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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  2002 SSEI - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Gene - July 24 - 10:46 am

  The car has been a delight to own and drive. The 3800 Series engine is all as advertised and more. I get 25 +/- MPG on the highway and 18 +/- in town. Handling is excellent and response is as well. I do have a few complaints ... a persistent leak on the rear spoiler allows water to store in the trunk lid and you get wet when you open the trunk after a heavy rain. The brake pads needed to be replaced after only 24,000 miles and again at 50,000. The tires - Goodyear Eagle RSAs are the original tires ... outstanding. Had to replace a rear window motor and heated seat element failed. All the problems have been annoying and should NOT have happened to a top of the line car. Overall a great car

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  Typical GM product - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tina Burke - July 23 - 12:56 pm

  I owned a 1979 Grand prix and it was an awesome car...They should build them like they used to. I switched to chevrolet after bad experiences with other GM vehicles (firebirds)and after I totaled (not my fault) my camaro I decided I wanted a larger safer car so I bought my 2002 Grand Prix SE.. It is a good riding car but uncomfortable to ride in. The seats should be softer and should hug your body more. I was just hit with an unexpected but obvious problem with the Grand Prix. The bearings went out on my front driver side at 68,000 miles and cost me over $500 to repair. From what I was told by several repair shops this is a COMMON problem with these cars. Seems GM has some work to do!!!!

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  get up and go - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By lyro - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I really like my Vibe but for one thing when you are pulling out in traffic it does not have alot of power to get you going once you get going its great

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  My GP GT - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By zana - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Have had problems with the shocks, brakes. Winshield wipers squeak no matter how much rain/water is on them. Has no pick up. Very comfortable though, a great family car.

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  Great car for the Buck - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By John - July 19 - 3:26 pm

  I purchased the G6 after owning Toyotas only for the last 18 years. The incentives were the first thing that caught my eye, and after a test drive in both the V6 and 4 cylinder models, I decided to give the Pontiac a shot. I have put just over 10,000 miles on the car, and can say the performance, ride and handling are great. What makes this a somewhat negative experience for me is the advertised Hwy mileage, compared to actual mileage. I commute 50 miles one way to work, so the 28 city and 34 hwy miles was what actually sold me. About 95% of my drive is highway, and I have not achieved more than 29 mpg. Its a great car, but GM should put more realistic mileage estimates on the sticker.

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  My Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.4 V6 - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By wdsgto - July 17 - 9:15 am

  We bought our Grand Am used with 21000 miles in 2006. It has 71000 on it now, it has been quite reliable. The only issues have been: the turn signal switch clicking (the factory put too much grease, I just removed some with a q-tip and it went away) and a battery. Otherwise it has been a good car. It is hard to see out when backing up, and it has a lot of road noise.

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  Good value - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By maa - July 17 - 3:03 am

  I got a good price on this and needed a commuter car. It is peppy for a 4 cylinder and roomier than others in its class. The seats are comfortable and it is easy to see out of. This thing flies when I get it on the open highway. I am getting keyless entry put in aftermarket - cant believe it did not come with this

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  Just wish it was faster - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By edwin - July 16 - 10:20 am

  I dont have a lot of complaints about the car. I got a really good deal on it, the car only had 50,000 miles on it when I bought it. For the most part it handles well for a front wheel drive. I really think it would have given out a lot more if they would have made the car a rear wheel drive. I also think the car lacks performance but a few adjustments cant fix. The car seems to be pretty reliable. So far all Ive had to do is get a new battery but Im pretty sure the old one had about ten years on it.

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  Awsome Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By capinshane25 - July 16 - 3:33 am

  I got this car for my 18th birthday. It has the looks of a speedster and the engine of one too. Never had anything wrong with it at 150,000 miles. If your a tuner this is the car for you I put flowmaster pipes and two turbochargers on it along with racing tires and 93 gas. it had way enough power before (205 hp)but now it will roll with any mustang or challenger on the road I had it dynoed at 481 hp All in all GREAT CAR good work GM. I hope the Pontiac name plate returns in the future.

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  Delightful Black 99 Trans Am - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By LCBIII - July 15 - 6:03 pm

  I have had this car for almost 8 years and 100,000 miles. I have really enjoyed it. Always have loved the style - looks like it is flying even when sitting still. Lots of power with the V8, still gets looks (especailly after some Zaino). Corners like its on rails and brakes quickly. I get about 300 miles per fill up. Starting to have some trim problems with things falling apart, however, and was hit with the notorious 99 electrical problems such as bad alternator, bad power window motor, bad power antenna motor, several battery changes and fairly short life of headlight, fog lamp and turn signal bulbs. Despite this, my trans am has been my favorite car to date in terms of driving enjoyment.