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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  Sunroof Leaks - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By CJ - September 11 - 10:00 pm

  The car has been back to the dealer several times for Sunroof Leaks. They claim the drain hose comes off and the water runs down the drivers side wall and soaks the seat belt retractor. Have had two dealers attempt to fix it several times each. Contacted Pontiac. Still fighting the battle.

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  Sweet Car - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By jarred - September 11 - 8:36 pm

  This car is the most fun Ive ever had on 4 wheels. I love speed and this car delivers. It has plenty of power and I think it handles great for the size and weight of the vehicle. My friends all love it as well. I recommend this car to anyone who loves raw horsepower.

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  Supercharged Family Fun - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By C. Ruebsam - September 11 - 12:03 pm

  I just bought my GP, and my initial take is wow! I didnt think I would like the car but after driving all the other sedans on the market the GP was a breath of fresh air. The styling inside and out is very astheticly pleasing and the ride is awesome to say the least. So far I am very imprest with the MPG, avg approx. 24mpg, on a supercharged six. The same car with a foreign name plate would be considerbly moore. I think anyone in the market for a midsize sedan that wants the luxury, ride, four doors, and fun factor should give the GP a chance. Best value in its class. I cant say much about reliability since I just bought it, but given the 05 ratings I think it should be just fine.

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  Amazing Car - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By loveit! - September 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought the supercharged special edition 4-door sedan. I got a great deal on it and couldnt be happier. It has everything I want and more! The heads up display is awesome and the heated seat gets toasty quickly. I love the power and can now keep up with the best.

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  GREAT CAR (EVEN IN V6 FORM) - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Jerome - September 10 - 8:16 pm

  For the last 6 months I would see a slate gray G8 GT parked in the same spot on my way from work everyday. Each time my head would turn 90 degrees to look at it every time I passed by it. I went to a dealer who said that they did not have anymore G8s left. I went expecting to buy a 2010 Buick LaCrosse. When I got there they had (1) G8 Sedan left displayed on the showroom in Liquid Red. My wife and I took it for a test drive and immediately fell in love with the performance & handling of this car. Ive had it for a month now and have been driving with it in sportshift mode and learning how to drive using the the Tapshift. Fun factor increases 10 fold in these modes even in V6 form.

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  Good Daily Commuter - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Kurt - September 10 - 1:46 am

  I traded in the SUV and bought this car for a high mileage commute. I could not fit comfortably in the sub compact models available at the time and ended up purchasing a used G6. I have put 70,000 miles on my G6 since July of 07. I bought the vehicle with the driver package (XM, 6 way seat, fog lights, power pedals). I drive mainly open interstate and get about 29 MPG average which I think is pretty good based on the size and power of the vehicle. I have had the car in the shop for warranty fixes on the XM radio and the electric power steering (69 k almost missed factory warranty extension for this known problem). I currently have 96k miles on the vehicle and have had no other problems.

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  Safe, Fast, Dependable - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By deanfoxes - September 9 - 8:58 pm

  This car was my first car, and I drove it with pride until the day that it saved the life of myself and two other passengers. Rounding a sharp corner at night, I found myself approaching a fallen tree across the road. I swerved to avoid the tree and ended up on the embankment hitting another tree at about 45 MPH. Airbags deployed, but nobody was hurt. The car was extremely safe, and was an absolute blast to drive, with amazing handling and performance for a sedan. I am definitely looking into buying another Grand Prix, perhaps this time with a supercharger!

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  A lot of car for the money - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By dabug - September 9 - 5:06 pm

  I bought this car 5 years ago with 32k miles. It now has 90k. I did have to replace the fuel pump at about 50k which is very hard to get to and have changed the brakes once. Other than that no major issues. It has the feel and look of a sports car with the economy of a compact. I am now selling it because I want a truck, but I believe it has a lot of life left in it. Also, reading the other reviews I noticed the ones having the most problems are base models, ones like mine with the dual exhaust and other upgrades tend to be more reliable and a lot nicer cars, however they are harder to find.

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  Love/Hate Relationship - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By capnvonbaron - September 9 - 2:16 pm

  I fell in love with it the moment I saw it at the dealer. Finally, a car that didnt look like a dumb Toyota! For a long time it was great. Then a series of maddening little problems cropped up. Brakes are too small, easily overheat & warp. Turn signal clacker frantically clacks all by itself at random. Rear speakers rattle at 80K miles. CD player sometimes has a mind of its own. Theft deterrent system will occasionally shut off the ignition system for no reason (easy fix, but takes 20 minutes). Dexcool coolant system is stupid. Original battery blew a cell, shocks started squeaking at 65K. Overall, I love how it looks and drives, but the little problems keep it from being truly great.

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  Great Car/Great Value - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By John - September 8 - 12:26 pm

  The G6 is a fun car to drive. The 3.5L V6 is powerful for this midsize car but still gets good gas mileage (avg 24 city 29 hwy). The interior is nice and comfortable. There is plenty of front and rear seat leg room which adds to the comfort of the car. The exterior has a sporty appeal for a 4- door sedan. This is a top of the line automobile with a reasonable price. If you are driving a foreign brand automobile take a look at this quality built American Car.