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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  my car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By james byrne - August 22 - 2:00 am

  ive waited for this car for 10 years.now that i have it it im glad iwaited .Truly ,the most fun ive had driving an american car.

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  Doors that bend. - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By timbo2 - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Major design flaws with front doors--as seen in numerous investigative reports. Door that open too hard will not close again. No fixes from Pontiac offered. Completely happy with it if my passenger door would shut. Apparently the hinges mount to sheetmetal rather than body frame. Find one on a lot more than a couple of months old, and it will have a eskewed door. Do I hear class-action lawsuit?

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  Reliable Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By samryan - August 21 - 10:00 am

  We have had this vehicle for a few years now and have been very happy with it. Only problem we had was the brakes and rotors needed to be replaced (covered under warranty) however, for a car with low mileage and only a two years old, this should not have happened.

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  Okay Car - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By 2008 Pontiac - August 20 - 11:06 pm

  This is my 4th Pontiac and I do like Pontiacs, but this car has been in the shop for warranty work 3x already, and for other repairs about 2x. Thats a lot for 2 years if you ask me. My last Pontiac went 4 years before I had to repair anything. I am a little disappointed and depending on how many more problems I have, will depend on whether I keep this car or not. If this is all Pontiac has left, then it was time to retire. I have had power steering problems, constant issues with the brakes, wheel bearings have already been replaced and the car has under 50,000 miles. I guess they dont make them like they used to.

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  Great Pontiac Ride - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Mike T. - August 19 - 4:00 am

  This car is a pure joy to own. In 150,000 miles there have been no repairs other than regular maintenance and crash repairs. The fuel economy is very good, better than some of my friends with much smaller cars. Just a note, this is just another in a long line of nearly flawless GM cars that I have owned. Bravo!!

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  the best car i have owned - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By hotsnowfallsup88 - August 17 - 2:16 am

  I love my gramd am. Sure a few things have gone wrong but nothing serious whatsoever. The check engine light goes on whenever I drive over a large bump in the road but my mechanic just said thats because something is getting stress put on it and sending a signal to the engine saying it needs to be fixed when it actually doesnt. Pontiacs have a lot of computer codes inside of the car and thats why a lot of these reviews say "my check engine light is always on". Other than that I love this car. It has a Nice pick-up and has awesome fuel economy.

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  impressed - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By NewSunfireFan - August 15 - 8:56 pm

  I have never been a Sunfire/Cavalier fan thinking people that owned them did not know style. I dont think theyre the prettiest, however, Im now impressed with the way this Sunfire handles. Would prefer manual, but the automatic trans has pretty nice pull for 150 horses. Engines a little loud - especially compared to my GrandPrix, but turn up the 6- speaker stereo, take down the windows, throw back the sunroof and touring Europe - the perfect car for it. Im glad I bought it while here in Europe.

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  Pretty to start - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By Driving Dad - August 12 - 10:00 am

  We bought this new and enjoyed it greatly. This was our 2nd choice, the honda van was not available at a reasonable price. The initial ride, power and economy were as promised. The dealership offered the car at a reasonable price fully optioned. Now with 130,000 miles it is long in the tooth and not aging gracefully. Even with careful maintainance there are too many nickle and dime problems. Warrenty repairs: trip computer, radio, seatbelts, power door, power window. Non Warrenty repairs: Intake gasket at 70k (900.00 repair avoided using 2.00 can of stop leak , still holding at 130k), c/v joint, a/c compressor, air shocks, brake calipers & rotors.

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  Falling apart - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By spiffy - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Have had the transmition replaced twice, alternator, water pump, air compressor, brake callipers, starter, etc...all replaced at least once in 2 years. I could go on forever. The thing falls apart. I will never buy a ponitac again, and i wont let anyone i know get one either. warranty was good but my car was in the shop more than i drove it.

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  Great buy - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Ciesielski - August 10 - 5:40 am

  I bought my grand am about a year ago for 4,000 it runs good and drives like a new car. It only has 66k and am happy that it will last