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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  Try a Dodge Stratus instead - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Bob Westerman - May 2 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle pales in comparison to others in its class. Think carefully before purchasing one - just because it is a few $ cheaper does not make it the better buy.

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  PLEASE DONT BUY THIS CAR - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By MariaVega - March 28 - 1:33 am

  Had to replace battery twice in less than three years, turns out passlock problem was draining my battery, car leaving me stranded at any time, Passlock problem, driver side window not working, cosmetic falling apart, rearview mirror fell. Please do yourself a favor if you are looking for reliable, getting to work or taking kids to school this is not reliable, if you start having PASSLOCK problems better pray is paid off so that you can get rid of this. I work so hard pay my car on time, do the maintenance and yet it fails me. Shame on you GMC, stop putting passlock on this cars! Never again will buy any GMC product. Own a 97 sunfire, never had this much problems!

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  its junk - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By fieroguy - February 15 - 10:00 am

  first, the engine, it makes a lot of noise and not much power, if there are more then two people in the car, you have to shift down allot. The fuel milage is terrible, about 450 to 500KM to a tank. The suspension is terrible, the car leans on all corners, and this combination of power and suspension gives you an uneasy feeling driving over 70KM and passing at any speed. Build quality is terrible. The brakes give an uneasy feeling, if they lock the car pulls to the left. Inside the car, there is a lot of noise, the sand and gravel on the road in winter sounds like you are driving on a gravel road and can get annoying. This is not a winter car

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  nothing good, its junk - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By shepp69 - November 12 - 2:00 am

  nothing about this car is any good. this is the worst car I have ever owned. (14 previous) Problem areas: fuel system, interior pieces falling off/apart, exhaust system, body panels separating (plastic to metal), fuel economy, creaking and rattles that have developed, suspension. need I go any further? I could. Too many miles on this car I guess, wasnt built to go any farther than 80,000. Mine has 87,000.

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  This car SUCKS!!! - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jgonzfe - October 4 - 10:00 am

  Terrible car. I have never seen so many problems in other cars. Buyers beware!!!

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  Terrible Van - we are going to Toyota - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By CD - September 23 - 7:03 am

  Very disappointing. We have bought only GM for 20 years. Automatic sliding doors open while driving and wont latch. Mystery to dealer and GM. They could care less this is a serious safety issue. We are stuck having to go in and have the doors fixed once every few months. GM customer service tells us it is fixed each time so what the heck do we want from them?? We are so unreasonable to want a car that works Fabric inside stains easily despite many coats from the dealer of Scotch-Guard. Cruise control accelerates by red-lining RPMs causing loss of control of the vehicle. JD Powers gives this van its worst ratings across the board. Hello Toyota - GM doesnt care if they lose a customer.

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  I HATE IT! - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Austin - August 14 - 5:40 pm

  I co signed on it for a family member, they fell on hard times and I now make the payments. The van is a LEMON! I have had nothing but problems with the wipers freezing in mid air, intake gaskets, sounds like a freight train, Traction Control sounds like a dying animal, power doors dont work, it sways, and its sluggish. It is a Beautiful looking van, but it cant be trusted. I have a special edition fully loaded but most of the features dont work. I have a 2005 Rendezvous which I really love. I will never take over payments for a family member again.

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  I hate this car! - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By gonna buy an SUV! - June 8 - 12:00 pm

  okay so i got this car from my grandpa who bought it new in 01 so far is has 203,000 miles on it. so far my brakes are bad my steering has gone .. i cant pay for everything my fuel pump has gone out to. its goes thru gas like monster. there is a glich in my volume on my stereo. the windows dont work. its noisy and uncomfortable and my brakes stick! i hate this car and no one should ever buy anything even like it!!!!!!!!!

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  Terrible. - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Hello - April 21 - 5:10 am

  We bought this van to replace the chevrolet astro. $20,000, it cost us and the first day we had it the check engine message came up. Ever since then its been downhill. The transmission has gone out. oxygen sensors have had to been replaced. Basically everything you can imagine, happened to this van. The cup holders stink, they dont keep anything in place. The interior is built poorly. The bright red dash display is very annoying, why couldnt have it been blue? Why do you have to manually recline the seats? This van stinks.

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  my g-6 - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By wflo - March 19 - 1:46 pm

  I will not buy another G-6 Pontiac, because of all the problems I have had with it! The body style allows the sand from the road to sand blast the lower parts of the car, especially the flare on the rear quarters! Had it painted at 17,000, and now at 35000, it is the same as it was! Have had the brakes worked on 3 times, and again another problem with them! Have contacted GM, and they just as much said sorry about that, we will not buy it back!They need a new design, or some type of lowers body protection! Plus a larger brake disc and pads!