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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  good car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By tom harris - December 31 - 2:00 am

  I like this car very much. yall do some good cars.

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  good VIBErations - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Tubesfan2 - December 31 - 2:00 am

  Only 1 month old, my vibe is so versatile. Can haul kids n stuff or cool cruising car. Good gas mileage and build quality. The under shifter storage door should be sturdier. Loads of room, this is like a mini-suv. You sit up high: the window sills and roof height are the same as my toyota pickup, but the car looks so compact. Great styling, I think its better looking than the matrix.

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  Overall....good - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ATLien - December 31 - 2:00 am

  Very satisfied overall. can get 400 miles per tank when traveling. some paint chips off front and back bumper. May be covered by warrenty.

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  Opinion - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By alky - December 31 - 2:00 am

  This my second Grand Prix GT, I previously had a 2001 GT which was a great vehicle. At first I wasnt that thrilled with the new design, but when I test drove one, I was sold on the performance and handling. The new series 3 engine has better pickup and smoother acceleration than the series 2. The interior is more of a cockpit feel which is great. My vehicle that I bought came with chrome rims which do make a difference in the overall appearance. The cargo space is larger and the handling is nice and tight. Overall if you are looking for a good solid vehicle in the midprice range this is one you should look at.

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  110,000 miles - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By van owner - December 29 - 1:30 am

  Great power, fun to drive good looks, plenty of room, trans went out 40k, replaced under ext warrr, both headlight covers fell off 150each, clock radio controls work when they want, moisture in lights bulbs goes out every 3 months, added coolent and leaks sometimes, great power for hills, nice lay out, cup holders break

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  I love my WS6 vert! - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By WYO_VR4 - December 27 - 12:10 am

  I was very happy got a great deal on my car. Its a true performance bargain and so much fun to drive. Turns heads wherever I go and gets over 30mpg in 6th gear on the highway - a nice feature these days! Cruising around with the top down this summer was awesome. Its the best car Ive ever bought. I much prefer the instant torque of the LS1 to any turbocharged import. The car is easy to work on and upgrade, if desired. Im happy with mine as it is but I did upgrade the stereo. The one in the vert is rather puny compared to the coupes. Then again, who needs a stereo when the car sounds this good. American muscle at its finest. Highly recommended but dont forget that radar detector!

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  Got my moneys worth... - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By gportoulas - December 24 - 7:51 pm

  I purchased my 02 grand prix back in 2005 and it had 50k on it already. I made it to 164k miles with no major problems until now. The biggest thing I needed work on was a catalytic converter. I had minor leaking of antifreeze and I found out it was due to the plastic intake mannifold. I guess GM cheaped out when they used plastic and that part cracks easy. MY antifreeze leaks more now and the heating panel is shot. Like I said, I put an extra 114k miles on it over 6.5 years. It did me well.

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  Good Car To buy - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By hillsborogirl - December 21 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Grand Am for over 2 years. Ive purchased other Non-GM vehicles and I did not find them as reliable as my Grand Am. My uncle had his Grand Am for 12 years before he sold it to my cousin. My mother has had her Grand Am for about 8 years and its still going strong. I intend to keep mine for a long period of time.

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  Great cute car - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jessica - December 20 - 9:26 pm

  I just bought this car 2 months ago and love the car. Very comfortable, and easy to drive for my self.

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  BAD - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By custom man - December 19 - 9:30 pm

  Ive had the car for almost 2 years, it is a 5 speed and i luv the car to death, ive had problems all the time but nothing to major all the time. ive replaced the tranny and clutch once and it ran amazingly since. I street race the car, i have a custom exhaust on it, custom intake, and a lot of interior work do to it. they come with the Z24 racing engine (stock 150 HP) since all my mods i have figured that the car has about 185 hp now and amazing take off and torque. i have a lot of corners around here and the car cornered well before hand but now i have replace all the control arms, sway bar mounts, tie rod boots, and end links and the car is amazing at cornering now. All in all i luv the car.