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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  Not too bad for the price. - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Braves441 - March 31 - 2:00 am

  Good car for the money. Has some quality issues, but its a good starter car.

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  GT could use a bit more power - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By TheToothCarpenter - March 31 - 2:00 am

  Having driven the car for a month, have had no problems so far. Impressed with the smooth ride handling. Adequate pickup from the V6, but GM should be able to extract more power from it. The Monsoon audio system is a nice feature, but would be nicer with an in-dash CD changer.

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  Great looking SUV - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By Ryan - March 29 - 11:06 pm

  I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who is thinking about getting an SUV. This is my first SUV and I love the look and comfort of it. XM radio in the vehicle is a great feature that I cant believe I lived with out before. This is a very roomy vehicle, yet still very sporty looking.

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  fast rhino - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By yzcoach - March 26 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd Trans Am but my first with Ram Air. Living in Colorado you would think it was a poor choice for a year round car but it is a good winter car with Blizzacs mounted all the way around. Careful use of the gears, acclearator and fast shifting keeps it moving. It has the torque of a John Deer. I love this car!!

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  Im hooked. But not Sold!! - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Mak - March 25 - 10:00 am

  I rent the GrandPrix just about every other weekend. I love this car. It is fun to drive and has fabulous acceleration. I would love to buy one. However, tend to keep a car for more than 5 years and Ponitacs reliability is unproven. (read professional reviews as well as these) I do not trust the cars alternator, starter, or power train (transmission). I would definately recommend renting one and possibily leasing one for 2 years or less. If you buy get rid of this car at the 2 to 3 year mark, let somebody else be the case study for Ponitac. As soon as a see many 8 to 10 year old Grand Prixs driving around I might buy one.

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  Miles Per Tank - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By David - March 21 - 4:33 pm

  The Miles per tank on our 2006 torrent are not good. With only a 16.6 gallon tank at 19 mpg we are only getting about 300 miles per tank. The needle drops fast and before we know it another stop for fuel. The 2007 has a 20 gallon tank!

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  Great Value-Better Car than Cadillac - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By T-Fish - March 20 - 10:00 am

  After driving Sevilles for the last decade, we decided to try the Bonneville SSEi which is on the same platform as the Seville and $20,000 less. This is a better driving and riding car than its higher priced sister. It does lack a few options, V- 8, rear heated seats, wood trim, and the Cadillac mystic, but the super- charged engine is a great performer and lets face it, the Cadillac mystic is not worth $20,000. See what the Cadillac name means when the warranty runs out and you need any type of repair, $$$$$.

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  Lovin It!!! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By RdRydnHd - March 20 - 10:00 am

  The 1999 Grand Am was the first car I ever owned...went with the intention of buying the Grand Prix and am so happy I went back and did it!! The cars performance is great, no problems, no issues. As a female above average height, 510 Im thrilled with the leg room. Every other car I test drove included some SUVs, my knee hit the steering wheel each time I went for the brake. Its roomy and I find it extremely comfortable yet its still fun to take out for a ride on the highway!

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  Montana Van - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By TDAWG - March 17 - 6:13 am

  Overall the Montana is a very nice van. We bought it used, 2 years, with 34000 miles in great condition. I really like the van. The size, the easiness of loading/unloading, the pep in the 6 cylinder engine is more than enough, very quick and handles wonderfully, especially for a long/extnded mini-van. We love all the electronic gadgets but have had numerous little problems with several of them.

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  No Complaints - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By spyglass - March 17 - 5:50 am

  I have the 1.8L with the automatic option. Some professional reviewers knock it because it isnt "fun" like a BMW or a Porsche. Well for the money the car is great. Build quality is A-1. Seating is comfortable and it can take 4 passengers a long way before any of them start to feel cramped. Bought it for our son who is 62" and 215 lbs (football player). He loves it. Gets great mileage. We got in the neighborhood of 34-36 mpg on the highway with the cruise control set at 70 mph. The 4sp auto tranny shifts smooth and the 1.8 engine wont win any races, but its ideal for a car this size. Would buy it again in a heartbeat.