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:

• 

  1 owner @ 100k mi. - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Roadrasher - October 11 - 10:00 am

  The Supercharged 3.8 Series II engine is very reliable. 100,000 miles and the engine is flawless, but the rest of the car started falling apart. The Supercharger is not a serviceable item, so when the bearing goes out you have to replace the whole thing ($600 rebuild w/ installation). Both front wheel- bearings needed replacing. Power- steering pump went out. All within 10,000 miles of 100k. The car is definitely worth keeping and repairing. The GTP is the only way to go. If you are considering a Grand Prix, only get one w/ a Supercharger (20% more horsepower than the GT, and it shows). Before buying one, listen to the supercharger, if you hear a grind, get it replaced.

• 

  Good Little Car - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bob - October 8 - 11:33 pm

  I switched to a vibe after owning a Dodge Ram 1500, mainly because of the gas mileage. I really enjoy this little car better than I expected. I forgot how fun it is to drive a car. Im a big guy (64" 310 lbs) and this car has plenty of room for me. I love all the storage compartments everywhere. If youre in the market for good gas mileage and lots of seating and cargo room, this is the car for you.

• 

  Turned out better than I thought - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Need4seats - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Overall, a good van. Beware of reviews with one major problem with van. Any vehicle line can have a bad car or two. Had some minor annoying trips to mechanic for recalls, etc, but overall at 62000 miles, it is working great. Acceleration is better than any other minivan Ive used. Features are great. Only 8 seat minivan available at time I purchased (I need the seats).

• 

  Pontiac (2001) Sunfire - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By warmblood2002 - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Pontiac sunfire for almost 3years now. It handles and drives great. I love this car. The fuel economy is worth it. It is n;ot a gas guzzler like some of these other cars you see out there. Plus, it is sporty!

• 

  I love my Grand AM - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By The Guru - October 6 - 3:13 pm

  I call my car a mini-rocket..Superb Acceleration..good mileage as compared to the cars in the same segment. No issues with the maintainence as such, small tweaks bound to be there. Only discomforting thing I found is the way the center console tilts towards the driver. Thats one of the small things.

• 

  This is one awesome car!!! - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By NJones - October 6 - 10:00 am

  Punch the gas at 30mph and listen to the tires rip loose! Ive taken this car stock to 13.20@106 at State Capital Dragway. To say that that isnt impressive is ignorant. The car handles great, gets decent enough gas mileage, and as long as you dont have to sit in the back seat, youre comfortable!

• 

  I Love This Car!! - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By falcon2722 - October 6 - 10:00 am

  Very fun car to drive. I bought a black 2002 WS6 Trans Am with the Hurst 6 spd shifter. I thoroughly enjoy driving this car.

• 

  Great Car...At First. - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Jones - October 3 - 12:00 am

  We bought the car with only 20k miles on it and when we bought it we did not like the idea of buying another Pontiac because of our previous 1996 Pontiac Grand Am. Basically the Grand Am was just renamed and remodeled into a G6 and still had the same reliablity issues.. So far, we have had the usual Pontiac tranmission replacment, steering column replaced and still having popping issues, cd player broken, keyless entry stopped working (even after replacing battery inside the remote), power steering failing while driving, constant brake issue and rotor warping. This car is fun to drive its not all bad, but Pontiac just covered their issues with a new body style. no improvement.

• 

  2004 Pontiac Grand Prix gt2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Mel - October 2 - 7:30 pm

  I bought my can in Sept.2004. Since then my car was in the shop and has a new engine put in it. Now my car is making a noise while excelerating. Havent taken it in yet. Over all the car is ok. Would i have know i would of had this many problems i wouldnt of bought the car.

• 

  bryans aztek - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By xedf003 - October 1 - 2:00 am

  i thank the aztek is a great srv for the active lifestyle that alot of people have today, but the press have such a square minded outlook on cars and trucks that if it looks diffrent than any other car or truck they are to soon to knock it. A gm is so worried about the prsss opion that they have not done alot of promotions on the srv!!!!. Saying all of that, for the features and price this is the best veahicle in its range...