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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  Pontiac G5 - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By misty - September 8 - 3:53 pm

  I got my Pontiac in May brand new and it ran great until it started getting cold out. Then it decided to have problems starting.We tried jumping it and nothing happened. I have had it in the shop 3 times for the same problem. 1st they asked if I pressed the clutch in far enough, 2nd they replaced the ignition, and 3rd they replaced the starter not to mention they had to put a hose on the radiator due to a recall and fix a leak in the windshield and do some work in the transmission due to grinding when going into 4th gear. So my advice, get the extended warranty, you will need it

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  4 Door Corvette - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By PFWiz - September 6 - 10:40 pm

  If you want a truly quick 4 door car with a nice size trunk and you know that rear wheel drive just doesnt cut it in the snow belt then the GXP may be the car you are looking for. Blazing fast (Car & Driver says 14.3 seconds in the quarter) with very good handling for a large front wheel driver. Yes, I know rear wheel drive is better for 10/10s driving, but be honest how often do you drive 10/10s? On the other hand I drive in the snow every winter and front wheel drive wins hands down there. The Heads Up Display is a hoot and watching it display direction to your destination from the nav system is extremely cool. Build quality pretty good, nice even gaps, no squeaks or rattles.

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  Two for two - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Paul - September 5 - 8:36 am

  After 4 problem-free years of driving a 1998 Sunfire ( bought used ), I purchased a 2005 4-door sedan in early 2005. Again, Ive enjoyed problem-free driving for the past two years. I noted several subtle improvements over my 98 model. Like many domestic products, I believe that the Sunfire has received an unfair rating from the so-called experts, who seem to be fixated on the supposed superiority of certain pet imports. The consistently very high ratings of Sunfire owners speak for themselves!

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  A Thank You to GMC - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By john v. diaz - September 3 - 10:00 am

  With just under 100k miles and 7 years of service,the only major repair to this vehicle has been a front wheel speed sensor with a cost of approximately $500 cost. Normal repairs has been, tires, battery, and serpentine belt. Its a shame that more buyers werent drawn to purchase this fine vehicle, since 2002 is its last year due to poor sales. But recommend that any people interested in a sports vehicle of this type check out any replacement that GM may offer in the near future.

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  GTP Rating - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By dr560 - September 3 - 9:26 am

  This car is fun to drive, but it has been a nightmare to maintain. We have kept up the maintnance, but it is just a break-down looking for a place to happen. We dont beat it. Security system died. Alternator left us stranded. Front headlamps fell out (X2) Rattles and squeaks (dealership could not fix). Valve cover gaskets (X3) Sunroof died at 6 years ($1,500+ to repair) Window actuator died Spider-web hood paint Shifter wore out at 6 years The car only has 85,000 on it and most of these items took place in the 55,000 range. The car is truly fun to drive, but it just has not been of the quality we expected, nor does it compare to other vehicles weve owned.

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  Pontaic 2002 Aztek - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Bingo sun - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I love it. It has some "fun" styling which tends to scare most people from it. But after they got rid of the plastic cladding, this thing is a dream. I would recommend a 2002 Aztek to anyone who want a 4x4 to off-road.

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  Blower Failures - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Ombray - September 2 - 2:00 am

  Our heater blowers keep failing. we are about to get our 6th. We dont use it much in summer and dont run it on hi very often. anyone else heard about this?

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  My Pontiac Grand Prix GT in less than a year... - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mohammadshakhtra@yahoo.com - August 31 - 4:27 pm

  This car is great dont get me wrong, I was just unlucky and bought a "lemon" I shouldve seen this coming as I did buy the car for only $2,000. When I bought mine I was led to believe it was in almost perfect condition. All I knew was that is had a bumper crack and that was all. But two weeks after owning it the battery went dead on me and that led to all my problems. Now here I am 10 months later and almost $2,000 into the car. And now I have to get rid of the car as now the transmission has gone out on me and I do not honestly feel like putting more money into it. I love this car so much dont get me wrong. I love the look and the speed from the supercharger. But I cant keep dumping money into it. I just thought Id share my story and to tell people dont shy away from this car! Just be careful when buying.

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  2007 Pontiac Solstice - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Kenneth R - August 31 - 1:33 pm

  This is an enjoyable car to drive, it hugs the road with ease, besides the excellent design features its also comfortable. At 240 pounds and 61", and 56 y/o I slide in and out of this compact with ease. The 2.4 liter engine is a little loud but it does have excellent acceleration. I have had an issue once with the differential leaking fluid, the dealer replaced it with any problems, the service department stated that this has been a problem and the new differential should correct the problem. At times I smell fuel, but Im unsure if its coming from my vehicle or from other cars on the road. Curious if anyone else have had these problems?

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  Amazing Car - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By cole_graham - August 31 - 1:06 pm

  This car is one of the best I have ever owned. Good bang for buck. The best MPG I have got is an average of 33MPG highway at a speed of 66MPH. But I average 20 city and 29 highway. Great performence as a daily drive. The only down side is that is is hard to find performance part for this car.