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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  Made in USA - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Bob_96 - April 6 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Bonneville, the first was a 96. I try to buy American products because I think its important to this countrys long term health. My 96 was 95% domestic (USA/Canada) while the 02 was 85%. I loved my 96 and when it was time to replace it, the choice was between the 02 and the 03. The price difference was less than $100 but GM made standard features in the 02 optional in the 03. The 02 ended up being a much better value.

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  love my aztek - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Barbara - April 5 - 8:23 pm

  Overall, this has been an exceptional SUV. I bought it when it had 35,000 miles and now it has 146,900 + miles! I have had a few problems, but who doesnt on an older car? Of course, I didnt buy it for its looks! People laugh at me, but now they think Im pretty smart.

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  Disappointed - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Disappointed - April 5 - 5:00 am

  I bought my G6 new and hadnt had any major problems so far, although now after 4 years, the paint is chipping on the radio, small problem, but the radio isnt getting good reception on AM and the CDs are getting stuck. The huge problem is this week - hottest week of the year - the compressor went out on the A/C - unbelievable at 4 years old. Im wondering what is coming next. My brakes act weird at times also, like when Im going 50 or so, it is grabbing when I brake. Theres a lot of info in here about bad brakes on 2006 G6s.

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  Power - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Patrick - April 4 - 6:56 am

  I have driven 3 suped up mustangs during the 90s, I have driven many other fast cars as well, this is by far the beefiest damn car I have driven by far, and for $31,500 (my purchase price) who can beat it? I can stay up with all those fancy European sport cars for half the price. The only thing I would change is the exterior styling could be a bit more refined. The interior is gorgeous and comfortable. This is my households 3rd vehicle, so I dont need to much trunk space, I purchased this to commute to work with on nice days and for performance, period, all without taking out a second mortgage.

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  Best thing since sliced bread - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By blaze5222 - April 3 - 2:26 pm

  I just bought my wife a 02 grand prix gt.... and it rocks.... sure since it is used and has about 65000 miles on it.... there are a few minor issues... but for a used car, I never would have thought I would feel safe sending my wife the 150 miles to the beach without me..

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  Could be great with some improvements - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By ajax - March 30 - 10:00 am

  The pontiac 2002 Firebird TransAM coupe has the looks that make you just want to stare at it when you see one. I suspect the Ram Air would put most sports car lovers over the top with envy. There are some negatives that come with the acolades. Three issues in particular are the way the car idles when standing still with the car in drive and foot on the break.( shaky ). The second problem is the Rotors warp frequently. Suspect bad manufactured pads cause extream heat friction that cause the warpage. The third item is the Head lights make alot of noise when closing them. ( Bang! ) Otherwise a great car looking car with excellent speed when you need it most.

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  Review - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By candice - March 30 - 3:43 am

  Love car other than minor defects that we have come across that dealerships seem to not be able to fix such. The car acts like its going to die at times or stall out. We have taken it 6+ times and dealer ship never fixes the problem.

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  toms vibe - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By tom - March 29 - 11:43 am

  have a vibe just turned 100,000 miles. never had any repairs other than oil every 3,000 miles. couple sets of brakes, and few sets of tire. and couple of head lights. best mechanical car i ever owned.

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  Pontiac GTP - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By pmp - March 28 - 2:36 pm

  We love our new G6 GTP. The car has lots of power and the exterior looks great, very sporty. My neighbors cant believe its a Pontiac. From the outside the car looks smaller than it really is. In fact it is as big as the Camry and Accord, but you would never guess it due to the sleek low profile. The best attribute of the GTP is the power and sporty ride. Also love the panoramic sunroof which makes this 4 door sedan almost a convertable This is no boring Camry, but it is also not as refined or quiet as the Toyota or Honda. The interior has also been greatly upgraded, but again not to the standard of the Japanese. If you want a sporty family sedan, the G6 GTP is a great choice.

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  Fun on the cheap - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Dave Reed - March 28 - 11:20 am

  Great Styling, low cost sport car. Fun, but unrefined. Noisy Ride