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:

• 

  Braking down slowly - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Kaitlin - September 27 - 6:43 am

  I have a 1999 Pontaic Grand am se. I got the car with 50,000miles on it. It now has 117,000 Still run Like the day I got it. But it 11 yrs old And it satring to show it age. Bothe head gasket were replace, Wheelbearing, And now its been stalling out and having problem with the fuel lines. Over all I think GM made a mistake in stopping the make of this car and Pontaic...

• 

  Fun to drive and comfortable - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Gene Pafford - September 22 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a SUV that was easy to get in and out of, Also wanted good milage and I have have both. Very comfortable and I am getting 22 mpg mix of in town and hiway.

• 

  Proud Owner - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Bobsg8 - September 19 - 7:16 am

  Have had car two weeks not really tested it yet. This is good, my wife likes car not sure she gets my desire for a V8. No complaints, however I cant find 11 speakers I can only find 9. Some problem huh. lol. I drive about 35,000 miles a year so I will know soon.

• 

  Great car for the money. - 2009 Pontiac G3
  By bigwillyz - September 17 - 5:40 am

  Ive had this car since Sept 2009 and aside from a transmission cooler line not tightend enough at the factory (noticed the first couple of days I had it) I have had no problems. I have over 20,000 miles on it and it runs like a clock. I have not noticed any of the issues noted in other posts but I was dissappointed in the mileage I got out of the OE tires. I have already replaced them and the alignment showed everything was within spec. Its a bit of a rough ride but to be expected in this small of a car. Based on what I paid for this car brand new with full warranty Im thrilled with it.

• 

  The Bone - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Cargoguy - September 15 - 6:20 am

  Traded in Lincoln Continental for a reliable GM product. Although the 3.8L lacks a little power it runs great and is a proven design.

• 

  I feel like a Giant in this thing - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Dr. Rob Rice - September 15 - 1:53 am

  All-in-all, I love this car. Handles well, all the gadgets you can ask for and its beautiful. However, Im not a giant (just 61") yet I either have to slouch or lean my head. XM radio should be moved to front or all the way in the back - its covered with sunroof down which makes for poor XM reception especially when traveling S. Both interior and exterior are stylish. People are definately jealous when they get in. Heated seats are awesome. I hate winter.

• 

  Top Down Fun! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By BP - September 14 - 7:20 pm

  Fun is the name of the game. You spend all your driving time looking for roads with curves. Of course "Top Down" is the way to go. The interior suffers from a lack of nooks and crannies to put stuff but it is driver fiendly as far as visibility and reach goes. Dont expect off the line screams but the wieght distribution gives you G- force thrills. Have fun!

• 

  Fun car! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By G-6 Hardtop converti - September 13 - 8:50 am

  We have really enjoyed our G-6 Hardtop convertible. It has been so much fun to have a fun car at a reasonable price.

• 

  2003 Pontiac GTP - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Flyer Scot Sailor - September 12 - 8:46 pm

  Owned the car for 3 years. Have had no problems whatsoever. Car is very reliable. Fun car to drive, handles well, good acceleration, rarely have the supercharger come on but still has very good pickup. Mileage around town is 15 gets 31 mpg on the highway. Very nice car.

• 

  grrrreat vehicle - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Keith McDonald - September 10 - 2:10 pm

  Just bought the new GXP, my first Pontiac. Have had Chevy, Geo, Nissans, Toyota, and Mazda before. This by far is the slickest, most powerful, fun to drive, and packed with the most features for the money. This one came fully loaded with everything except navigation system. The driver and passenger seats are very soft and comfortable and can be positioned in numerous ways. Dual climate climate control is nice. Radio automatically adjust for sound as you speed up or slow down. The V-8 will cut off 4 cylinders once you get to cruising speed to save gas mileage. This puppy gets about 27 MPG on the highway which is nice for a V-8 with 303 hp.