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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  My Grand Am - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By BLGodfrey - December 10 - 10:00 am

  I like this car. Its sharp and sleek. But, I am a bone deep Honda fan. I thought I could deal with it...maybe that it was just all in my head. But, Im currently looking another Honda. But, to someone whos never owned a Honda, its a wonderful car.

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  Nice ride, but many problems - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By JaniceB - December 9 - 10:16 am

  Happy w/ the Bonneville as far as looks & ride. Plenty of room and decent gas mileage for a big car. I loved all the features. Had to replace the AC ($700). Also had tons of problems with it not wanting to start. Someone else mentioned the battery corrosion problem, we found this true to. Also, we had to have a switch resistor in the ignition replaced to the tune of $100. Ive read this is a common problem. The vents quit working. Took it to the dealership, they said they couldnt duplicate the problem, but informed me of the plastic intake manifold gasket problem. Cost to be over $600, and is a well-known problem with these GM 3.8s! At that point, I decided not fix, bought an import.

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  Best value car you can have - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Fred Chang - December 9 - 2:36 am

  After test drive 05 Vibe and impressed by the handling and the roomy wagon space, I sold my 2003 Toyota Camry and applied my $3000 GM rebate to purchase Vibe without hesitation. Vibe helps me complete lots of small home improvement projects. Also serves as a commute car for my two little daughters. Ave mpg I got is ~29 from city drive. Using 89 grade gas constantly provide 5 to 10% of gas mileage improvement.

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  Hate to leave this lease car! - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By roxie - December 8 - 9:20 pm

  I have totally enjoyed this pontiac grand prix. I first had a pontiac grand am for 10+ years and am a die- hard pontiac lover. This has been very reasonable on gas I think - but I checked today and I think city wise it gets 21 mpg. I have never checked highway. Number 1 the car looks grea. I got the bronze metallic which is a head turner. Then I love that the interior is two tone. I have been totally spoiled by the 6 CD changer and the sunroof and all the extras - the leather, heated seats. The only thing I can say about this car is I hate to give up the lease and am thinking of purchasing if the price is right.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jack11 - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Just bought a 2002 Grand Am GT in Sept. I currently have 3,500 miles on it. My experience has been great so far. The car has sufficient power and bold looks. The interior is roomy and sits four adults. The Monsoon stereo is great. The car ride is smooth and it appears to be well made. Very nice sporty sedan for the money! Its a passenger car with a little attitude that makes it fun to drive.

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  #607 of 888 - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Sean - December 7 - 3:20 am

  I just picked up my G8 GT today. Its #607 of the original 888 made by Holden (actually has a Holden VIN #). Amazing car. Fun to drive, beautiful to look at it. Between the stares driving home, and the neighbors all coming around to tell me how amazing it looks, its certainly a winner. So far so good!

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  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!

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  good car - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By doofus - December 5 - 2:06 pm

  just good transportation

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  Great car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By trav8600 - December 5 - 9:03 am

  Bought my 06 g6 gtp sedan 3 yrs ago with 49,000 miles. I now have 80,000 miles. My breaks needed changed after awhile and I put the best ceramic pads on and cheaper rotors. Had loud squeky brakes til I put acid wheel cleaner on the rotors to get the glaze off. Wheel bearing hub assembly went out around 60k on front passenger was $120 to fix myself wasnt hard. Thats the only thing thats gone wrong. Get your transmission fluid and filter change at 50k and every 30k after. Its only $80. Changed spark plugs today cost $44.88 dealer reccomends changing at 100,000 miles but mine were definitly due at 75,000. Use the oem ac delco plugs "iridium". Replace all parts with acdelco or you will have prob

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  Love it! - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By firebirdemt - December 4 - 12:03 pm

  In 2007, I was looking for a camaro as I had had a 1973, 1978, and 1989 in the past and loved them. Then I saw the red T/A sitting at a buick dealer. A 1999 with only 34,000 miles on it. T-tops, leather power seats with power lumbar support, auto-trans, 10 speaker cd stereo, I was in heaven! I love that when you tromp on it, it plants you back in the seat and the tires chirp in the first 3 gears even when you leave the trans in Drive. She is beautiful. As for repairs, I have had to replace one head light motor, one power window motor, two modules, and for some reason, multiple turn signal bulbs. I try to keep the milage down, but I love to drive it so it now has 65,000 miles. I adore my t/a.