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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  MIne - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Lauren Elizabeth - January 4 - 2:00 am

  i have seen better, much better. needs more room

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  Never Again.... - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By BorderCollieBingo - December 29 - 11:40 am

  I purchased my Vibe the first year they came out. Never again! I hope they ironed out all the kinks! I am really disappointed with this vehicle and definitely would not buy another. I have a ton of complaints about this vehicle. The molding at the bottom of the door is falling off, the plastic cover under the front bumper and in the wheel well was falling off and dragging on my tires, the seat belt strangles me no matter how I adjust it, the visors are useless to someone my height (54"). The tilt steering is a joke...it tilts about 1 inch! The size of this vehicle is VERY deceiving. I cant fit anything in it, and the back doors dont open far enough to get anything large inside!

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  Not So Great - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By dl922 - December 17 - 12:04 am

  These cars have an extremely poor build quality. My center console lid has broken, had to replace one window motor, and another soon, vent selectors dont work, the plastic cladding on the outside of the door gets caught on the fender. The list goes on and on. Ive had this car for just over two years, and I simply cannot wait to get rid of it.

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  Ill NEVER buy a Pontiac again. - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By graceangeleve - December 3 - 2:42 pm

  Ive driven this car for 5 years, so I know what Im talking about. My car has 70K miles on it, and Ive had more problems with this car than ANY car Ive ever owned. Essentially, everything under the hood has had to be replaced. Today they told me that my transmission is OUT, and I dont push or pull ANYTHING! Electronic steering is out, electrical problems GALORE, brakes are crap and constantly have to be replaced. (keep in mind, all of my miles are HIGHWAY miles ONLY!) I dont speed, dont drive crazy. I can say its definitly pretty to look at and thats it. Even my seats are squeaky, so is the dash. Its horrible. Dont buy this car.

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  Eye Like It HOWEVER... - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SadButTrue - November 21 - 10:00 am

  It accelerates and corners great! Good gas mileage and stereo sound. SE has all the Opts. ITS A GREAT CAR FOR 40,000 MILES THEN >>> HOWEVER, It has some very poor workmanship or design problems. 3 windows and some of the blower speeds for AC/heat quit working! Only have 2 speeds left. GM WILL NOT REPLACE THE PARTS!!!! EVEN THOUGH THEY KNEW THESE THINGS are breaking down on the products. There have been a lot of complaints in these 2 areas. The seats are like sitting on a 2 by 4..lol HENCE hard on the butt for long distances ..lol.

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  money pit - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By MsLundquist - November 17 - 2:00 am

  we have never had a worse car. constant breakdowns, new transmission, suspension problems, window motor, leaks of every kind...i could go on and on. This car is truly terrible

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  Wish I wouldve reviewed before buying lemon - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Sickofpayinmechanic - November 14 - 3:00 am

  Bought in May 05. June it left us stranded 6 hours from home on a Sunday! Back to dealership, couldnt diagnose till they drove it around for a week and got stranded themselves only to find a loose wiring harness in the fuel line. By December had a $700 tranny rebuilt, 3 sets of rotors, brakes every couple months, but only on one side? Front bearings. Oh yea then the gasket went for a price tag of $1000 (and still smells of antifreeze when warm). Rear door leaks through the interior light while raining! Cruise control just stopped working. Power windows are a joke! I know 5 different familys with these and I have the fewest probems with 152,000 miles and still shimmyin down the road!!

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  Bad car for petite/short people - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By Rachel - November 8 - 9:06 pm

  This is the car from hell if youre really short. Doors are tall & long & easily bang other doors when opened. Outside rear end/trunk of car sits up high and view is also hindered by rear seat head rests and spoiler. Interior: Poor storage - has 1 shallow console "bin" and no center cup holders. Steering wheel tilts up & to ctr. level but not down. Seats are rock hard & have no cushion or give to them. Speedometer has this silly high arch in dashboard above it that makes it hard to see if youre short. If you raise seat up high to better reach steering wheel, legs are then jacked up at ackward numbing angle making it hard to reach down to pedals.

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  WORST CAR EVER - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jpontiac - November 8 - 10:48 am

  This is by far the worst car I have ever owned, It sits so low to the ground, in the front it has rusted out all over the wheel wells, and the underneathe, even after washing it once a week in the winter. I have had to replace, exhaust, cat, brakes, rotors, plugs, tires. Its not secure when I drive on dirt roads the dust and dirt comes right into the trunk. Very poor quality and the speakers sound awful

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  Beware! - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Cleo - October 14 - 5:23 am

  I bought this car 2 years ago for my son. I have probably spend over $3500 in repairs since then. From the alternator 3 weeks after I bought it to the failure of the electrical system to the the cracked radiator ect...I gave up and put this car where it belong: to the junk yard. If you start having problems with this car..think twice before atrating to spend hundreds of dollars in repairs. It is not worth it.