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:

• 

  Not so bad, but could be better - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By MaxwellSE - December 21 - 3:33 pm

  Owned the Sunfire for two years, really good gas mileage and engine power for the price. The interior has a nice layout but some components were cheap. I have had a few problems including the brake rotors wearing out every six months and the wiring has a short, which causes the CD player to reset and the enigine has trouble starting sometimes.

• 

  A reason to buy elsewhere - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Ken Davis - December 17 - 12:46 pm

  The Pontiac G6 convertable is not a well made car. Since driving off the lot the roof has rattled,trim has come loose, paint quality is poor,and the muffler has developed leaks twice. However the engine and transmission have been trouble free.The 1st year of ownership resulted in at least six weeks in the dealer for the mentioned quality issues. Complaints through customer service resulted in a waste of time as no one really cared. Having owned many GM products in the past it comes as no suprise that the companys lack of quality and customer service resulted in the demise of the Pontiac brand. No one wants the cars and I have, as we all do the ability to buy elsewhere that is not GM.

• 

  Let Pontiac deal with this crap - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By miket - December 6 - 10:06 pm

  I purchased this car in October 2003 with 19,000 miles on it. It now has 64,000, and Ive had nothing but problems. The reason for buying the car was that I wanted a large vehicle that didnt look like an "Old mans" car, and the fact that my uncle owned two Bonnevilles previously with little or no mechanical problems. Much to my dissapointment, this car has failed me miserably. The first year wasnt too bad, because it was still under warranty. Ive always had a steering problem, with a slight knocking sound and "bump" felt when turning. This has graduated to a whining noise. Replaced the trans 3 months ago. I could go on, but to hell with GM - tried Ford; looks like foreign now!

• 

  Watch Out! - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Disgruntled - November 28 - 9:23 pm

  I purchased this car used with 28,000 kms on it. I have since put roughly 50,000 on. I was very satisfied with the car in the first year of running it having run into only minor problems. Things got a lot worse as the car began to fall apart on me. I have had the following serviced: heater fan/resistor(3x), front calipers (2x), power mirror switch (fell into the doorframe: 3x), ventvalve seal, front power window regualator, hazard warning switch(recall), front brake pads, replaced the driver seat belt, and I dont know how or why but the rear seat came loose. I have kept up with the maintenance schedule to a tee and I have had countless problems. I will never buy a GM car again.

• 

  Disappointed - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Disappointed - November 27 - 11:30 am

  I love the appearance of my car, but after a while of having it...so many problems to overcome! Transmission is bad, replace brakes all the time, water leaks into the driver side floor, had to replace the intake gasket and the computer part of the accelerator... etc. I was so excited about the car and then all of these things started happening... and of course... no more warranty. I love my car, I just wished it worked like it should and that I could be 100% sure that I will make it when I get in it and go somewhere..ha ha.

• 

  Plainac - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Dave Smithson - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I ordered not knowing the design...bad mistake...this is one ugly Grand Prix. As Vanilla looking as you can get...what were they thinking? Is there anyone home at Pontiac??? And we thought the Aztech was a joke?

• 

  My Montana - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By montanauser - November 17 - 8:40 pm

  Other than the fact that was a fleet vehicle or so we were told by the maintenance department (not the sales) It seems overall to be an ok vehicle. We are having some electrical issues. brake lights etc;. also one problem with the windsheild whistling and service blew smoke at us till warranty wont assist. also the drivers seat has always had a slight lean that makes it uncomfortable on longer trips

• 

  The POS that refuses to die - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By matthew32 - November 17 - 2:18 am

  Have has my Grand AM since 2007. Was given to me by my parents who bought the car in 1999 with 12,000 mi. The car has always had regularly scheduled maintenance and now has almost 130k mi. I overhauled the engine at around 120k due to a spun #2 rod bearing. The 2.4l has marginal oil supply and this is fairly common. As far as doing major repairs, the car is relatively easy to work on. The interior in this car was the absolute worst of any I have ever owned - it started to fall apart when the car was only a few years old. Power windows all broke. Central locking and climate control switches broke. Vinyl peeling off the door panels. Dash warped. Seat padding breaking down.

• 

  Less than I expected - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By veritas57 - November 10 - 2:13 am

  Quality that is. Purchased this car from a dealer with only 18,000 miles. Could have chosen a model with the V6, but chose the 2.4 Eco. MISTAKE! This car cant get out of its own way, especially with the AC on. Had the car 2 months now, and its been a big disapoinment. Been in for a steering rod replacement, twice. Other issues include a rattling sun roof shade, annoying vibration and hum at 2400 rpm, low quality dash, poor ergonomics with the armrests being too low. Dont get the 2.4 if youre use to a V6. Youll be disapointed. And the gas mileage averages 25 mpg for combination 70/30 hwy/city driving. I got the same with a Buick LeSabre with a 3.8 V6. Finally, lots of engine noice insid

• 

  Nice car but bad gas mileage - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By BJ - November 8 - 8:43 am

  Bought this car because of the price, not a bad car but the gas mileage is horrendous GM advertises 5.2ltr per 100kms I wish, Im lucky if I get 7.4ltr per 100kms. They also state you will get 952kms per tank. I get maybe 550kms. My 3.8ltr impala is better on fuel than the g5. I will never ever buy GM again. With todays technology theres no reason why a 4 cyl engine should get less than 1000kms to a tank of gas.