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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  the beast - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Bobbie Alexander - June 8 - 1:53 pm

  exterior still in fair condition

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  Grand Am - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By dtott - June 8 - 10:40 am

  Bought this car for our daughter. Dont make the same mistake. Replaced water pump 4 times ($400+ each), alternator ($200), power steering pump (150), and engine ($1300). We kept thinking that would be the end, it never is. Panels inside falling apart. passenger window quit working ($350) (shop told us the arms inside are too weak and bend), moon roof quit working ($??? not fixing any more!).We will never buy a Grand am again, as we have heard from others about their repairs. Too bad it was after we bought the car that we heard all of this. This car was built for the mechanics to stay busy.

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  55 mph Headache! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By pugmamma - May 20 - 11:36 am

  I traded my amazing volkswagen that ended up needing a radiator for this pontiac or pile of junk. I have had so many problems with it sparkplugs, headlights, trunk latch, windows, and now I need a flex pipe and I cannot figure out which one it needs the car is so loud because the flex pipe fell off somehow!!!

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  Falling apart - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By WhyMe - May 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car brand new and three years later I cant wait to get rid of it. The fuel pump went out at 26000 miles. Seals around passenger windows leaked so flooded my interior at 29000. The front bearings had to be repacked at 32000. Windshield plastic moldings flew off while driving down the road. Window falls in door and costs $600 to fix!! Rearview mirror falls off repeatedly despite getting fixed everytime. The list continues, I will NEVER buy another Pontiac . . .or Domestic for that matter.

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  GTO- Geared Toward Oppression - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By CliffLao - May 17 - 6:10 am

  Paying $30,300 I was really hoping that Pontiac would at least stand behind their product if something were to go wrong. With only 250 miles on the car the transmission started coming out of second and first gears and would not go into reverse without some coaxing. Along with dark gray paint spots all over the bright yellow exterior, I have already attempted on 3 different occasions to allow Pontiac to correct the problems but they will not even acknowledge them. From Showcase Pontiacs Service Mgr explaining to me that I was not driving the car hard enough to Don Mackey Pontiac telling me they do not know how to work on the car, I CANNOT be MORE DISAPOINTED! Lemon vehicle meet Lemon LAW!

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  Worst Car I EVER HAD! - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mayhem2013 - May 16 - 8:25 am

  I purchased this car from a Pontiac dealership in 2006 with 57k miles on it. I was in love! However within the first WEEK of having it, the Security system failed. Since Ive had this P.O.S., everything imaginable has gone wrong, Security/Passlock failure, Intake Manifold Head Gasket, Power seating failure, Side mirror falling off, failing brakes, interior knobs falling off, AC failure...and the list DOES go on! I was horrified but the recalls and complaints online!.... Would NEVER buy anything from Pontiac ever again!

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  Not Worth It! - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Jon Leibowitz - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Consider the Sunfire and similar Chevrolet Cavalier basic transportation only--both are crude, unpleasant, and outdated. The Sunfire sedan has been discontinued, and the coupe received a face lift for 2003. The Sunfires only virtue is its secure handling. ABS is no longer standard. The ride is stiff, uncomfortable, and lacking in control. The four-cylinder engine is buzzy. The thinly padded front seats lack support and are fatiguing on long journeys. The rear seat is badly shaped and cramped, and accessing it takes athletic skill. Interior fit and finish are subpar. Poor side-crash-test results are another minus. Im gonna get a nice new Celica.

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  dont buy this junk - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By bobs - March 4 - 10:00 am

  doors will rust under door jams like mine already are.Also many outher problems.

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  Nothing But trouble - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Dino501 - January 25 - 2:00 am

  I Love the look of the Aztek. Inside is very comfortable...UNTIL I had to take it in for the recall on the battery discharge problem which I wasnt haveing. The computer blew and I had to wait 2 weeks to get a new one. That was 3 computer systems ago and still have tons of trouble with electrical system and I have replaced all the lights and fuses over and over.Not to mention all the sensors going haywire and not working. Also the AC goes out at least one or two times a summer. Dealership was as nice as they could be but no help. But Pontiac was NO HELP and did nothing about it. Ruined me on Pontiacs and this was my 3rd and last of their products.

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  POS!!!! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By lane1085 - January 24 - 5:07 pm

  bought this car almost 2yrs ago and have had nothing but trouble. number one it WONT drive through snow, 2 ive replaced the brakes twice, the air conditioning quit working, the tires though brand new wont hold air, the whole brake systems keeps locking up and has been put through diagnostics at two different shops and cannot find whats wrong, the panoramic sun roof leaks and is factory, the sun roofs drain drains in the drivers side floor, the doors leak,there is an oxygen sensor that we cant find that is bad, the flat piece with the speakers on it in the back window rattles, the 6 disc skips cds, and finally the roof supports that frame the windows are huge and create massive blind spots!!