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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  Crazy Car.... - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By mjessup - July 7 - 5:13 am

  Loved this car...when I bought it still under warranty. Super fun. Good price. Great camping-getup. Cool features (heads-up display!!) Met all my needs for the 1st year. Then the warranty ended and Ive had nothing but problems. Like the others: Air conditioner out X2, Head Gaskets, Brakes X2, Various Engine Parts, Fuel Pump, and CRAZY mechanical problems that just wont quit (ie: lights come on and stay on when nothing is wrong, security system locks up and shuts everything off while driving, gauges spin in circles, headlights turn off, once OnStar even started talking to me..and Im not a subscriber... it really IS a Christine!!) Ive spent more in repairs than payments. Never again.

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  The light bright - 1999 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Bhart1990 - July 6 - 9:50 pm

  I bought my Bonneville, with 100,300, it now has 107,000 miles on it and since has been pretty solid. Shorty after i bought it wouldnt start, replaced the fuel pump and thinking that was it, turned out to be a air/fuel mix sensor, and havent had a problem since. knock on wood. I did think the tumbler went out but after some searching i discovered the shifter boot was blocking the park thing from releasing the key. What could have been an expense fix turned out to be nothing. Other than that this car has been fantastic. It hasnt had another problem since, no cursed manifold trouble yet. doesnt really rattle until i hit a bump really hard and even then its from time to time.

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  My first new car - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By DARLENE GREEN - July 6 - 1:06 pm

  I love driving my new torrent that was a gift given to me by my husband of 11yrs. I wish it had cruise control though. Cruise control should be installed including basic models. The winfdows should be tinted on the basic model as well. I am sure in the future these concerns will be addressed and changed.

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  Some Like it Hot - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Terri - July 3 - 11:23 am

  When I purchased this car,it had 165k miles. My Volvos pmts were $400.00 a month, and repairs on the Volvo were never less than $1000-$2000., just to keep it on the road! For the last three years. I was never told EXACTLY what was wrong, but they definitely wanted their money! Since the Pontiac purchase, I have replaced the ignition switch,$400.00, and now know that the intake manifold gasket will need to be replaced- the a/c needs to be fixed, and the passenger side windows no longer roll down- must fix soon. Live in MS! All this is STILL less than I have put into my USED Volvo over a one year period. I think that I will live with the Pontiac- did I mention that I purchased for $1000.00?

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  Too New To Know - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Too New To Know - July 2 - 10:03 pm

  Its a little too new to know everything aout my new Torrent, but am looking forwrd to learning more. Only have 450 miles, but have already driven in snow and ice and Torrent appears to handle well. Had a 98 AWD Astro minivan and loved the AWD feature. I also like sitting up a little higher than in a car. There does seem to be a bit of road noise, but that could be the 17" tires. Also, noticing little less visibility to the side and rear than I am used to and the gas mileage so far hasnt been as good as expected, but maybe thats just the break in period. Like I said, its too new to know everything.

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  Best Kept Secret - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By italian princess - July 2 - 10:00 am

  Im on my second Aztec now after ridding myself of a gas-guzzling uncomfortable, sluggish toyota 4runner. Fun to drive, comfortable,and decent gas mileage. Only complaint so far is that its underpowered for climbing hills, which is really not a problem in Florida. Back hatch sticks sometimes; still trying to get that resolved. Could have never gotten all the bells & whistles this has on a Toyota or Honda for the money. Im even starting to think that its not really that ugly on the outside anymore!

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  Ive waited for one of these for a long - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Ted - July 2 - 7:50 am

  I chose this car purely from lust. It helped that it was a bargain and in good shape. The styling of this car is first-rate, inside and out. Mine came with Camaro SS rims and 11" wide Goodyear F1 radials. It handles like a slot car. Fuel despite this, fuel economy is stil about 26 highway. The 3.4 litre engine may not be a LS1 but it moves the car nicely. The roof is dependable and leak-free. The engine is also, for that matter. Dash arrangement is excellent and includes all gauges. The adjustable lumbar is great, and leather int. is durable. Fit n Finish is good for Pontiacs, as well as quality of materials. cabin noise, etc is typical for a convertible sportscar.

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  97 GTP - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bribrad - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I Love this car. Its a high performace car with plenty of room. Its very sporty looking. The only thing that I can say bad about the car is having a few problems with the transmission, 4th gear overdrive.

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  I like it - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Kappamac63 - June 29 - 2:00 am

  The 99 Grand Prix is a very exceptional car. It offers many options, and outperforms the competition in performance and style. I chose it because its much easier to find, maintain, and buy than the foreign competition. I love my Prix GT.

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  99 Pontiac Grand am is a good car! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By nathan santorello - June 26 - 5:40 am

  overall this car is really reliable and nice to drive. Some pros about this car is that its small but big enough to pick up some friends with it and stuff like that. I go back and forth to college and it really works great. i have had no big probelms with it. it goes really good through the winter with studded snow tires. also had really great interior. some cons about this car is that the light bulbs on it for some reason go out like every two weeks and i have to keep on replacing them. and the tires lose air a lot and my low traction light keeps coming on, but it does not cause a real big problem. otherwise, its a great car!