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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  Love the car, hate the tires - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By icshadows - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Pretty good get up & go and passing ability. Great for cruising down the highway; I put 3900km on mine the first 4 days I had it, including 12-hours of driving each on the first and last day. Ride was comfortable and relaxing. The ABS breaks work great and quieter than in ABS systems Ive seen in older cars. Got the Monsoon stero system and quite enjoy it. It can really crank out the music. Its first winter it sat in a parking lot all day at sometimes - 28C weather and always started like a charm.

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  I love this car,BUT..... - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By lilphatgrl80 - October 9 - 10:53 am

  I have one payment to make on my car and 4 months ago i put a new transmission in it because it of course went out well i am having very bad problems with the transmission again,my keys also lock in the ignition and my RPM revs up by its self...it turns out that the car has electrical problems and the computer in it is having trouble communicating with things in it to make them work properly so i dont know what i have to do yet,it may just be a few electrical wires or the whole electrical system but it is cousing the transmissions to burn up

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  Just Traded Mine - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By SpartanMan2 - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Owned my 98 for 4 years. Traded it in with 55,000 miles. Engine coolant leaked and brakes were squealing.

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  sweet - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By ws6 - October 9 - 10:00 am

  this bird can fly.

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  Did u see that - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By amarkintime - October 9 - 10:00 am

  well just the other day i test drove the 2dr GT coupe and im going back to put my down payment this weekend it was an amazing car im gonna be 19 and its a car that a teenager should have its has great acceleration power and comfort.

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  Reliable, predictable, economical, zzzzz - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Bradford - October 8 - 5:56 pm

  My Vibe makes me smile. Its the red one you see most often in ads but not the GT. No supercharger. I bought it with 31k and put 32k on it. Besides oil changes only had to replace front brakes. Tight steering. Boring to drive but unbeatably reliable. Its a Matrix, after all. MPG averages 28-29 if I do 70 or under on the freeway and relax in traffic. Lots of space inside when you flatten the back seat. The car rides high for its light weight and you are at the driver level of the average SUV. You must adjust your mirrors accurately to avoid the blind spots - dont look surprised Toyota/Pontiac - you know they are there. Very easy to park and turn. A truly great little car... but boring.

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  Love my Grand Prix!!! - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Donnie - October 8 - 2:00 am

  This is, hands down, the best car I have ever owned! I love this car! It is ellegant, classy, sporty and mean all at the same time!! It has nibble handling and still a smooth comfortable ride. It is mega powerful with tons of off the line torque. The engine is quiet and smooth. I love the way it shifts. It seems to know exactly what gear I want it in and moves there in an instant. I have test driven most cars in its class and it is NO CONTEST!! I have owned it since it was new and it now has 75,000 miles on it. Never a moments trouble mechanically, and I have driven it harder than anyone would. BUY A GRAND PRIX!! YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!

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  Multifunctional Veh - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By MusicDoc - October 8 - 2:00 am

  Regarding the 2001 Aztek AWD GT - I use it in many capacities from business trips and lunches, to camping, cycling, and hiking. It is appropriate for both! Fun to drive, good designs, comfortable, and reliable. Great traction on snow and ice!!!

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  Great Car - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Gto Man - October 8 - 2:00 am

  No problems so far. I had a 1998 Bonneville and had good luck with it. So I bought a another one. Almost as much fun to drive as my GTO

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  Best Hatch on the Market - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By careckner - October 7 - 11:26 am

  This is an amazing little car, its 2.4 L. engine is snappy enough to get to 60 in about 10 sec (shifting manually), plenty of room for 2 adults and 2 kids in car seats, cargo area is amazing, seats are very comfortable(and Im 68") Seating position is very good,Gauges are bright, clear and well laid out, stereo is very good for stock. While shopping for this car, I tried a Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Suzuki SX4, and a Dodge Caliber R/T, in the end it came down to this and the Caliber. Unfortunately GM doesnt have their act together, because this was by far the best economy car in their line up, fortunately its made by Toyota (Matrix Clone) so you get Toyota quality with Pontiac style.