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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  New Pontiac 4 door 2009 - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By Ed Morgan - October 13 - 2:36 pm

  My wife and I enjoy driving this car. It is comfortable, has good power and good looks. We hve been totally satisfied. Compared to an import it was much less expensive. We think the AMERICAN CARS GET A BAD RAP FROM REVIEWERS.

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  Great car - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By ed - October 13 - 7:10 am

  I bought this car used about a month ago and smile every time I look at it. It is very fun to drive and the steering is so light you can turn it with one finger. There is enough acceleration for me and still gets in the high 20s for gas mileage. I also like how it is so quiet even at speeds above 70. I live in central Minnesota so the remote start and traction control is a great option to have. The sound system is great even for being the base system. The driver information center is a nice feature, it has avg speed, mpg, oil life, and others. The back seat is enormous even for taller people. This is a great car and if you need a sporty car that is very reliable this is it.

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  Great car! - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Daniel - October 13 - 3:46 am

  bought the car from my boss with 180 thousand mls car ran great for him w/no problems and all Ive done is put in a new waterpump and synthetic oil I get 30mpg hwy and I can fly by mustangs and bmws with no ease. The car handles well at any speed and the traction control is quite admirable for the vehicle. Heads up display is great but it takes getting used to driving other cars that dont have it. I couldnt be happier with this car. I hate debating over getting something new even with the "high" mileage. The engine certainly doesnt know it has that kind of mileage on it.

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  Should have listened to Edmunds! - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By K White - October 12 - 6:53 pm

  Bought this van second hand, with 153,000 km. Since then, I replaced water pump,spark plugs, wheel bearing, rocker panels, head gasket, intake gasket, thermostat. Also, roof leaks, needs front and rear struts, rear windshield wiper doesnt work, abs light is on, air bag light comes on and off. Front end vibrates. Get about 500 km to a tank. Needs a transmission part, up shifts and down shifts hard.

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  A Maintenance Nightmare - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Speedracer1021 - October 12 - 2:20 am

  Bought this car after wrecking my 97 Civic. Have only had car for a few months and it has put me down 3 times. Already replaced broken motor mount that caused car to "growl" when accelerating, bad alternator that drained battery and left me stranded in the middle of nowhere, temp sensor and thermostat because car kept overheating, front shocks b/c car started squeaking and bouncing over even the smallest bumps, keyless remote, front brake rotors and brake pads. Right now I am having numerous electrical problems with the car. I really like the car, but I have to get rid of it because I cant afford the maintenance. Wouldnt recommend buying one unless you have the money to maintain it.

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  Nice ride - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By tony - October 11 - 6:46 pm

  I traded my 2004 Grand Prix for this car. It’s a much better ride than the GP. Fuel economy 23 city 28-29 highway. 1 problem since owning was a repair of $46 dollars. Other than that it runs like a top. Comfort. It rides better than my 2002 Concorde Limited.

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  2004 Pontiac Grand Am SE 4 cyl (Automatic) - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By teh_banditto - October 11 - 3:08 pm

  Frankly, I do not believe the negative commenters, I have had mine for 14 months, and it has been a very reliable vehicle, granted I have ran into some rarely occuring transaxle problems, otherwise its a strong, car with a peppy motor

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  Excellent car! Id buy again - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Gerald Rogers - October 11 - 11:26 am

  The price was great, and the economy is typical of a 4 cylinder (hi 20s in town, mid 30s highway---regular gasoline). I dont see a compelling reason to go Japanese any more if vehicles like these continue being offered. Interior for me as the driver centers on ease of getting to the radio, ample opportunities of getting the iPOD connected to my radio, simple reach for the HVAC. Mine is the coup and blind spots abound, as others have probably noted. I would have no problem buying this car again.

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  A Great Car For The Young People - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Young Gun - October 11 - 4:53 am

  I brought this car this past February with it having just 70,000 miles on it, did wanted a G6 GT Sedan(Plans fell through) but found this car for a steal, I was worried at first because I was giving up room because it was a mid-size car(car before this one was a 1993 Bonneville SE), but it was still pretty roomy, seats 5, 4 comfortably, and even dough the car is 8 and the design is 13 years old(1997), I still prefer it over the 2004-2008 model, gets good gas mileage for a big 3.8 V6, great for the highway and town, nice interior, just an overall nice ride, the only maintenance I have done so far is new brakes, oil change, support lifts for trunk, and cleaner for catalytic converter.

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  fun car for the heavy leg driver - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By eronen - October 10 - 6:50 pm

  I enjoy the car at every aspect of it. It fast it responds well and it is reliable. I love the computer and its functions. I know I have a heavy leg on the gas but this car is very thirsty in town I get like 15 mpg and 24 mpg in a pure highway drive. I don’t think any car will give you what this car is giving for the price.