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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  A decent car for the money - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mfish - February 24 - 8:56 am

  Bought this car 6/2005, and have 52,000 miles currently. Have the rarer 5-speed, 4 cylinder. Very good on gas; get 31 mpg on highway. Seats are comfortable for long trips too. Engine is peppy and spirited with the 5-speed, which is more in keeping with Pontiacs history. The engine, however, is a little growly (quieter on my Escape). Car is very reliable and have no leaks or major issues. My car has had two issues other owners have complained about: Turn signal stalk needed replacing because it would click after turn, and seams on bottom of all doors needed to be sealed and painted because of rust. Interior build quality not as good as newer GM vehicles. Overall, a good car for less money.

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  Great first car - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By phv2 - February 23 - 11:23 pm

  I got the car used with 100,000 miles on it. It ran great when I purchased it and continues to start everytime without worrys. Had to fix a few things but nothing major or surprising. Gets real good mileage (28mpg) considering mine doesnt even have overdrive (3- speed tranny. It has good performance for a small ecomony car. Ive never had any trouble merging into fast moving highway traffic and it tracks really well in all weather.

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  Disappointed Owner - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By S. Byrne - February 23 - 10:00 pm

  Love the ride and comfort and handling, but turned off on GM after other experiences, including broken fold-down cupholder; brakepad loss resulting in grinding of rotors in second year of ownership (GM did pay, although out of warranty); erratic fuel sensor, service engine soon light, change oil light, and overhead displays; flickering lighting, including headlights; sludge in coolant; air conditioner replacement at a cost of nearly $600 at 75,000; excessive oil usage. Dealer turns a deaf ear, while a call to GM was no better--gentleman I spoke with indicated that 95,000 was a good excuse for oil usage. My comment to him was that he was indicating that the life of the vehicle was 100,000!

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  Loyal Bonneville Buyer! - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Loriorio - February 23 - 10:00 am

  This is my 4th Bonneville. My trade was a 2000 Grand Prix GT...super sharp looking but just not a Bonneville. Bonnevilles ride is smooth and quiet. Driver seat is so comfortable and controls are easy to find and use.

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  Great Looking Plus Safety For Less $$$ - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Brandon & Carol - February 19 - 4:13 am

  Good looking van with tons of features but $5-7K CAN less than Toyota or Honda. Ext. body more solid and safe than both imports. Had van since Jun/06 and it drives good on wet or slippery conditions with traction control. Fantastic for hauling large items with fold down rear seats. Local dealer was willing to give $4000 off listed price, which Toyota or Honda refused to give. Plus, interest rates for leasing or financing was lower than both imports, therefore, saved close to $2-3000. Was concern with reliability of GM vans over Toyota or Honda vans, but with regular scheduled maint., I can see this van lasting 5-7 years without any major problems. Dodge Vans have bad trans history.

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  Too many mechanical problems - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By PN Young - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Dropped transmition at 30K, electrical problems at 22K, eats breaks and tires, small oil leak at 25K, and just noticed that my windshield washer fluid resivoir is cracked and leaking. Passenger side window falling out of tracks @38K.

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  Governers and Rear seat 60/40 split. - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By BJ123 - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Ok, I understand the reason for he the governers on the car, They govern Redlining, Top speed, slip shifting on an automatic. No problem, But why does the governer turn off the engine at 106 mph? I normally dont travel at those speeds, but when I took it to the track, It wouldnt perform past 106 mph. Someone owes me money or an explanation, I lost to a 4cyl stick Grand Am, I beat him off the line and in the 1/4 mile but when we went on the oval track I lost. He was able to reach 120mph now how is that fair? Rear Seats, ok now why cant I gain access to my trunk from within the car? The old Grand Ams were able to.

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  2006 Pontiac GTO - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Millefune - February 17 - 9:33 am

  I purchased my GTO in August 2007. Coming from a supercharged 2000 Honda Accord EX V6, this cars performance really blows me away. Im still afraid to go full throttle with the traction control turned off. My only complaints are that the interior lighting would have been much better if it were red like the rest of of current day Pontiacs, instead of the green that it is, and that they put wider wheels and tires in the rear. Its just too easy to break traction by depressing the throttle a bit. But for the price of the car, you just cant get as much power and comfort. I love it when people stop and stare at her. I dont know what critics are talking about when they say GTOs dont look good.

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  So far so good! - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Dan - February 16 - 6:26 am

  Wanted to get into something a bit cheaper to run than my truck. This is it. Originally I was looking at G6 sedans, base 4 banger, only option I wanted was cruise. This is just so much more car for the money! Only have it not even 2.5 months and already have 6,500 miles on it. It is just racking up the miles without a hiccup. Runs good, gets decent mileage and is just an all-around good ride. So far no problems. Headroom could be better, the sunroof eats into it a bit. With the rebates, if you just need basic transportation, this fits the bill quite nicely!

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  Solstice, Wish I had gotten the auto. - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Captcrzy - February 14 - 3:13 pm

  Had several loose bolts on the plastic inner fenders. Carpet not tucked in the front passenger seat. Chip in exterior paint. Manual transmission is very noisy and hard to shift when cold. Other than that great first run for this car. I think its the best looking Pontiac ever. Get lots of stares and second takes.