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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  worried about resale - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By dski - February 2 - 2:00 am

  No insulation in doors. Draft on legs. Worried about all problems with transmission. Have taken car to have sensors fixed three times. Am now past warrenty and not even one year old.

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  Fun car to drive expensive to keep - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By carlover - January 15 - 10:50 pm

  Had this car for about a year when problems slowly started appearing. First was the notorious Coolant leak that GrandAMs commonly have.Next the igngition coils blew on 2 cylinders, all this needing about 1200$ to fix.As a poor student, this ate most of my savings. Car is extremely powerful.Just step on the gas pedal and all it asks you is what speed you want to run to. Interior is not well designed..esp the cup holders are awkward.The front cup holder cant be used when gear is in Park.Fuel economy is 15-16 mpg once you reach about 60k miles.ALl I can say is that dont buy the HorsePower you dont need.Go for a Toyota/Honda and keep maintenance minimum and get a good resale value.

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  Could Be Better - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Sam - January 11 - 6:16 pm

  Power seat went out after 15 mos (why up/down power but forward/back manual?) Have replaced 3 window motor units. Intake manifold gasket blew. Finish on plastic bumper and spoiler is flaking badly. Rear view mirror fell off after 1 year. Rear light assembly leaked and bulb bases corroded.

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  Too many little annoyances - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Nevstar - January 9 - 10:00 am

  I leased this car new in 2000. Within 1 month, I had to take it back for service 3 times: the battery failed, the AC stopped working & the console lights failed. Over 3 years, Ive had to get the AC fixed 2 more times, replace the battery twice (and this is through normal use, I never left the lights on or anything), and various other nitpicky things. There really must be some problem with the electrical system. Its a decent car, and nothing TOO terrible has gone wrong with it, but the accumulation of little things just made owning it a pain.

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  Dont buy the 2.4 liter - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By TRLL - January 9 - 10:00 am

  Overall not a bad car. However the 2.4 liter engine is the worst that GM makes.It has not been imoroved on since 1989 when it came out. All the parts are very expensive and they all will fail. My local Pontiac dealership told me " I dont know why we still make that engine, its garbage"

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  A Rotting Lemon - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Eric - January 6 - 12:53 pm

  Beyond the annual trips to the mechanic to fix a leak or a rattle, we had a to have the entire steering system replaced at 75000, the AC redone soon thereafter. Then the fun started. The dirvers side window motor broke, the drivers side seat mechanics broke, and the door panels are constantly popping out of place. Last week, the light for the radio and clock went out. Now were replacing the radiator and selling it ASAP. Its fun to drive and handles well, if only the roads to the mechanics were more windy we could have more fun!

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  vehicle disappointing - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mpdcop21 - January 4 - 8:53 pm

  I have had my grand prix for more then 2 years now and i have had a constant problem with it. When i bought the car, they took another carfax from another grand prix on the lot and didnt tell me it was a rental car. I have had stalling problems for over a year and now Im having transmissions problems. Every time I take it to the dealership they cant duplicate the problem! And they charge me more to not diagnose it then it would be to fix it. Now Im taking my car to Aamco tomorrow to see what they say. It has 80,000 miles on it. The transmission should not be shot yet. But since it was a rental car it just might be. WE all know how we treat rental cars. The transmission is slipping a lot!!!!

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  Please dont buy one - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Redeye - January 4 - 11:23 am

  I wish Id never heard of Pontiac. My wife had a grand am - kept blowing head gaskets My son has a grand prix, same thing plus a loud knock, engine replaced Hard to keep pontiacs running. Company probably wont be running much longer.

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  Sorry I bought this car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Grandma Sue - January 3 - 5:33 am

  I love the looks and wanted a sporty v6 and thought I had found it at the right price. But I have had major brake problems which have damaged the transmission, brakes had to be replace in half the time I usually replace them. The motor idles rough. The radio overheats and ruins my CDs. Both my daughter and I get a backache on trips if we are driving. The passenger seatbelt locks when the seat is forward. I wont buy from this dealer or buy another Pontiac, a finincial disaster for me.

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  Caution - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Steve - January 2 - 2:53 pm

  Purchased 4/07. Wheel bearing replaced at 12,000 miles. Now at 20,000 back in the shop for "clunking" in the steering. Car will not stay aligned, constantly fighting the steering wheel (aligned 4 times). On the positive side, looks good, 3.5 engine runs well. I bought the sports package, maybe that is the problem. Will still buy American, probably not GM.