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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  The honeymoon is over. - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Kurt - June 15 - 5:50 am

  I travel on business a decent amount and have rented G6s quite a bit, so I bought one. It was a used 2006 with 17k miles on it in June 06. Love the interior room, decent acceleration from 3.5 (Non VVT version), great fuel economy (32-34 @75-80mph). Now for the bad stuff- the car has been in the shop 5 times over the last year. To date- rotors warped and turned 3 times. Finally being replaced under warrannty (problem with G6 non GT/GTP models). Rack and pinion went bad- replaced, interior dome light shorted, visor vanity door broke, water coming in pass side with heavy rain (drain tubes?). The more I drive it the more I hate the electronic steering.

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  Not bad - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Sam - June 14 - 4:36 pm

  I have owned this car for over a year and it so far hasnt caused me too many problems except new brakes and a new alternator. Its fun to drive but I would still like to see a little more power.

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  Could be better - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By broncos4zak - June 14 - 6:23 am

  Overall I have been fairly impressed with the ride and drive of this car. The handling is good, the performance excellent, and the Monsoon sound system has some of the best FM reception I have witnessed. There are some build quality issues I have, but overall a decent car.

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  2009.5 Pontiac G6 GT Sedan - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By evnsptc - June 12 - 9:27 am

  I ordered a new G6 from my local dealer in October of 2009. I got it about a month later and it came with (black/tan heated leather, power moonroof, spoiler, 17 polished 5 spoke rims, 3.5L V6, AM/FM/XM/CD/AUX radio, Monsoon speaker system, power seat) When I got it I was very surprised. The exterior is beautiful! The interior is very nice too. I took it home and was in shock to find out how well this car handled! The suspension is taught yet soft at the same time! The steering feels like a German sports sedan! It currently has 23K miles on it and has given me no problems at all! I get it professionally detailed every 3 months I detail it myself in between. I love it so much!

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  Looks like a coupe, drives beautifully! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By SnobZilla - June 8 - 1:53 pm

  I bought this car thinking Id be "OK" with it until I could afford my "Audi". Im not even thinking about the Audi anymore! Not for at least three or four years! It rides unbelievably well. . . its more comfortable than our Jetta, too. Gas mileage is not great in the city but using Shell gas vs. any other increased my gas mileage by 3 miles per gallon and I hit right about 20 whereas our Jetta gets just a few miles more. I have zero complaints! The GTP package has an unbelievable sound system and before this car I dont think I ever pictured myself cruisin around on 18s! Haha! I love it! (And yes, Ive had nice cars so this is not a case of "first new car" giddies!) Get one!

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  Love the features of this car - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Becki - June 7 - 8:00 am

  I fell in love with this car when I first saw it. It had so many great features on the interior (heated seats, dark fabric, easy wheel mounted controls, temp. display etc...). I drove the car off the lot, and 7 days later the check if engine light was on. After numerous "smaller repairs" I noticed a rattling sound and brought it in...the engine needed to be taken out to replace a loose cap inside of it ($3,500) luckily it was covered by warranty. I absolutely love this car, but it is so unreliable I am trading it in after 6 months. Now I am also out the $700 I paid for snow tires because of the extended rim size uncommon to other vehicles.

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  Love This Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Aaryn - June 6 - 7:33 pm

  Recently purchased this vehicle to replace my 2001 Grand Prix. What a difference in 3 years! Almost everything has changed, and for the better. This car has great acceleration, is quiet, has a nice ride, looks good and is economical. Love the drivers information center and the heads-up display.

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  Beautiful, but flawed - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Angela - June 4 - 9:10 am

  Beautiful SUV, classy and elegant in black. Bought @ under 7,000 mi. Had to replace passenger wheel baring @ 40k mi. Replace driver wheel baring @ 50k mi. Now must replace again 4 months later. Need to replace brakes too often. Leaks coolant. Doors dont always unlock. Locking doesnt always "beep". Rear hatch doesnt release without helping hand. Settings 1 & 2 on AC/heat dont work. At a stop it will "jump" forward for no reason nearly bumping car in front of me. Rolls forward after putting in park. Hard to find parts outside of dealership. All common problems according to other sites. Im so sad b/c I love this car so much. I want to keep it forever, but may have to trade someday soon.

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  electrical - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By george - June 3 - 2:56 am

  An excellent vehicle for good acceleration and power but have had numerous problems with the anti theft system, tire wear is below average, thermostat problems and just replaced alternator at 140,000 mi. It also goes through brake pads quite frequent. Gas mileage not bad for a v6 with power if it was only more reliable.

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  2nd review; Almost at the two year mark. - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By adamb - June 2 - 1:53 pm

  If you look back about 5 - 10 reviews, youll see another one from me. This is just an update of that review. At this time, my 2005 grand prix turned over 50k last night. The dealership still has not figured out why it doesnt run right at times. They seem to think im crazy. Really, im not. It feels as if the brakes are sticking almost, but they say they arent. I dont know what to do anymore, so this car is for sale as we speak. Im getting an 07 Camry very soon. No more GM for me. Sorry. All in all, I would really have liked this car had it not been for this weird problem, and the problems with build quality. Rattles are getting worse. I do live in a large city with rough roads.