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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  Old Faithfull - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Timmer - May 27 - 10:00 am

  I used to own a 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix SE and was amazed at how reliable it was; under every bad weather and road condition you could feel safe and assured. I recently purchased a 1997 GT and have found no fault with it as well, other than a few minor scratches and dings. Its nice to know that qaulity didnt skip a generation. I cant believe how good of gas miliage I get with the 3800 series II V6, which I here is one the Top 6 Engines for qaulity in the world. I like this one and hope it will last me along time. Cheers Pontiac

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  Montana 99 - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By Wendy Kihl - May 27 - 10:00 am

  Weve been so pleased with our Montana we are considering a 2003. We have driven Plymouth and GMC and this has been our favorite so far. The ride and gas mileage are terrific. There have been no major repairs in 4+ years. The overhead console, power seat, steering wheel controls, front and rear air, to name a few, have all been excellent options. The only down side to the vehilce is that is doesnt seem to retain much of a trade in value, which is disappointing.

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  good car - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By geniebob - May 27 - 10:00 am

  had very little problems with car and dealer fixed them under warranty. tires wore pretty fast about 32000 miles. ride quiet, no mechanical trouble, dependable.

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  good car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Bobo13 - May 27 - 10:00 am

  ive had the car for 2.5 years and have a couple of problems. I had to kick it in a nowhere back of the woods place in wisconsin cause a module blew on me. but after that ive had no problems cept that ive had to replace my brake pads every year.... but thats prob cause of my exsesive speeds and hard braking. IM prob gonna buy a mazda 6 for next car though....

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  Still fun, more reliable than expected - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By terminaldegree - May 27 - 8:06 am

  I have a manual transmission base model as my daily driver. It accelerates, brakes, and corners well while managing to be decently comfortable and returning great highway MPG on cheap 87 octane gas. Its the quintessential cheap sporty car. Performance add-ons I recommend without affecting reliability include a dual exhaust, Pro 5.0 shifter (WAY more precise), a Torsen limited-slip rear (expensive but very different experience than the open diff), and the ubiquitous aftermarket stereo system. When cleaned up it still gets a lot of compliments.

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  Goat with Gremlins - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Louisville Car Fan - May 23 - 11:53 am

  As the owner of a Porsche and Nissan Z, I was innitially impressed by the quality and performance of the GTO. The power and torque are great, but the gas mileage should and could be much better. Im averaging about 15 miles per gallon mixed driving. Only 20 on the highway. The six speed manual forces you to shift from first to 4th at certain speeds. I find the feature annoying and dangerous. Its very distracting and requires too much effort. I hope no one has an accident. Secondly, my glove box fell off with fewer than 900 miles on the car. Bad sign. Additionally, the defroster does not defog the driver/passenger windows. And the paint is flawed on the front bumper.

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  Black 98 SLE - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By windowsxp - May 22 - 7:20 pm

  Good about of power for a full-sized car. Transmission shifts smooth. Rides very smooth and handles pretty good for a big car. The bucket seats are quite comfy.

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  Solid minivan - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By Chris Bartels - May 22 - 2:50 pm

  We leased this SUV/minivan in June 2005. It is a great family road trip car with plenty of pick-up to pass on the highway. We are getting another vehicle as the use of space is not good for our family. With three kids, half the third row has to be up and this decreases storage. We get 18 MPG overall

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  GREAT COLLEGE CAR - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mark Pellicane - May 22 - 8:10 am

  why is this car rated for 23mpg??? it all depends on how you drive, i average between 27-32 mpg. my parents bought this car when my sister went to college in 2002, it had 55,000 miles on it. i have since bought it from her and not attend college, the car just rolled over 170,000 miles and still averages between 27-32mpg, very reliable and still runs great, friends in their new cobalts and ford rangers race me and are left in the dust. the 2.4L engine runs great and doesnt burn a drop of oil. ALL parts for this car are very cheap. yeah the window motors stink but this car is 13 years old what do you expect???

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  Vibe 2003 - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bruce Johnson - May 20 - 10:00 am

  Overall I love this car! No major complaints at all!