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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  Pretty and Expensive - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Eric - August 29 - 2:13 pm

  Bought the car with 55k on it. It did all normal maintenance on the car. I had to change brakes every year, rotors about every 18 months. The clips in the drivers side window broke several times, leaving me without a window to use. At 90k the car just fell apart. First the wheel bearings and rack and pinion needed changed. Then the power steering pump went. Not two weeks later, i had to have the intake manifold gaskets replaced. After that the fuel pump went out on me. Not reliable at all. But fun to drive.

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  Not too bad - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By n wiebe - August 28 - 2:00 am

  The car captured me right away. The car handles like the pros. I can corner with absolute confidence regardless of my speed. Acceleration is not bad, but you will suck the gas back if you enjoy using the gas pedal. Sound system is quite good. I found the bass to be somewhat lacking, but a small subwoofer solved that. The doors are awfully wide when trying to park. Would love to have vertical door kit installed for that. Front wheel bearing have gone, blinker relay went crazy, had a bit too much shavings in the tranny when I changed filter and oil, doors dont seal well in cross winds, factory rims peeling(so much for chrome). Other than that, has been fine.

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  Torrent Value - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By torrent owner - August 24 - 9:20 pm

  The Torrent/Equinox is nothing special, but it does lots of things well and doesnt cost a fortune. It is very safe, one of only two cars getting 5 stars with-out side airbags! Get the SAB option anyway! It is very roomy, opened up it holds more than many SUVs much larger, and it holds more than all other mid and small SUVs. This is because the rear is still squarish, so it really opens up. The mileage is good for an AWD, I regularly get 22 to 24 in real driving. But like all Torrent/NOX owners I wish it had a little more pep. The 08 has more engine options. Major complaint is the lack of a good arm rest for my left arm on the door, or a telescopic steering wheel.

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  not bad - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bboss - August 24 - 10:00 am

  the handling of the grand prix is choice. it handles the best out of the cars i have owned in the past. the 2001 to 2003s have the best design out of the grand prix, it looks sporty and acts it too. the fuel mileage is not the best i average only 22mpg with highway and city driving, my ford explorer gets that, and that has four wheel drive. other then that, it is a great choice!

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  Very Good Quality Car - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ballbreaker910 - August 23 - 1:36 pm

  I purchased this car to replace a car that was on its last leg. After reading reviews from a website like this I decided to purchase one. It was a well made decision. This car is very reliable. I lived 2 miles from work and found out the hard way how bad the car was on gas, especially with local driving. However on the highway I was able to get about 25 mpg. Things I noticed before trading it in was it began to burn oil. The indicator advised me of low oil well before the 3000 mile recommended oil change and I used synthetic blend. Overall. It was a great car.

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  Time for another vehicle - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By Darla - August 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought my mini-van in 2006, and it had 95,000 miles on it. For the first two years, it did great. I took it on vacations with no problems whatsoever. And the best part was that there was plenty of room for everyone. In 2008, I had to replace the head gasket and intake gaskets. It had been overheating. Thats been the biggest expense. Recently, at 165,000 miles Ive noticed that if I turn the AC on for long periods of time when driving, it tends to run hot. I have not let it overheat, but it does run hot. Im also noticing the transmission is sticking. The power sliding door has a mind of its own, sometimes works and sometimes not.

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  Fairly Good Car overall - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By njoosse - August 20 - 9:07 pm

  Nice big car, lots of room, loads of power from the 3.8 v6. Love the exhaust growl. I always compare this car to my 04 Honda Accord 4cyl. This car has way more power and gets the same fuel mileage. On the other hand it doesnt handle as well and the fit and finish are not nearly as good. I love the interior, especially at night. Reliability is ok. Burns a bit of oil. At 100000miles, its starting to squeak and rattle, which my Honda is not. Overall a pretty good car.

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  Go car - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pein66 - August 18 - 2:00 am

  very reliable and fun to drive

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  4 DR SUNFIRE - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By carpey - August 18 - 2:00 am

  When I bought this car from the dealer I had to bring it back 3 times within the first two weeks. The engine light came on twice and the wheel bearings went. Also when I turn the steering wheel there is a loud knocking in the suspension. Im not sure if I bought a lemon or these cars are just garbage.

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  10k Review - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bdevoe - August 18 - 2:00 am

  Overall - good, dependable 100 mi/day transporation Highs: Excellent gas mileage, good visibility, firm seating, good acceleration, surprisingly quiet, large trunk Lows: choppy ride at highway speeds, headroom, quirky cruise control (set),