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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  Loved the piece of crap - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By grand_dan_97 - September 12 - 6:20 pm

  I am the proud owner of 1997 Pontiac Grand-Am V-6. Its green, and has eaten a lot of green too. I have only owned the car for the last year, and i gotta say its a fun car minus the how badly it deals with harsh winters(body-wise). the engine and trans run fine. The ride is a bit rough, and there is considerable body roll when cornering, mine had ans still has no power steering due to a leak in one very awkwardly placed pressure line. The body is very nice, and has held up nicely mostly because its plastic. the frame is in a very bad way, but still holding even after being rear-ended by a 97 olds 88 a few months ago. Its a tank in the snow, and runs great, w/197k miles on it.

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  Great engine, good looks, poor quality! - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ndclark - September 12 - 10:00 am

  Spectacular engine performance, reliability, good gas milage, and a superb transmission then the Pontiac Grand Prix GT is just what I would suggest. Very sporty look and the dual exhaust adds a rich sound. Poor quality, Basically, its cheap. The seats are horrible, the windows leak (bad seals)and there are several other issues. I bought the car last Jan. with 54,000 miles(now79,000) Ive had to replace the CD player(numerous problems), window switch, wiper cam, window washer motor, climate control resistor-dash controls, and alternator. The cruise control no longer works, the climate control still squeals.

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  Buyer beware! - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Moondaisy - September 5 - 6:50 pm

  I bought this car three years ago with 34,000 miles on it and until last fall thought it was the best car ever. Boy, was I mistaken! The catalytic converter clogged, the O2 senser went, the brakes still have some problem that causes the pads to have to be replaced every 2,000 miles. The timing chain broke, resulting in $1500.00 new engine, the front end needs work, and there is a mysterious electrical problem that is causing power surges and results in the car stall when I idle in drive. I am in the process of trading it in for a Honda! Not interested in another GM right now, for sure!

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  Every Warm Day Is A Vacation - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Caffeinated - September 5 - 4:13 am

  I do love this car. You get all of the joy of a convertible without the hassles. Dropping the top is great. During my Wisconsin winters the hard top gives you a stable ride without ragtop noise levels. It is not Lexus quiet, but I can take it for long drives without thinking about noise.

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  I Really Enjoy This Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By rhalld38 - September 4 - 5:22 pm

  My 2004 Pontiac Grand Am I have had since 2005, and never had one major problem with it besides the blower motor kept going out on it and to replace it 3 times but I think it was because of where I got it from. The car has over 107,000 miles on it and have drove it from Illinois and Michigan numerous times with no problems at all. It drives great and looks great as well. I have been in a couple fender benders but the car still holds up in appearance. The only thing I do not like about this vehicle it has to many cup holders and the interior has to much plastic. Other than that it has great gas mileage while on the highway in the city it is about average.

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  3.1 = NO FUN - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By HUSKRCRT - September 4 - 2:20 pm

  Hi, I bought my 95 Grand Am back in 97, with 15,000 miles and was very pleased with the style of the car and the gas mileage. I routinely got 34mpg on the highway. The only thing that was bad about the car was the engine. I replaced the head gasket 2 times and after the 3rd I decided it was "3 strikes Youre OUT" and junked it at 150,000 miles in July of 94. The body still looked like new, and everything else was in great mechanical shape. The first time the headgasket went it was under warranty, but #2 cost me $1,000 and I was told #3 was going to be more.

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  Started great but ended badly! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By timmy78 - September 2 - 6:50 am

  I bought my 2006 Pontiac Torrent in 2009 with only 22k miles on it. The first year and a half, the vehicle was the best that Id owned. Drove from Memphis, TN to Gatlingburg in the snow, Hattisburg, MS, Meridian, MS, Jonesboro, AR, and Little Rock, AR with no problems. But during my trip to Little Rock, it seemed like I was having trans problems. When I took it to the trans shop, they said it was a speed sensor. Needless to say, the speed sensor kept messing up. I had it replaced 4 times before getting rid of the vehicle. Now, my ex-fiancees aunt has replaced the trans but the problems persists. And the paint is peeling.

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  Great Midsize car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mrut - September 1 - 1:53 pm

  I bought this car new and it has been fairly trouble free. I havent put plugs in it or done any kind of tuneup and it still runs great. Upgraded the tires when the first set wore out to 245-50-16 Bridgestones and the car really stuck. Only complaint would be that it didnt come in a stick.

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  Fast - Not Furious - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By Classy Bird - September 1 - 10:23 am

  Ive owned this car since it was new. Originally I had trouble with the power antenna and one of the headlights not popping up. Four trips to the dealer and the headlight finally was fixed - loose connection to motor. One other problem I had was the gas line regulator valve leaking gas into the engine when it was hot causing hard starting. Ive not had any problems since these. Ive been real happy with the gas mileage. I get 18 mpg in town and 30 mpg on the highway. Thats with a heavy foot. Would have bought the TA except insurance would have been 4 times higher even though I havent had a ticket for 15 years. Also, cost difference was $16 grand - buy another car for that.

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  Great......with qualifications - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Imacarguy - September 1 - 10:00 am

  Seating comfort is great, especially for someone with lumbar problems. Overall flexibility of this vehicle is phenomenol. Its a real shame that GM didnt do a rear-end styling change (smooth it out, improve visibility and overall attractiveness) early-on. I decided on buying a "nearly-new" 02 instead of a 03 due to price/option considerations. Guess Ill be considering a Rendevous in the future ?!!