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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  Poor Reliability - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By MiaW. - June 10 - 2:00 am

  This car had a wonderful appearance and great reviews. However, I could not count on it to get me from point A to point B. I put as much money into fixing it over the 3 years I had it as I did buying it at 3 years old. Id recommend to any one thinking about purchasing this car (unless you are a mechanic with nothing to do), be careful.

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  Grand AM 2002 - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By tartis - June 10 - 2:00 am

  My 2002 Grand AM gets a lot of miles, but it is starting to burn oil after 75,000 miles. I am also having a major problem with the turn signal mulit- function switch which is starting to click all the time. The performance of the 3.4L v6 is great, and fun to drive.

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  Awesome! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By BlakeGV - June 10 - 2:00 am

  This is one amazing car! I just bought it and I am so glad I did! Its a great car!

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  Unbelievable car ! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Songbird - June 10 - 2:00 am

  Have owned 16 new GM cars - including a 68 GTO, two Trans Ams, and a supercharged 97 Riviera. This car takes a back seat to none of them. The handling is exceptionally TIGHT. I love the growl and bark of the powerful engine when you kick it in. Ive owned and driven many, many so called sports cars, but this is in a class of its own. You forget that you are in a sedan and not a sports coupe! A great, informative, and friendly dealer.

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  Great vehicle! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By snydered2004 - June 10 - 1:23 am

  My wife and I are extremely happy with the Vibe. We have the "Toons and Moon" package and it is outstanding. The build quality is great and the car gets great gas mileage.

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  The Pontiac G6 is hot! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Karrie - June 9 - 4:03 pm

  This car is HOT! It looks good and drives SOOO smooth. You could hear a pin drop when on the highway. Im a 22 year old female, therefore, my only tizzy on this vehicle might me the price. We young people like to have our cars "decked out" so if you choose to have all options available like I did, it can get pretty spendy. Overall, I love my car! Besides....its a guaranteed eye catcher, what could be better?!

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  Grand Prix - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By karake - June 8 - 10:00 am

  The Grand Prix is an excellent car that is fun to drive and has great gas mileage.

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  Worst Car Ever Owned - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By JRALS1 - June 8 - 10:00 am

  I own this piece of junk. I bought it in 9/2000 with only 47000 miles on it. It now has 65000 two years later and I have put well over 2 grand into it. The tranny went out, the shifter cable snapped, replaced the clutch(since the tranny was out), brakes twice, alternator, and all of the basic stuff. I dont beat on my cars too badly, it just has major problems, I wouldnt recoommend this car to anyone!!

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  You would be MAD not to love it - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By David - June 8 - 12:06 am

  After looking at all the pros and cons I decided the pros won out. This car is not only comfortable, refined, with great handling it is also economical, at least on highways. However if you use your right foot to much the gas mileage will suffer. The performance is unbelievable when you push the gas pedal, it just forces you back in the seat. At a constant 70 mph the mpg is around 28. Good job GMC

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  It sure has been built for keeps! - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By T Lo - June 7 - 6:23 am

  I bought my 2.4L, 4 cyl Grand Am in 1997 used with 30,000 miles. Currently, its a shade under 170,000 and shes still going strong. I get ragged by many friends who say I have an old ugly car, but I cant disagree more. A few mechanical problems have occurred (2 alternators, 2 water pumps, window motors that STINK, and a vacuum tube that baffled every mechanic except a Pontiac dealership) have occurred in 9 years. Currently, itching at getting a G6 Convertible. Its hard not to keep this car until the wheels fall off, nice not having a car note! I have no regrets owning this car during my entire 20s. Installed alarm and CD disk changer, so its been functional and fun for me.