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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  WIDETRACK4ME - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By WILD BILL - November 26 - 10:00 am

  IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A PRACTICAL AND RELIABLE CAR BUT NOTHING TOO FANCY THAN THIS SHOULD BE THE CAR FOR YOU. IT HAS COST NEXT TO NOTHING FOR UPKEEP OTHER THAN NORMAL MAINTENANCE.

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  Plainac - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Dave Smithson - November 26 - 10:00 am

  I ordered not knowing the design...bad mistake...this is one ugly Grand Prix. As Vanilla looking as you can get...what were they thinking? Is there anyone home at Pontiac??? And we thought the Aztech was a joke?

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  A WOLF in sheeps clothing - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By captaingary - November 26 - 4:06 am

  I bought the car with 3 miles on it. I took it home and used a hair dryer to remove the Cloisone GTP emblems. They came off clean as a whistle. This car has the BEST styling of any Grand Prix ever. The supercharger is a work of art! I have basically kept up with Trans Ams and dusted off most Firebirds and Camaros. The HUD is imperative! I wish it had a 6 speed! But overall, this car is a real sleeper! Competent enough in the twisties and better than most off the line and rolling on!

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  Sweet On My G6 - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Margie - November 26 - 2:13 am

  I couldnt have asked to purchase a better car! After owning a GrandAm...this new G6 is just awesome! Theres lots of room, the car drives like a gem and the overall appearance is just sweet!

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  I love it - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By fredericka - November 25 - 8:30 pm

  I love it ! I have never driven a new car that glides quite like this. It is so comfortable. I love the way I cant feel anything or hear the outside noise while driving it. I have always been a Minivan lover until I cheated with this car.

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  07 Envious - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mark Elsner - November 25 - 6:00 pm

  Im glad I waited for the second model year as GM has fixed some issues with the first model. My car has the new torque arm between the manual trans and the rear differential. Hopefully Ill never have the clunk that some 06 owners have. The manual trans ratios have also been revised. 800 miles so far and no problems. Mileage is 26-28 so far in mixed driving. The styling is stunning. It gets comments from everyone. Dont drive this car if you dont want to be noticed. The car is far more comfortable than I was expecting. It is not cramped at all. Seats are very nice. Also dont believe all the negatives about storage space. I hauled a 50lb bag of dog food home in the trunk. Great Car!

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  Awesome! For two weeks. - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By MAD - November 22 - 9:03 pm

  I was so excited when I bought this car, for the first month. Then things started happening: A bracket snapped that held something for the emissions system, another emissions problem, two warped rotors, radio on the fritz, heated seat cushion replaced, coolant sludged up, etc. Each of these was a separate trip to the shop, the Enterprise rent-a-car guy knew me by name. All within the first couple months of owning this thing (except for the rotors, that was at 17,000 miles, still ridiculous). The car is nice looking, functional for all my outdoor needs, lots of features, but overall I cant believe how many issues Ive had with it. Worst reliability Ive ever had in a vehicle.

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  my montana - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By smith - November 22 - 4:23 pm

  We just purchased our montana with 29,000 miles. it is still under warranty but we also bought the full warranty just in case so we do not have out of pocket expenses down the road. We had a 12 screen dvd player installed for the kids as an after market feature. it is awesome. we love it so far. I did notice a whistling type sound coming from the windsheild when going over 50....anyone else had that?

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  Fun - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Speedy - November 21 - 6:16 pm

  This car is fun to drive. Sharp handling in the corners. The car has an aggressive exterior and very comfortable back seats.

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  Fun - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Speedy - November 21 - 6:16 pm

  This car is fun to drive. Sharp handling in the corners. The car has an aggressive exterior and very comfortable back seats.