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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  Grand Prix - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Heather - March 7 - 9:26 pm

  My car has alot to offer. We travel alot so w/ 2 kids we need alot of room. The trunk is great the way we pack we needed the room. The kids have plenty of leg room in the back. I myself have plenty of room in the driver seat. Overall great car w/alot of room.

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  Disgruntled Customer - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Margie - March 6 - 5:56 am

  I would stay away form this car as well as the Matix. I loved this car until last week. I only have 51,000 miles on my 2003 5-speed maual Vibe. It died on the highway. My differential went out and I had to replace my transmission and clutch for $3100 which my mechanic also said wasnt in good shape. I didnt take out the extended warranty because its a Toyota. I just got it back and now my check engine light is coming on. Another Problem? Even though I still owe on the loan, Im thinking about getting rid of it and going back to the Honda Civic.

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  Excelent car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By donmal - March 5 - 2:00 am

  The car is good. I usually bought foreign cars, but after test driving the GTP in 1998 I fell in love, and; no- more foreign cars for me. The 04 Grand Prix is not the best looking car on the market one must admit but it worth the price for the package

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  Brand NEW CAR for $12,500 - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By krzy4bmx - March 4 - 10:00 am

  This little car cant be beat for the bang for the Buck. I looked for 3 months and couldnt find anything close to the features of this car for the money.. auto, Powersunroof, kickbut stereo and head turning lines. Sure you wouldnt want to take a family vacation in it but for getting to work and cruising around town you cant go wrong. I dare you to find a car with this much to offer for what theyre getting.

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  excellent - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By zexerking - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I have had a wonderful time driving my grand am gt.Very reliable,i admit i have a heavy foot, i put my my car thru hell and back every week pbut it never fails me.I am extremely happy with my grand am.

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  Great Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By silver bullet - March 4 - 1:20 am

  I purchased this car from my sister-in- law who purchased it new! I have owned it for about 3 yrs and have great luck with it. I just replaced the original battery (8 1/2 yrs old) not bad. i have had trouble with the psgr window but everything cant be perfect all the time, heck they cant even get my pizza order right 1/2 the time :) just relocated, drove the car 550 miles averaged 34.9 miles on hwy and get 23-24 around town. Currently have 75K and looking forward to another 75K!

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  2000 SE (Automatic Transmission option) - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By teravain - March 2 - 1:11 pm

  Over all the 2000 Grand Am has been an excellent car. Mine has over 200k miles on it with 185k of them put on by me. The car lasted up until about 189k then one of the cylinders dropped to 60% pressure and I cant use the AC when I am stopped at a stop sign or the engine will stall. Paint started peeling at the bottom of the front doors after 8 years of driving on a dirt road at 45 miles per hour for 2 miles per day. The front dash has started to lift a little from the sun light hitting it the last 11 years, and driver side window button is finally starting to act up. At 13k this car has lived up to all my expectations.

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  used to love this car! - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By disppointed - February 27 - 2:00 am

  This was a great car until it turned over 75,000 miles. Have had some very expensive repairs in the past few months (EGR, fuel injection system) and at 80,000 miles it just doesnt drive so well anymore. I am going to sell it ASAP before it costs me anymore money!

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  Good car, Resale Not Good - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By pontiacdude4 - February 27 - 1:25 am

  2007 with 85,000 with no problems, minor issues. The engine rattles with AC on, steering wheel issues under warranty, radio knobs wear off. But the interior, although plasticky, lasts and the seats covers are durable. Seats are tough, not very comfortable, exterior styling is great, interior pretty good, too. Automatic start is great. Mileage is good, I have the 4 cylinder and get 25 overall (22/29??). For a 4 cylinder its fast. Have XM Sirius which is awesome ($16/mo), I recommend it in any vehicle. Depreciation, though, is off the chart, I am very upside down. Best to buy this car used with 40-60,000 miles for like $7 grand.... Im selling mine, taking a hit, getting nervous bout miles.

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  Good car but room for improvement - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By 06G5GT - February 26 - 5:33 am

  My 1st car and just clicked over 13000k and so far the car has been good through the summer and very reliable in winnipegs -40 weather.Brakes rust really badly and look terrible behind the revealing rims.This car is tough to upgrade power wise without putting alot of money into it,it can handle bolt ons but anything more and you will need new injectors and a tune that will void your warrenty.Premium fuel is recommended and it shouldnt run without it if u want optimum performance, but with the price of gas its getting harder to afford the extra 10-15 cents per liter.Gas mileage is so so i get about 24mpg all city.Overall very good car in 5 speed very fun and i recommend it!