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 1998 was better! - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By TED BEHR - March 29 - 10:00 am

  I have had transmission problems (repl under warr.) & brake prblems (pads repl several times under warr. My 1998 was "the best car I ever drove" in 35 yrs 800,000 miles of driving. The 2000 was NOT as good as my 98! I also miss the lumbar support from 98

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  fun ride but poor quality - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By structengineer - March 29 - 10:00 am

  My car may or may not be typical, but it was in the shop four times for repairs (wheel speed sensor, fuel level sending unit, fan speed control unit, head gasket, rusty rotors, loud pinging engine when cold). Once it left me stranded on the highway. The trim was loose in places, it got horrible radio reception, winshield trim rattled in the wind, radio station tuning knob turned station #s the wrong way half the time. Other than the poor quality, it was a good car to drive. The car has good acceleration and cornering and is fun to drive.

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  not so great - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By jonnymaze - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Okay you may get good gas milage but you sure dont get performance. I know its a 1.8 liter engine, I think it should have a little more get up and go. I didnt realize how tight a space the front seating compartment is.

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  A Disapointment ... - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By dnpstr - March 22 - 8:00 pm

  Bought with just under 90,000 miles on it. My Grand Am is no doubt a very sharp looking car and the performance is great. But before you purchase this car DO YOUR RESEARCH! I have owned this car for almost 2 years and it has been nothing of a problem. I have had to replace the AC unit and on my last road-trip I had the wonderful experience of a blown head-gasket. After fixing that for about $2,000 it turns out the bearings in my engine have been warped or contaminated by the anti-freeze,likely a result of the blown head-gasket so now its going to die. The cars interior is nothing to brag about.This car had a lot of potential but due to poor reliability I will be looking for a new ride.

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  What a piece of junk - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By oy vey - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive but now I just want to drive it off a cliff. Rear bumper molding replaced. Turn signal switch replaced. A/C blower motor replaced. Fuel level sensor replaced. Ignition lock cylinder replaced. Drivers side window regulator and glass attachment replaced twice. Power steering hydraulic return hose replaced. Thats quite a list for a 3 year old car. The worst part is after the window went for the 2nd time and complaining about the power steering for the 3rd time I asked for the service manager to complain. His response to me was "everything breaks". Of course my response was "thats what Im complaining about".

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  I love my van but... - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By GM emp - March 9 - 8:06 pm

  I have had the van for little over a year. Bought new. Been in to dealership 3 times for brake work. Still squeaking. Power sliding door alarm goes off for no reason when driving, have to pull over and reclose. Gas gauge not working properly. Also, no room for legs in 2nd row. Took seats out and its wonderful. Dealership nor I could find a plug in adapter. Not as comfortable as old Venture van. Guess it doesnt matter, GM is not making minivans any longer.

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  Overall Good Car - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By vmalo - February 25 - 6:03 am

  Have a 2007 4-cylinder with 100,000 miles, mpg good (24 overall), good styling, interior design good although somewhat plasticky, seats uncomfortable, drivers seat motor broke, had $400 emissions issue, steering wheel clunks (dealer says sterring wheel teeth worn, $400, Buicks have same problem), but other than that no major issues, relatively reliable, paint scratches easily, trunk doesnt pop up. Resale value is scary, my trade-in value is $5,000 and I bought car for $21,000 and its only 4 years old (but miles are high, though). I owe $10,000, so..... s-t-u-c-k with it. :0( It would be a good car to buy used even though Pontiacs arent made anymore.

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  a REAL American Muscle Car - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By Justin_25 - February 25 - 2:00 am

  In my pursuit of finding a fast, fun, and afordiable car, i have found a true winner in my Trans Am. Its a true American Muscle Car. But at the same time, thats the problem too. Its a true american m.c. It has rather poor build and is UNCOMFORTABLE to drive. I cant keep gas in this thing! In a way i guess you could say its almost a burden to drive. But when it all comes down to it, it wasnt built for these things. It was built for one thing. SPEED!!! Mission accomplished. But i think Im gonna hit my dad up for a new BMW.

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  Stay away from 2006 Pontiac G6 - JUNK! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Russell M. - February 21 - 11:30 am

  I found a 2006 Pontiac G6 for my daughter that seemed to be a good car for the price. A year later I am faced with a $1100 repair to change the power steering assist motor and steering column because of a known GM problem with these type of steering systems. The Cobalt, G5, and numerous others are already on recall. Do your homework, better than that buy a Ford. What a piece of junk!

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  Good looking fair performance - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By TR - February 10 - 1:56 pm

  Like the look. Slow at start but better at high speed. Dont feel safe at high speed. I got automatic which said 29-34 mpg but never been higher than 30 mpg (most on highway). A little difficult to see when backup. Engine is noisy. Tires are expensive for the side. Inside smells like egg. Cheap material for dashboard. Quite comfort seats but not for big guy. People on rear seats can easily kick something under the front seat. Air conditioner control is hard with gear at parking position. Poor rear washer. I bought it because it is Toyota inside but the outside is better than matrix and got a good deal. Sticker price is too high with this car. Dealer was not good but service dept is nice.