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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  Well worth the ride! - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By docholliday1 - October 6 - 9:57 am

  Have had my GT for 9 years (was a year old when I got her) and havent regretted it. Fun to drive, plenty of power and great road handling. Major expense in all that time was the head gasket. Brakes need to be replaced more often than I was used to, and had to figure out the work-arounds for the fake codes that appeared a couple of times... but overall a fun and reliable car.

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  Pontiac G 6 V 6 - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By jd - October 5 - 8:00 pm

  The Pontiac G6 V6 is far superior to similar models that Japan, Korea or Europe sells in the USA. Great looks, excellent handling, great fuel economy (30+ open road mpg for our 3.5 V6), and overall quality. Another plus, it does not decide to run away by itself, like Toyotas.

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  Unexpected love - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Timberly - October 5 - 10:46 am

  I had a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am and I hated it! I told myself that I would never buy another Pontiac. After I totalled my Grand Am, I found this car and I convinced myself to buy it because it was super cute! I totally love this car! Its fun to drive! I feel so safe driving it! I love the interior lights on the dash.

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  the goat - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By busyduck - October 4 - 3:10 am

  i just bought one of these cars coming out of a toyota supra turbo to this is a different change but i think i like this one a lot more more refined and still has the import build on the vehicle with american muscle with both combined it doesnt get any better than this

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  Fun 2 drive terrible to fix - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By PEB - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car when it was about 3 years old. The car has good power and great excelleration, good to great handling depending on your tire selection. Electrical problems and nickle and dime repairs has plagued this car though.

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  Great Car - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Travis A. Filing - October 4 - 2:00 am

  What a great car! Fun to drive and reliable. My 2nd Bonneville and certainally not my last!

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  This car could double as a blender. - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Shaking - October 4 - 2:00 am

  I love the looks and the equipment. It is a lot of fun if you drive under 60 mph. At high speeds, the vibration will liquify your brain. The dealer has put three sets of tires on, replaced the front lower control arms, and road force balanced the tires at least six times. He now claims it is within GM specs, but the vibration is awful. Apparently, GM dose not have very high expectations for their cars.

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  Good car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By bob22 - October 4 - 2:00 am

  very fast and is very fun to drive and form 0 to 60 is fast but can be faster

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  Fast, Fun, but cheap interior feel... - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By John Mckee - October 4 - 2:00 am

  This car is a blast to drive and it is very forgiving and responsive at high speeds. The interior layout is excellent as far as the driver controls and my only complaint would be the cheap feel of the interior construction. If you are gong to get one of these (and I highly recommend it) you have to get the GTP with comp group "G". If you dont you will be sorry. I look forward to driving this car everyday, even to the store just to buy milk! The car is flat out FUN and will smoke the tires through an intersection if that is what you like to do, and that is with the traction control on. GM designers know what car enthusiasts like and they built it!

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  Aztek - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By Cambre65 - October 2 - 10:30 pm

  Runs great, would recommend it to anyone. Definitely designed for the 20 something crowd.