GXP Happy Owner - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Greg Podbielski - September 1 - 9:23 pm

  I have had four Bonneville SSE and SSEi s before this car and the GXP is without a doubt the best one that I owned. The V8 is powerful and smooth, the car has tight handling and the comfort of a full size GM car.

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  Some fun! - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Parrymax - September 1 - 11:50 am

  Fun to drive very responsive. The motor pulls like its nobodys bussiness. And it has a great sound.

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  I love my Trans Am! - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By md4dmse - September 1 - 11:16 am

  I got this car before I got pregnant with twins, so it doesnt see as much use now as it used to. The WS6 coupled with the convertible was actually my dream car and I was amazed and thrilled when I got it! It has never disappointed me at all. At 8 years old with close to 90k, Ive only replaced a wheel bearing and a window motor outside of regular maintenence. A pretty good record if you ask me. The gas mileage is unbelievable for this 5.7 too! I use Bosch platinum plugs and get over 30mpg when I keep the air filter clean. I have absolutely no complaints with this car after 4 and a half years of ownership, and I still drive it multiple times weekly even since the twins! Cant go wrong!

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  It has been good to me - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Amy - August 31 - 11:00 pm

  I purchased my grand prix in 2002. The previous owner only had it for a 6 months and couldnt keep up with the payments so she turned it back in to the dealer. I bought it with close to 15,000 miles on it (I have no idea where this woman drove it to). Anyways, Im now at 194,000 miles. It was great up until two years ago when the transmission died on it. I was very meticulous with repairs on my vehicle, which were all normal wear and tear. Since the transmission, its had other major problems that have been costly. Great car, but I am trading it now for a more reliable vehicle for my family. Overall its been good to me.

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  Pretty Good Car - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By cheetah - August 31 - 8:36 pm

  Bought my 4 Dr with 14 miles on it. Love the look and really a fun car to drive. But after 85K miles, its been having issues. The cheap driver seat "springs" have broken, A/C is flakey and not fixed after over $500 in repair work, and tranny is starting to act up. Although its been fun to drive, the issues cropping up and my need for something I can haul stuff in is leading me to get rid of it.

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  Fast and reliable - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By raiderzfan422 - August 30 - 9:43 pm

  I have had my 2000 GTP for 3 years now and love it. I cant stop upgrading it. I love to power it has for a v6 and with all the available upgrades its a V8 eater. Great handling and quick acceleration. Also love the sound of a supercharger. Gets good gas milage for the kind of vehicle it is. For under 800 dollars this car can be improved from 240 stock to 300 hp.

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  An average car... - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By hawkeye1978 - August 30 - 10:26 am

  I bought mine used in 2000 with around 30,000 miles on it. Until about 2 years ago it was a solid car. Then the first rear window motor broke, followed shortly by the other back window. Ive replaced the brakes twice in 5 years and the rotors only once. The alternator I had to change in 2004. The only REAL complaint I have with it would be the dashboard trim where it meets the windshield...its started peeling up. Oh, and its been said before, but the cup holders in the front? Yeah, right...unless you have a CAN of pop, youre gonna have to shift into Reverse or Neutral to remove them when getting out. Good car, but too many issues to recommend it to others.

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  Love this car! - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By HMT - August 30 - 8:00 am

  Smooth, powerful and, best of all, my wife loves it. I cant get the keys from her. I promised her Id buy a sporty car and this is it.

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  Okay but not special - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By tommyboy181 - August 29 - 4:13 pm

  Exterior styling is nice one the G5 but actual gas mileage is lower than I expected. Fit and finish is typical of a domestic lots of hard plastics. Not bad but not appealing either