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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  Looks nice, but needs improvement - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Gary - August 4 - 7:43 pm

  My dad is a GM mechanic, and he recommended me to buy this car. It has been very reliable except for the intake manifold (design problem). Also, the car makes enough HP that it does very well on long trips. The long trip highway mileage is very good.At times I get close to 30 mpg. This car is very spacious. I like it. However, the interior plastic is kinda chessy. I bought this car with 107k miles, and now it has 123k. I drove for 14 hours non-stop from Idaho to Arizona without any problems. Overall, I love this car. I would strongly suggest anybody who wants to buy a GP to make sure the previous owner had taken excellent care before you buy the car.

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  Gas mileage - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tbrenz93 - August 4 - 6:42 am

  I currently own a 2002 grand prix with 161,100 miles on it and for some reason it goes through $15 of gas in a few miles. I wouldnt recommend driving it to 160,000 miles, its a junker now.

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  Fun car, great car - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Grego - August 2 - 10:00 am

  This car has been a joy to own. Very few mechanical problems and a lot of fun to drive.

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  It makes difference - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Stanko Brankovic - July 29 - 2:00 am

  I have Aztek AWD already 8 months. So far its been a pleasure driving it and injoing it. My wife did not like it in the begining but now She is the Azteks biggest fan. First snow and drive through a messy Pittsburgh streets was a real test. Vehicle is well designed and built for a harsh winter conditions and so far we made several long trips to Savana (GA), N. Orleans (LA), Toronto (CA) not having any problems. Considering the pricee that we paid,(19600) (with 17 wheels) this car is realy best buy for its class. I strongly recmmend it for people that wnat to make a diference.

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  Love It!! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By amykrazy - July 27 - 7:56 am

  Overall this is a wonderful convertible. Looks great, lots of power, easy to drive and lots of cool features. The price is right and compared to other hardtop convertibles its the lowest for the stuff you get standard on this car.

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  2003 Pontiac Sunfires Rule ! - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Juhani.L - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Pontiac Sunfire Review ! We are all familiar with the Pontiac Sunfire, because its been with us for years, but there is great news for 2003 model year ! It has the new 2.2 Ecotec engine which is a absolute gem of smoothness and great power. Four-speed automatic mates with it fantastically ! Interrior has been changed, and it is not all bad either, that powerful Monsoon stereo-system will part your hair if needed..thanks GM ! Styling could be slighly toned down, but this is a Pontiac after all ! Juhani.

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  Good at the Start/Getting noisy now - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Bill - July 21 - 6:53 pm

  Ive had the car for about 6 months. I loved it at first, put 3000 miles on it in two weeks on a trip to florida. The car was tight at first, but is turning into a rattletrap. I have 10,000 miles on it and cannot get rid of the noises despite numerous trips to the dealer.

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  Car is ok for gas mileage. - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By katie - July 20 - 6:06 am

  I got my Grand Am when I was almost 17 years old. I am now 21 and have had all the known Pontiac problems, like the coolant leaks, trunk release latch breaking, window motor going and the seals in the engine going. I have put numerous rotors and pads on this car because GM did not make brakes big enough. I also had the usual car probs like tires and belts and so on, but the car is very zippy, and compared to the pickup I drove recently, gets great gas mileage. It also has nice styling. All used cars have problems, and either way I guess I would recommend this car.

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  Its a gas hog but fun to drive - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By AK Milwaukee - July 19 - 7:50 pm

  Im not getting anywhere close to the posted EPA estimates but the sound, power, and handling far outweigh the 21 mpg I average, (and thats driving it sanely!) with 60% hwy and 40% city driving. It pulls a little when doing heavy braking but torque steer on acceleration is minimal. Roomy and comfortable on the inside but I dont understand why Pontiac cant give this car memory settings for the seats - my husband is 6 4" and Im 5 5" - tough to exchange drivers. Also, some gas pedal extension would be nice. For the price I think this car is a great value. I switched from a 2002 Chrysler 300 M and am glad I did.

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  Love this Car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Rob - July 13 - 1:23 pm

  Bought this car new in 2000 and has had few problems, minor work here and there, now has 190,000 miles on it and doesnt burn any oil. This car handles real well and is fun to drive. Every once and a while the windows stop working, but a well placed hit can get them working, mind this cars mileage, and it gets 25 miles per gallon, so okay. The electronics are starting to go, but it is 8 years old, so not a problem. I would recommend this car to anyone and would probably buy another. The stereo system is amazing as well.