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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  From a hardcore Pontiac person - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By C&C - December 2 - 10:00 am

  Being in to old collector Pontiacs as my primary hobby, I thought I would try a new one. My wife drives this car everyday and loves it!! My biggest concern so far has been 2 window motors,intake gaskets,steering shaft,seat cover and rear seat divider panel in 20 K miles. This is excessive for any car. Hopefully Pontiac will get back on "track" soon.

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  Very good but not without issues - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By CraSch - December 1 - 2:00 am

  Purchased used a year ago at around 64,000 miles, now has 85,000. Im used to small cars, so I immediately fell in love with the ride, which is the best ride Ive ever had. Also like the power. The dash is very good, but has too much on it. The seats are fantastic!! Problem, engine light randomly comes on, but no problem found. Also, even with new tires doesnt hold road as well as my previous small cars. Fuel mileage is awful, only 21 highway and 16 city. Overall Ive been very happy with the car, but worried the engine light issue is a sign of a disaster to come. Hope not, because it is excellent otherwise.

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  AZTEZ - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By ROXILANMONROE - December 1 - 2:00 am

  HANDLES WELL,GREAT PICK UP,STEERING,SPACE AND OVERALL HANDLING

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  Great Ride... - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By Kwr4life - December 1 - 2:00 am

  My husband & I love our Pontiac Aztek it was one of the 1st suvs we test drove and after all the others we came back to it. It has a lot of room and is quite functional. We plan to keep it for a long time to come.

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  My pontiac vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Marcelina Rivera - December 1 - 2:00 am

  My pontiac vibe as been good to me. As long as I keep it well maintained and taken care of its performance has been what i expected. Its got great horse power and is fun to drive especially when your taken trips. Its cargo friendly and safe too. Overall I am one satisfied cunsumer.

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  Good First Car - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By am_can_drift - November 29 - 11:29 am

  This was my first car. By the time I got it, it had 185k miles on it. The struts were already bad, and it ran great. This car was a classic new-age Pontiac in that the electronics inside broke, but it held together under the hood. (the gas flotation device broke, inside dashboard lights went out partway). I had very few problems under the hood with this car. It ran in all conditions, and it carried the workload. Eventually, the head gasket blew and the trans started to go bad at 215k miles. Between service records and me, these were the first problems under the hood. It is a great first car in that it can take quite a beating. I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a first car.

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  Smooth - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By mikedizzel8 - November 28 - 2:20 pm

  This car is one smooth ride. During the winter with my heated seats on I could probably fall asleep while driving it if I didn’t have my nice loud factory speakers going. I have friends who always say they dislike American cars but they sit and ride in the G6 and they change their mind. Panoramic sunroof is real nice, it’s huge! I haven’t any problems with it in 6 months. Besides gas mileage and few minor things it’s a great buy!

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  Front End Problems and Bad DVD Player - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By stepht - November 26 - 11:40 pm

  I bought the van in March 2007 as new. It ran great but after 3 months the DVD player started to skip all the time. It was replaced and seems to work fine now. The front end had problems. My ABS,Stability, and Traction control lights all came on at once last month. They replaced the passenger side hub and something in the steering column. When I got it back it now pulsates badly when braking from a higher speed and the steering moans loudly when I turn left. It is back in the shop now. I hope this resolves the issues. I like the dealership where I purchased the car and the dealership in town that does the service.

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  1995 FireHawk - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Harley - November 26 - 6:30 am

  Purchased this for a fun summer car. 1 Owner Firehawk with all SLP options and 315 HP, 6 speed hurst along with the $1500 suspension option. Fast, Quick and currently less than 42000 miles. Keeping everything stock from now but hopefully this will be worth what I paid for it a few years down the road.

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  Love Supercharger - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By sigmatuan1989 - November 23 - 11:55 pm

  Left over 2006, bought with vendor pricing in 2007, traded in Bonneville. The price was the deciding factor, it was cheaper than all others. I would have bought another Bonneville but they were discontinued. The car is fast for the price. I would recommend simply on the low price. It has never left me stranded. Compared to Impala from the same factory it is lower to ground, faster, and less back seat room.