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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  lava - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By dmsm - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Great car! Fun to drive, motor could be a bit larger, but economy great. Surprisingly large cargo area. View of road really good. No problem in snow without AWD. Overall great car. No regrets buying this model!

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  What a piece of junk - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By oy vey - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive but now I just want to drive it off a cliff. Rear bumper molding replaced. Turn signal switch replaced. A/C blower motor replaced. Fuel level sensor replaced. Ignition lock cylinder replaced. Drivers side window regulator and glass attachment replaced twice. Power steering hydraulic return hose replaced. Thats quite a list for a 3 year old car. The worst part is after the window went for the 2nd time and complaining about the power steering for the 3rd time I asked for the service manager to complain. His response to me was "everything breaks". Of course my response was "thats what Im complaining about".

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  Quite a Deal - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By argus - March 16 - 2:00 am

  I did my research, and problems plaguing these cars since their introduction have been worked out. I checked Japanese competitors, but there just weren’t enough discounts to buy those cars. My Grand Am is loaded at $24K--I drove it off the lot for well under $18K. Unfortunately, resale on the Grand Am is horrid. Would’ve been nice if it were offered with a manual transaxle, but I have to admit this auto shifts smooth. Compared to Chrysler, GM transaxles are a dream. Overall, I’m VERY happy with my purchase. I haven’t owned a car that garnered so many looks, and was this fun to drive, since I sold my Fiero years ago.

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  Family fun toy car! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Amy Sej - March 16 - 2:00 am

  This car is everything I thought it would be. My last car was a Probe GT, so this car is much bigger, but still feels like it rides on rails. The back doors open to 90 degrees, that helps a lot when moving things in and out. Passengers like the roomyness of the back seat. I REALLY like the controls on the steering wheel, no fumbling with the radio/CD. You gotta try it. MUCH better than the 2003 GT model, more power, style.

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  business owner - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By sheri1 - March 16 - 2:00 am

  the over all review of this car with some miner problems(fuel)it is a very sharp looking car eveyone looks and ask question everywhere we go. most people cant belive that it is a pontiac and then we show them the car they want to see more. if we where to go out today and look for another car i would drive to the next state to get one that has at least half of what this car has. we are very happy to own this car.

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  GrandPrix GT2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Richcrdns - March 16 - 2:00 am

  the Grand Prix is fun to drive with a nice new look to it. Only thing I dislike is that they made the back of it to resemble the Sunfire too much. From different angles it could look like an overextended Sunfire, and that would be considered a downgrade not an upgrade.

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  I love My 2004 Grand Prix GT2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Bert0724 - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Its the best car Ive ever had!

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  This Car Rocks! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By mustangmarcie - March 15 - 6:36 pm

  We got rid of an 02 Audi A4Turbo to buy this car and are so glad we did! What a fun car to drive!! Also, a great price considering all of the features that came with the car. Its a smooth ride thats much quieter than the Audi. Glad to be back with GM!

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  A car that makes me happy - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Apache - March 15 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I average one new car purchase a year. I have to say that of all the cars we have owned, the Aztek has quickly become my favorite. Because of poorly delivered marketing, it is possible to get great deals on one of the best bargains available today in the auto world.

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  Go-fast - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By RH - March 15 - 10:00 am

  The only bad experience I have had so far with my Grand Prix is that it is put together so cheaply. The interior doors panels need to be beat back into place a couple times a week. The dash and over head console have so many squeaks and rattles, it is enough to drive you crazy. I get great gas mileage, 24 avg. overall and the car has plenty of power for the average driver.