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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  Fun to drive...But quality issues - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By CARL V - June 19 - 12:10 pm

  Currently at 20k miles-loved the car for the first 15k, but going downhill. Electrical issues, transmission is giving off spinning noise in neutral, u- joint not sounding healthy, front end vibrations, coolant warning light coming on, automatic lighting (int/ext) has failed. Grateful to have leased instaed of bought.

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  Good Transportation - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jolena911 - June 18 - 12:00 pm

  This is a reliable car and I still like the body styling. The styling makes it look kind of hot, but with the 2.2 four, it cant really do anything performance wise. The interior is one of GMs (unrotunate) specialties: hideous hard plastics in dank colors. The dash is really ugly with two hard plastic lumps that I suppose are supposed to resemble an airplane cockpit??? The GAms interior is so bad that I rode in a friends Corrolla and thought I was in a Bentley. On the other hand, the GAm is extremely reliable. Ive only had to do regular maintence. No breakdowns and no nagging problems at all. This car is good transportation, but its market value is weak.

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  Less Expensive BMW - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Uncle Hulka - June 10 - 2:26 pm

  Bought this car about 5 months ago. Still look forward to driving to work everyday. Performance is great for the money. Would not race it against a 300Z, but also paid a lot less. Ride is smooth, quiet and comfortable. I used to think my wifes MPV was quiet until I drove this.

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  RUNS GREAT - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By BRI - June 9 - 5:36 am

  I have had the car for six months and so far so good. Needs more power and fuel milage is poor

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  Good Vibes! - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By W Barnes - June 8 - 11:50 am

  A really great car to own and drive! Get lots of compliments, especially about the color (stealth grey, really a greenish, sometimes bluish) that changes depending upon the light and time of day. Would buy again but next time with stability and traction control (wanted this time but price with all options was just too high). If you are looking for an auto with a high seating position, gas economy, ample cargo space and options, a little more ground clearance than average, an alternative to an SUV and style, this is it! (If GM/Toyota would make the changes below the car would be near perfect.)

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  a four door mustang? - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By big bill - June 3 - 10:53 pm

  I traded in a 2008 mustang GT with about 6,000 miles on for the G8 GT. it has nearly the same acceleration (but not the same exhaust note), much more room, and a less tacky (but still not sophisticated) dashboard. I like this vehicle but there are a lot of things done wrong - see suggested improvements below.

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  Happy with van - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By Darrin - June 3 - 6:53 am

  Ive been quite happy overall with my Montana. It is comfortable and surprisingly fun to drive. I get 18- 20 MPG around town and 24-26 on the highway. After 125,000 miles I have replaced the intake gaskets, rear wheel cylinders and all the wheel bearings under my extended warranty. It seems hard on tires and front rotors. Ive had to replace the heater elements in the front seats. The gas gauge quit working. I sometimes tow a 3000 pound trailer. The drivetrain still seems rock solid the engine doesnt use any oil and the transmission works well. I would buy another now that the intake gasket problems are sorted out.

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  good - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ford4life94 - June 1 - 12:21 pm

  all the people who complain about security issues with this car just need to cut the little tiny yellow wire that goes to the ignition and there will never be another issue with starting it again. its a simple and free fix. you just have to find the bundle of 3 little tiny wires and cut yellow one. seriously people dont complain about something that you can fix so easily. never had any issues with anything else other than brakes and starter which will need to be replaced in any vehicle eventually

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  Love at first sight, but after... - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By James Tucker - May 31 - 11:56 am

  The wife and I bought two G6s within weeks of each other. Hers is the sedan, mine is the coupe. I fell in love with the car once I saw it and was able to drive it around. Now that the newness has worn off I started to notice some rather significant problems with the vehicle. Water leaks into the “B” pillars (where the seat belts are mounted) whenever it rains. Took a closer look and found MOLD in the insulation. Upon closer inspection, found that there are holes where at the front of the rear windows at the top and bottom that lead behind the B pillar. If you own one of these, check your windows too because unless you get a hard rain, you most likely will not notice the leak. Not happy.

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  Not so happy - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jennifer - May 30 - 9:33 pm

  We bought our vibe new in 2003. I was happy to have the style of a Pontiac and the reliability of the Toyota engine. Was I wrong! I have replaced my engine already at 70K. After research I have come to find out this is a common problem in Toyota engines. I would have expected something more reliable than what was purchased. I do love this car, or I wouldnt have spent the money to replace the engine. But it has left a bad taste in my mouth about the Vibe. I will not be purchasing another one for a 2nd car as planned. Its hard to praise a vehicle whose engine barely lasts past 70K. Boo Toyota. Would rather see a GM motor in this car.