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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  Horrible - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Allison - November 2 - 1:53 pm

  I have had my G5 for about 6 months now and I love the car but have had MANY problems with it. My dad works at the dealership I bought it from as a mechanic. I have had it in there for a number of problems. Sunroof button kept falling out, coolant leak (4 times for that problem), Oil leak was the recent one. None of them are because of my driving, the car has 8,000 miles on it there is NO reason for this to be happening. Other then that its a great car. Sort of a small backseat when using a car seat for an infant in back but what can you expect with a small coupe. The truck opening is also WAY small, Big truck but small opening

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  Nice value, good performace. - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Rob> - November 2 - 1:00 pm

  I purchased this car used with 87,000 miles on it. I currently have 133,000. In that time I have replaced the drivers window motor and the AC, heater blower. Total cost of repairs for both items $600. Not too bad. Great acceleration and handling especially for a largish size car like this.Loaded with a lot of electronic goodies that I could live without but are nice to have. The heads up digital windshield display is really neat. Cant really complain about much. I find this car to be very comfortable when driving. Some people dont like the firm seats. Frankly, I do. To each his own.

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  fun to drive, pig on gas - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Pete - October 31 - 7:43 am

  I blew a wheel bearing after 3 weeks of ownership. The blower motor bearing is also bad. I am lucky to get 12L/100km Hwy (40% worse than sticker). This is gentle hwy driving!! It is very comfortable, good visibility, lots of space. Steering is weird and turning radius is a joke. Hard to believe, but delay wipers are not adjustable. No navigation system available. Great in snow, excellent braking, decent acceleration. Dont waste your money on AWD unless you live in remote snowy areas. 99% of the time it is just extra weight and wasted gas. Nissan X-trail and Suzuki Grand Vitara feel very cheap and noisy in comparison, and the X trail wasnt much more gas efficient.

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  Nice looking, but........ - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Kimmyc - October 30 - 10:00 am

  It looks great. Have owned it for 2yrs & although it looks really nice, there are problems. As soon as the 36,000 mi warranty was up, there was a crack in the fly wheel - VERY expensive. Thsnks to the dealership, they covered it. There have been electrical problems. , the blower motor went on speed 1 & 2 -t $100 to fix. The drivers side window would not go up or down - $300 to fix. There are other signs that there are pending electrical problems. Now the car wont pass inspection because of a bad wheel bearing, NO MORE - so needless to say, I am trading it before it kills me financially.

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  Got to love the 3800 V6 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By letrbuk - October 29 - 2:23 pm

  Ive had my Grand Prix for well over a year now and I still look forward to getting behind the wheel every day. I bought the car because I needed something more economical than my old truck. After some research and some shopping, I came home with my Grand Prix and have been loving every mile in it since. Highway mileage has been around the 30 mark (with a disciplined right foot) while in town Ive gotten no worse than 25. Great economy for a car with this much room and comfort. The car is very comfortable especially on long trips. It is fun to drive as well, and the 3800 is no slouch in terms of power so its hard to resist pushing the pedal down hard every now and then.

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  amazing quality - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Micha - October 24 - 2:03 pm

  This is my second Pontiac Grand Am and I love it. It does not give you an iffy feeling on driving distances, it is very reliable, little maintainance needed. I would recommend this kind of car to anyone at any time.

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  So far so good - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By RAC - October 24 - 10:00 am

  So far I dont have any complaints with the vehicle, but I would have enjoyed it more if it were rear wheel drive. The GTP has more power than a front wheel drive vehicle can handle. That said, this car is still fun to drive. The gas pedal response is great. I get a lot of compliments about the style both inside and out. I wanted a Infinity G35, but now I have a new car and money to finish my basement. I did take a little hit in performance, but not a whole room full of furniture worth. I saved over $10,000 by my decision.

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  Wasnt my first choice - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Rod - October 17 - 5:36 pm

  Needed a car, needed a deal, Gm announced they were giving an $4000. rebate on the car. This car was not on my radar as I looked at Civics, Scions and others.... So far I am very pleased with the engine, it takes the mountains with ease and the mileage is very good. The seats are horrible. fit and finish is fair... Room inside is poor. Handling is very good and is fun to drive. Styling still sets it apart. Resale is horrible... Overall its a terrible buy as a new car but a steal as a used car....

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  Nice Car that is no longer built. - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SILVER07 - October 16 - 12:53 am

  I had an 02 Volvo S60 prior to this car. I liked it overall, however it was to the repair point ($2100 was a bit much) so I had to make a decision to keep or trade off. So I thought about what kind of car I would like to replace it with. Knowing the reliability of the GMs powerhouse 3.8 a.k.a 3800 v-6, I wanted a car with that particular engine. The Grand Prix and I think the Buick Lacross was the last of the 3.8. Well being in my 20s I didnt want the Buick, so I did a search on Cars.com website and found a loaded up Grand Prix. I tried the G6 and didnt like it, so I bought the GP as it is larger. It has been good so far. Love the purr of the 3800! Hope it goes to 200,000 miles!

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  Not Happy - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By Kim - October 14 - 12:33 pm

  I bought my new car on October 3rd and it has 53 miles on it and it broke down on me on October 4th. It was the fuel pump. I am very upset that a brand new car broke down the 2nd day I had it.