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:

• 

  Awesome to/from car! - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By sunaku89 - August 29 - 3:46 pm

  My dad purchased the car for my sister and I for school and EMS duties. Fun car to drive, great on gas mileage but some problems with the design and interior. Example, To get the headlight out to replace the light, you have to pull apart your flimsy (Extremely flimsy) bumper and the grill will pop out if you arent careful. Mine now has a small crack now from me trying to replace the light bulb.There are also electrical issues that have melted my wires. The back locks are faulty and very often will not lock when you lock the car or unlock when you hit unlock. The seats are comfortable but you have to be careful about reaching behind the seat because you can pop the plastic out of place too.

• 

  Lo kwality - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Laith - August 29 - 2:00 pm

  Too many intermittent issues: cruise control doesnt work sometimes, chimes for no apparent reason, pillars blind spot, transmission problems after 50k (trans oil pump). Power mirror motors died, seat sagged too early (I only weigh 140 LB), suspension issues, poor design of doors - opens half-way and closes on my leg when exiting. Poor door seals, air leak, power mirrors motor does not work sometimes, gear issues. I have kept 100% of manufactoring maintenance schedule. I was hoping to drive this car like my predecessor (same type) but I have to get rid of it after 67k. I will not recommend or consider buying again. Im an engineer and work for automotive suppliers, I know what quality is.

• 

  Dont - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By EAS - August 29 - 9:10 am

  The interior is sloppy, and there are very limited choices for seats. I should have known, but I thought this car was going to bankrupt me when gasoline went to $4 last summer. The best thing about it is how much power you get for the money.

• 

  Poor mans bmw - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By aldinero - August 29 - 8:16 am

  Great car to drive. Ride and handling as good as it gets. Very comfortable seating. Steering is precise very good brakes. Radio only fair, controls somewhat confusing and seat back control knob hard to reach. Overall a competitive performance car.

• 

  happy so far - 2010 Pontiac Vibe
  By duvy - August 29 - 12:30 am

  nice ride overall for a small car, it is fast and runs smooth. bought in august for $ 16000 out the door. base model no power windows or locks,steel rims,but bought aftermarket rims and it looks nicer.

• 

  GXP Grand prix - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By John Wilson - August 28 - 3:33 pm

  Love this car! Fun Fun and more fun! But I like to just cruise and take in easy in the most wonderful (and great looking) sport seats! Great sound system. Reviewers bad rap this auto, how it looks ( body). Trust me people still look at it all the time. Still loved by the common folk!

• 

  love it! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By RN - August 28 - 10:00 am

  The Vibe is fun to drive and performance is great for "moms car". We picked the Vibe over the Matrix because of GMs financing. Mileage is fantastic, especially compared to my old Blazer. Seating and leg room are comfortable for everyone, even in the back seat. My husband, who is very picky about car performance, is surprised at how much he likes the Vibe.

• 

  Grand Am is TO EXPENSIVE TO OWN!!! - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Angnwy - August 28 - 10:00 am

  When I bought my car it had 16,000 miles on it by 30,000 I had to replace the ignition switch then few months later I had to replace the driver side window motor. Everything was fine for awhile then I had to replace the water pump due to leaking coolant. By 50,000 I had to replace the window motor once again. I replaced my rotors 2 times and the break pads on the front 3 times the drums in the back were replaced 1 time. My final straw was when the air compressor for the ait conditioner went out it was 360$ just for the part so I got rid of the peice of junk and I WILL NEVER BUY PONTIAC AGAIN!!!!!!!

• 

  2003 Pontiac Sunfire - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By stephen g - August 28 - 10:00 am

  Have had this 2003 Sunfire for about a month now. Awesome fun! Im 44 and wanted an inexpensive car just to run around in. This one might end up being my primary car it is so much fun. I have the 1SC package with everything except power windows. Recommend it for any individual. I let our 17 year old daughter drive it a couple times, now I might not get it back!

• 

  Great Reliable little car - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Lesley Draper - August 28 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car in 1999, and during the almost four years I have had it, it has cost me, one battery f & R Brake jobs, 2 sets of tires, new T-stats. This car is prone to heat up when on hard pulls in hot weather. Even rund over half hot in cold weather. Have had no major problems, still gets good gas mileage, and handles great. Good in snow too. It could be a litle more comfotrable, but seems equal to many cars in its catagorie. Keep tranny fluid up, and change the oil every 2k. I use synthetic oil and it gets better performance. I would buy another...For the price its a winner!