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 Second Grand Am - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Carolyn Shipley - January 20 - 3:20 am

  Bought it brand new and its now 5 years old. Very reliable. Warranty has paid off. Changed oil regularly and had very few problems. Love the exterior design. My first Grand Am had 4 doors and this one has 2. Now I know I prefer 4 because its difficult getting into and out of the back seat. Value is now less than half what I am paying for it. I think I owe more on the loan that it is now worth – because of this, I may never by new again. I would think about upgrading to a Grand Prix next time for more interior comfort.

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  Exciting Family Sedan!!! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By TMC - January 20 - 2:50 am

  As a former salesman at a luxury high- end new car dealer, I am definitely impressed with this car! And, Ive driven probably a couple of thousand different cars(cadillac, lexus, infinity, acura, and the normal domestics, etc) Pontiac did an excellent job with the 2004 Grand Prix. I kept finding myself going ever so faster on the highway. Virtually no roadnoise at 80 mph+. I recently did a 300 mile road trip through small towns and highway driving & averaged 28.5 mpg. Tons of legroom in the front seats. Easy to read displays. Some people complain that the interior plastic is too plain, but I was never a fan of imitation wood trim as on some of the "high end" cars.

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  best in class - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By MCGYVER64 - January 18 - 11:23 pm

  dollar for dollar this is the best value in its class. Comfort, styling, performance, this car has it all. Excellent ride in regular V6 model. GT was very stiff and twitchy.

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  A Nice Balance - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Slee_Stack - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Its not a vette nor will it ever be regardless of how much money you dump into it. It is, however, a remarkably fast car for a surprisingly low price. As a bonus, you can seat 5 comfortably.

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  GM has Nailed the Market -SOLSTICE - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Lisa Jeffcoat - January 17 - 10:10 pm

  This car outshines anything Ive driven or even seen on the market,GM really went above, and why to even compare to the others is silly. It handles as close and my 1981 corvette,easier to park than a vette, and the gas hand seems to never move. The innovative features are so easy to operate and storage is just enough for a road trip. This car is Blows away any other car in my book! The seats are so comfty and plenty of leg room and head room, its just a stylish beauty and I predict it will hold its value,we will look back on it like people look at Corvettes now in 10 to 20 yrs--and WHAT a GREAT price--I just LOVE mine.

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  True Ride - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By M john J - January 17 - 6:46 pm

  lets see not only is this car very comfortable it also looks sharp. the interior is very sleek with tons of extras i couldnt even list them all. never had any problems but like any car its all how you treat it i had a friend who beat on it pretty bad and even his held most of the torcher, all age car ia right on the money i like it and all my friends complement it and i let my parents borrow it for 2 week and they loved it! they fought over it... good in the snow and i always feel safe in it. Avoid 2 accidents in it and had complete control while swiving ... Its a keeper in my eyes!

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  Whoa!!! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By buzznode - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I just got my goat and shes a keeper. This vehicle is awesome. The performance is outstanding. Interior and exterior finishing on the car is awesome. The comfort level is very high. This car is most definately a winner on all levels. Sure, it doesnt look like the "old school" goats, but does it need to? I think not. Awesome. Simply awesome!!!

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  Very good value for the money - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By deyeo - January 15 - 10:00 am

  People like the design (including me). The instrumentation is well thought-out: easy to read and reach. The gas mileage is consistent and excellent. The use of space seems efficient. The interior is well planned and I can load a lot into it-- cargo as well as passengers (who are comfortable, they say). Handling is succinct and reliable. I travel a lot and can comfortably take everying I need for camping, cycling and any other activity I want to do.

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  MY SOL - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By solsticeSJA - January 14 - 8:23 pm

  This is the prettiest vehicle i have ever owned. It turns heads and gets smiles all the time. It handles better than anything Ive ever driven (and Ive rented some nice cars in Vegas) It has NO trunk space but if this is its only flaw at that price....you gotta have it.

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  Hold onto this one for a long time! - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By rbk - January 12 - 11:16 pm

  I drove this car for 220k miles, then handed it over to my 16-year old daughter. She is now 19, the car has 265k miles, and it drives great. Spent $1,900 to put a new transmission in it at 185k. Other than that its been relatively expected maintenance for more than ten years. What a great engine. You could probably shoot it with a shotgun and it would still run smoothly. After 250k, the interior began gradually deteriorate, but how can I complain. I went out and bought a 2003 Grand Prix to replace it, and have already put 190k miles on that one.