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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  So Happy! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By ginandtonic45 - April 3 - 10:00 am

  I was SO hesistant about buying this car. I was downsizing from a Chevy Blazer and wasnt sure I wanted an American car again. I had to test drive it three times. But I love it now. Its reliable - good in our winter snowstorms - and incredibly fun to drive, even if its only a 4 cylinder. There is a ton of storage space and it will make a great "baby" car in a few years. I get tons of comments on it - how cool it looks interior and exterior.

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  Get the Vibe (GT)! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By desertf8 - April 3 - 10:00 am

  fun little vehicle to drive-very sport good rear seat room for 3 children love the chrome interior excellent features

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  Steady As She Goes - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By MNKittyMao - April 3 - 10:00 am

  Bought used 11/1999 w/ 30k miles. Had great sporty look w/o high price. Basic package. No probs, just reg maint. Now has 100k+ miles and still runs/handles great. Learned from previous cars the hard way.. take care of them, they will last a lot longer (esp oil, the blood of a car).. and the more bells and whistles the more to go wrong.

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  Slipping Transmission - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By travelgrl - April 3 - 10:00 am

  At 68,000 miles the transmission starting slipping and had to be replaced. There are many reports that for two years the transmission needed to be flushed or you had to end up rebulid the transmission. Other than that its a good car.

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  cant beat this price - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By cruella - April 3 - 10:00 am

  This car was bought for a sixteen year old. For a first car, you cant beat the price and the extras. It has all the cool features like a sunroof, sporty look, CD player. What else could you want? Kids dont need a race car---they just want "the look", and she absolutely loves it!

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  Good Vibes - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By salukilover - April 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive wanted this car every since the first brochure came out. Ive found my hatch remote unavailable and the middle compartment will not stay closed. It is made of cheap plastic and will not stay latched. To the dealer I go in less than 2 months to get the remote reprogrammed and the plastic compartment fixed. I drive 80 miles in a day and wanted an economical car. I fill up every 3 - 4 days because of the small tank and I dont drive 55. My paint is already chipping from the rocks. Suggestion: Get the clear coat put on your new car. Im still happy with my vibe. It is fun to drive and with having dogs, the hard plastic in the back is awesome!

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  2000 SE1 Electrical Problems - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By FED-UP - April 3 - 10:00 am

  Never again! Ive had this car in the shop 9 times in almost 3 years. Mostly electrical problems. Many times the dealerships were very difficult to work with and wouldnt fix it on the first try. When the car is running, it is a great vehicle. I drive easy highway miles and hope to get at least 150,000 miles out of this car, but Im not holding my breath. Be warned!

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  add to my other review - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Doug - April 3 - 2:46 am

  Reviewers complain of the small truck well that is our safety regulations which makes it ultra safe for rear end collisions. Also it has a larger tank at 18 gallons which takes up the trunk space.....the Australian version probably has a lot more room in the trunk. Also i got 27.5 mpg with a/c on a trip in the summer. the fuel mileage gage is off by 10% often when i check my mileage the old fashioned way.

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  Off the Beaten Path. - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Krovas - April 2 - 4:03 am

  Have had my 02 Aztek for a few months. Purchased at 54k for $8000 even. A few initial repair issues (wheel hubs/bearings) that the dealer took care of. Decent mileage overall for a vehicle of this kind, but truly excellent on the highway. Possibly the most comfortable SUV ever made; a four hour drive feels like a ten minute trip to the supermarket. Interior design more than makes up for funky exterior styling. Somewhat irritating hatch release mechanism. Sufficient power for itself, but I probably wouldnt try towing anything with it. AWD performance is terrific. Overall, its looks arent the Azteks only eccentricity, but Ill bet youll forget all about them if you drive one.

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  i love my car - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By bethne - April 1 - 4:20 pm

  Had this car since 1999. Original owner. Replaced alternator once, brakes twice and had some work done on catalytic converter. Also passenger side mirror fell off pretty easily. Enough bad though. I love this car. Im very hard on vehicles and this one has held up really well. 120,000 miles, most are in town. Pretty good gas mileage, about 33 mpg. Handles great in snow and ice. Very comfortable on long trips. Heating and cooling system is wonderful. Lots of storage. Drives really well on back/country/mountainous roads, including dirt, gravel, and mud.