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:

• 

  Very good car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Rob9512 - July 25 - 4:03 pm

  Overall this car is just great. Car has great performance for this type of car, very good gas mileage for the hp, and has plenty of room. The cars do have some common problems like leaking intake gaskets, failing window switches, and blower motor resistor failures but its just general repairs. The drivetrain is overall extremely reliable and it is very common for these to hit 200k+ miles. The overall performance, style, gas mileage, features, reliability, and practicality make its pros far out weigh its cons. People who post on here about reliability issues with the motors in these cars are insane. Most of what people list are general maintenance. The 3800 is a very proven motor

• 

  The best GTO ever !!! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By GTO by Ben - July 24 - 3:50 am

  I had a 1966 and 1968 GTO from the same dealer I got my 2005 Midnight Blue GTO Cant believe the sound and power from the LS2 400hp engine.Very comfortable ride and did I mention the POWER. Great sounding radio system,love the six-disc cd changer. I agree that it looks so much better in person.

• 

  A lot better than my 2001GT - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pontiacrod1970 - July 23 - 5:46 pm

  I purchased this car after owning a 2001 Grand Prix GT that seemed to have alot of drive axle trouble!

• 

  Grand Prix SE1 - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Justin26 - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Great car... love it, though Id rather have a GT.

• 

  Premium Quality Van - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Best Van in town - July 20 - 5:43 am

  I have test out many different vans. This is the best I have seen both in quality, value and features. I had bad experience with Caravan and Sienna. Caravan had transmission problem and Sienna broke down after 2 years. Both are EXTREMELY POOR in quality.

• 

  GM Nailed This One! - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Bobbyg8great! - July 16 - 8:00 pm

  What a great car inside and out. It is pure fun. It is powerful and comfortable. I can haul around the kids with plenty of room to spare. Everywhere I go, people ask me what kind of car it is. I can 70 mph in a heart beat and cruise comfortably and quietly at 80 mph. The fuel economy hovers around 20 miles to the gallon. I get this even when Im hard on the pedal. I would like the V8 to sound a bit more like a V8, but the wife doesnt know what it is all about this way. Overall this car has been the most pleasing to drive out of all my vehicles. I have owned Caddys, Mercedes, Jeeps, and a Porsche. I think GM nailed this one, it might be a bit too late though.

• 

  Great first car - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By bonnevillese4me - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Ive only had this car for a couple of months but so far Ive put almost 2000 miles on it including two trips to Viriginia and just taking it around on everyday trips and it has performed beautifully. This is my first car, and I decided a used car was the way to go, but this car is in such great shape youd never know it was a used car.

• 

  Nice Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By M1 Garand - July 16 - 10:00 am

  This car has done very well for my wife and I. We bought it 3 months ago and have since put over 7,000 miles on it. When waxing it, you will find that the car is full of small details that sets it apart from the SE model. No doubt, if your going to go in get the Ram Air, the difference isnt that great over the 3400 V6 but the body makes up for it, plus is sounds much better than the standard V6.

• 

  great car! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By MIke1997 - July 15 - 5:46 pm

  I have had this car for a year now and have nothing put praise for it. Not one day of trouble and it has not seen the shop yet. Very comfortable for highway driving and for around town too.

• 

  Awesome!!!!! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Metro - July 15 - 2:00 pm

  I had a 99 Mustang Cobra for 2 years & it was great! (320 HP) The GTO puts that to SHAME! yesterday the police called & said I had cows out, I hopped on the freeway & was running 130mph in 4th gear & it wasnt red lined! (still had 5th & 6th to go but traffic was too heavy) The cobra would red line at 128mph in 4th & it was only a five speed! It didnt even have overdrive, 5th gear was a 1:1 ratio. This is the strongest and fastest car I have ever been in! I bought it on 3-13-09 & the original owner was 75 & it only had 16500 miles on it. If you find one that aint ragged out, you will love it! & you cant beat the price for the 400HP!