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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  GREAT Car! - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Miranda - July 25 - 3:10 am

  Great car. Never ever had a problem with it. Could leave it outside unplugged at -40 and it would still start in the morning. Only replaced wear and tear parts. INCREDIBLY safe car. Was T-Boned by a semi truck and lived let alone walked out of the hospital with nothing but bruises. Great crumple zones. SAFE and RELIABLE car. Worth every penny I ever spent on it!

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  424 of 888 - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By wesson smith - July 23 - 1:50 pm

  "Mean" look vehicle. I have never owned a vehicle which causes so many heads to turn as when I drive by. I even had a Pontiac dealer who had not yet received a G8 chase me down to look at my car. I have the Sedan, which is quicker than a lot of V8s. Some cheap features such as flimsy door handles and no XM is disappointing. Cheap stereo controls on the steering wheel. Flip open key looks cool, but seems flimsy and surely will not last. Hugh trunk and great back seat leg room.

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  For the money it cant be beat - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By S V - July 22 - 7:06 pm

  Have had this car for 6 months and about 7000 miles. It is an incredible value and I have no regrets on the purchase. The car is refined yet powerful in a way that no other sedan in the 20s (real world price) can touch. The torque is always available and free flowing and lets the car cruise at highway speeds effortlessly. Mileage is acceptable on the freeway, quite bad (10 or so mpg) in stop and go. The interior doesnt match the exterior style-wise and there are a few cheap plastic bits but I can live with it and the styling is nowhere near as tacky as some past Pontiacs. Big flaw is passenger seat does not go back far enough for taller people. Car was delivered with warped rotors.

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  Not happy with GM - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By quehouse - July 22 - 2:13 am

  I have put 135000 miles on this van. I have only recently had to do any major repairs. I just had the intake manifold gasket done. The radio display went quirky and died. A few electrical problem such as windows and rear windows not working. Just replaced the water pump a few months ago. And so far I have changed wheel bearing assemblies and both ball joints.

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  Poor Build Quailty - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Cdoes - July 21 - 1:56 am

  Prior to owning this base model I had a 2000 GTP model which was very reliable up past 100k miles. One word of advice- Buy a 2007/2008 model where the powertrain warranty is 100k miles instead of 35k or GM certified used. I bought this car used with 8k miles from a Subaru Dealer....Everything was fine until the factory warranty ran out at 35k miles, at the point I knew I should have bought one with an extended warranty....At 41k miles the A/c system stopped working, $765.76 out of pocket.....49k miles I was driving and the car lost first/2nd gear.....Tranny rebuild- $2,109 out of pocket.....Right now the heater has stopped working as well as the front wheel hubs need replaced....

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  Selling to buy something reliable - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By This car is unsafe - July 20 - 10:00 am

  This car is easy to fall in love with. Unfortunately, it is also a piece of junk. I have been back to the dealer 3 times in 4 weeks because the car turns off while I am driving. Obviously, the dealer cant figure it out. Since I cant afford to keep paying the dealer to do nothing and I dont own a tow truck, I am going to buy a more reliable import even at the expense of less performance.

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  So far, so good - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By James - July 20 - 1:13 am

  Bought my 2003AWD Vibe used in November 2003. As noted in the reviews, it could use a little more "oomph" in the horsepower department and the steering wheel is a tad too far away when my leg room is comfortable, but other than that, Im quite happy with it. Getting about 27- 29 mpg combined, and the one snowy day we had this winter the AWD preformed fine. No rattles, smells, or funny noises. The 6 CD changer works great, and the sunroof is a nice add-on that Ill appreciate more as the weather warms up.

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  Great GTO - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By pwrdbypntiac - July 15 - 1:56 pm

  The 2005 GTO is a great car. I work for GM so I fully looked over the car before hand. The panel to panel fit and paint are excellent, no squeaks and rattles, or wind noise. Very beautiful interior with a handsome understated exterior. I get complimenets and many people asking me about this car wherever I go. Today a guy with an old GTO complimented me on my GTO...then i smoked him

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  Has its ups and its downs - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By R Sanders - July 11 - 4:03 am

  Overall I have really enjoyed driving my black Grand Am GT-1 a whole lot. It handles better than anything I have ever owned...I have Brigestone Re730 Z rated tires and they never squeal! However the car has had quality issues...manifold replaced twice, power window regulator, fan switch...luckily I had purchased a bumper to bumper warranty through 75,000 miles with Warranty Direct and it has paid for itself many times over. One design flaw is that the only way to keep out bad outside air is to set it to MAX AC because the car lacks a Recirculate Air button like every car I have ever owned in my life...it is a mystery why they didnt include such an essential....eg Deisel Bus up ahead

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  First car - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Mitch - July 11 - 1:53 am

  Im 18 years old and this is my first car. I think its one the better looking cars you can buy. Runs great at 132,000 miles and doesnt burn oil. 0- 60 time is ok and nothing to brag about. so far ive got an cold air intake an a brand new flowmaster. It maxes out at 115 in fourth at 5500 rpms. A great car to start off with. Im currently saving up for a Gto because 180hp is not enuff for me. need something that will lock me into the drivers seat not tap me. overall 8/10