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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  Never Again - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Naomi - September 12 - 1:36 pm

  I have had numerous problems with my 2001 Grand Am se 2.4 twin cam. There has been so many problems with it and still has problems that I wouldnt even know where to begin because Its been that rough

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  POS - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By King1 - September 4 - 10:00 am

  POS...Miller Lite..its it and thats that.

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  WORST CAR IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By theoldboot65 - August 20 - 4:40 am

  Black 2006 Pontiac Torrent, one yr old paint chips off under side mirrors, three years old, on 4 set of brakes, new rear wheel bearings, and backing plates, air conditioning takes a powder. 4 years old, paint on lift gate begins to chip, on rear pass. wheel well chips, paint on hood chips and paint INSIDE drivers side pass. door all chips off--GM says this is just wear and tear, cant help us-- dealer going to do 50 -50 split on new paint job! 2 more sets of brakes, one last week and are squealing again!!! Its no wonder that GM is in trouble....no more Torrents for me, nor any other type of this make of vehicle EVER!

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  poor design - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By snowburd - July 25 - 6:23 am

  This car has three absolute blind spots...also,the reae window is so wide may look good but without a rear wiper when it rains. its impossible to see out of it. There is a quirky sound from the exhaust that the dealership insist ... is by design? from GMC? They also say the RPMs do not go past certain point because manufactur installed regulator? the blind spots and rear window issue are going to cause accidents, its seriously an issue that no one seems interested in. I wish I had kept the car a day or two before paying so much for it. WOULD NEVER BUY THIS CAR AGAIN

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  Next one is a Toyota - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By Rick - July 4 - 6:40 pm

  I have worked in a g. M. Dealership as a technician for 25 years (last 18 @ a Pontiac dealership) I can honestly say, I hate this van. Fabric on seats is horrible, stains if you look at it, Cruise control I swear will blow the engine on hills, red lines the r. P. Ms (good one general motors) rattle city, suspension is sloppy, noisy, a. W. D (all wheel drive) is disabled if their is an antilock brake issue and yes the ABS has failed. Several times. Nothing better than needing the all wheel drive and have the a. B. S. Light on, might as well have a pedal bike. In short, I can honestly say Pontiac blew it with this vehicle, and they know it. I no longer work at a g. M. Dealership, and our next van will be Toyota

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  I rented it - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Renter - July 4 - 10:00 am

  One of the worst rentals I have ever had. Please heed that this car only garnered 1 star rating for safety from NHTSA and got a "Poor Safety" rating from the insurance institute.

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  BMW Killer? - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Realworld - July 2 - 11:13 am

  As far as this thing compared to a European sedan, thats like comparing a Jackhammer to a golf club. It does go - but, pretty much where ever the surplus of traction happens to be - hang on tight! or you might kiss the guard rail. Amenities are good but overkill - "Stealth Mode" is a bit sophomoric, as are the useless fixed tap shifters in a dated 4 speed slush box. (they work fine as a two speed stoplight racer). Brakes are more aesthetic than athletic - and where is the Spare tire? a can of goo? Interior quality typical GM with loose door panels(one fell off in parking lot after opening drivers door!), cheap plastic buttons and drooping headliner. Not too reassuring in a new car

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  Do not buy this vehicle - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Mike - June 9 - 3:40 am

  This is the worst vehicle I have ever own and I have been driving for 28 years. The front end has been repaired twice, the interior stains with WATER, yes water. There is no leg room between the driver and middle row of seats. The middle row is so close that the seats cannot fold forward as the head rest hits the front seats. Sometimes it doesnt turn over for no reason. The only good thing is that Im trading it this week for a Ford Fusion. I hate this car so much that Im even taking a payout loss of $7000.00. DO NOT BUY THIS VAN.

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  Worst Piece of Junk Weve Ever Had - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By C. Stewart - June 1 - 1:20 am

  My husband drove a 1998 Ford F150 and it finally died. He wanted something economical on gas so we looked around and found a 2007 G5. WHAT A MISTAKE!!! This has got to be the most uncomfortable car Ive ever sat in, especially on long drives. It shakes and rattles and so far the brakes, tires, rotors,control arm have had to be replaced. The windshield wipers are useless and the road noise is horrible. Weve only had it a year. I drive a 2003 Neon with no options at all and it is a far superior car to the G5. My gas mileage is even better than the G5 Pontiac needs to go back to the drawing board with this one.

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  This is one car not to buy. D+ - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Stormynightout - May 24 - 10:00 am

  Upon driving this new vehicle for aproximately one month, I have come to realize that it is the cheapest piece of pure garbage on the road today. Along with all of the interior components ratteling, such as the dashboard, door panels, and headliner. The mechanical components were also assembled very poorly, such as the trunk locking mechanism, which has bent within one months use. The wonderful sound system that Pontiac raves about is silenced by the buzzing door panels that hold the speakers.