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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  Red Firebird - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By flybigrc - May 3 - 10:00 am

  The car drives very smooth on the highway and with the T-Tops off is a blast in the summer. I have not had any major problems that were not covered by the warrabty. The catalytic converter was replaced a rear pinion seal and a steering sluid seal. All covered under warranty.

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  Cant Beat the Price - GREAT Value - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Nice Car - May 3 - 10:00 am

  MSRP was $17,451, 2.4L engine, Automatic, Power Package, 15" Rally tires, Anti Theft with Keyless entry., Bought for $12.500 =$15,500-$3,000 rebate. Paid $11.400 + $2,335 GM Mastercard Credits Out the Door!!!!! 2.4L Automatic getting 24 MPG combined. Seats are hard. Car is nimble and quick. Best value out there.

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  Grand Prix - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Heather B. - May 2 - 3:16 pm

  My Grand Prix has been taken into the shop a couple of times due to what felt like the transmission slipping, but they said they couldnt find anything wrong.. It still has the same problem after they reset the computer. But they did fix a recall that was on the car. I like the style of the car and it does have power.

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  Versatile, reliable, affordable - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By emilymode - May 1 - 2:10 pm

  I bought mine in July 2006 and have had no problems so far (except for the front window bolt recall replacement which GM took care of). I drove from New York to California with this car. I absolutely love my Vibe.

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  Looks like a $30,000 Car!!! - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jason - April 30 - 6:06 pm

  I bought the 2009 Pontiac Vibe GT for my wife last week and so far its been the best car either one of us have owned. For $21,000 you get so much for your money plus the advantage of great gas mileage. Its really quick with the 2.4 L GT engine and the 18" wheels ride smooth. The interior is so sexy with all the leather accents and styling. The exterior is eye popping and catchy. Its a very stylish ride and we love it so much. Also the XM Radio and OnStar is a plus!!!

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  True love until 103,000 miles - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By noram - April 30 - 8:16 am

  Bought new, this has been a wonderful vehicle until now. Other than brakes and a water pump there was no repair work done until 84k when the intake manifold had a coolant leak requiring a new gasket. Last week this same problem was detected at 103k. After paying my $1000+ bill I decided to start thinking about a new car. Not a Pontiac. Ive seen this same issue on elsewhere for this same vehicle, same engine for as many as 3 times on a vehicle. Poor engine design? whatever the problem is people have tried to get Pontiac to make good on it to no avail. Class action suits were mentioned. And American car companies are wondering why people dont buy American? I really want to but I cant

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  It Sucks - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Anna - April 28 - 5:10 pm

  I have had my Pontiac Grand Prix GT ever since I turned 16, 2 years ago. I have had many problems with it. My windows are broken and they fall down while going down the road. The headlights are so dim that it looks like I am driving down the road using a flashlight. The gauges dont work. My panels came off the inside of the car. After the fuel pump went out I have had NOTHING BUT TROUBLE out of it. I have been stranded on the side of the road at least 6 times within 3-4 months. I have seen that only the GTs are getting the bad reviews, and I know why! My cousin has a GTP and he has no trouble out of his, but my GT sucks. Everything is wrong with this car!

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  Fun to Drive, but has mechanical issues - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By RPM - April 28 - 4:46 pm

  Bought this "used" car in March 2005. Very sharp and sporty looking car and very fun to drive. Plenty of power. Fully loaded, has all the bells and whistles that the SSEI has, but without the supecharged engine. But since weve bought this car, it had to go back to the garage 4 times now for minor, but annoying mechanical issues that shouldnt be happening on a 5 year old car. Now it has a water leak on the rear passenger floor. The wife really loves this car, but I wish we had waited and bought a Monte Carlo SS.

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  GRAND GRAND PRIX - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SARAALYSSA - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I JUST LOVE MY GRAND PRIX! I LIVE IN THE BUFFALO NY AREA AND THE CAR HANDLES JUST GREAT IN THE SNOW. HAVING DRIVEN A CARAVAN FOR THE LAST 10 YRS, I COULDNT WAIT TO COMPARE, I WILL NEVER GO BACK. THE GT2 HAS JUST ENOUGH LUXURIES TO KEEP THE COST AFFORDABLE. MORE THAN AMPLE TRUNK SPACE. THANKS FOR MAKING MY NEW CAR EXPERIENCE SO GREAT!!

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  Black 2004 GTP Comp G - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ErnieM - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I love everything about it. Ill change some things but nothing I can say I dont like.