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:

• 

  Problems with ignition and key assembly - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Annette - February 4 - 12:50 pm

  Positive things: roomy inside, and gas mileage is great. Negative things: key ignition locks up. Have had it replaced (cylinder) and still in locks up again. Also had a defect in the wheel bearing and GM first did not want to include in my GM protection plan extended warranty which I purchased at a high price. After reaching GMPP themselves, it was paid. But I had to pay $100 deductible 3 times to get things straightened out.

• 

  Great car with some small irritations - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By G. Kline - February 4 - 10:50 am

  Ive had a base model for over 2 years now. Im very happy with the performance, handling, and gas mileage. The car is beautiful and Ive got some great and interesting compliments on it. It is great fun and I love it, but there are some bad points. As several others have said, the interior design is lacking. No storage space, bad cup holders, the temperature control is one of the worst Ive seen (should have been more like my 2000 Firebird). I dont know why people complain about reliability. I have over 60,000 miles already (fun to drive, daily driver)and have had little to no problems. Too bad Pontiac folded, GM needs to keep producing these some how.

• 

  Wouldnt suggest - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By cnfusd1 - February 2 - 3:30 pm

  Ive had more problems with this car in two years than any other vehicle Ive owned. It has left me stranded on the highway twice. Do not like the 17" low profile tires that cost more to replace than my truck tires do. With only 24,000 miles Ive spent over $2500 keeping this car on the road. Its comfortable and roomy but that is all that this car has going for it. Its not the economy making GM go under. Its GMs inferior products. Im looking at trading it in before it leaves me stranded once again.

• 

  Car Great. Oil usage very bad. - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By George - February 2 - 12:43 am

  My 2007 Torrent has 13,000 miles on it. It has been carefully driven and dealer serviced. It uses 1 qt. of oil every 2000 miles. GM says this is normal for all of their cars and trucks and refuses to fix it. Dealer says theyve not seen this before but refuses to help. GMs Regional Manager refuses to contact me so I can discuss this with GM. This defect and GMs refusal to honor their warranty has ruined our experience with an otherwise excellent vehicle. I strongly suggest you not buy a GM vehicle.

• 

  Too Many Poor Quality Parts - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tom Shay - January 30 - 4:20 pm

  Bought it new as a leftover. Ran great until about 70,000 miles, then things started to go. Front wheel bearing failed and needed wheel replacement. Pitted brake disc. 2 Failed speed sensors. Failed AC compressor. Even the radio display failed so I cant see the time or station. Failed transmission solenoid is in such a difficult location, it takes 5 mechanic hours and more than $750 to replace.Ive driven other brands over 150,000 miles without these failures.

• 

  Not a bad car considering, but not great. - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By rumrunner83 - January 30 - 6:12 am

  I bought my Grand AM SE 2.2L brand new in November of 2002. I still have the car just over ten years now. Its a sporty car with a particularly powerful four cylinder engine. That being said, it is a four cylinder, and while the car is absolutely fantastic for highway driving, the car is simply too heavy for hills and cold weather. Even when the car was new it did not like climbing hills, and in the cold the engine loses significant horsepower. However, the car is amazing on gas if properly maintained and I have driven from southern Massachusetts to Bangor, Maine (Approximately 300 miles) before refueling.

• 

  Loved this car. - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By NYCGirl - January 29 - 11:53 pm

  I really did love this car. I purchased the 1998 SE Coupe in 2001 with 28k on it. Drove it from NYC to Florida, to Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland (love the roadtrips), and never had a problem save normal wear and tear. The engine was ridiculously fast (and it was cherry red.. yes, I got many speeding tickets), and it STUCK to the road. I hated to get rid of it, because it was still in excellent condition, but I couldnt afford to park it in Manhattan anymore ($400 a month.. ouch). Really do love this car, though.

• 

  Some problems - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Thirtysomething - January 28 - 10:10 pm

  I had to replace two or three parts of the ignition switch assembly, the battery, the rotors, the mirror adjustment joy stick, rear main seal, engine cradle (at less than 70,000 miles!), fuel pump, struts & strut mounts, all before 100,000 miles! Even with all of these repairs I plan on keeping it for my teenage son to drive..that way if he wrecks it..it wont be a big loss..

• 

  Cant beat it for the price! - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By HAPPY-GXP-GUY - January 24 - 4:06 pm

  Wanted a family sized four door that had a bit of performance. BMWs, Infinitis and all the others were too small, under powered and 30% to 40% more in price. It is definitely not as refined as those cars listed above, but I am not spending my kids college money on a car either. My last Grand Prix went 8 years and 160,000 trouble free miles, i hope this does the samne.

• 

  Worth the money - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Drew Walen - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I really enjoy my Grand Prix, but have to say that as Ive neared 100,000 miles, it has more and more little things breaking down. Temp sensors, ABS sensors, an oil light sensor that wont shut off, LED windshield display fades in and out, shift knob broke off, mirror joystick slipped into the door jam, backing plates, and now some strange whirring noise that I cant figure out. Up until recently, this was my dream car. Now, its simply a good used car with some issues. For power, comfort, style and extras, this car was a hit. Just wish it held together a bit better.