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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  SSEi review - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Scott85 - October 19 - 8:16 am

  This car is alot of fun to drive. It will definatly surprise some people on the road and it really pulls good on the highway. The gas mileage is OK for the supercharged engine, just wish it was a little better. Ive only put about 8K on it since buying and the only thing Ive had to do to it was to change the plugs & wires(it has 117K on it). The car handles well for how big it is .

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  Good First Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Melissa - October 19 - 6:10 am

  First car ever. While I mourn the lack of power windows, the car itself isnt all that bad. Has quite a bit of zoom for a 4cyl, with excellent freeway acceleration. Also, good gas mileage. Ive done 400 miles on a tank. Ive made a few boo-boos, and drove for over a year without the passenger side mirror, as well as crunched a few fenders. However, this car has a horrid side crash safety rating, which occasionally gives me nightmares. On the whole, it makes a good first car, since its fairly cheap but has some power.

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  2001 Aztek front wheel drive - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By jrd farms - October 19 - 2:00 am

  The mileage ave 22 in town and 27 on the highway 70+ mph. The front seats arent all that comfortable for me- but my husband is bigger and fits very comfortably. Dealer service 2x;the radio (am,fm,cassette,cd), the check engine light module needed replaced (65000 miles). I have a whistle sound when the weather is cold but as the car warms up the sound goes away. (The dealer told me that it is the throttle housing and wont hurt to not have it replaced-just annoying). Versitile interior, the rear seats fold, or remove which gives me lots of options.

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  Solid Fun - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By T-C - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Big car that performs! This car makes it fun to go to the store, but the headrests are useless on a long trip. Great options and good gas mileage for the size.

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  Good Car - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Billywilly - October 19 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car. It starts everyday and runs perfect. The Heads up display sometimes becomes faint in cold weather. The tire wear is very good. The performance is great for a car of this size. The car performs well in wet or snow conditions. The braking is very good on the car. The inside is very comfortable and spacious. The inside carpet is wearing very fast. The seats look and feel like new. The mileage hasnt changed since day one 20-28 depending on traffic. Overall I think this is a great car for the dollar.

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  Nice little car from Pontiac - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By IdyJ - October 18 - 3:30 pm

  Very affordable vehicle with rebates and browny points. A great commuter car when you consider the competition is more money for not a whole lot more car. Could have a better interior, but I new what I was getting when I got it. I like the engine very quite.

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  Pontiac G6 GT 3.9 4dr 6spd - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Scott - October 17 - 4:20 pm

  It seems like this will be a good car. Im typically a Mopar guy, but the fact that this is one of the few sedans with a V6/manual transmission is the reason I bought it. Only complaints are the gas mileage is lower than expected (19.5 city), but hopefully itll improve as the engine breaks in and the interior scuffs easily. Not impressed with XM radio, my friends Sirius seems much better. The car is comfortable, rides smooth, and fairly quit. Over all pretty solid.

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  unbeatable price - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By clintonjohn - October 14 - 10:43 am

  With the GM redtag clearance and other rebates, we got our 2005 Aztek out the door for under $15000-new. Had looked at the Vibe and Suzuki Aerio, but the Aztek came out cheaper, with the same features and lots more room. Very comfortable ride and acceleration is sufficient. May not be comparable quality to foreign competition, but the price was absolutely unbeatable.

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  Fun, Good Looking and Great Value - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Schoenerman - October 13 - 6:03 pm

  This car is vastly under rated from what Ive read. The value therefore is very high due to the relatively low trade-in values. I purchased mine 2- years used with 17,000 miles on it for under $17K. It has never had a problem - currently at 76,000 miles. The Buick 3800 V-6 is the best engine on the American market. All you have to do is change the oil regularly and this car will go and go. I love it.

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  Love it!!! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By ryguy76 - October 9 - 6:50 pm

  I just bought this car last week after test driving civic, accord, eclipse and Scino TC. I had a 2000 Grand Am and it has served me well. This car has more options for the money vs other makes\models and drives very smooth and has plenty of pep. So far, Im very happy with my choice!