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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  Mod - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By MJ - November 25 - 12:16 am

  I have mainly great reviews for my GTO. I had strut issues at first with poor dealer support. I recently added the pedders x-treme pro suspension package, new clutch and twin 400 hp turbos. We are working out some bugs with the system but all I have to say at this point is I may need to add wings and a parachute. Its a BEAST.

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  2004 GTO - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By JC - November 24 - 4:13 am

  Just bought an 04 Goat and I loved it...for 2 days. Back to the dealership and now I am waiting for parts to be imported from Australia to overhaul the manual transmisson. Reverse stopped working. Why are these parts not on hand??? For 2 days, this was my dream car. I cant wait to get it back but Im afraid I may have a lemon. Pontiacs are not exactly known for having the best transmissions out there.

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  Ignition Key Removal - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By S Hook - November 23 - 2:00 am

  I have been having problems removing the ingition key. The problem turned out to be a faulty switch on the shift lever. The switch was a part of the gear lever and could not be replaced independently. This problem has a $425 price tag to repair. I was told it was a problem that is common but there is no bulletin or recall. Something like a switch should be designed to be replaces on its own and not as a part of a complete assembly. Automobile repair costs are a;ready high and a design like this is just another reason to look at Japanese Imports.

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  Better than expected - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JamJan - November 22 - 2:23 pm

  Weve owned this vehicle for nearly 3 years and are basically pleased. For an inexpensive car, it performs pretty well. The build quality leaves a bit to be desired and the steering feels a little heavy (dang front wheel drive), but GM did a fine job with the rest of it.

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  Love This Car - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Jeffs72 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Great car. I love driving it - it is fast, it is sporty, it is big enough to be comfortable.

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  At least I can still find a Matrix - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By mecjac - November 21 - 10:10 pm

  Almost at 100k miles and I have only had to replace the breaks and the oil filter housing (cheap part). I love my Vibe, bought it with 50k on it and have put 50k on it in the last 2 years. Its comfortable enough for the average commuter and very reliable. Great for hauling stuff around, and although no sports car its fun to drive. Good fuel economy, easily get 31-32 mpg. Only a few gripes, rear visibility is so-so, paint chips/scratches easy, speakers could be better.

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  Love This Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By J. Hubert - November 20 - 12:00 pm

  I wasnt in the market for a Pontiac but it was for my wife and it was her choice. She liked the styling. We bought it in 05 from an off-lease with 18,000 miles on it. The OE Goodyear tires were junk and made bad noise. Replaced them with Michelin and it made a world of difference. This one of the best cars I have ever owned. I have been driving it every day for the last 2 years 80 miles round trip to work. it now has 148,000 on it and its still a great car. Great power, performance, comfort and reliability. I average 26 MPG. No major problems. This car has renewed my faith in American vehicles. Very sad to see Pontiac go. Anyone who hates this car must have a lemon. Yes, I would buy again

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  Good car, but...... - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By QCK/GTP - November 18 - 10:00 am

  After 7 months of ownership Im overall satisfied with my 01 GTP coupe, but with all the go fast goodies out there for the 3.8L engine tells me the engine has a lot more available if GM would just tweek it a little. This power train was a good idea, but the enineering is lacking in the output and reliability area. The plastic in the interior is really cheesy. This is my first Pontiac and if their is never another 2 coupe with power that is less than $30,000.00 it will be my last. In my opinion Pontiac is really missing the boat by getting out of the pony car market and other than the overprised GTO is not making any powerfull 2 door coupes.

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  Nice car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jbjq - November 17 - 10:03 am

  I bought my 2002 Grand Prix off eBay in 2004 after my 1999 Grand Prix was totaled. It had about 32,000 miles on it. All was well until 2007 when I spent $3500 in maintenance including $2300 for a new transmission. So maintenance is getting expensive. I have 68,000 miles on it now. But since I paid $11,000 for it I still feel like this vehicle is a good value.

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  Great Car - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By rdb - November 16 - 2:36 pm

  The GXP is a blast to drive and has a super sound system. Cant get more features and better performance for less $$$.