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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  Good all around car - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By JaSu - May 21 - 10:00 am

  Great reliable car. Had problems with power steering pressure line. Dash squeaks and rattles. Shifting cable snap rings and rubber gromets fell off. Front seats could use some lumbar support. Noise in steering unit. Exterior chrome strips fading. Floor mats could be more dependable. Engine very dependable and powerful for a four cylinder w/ 5-speed. Nice gauges and dash design. Good car!

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  Fun to drive! - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GPFan - May 21 - 10:00 am

  My car has about 85,000 miles on it. The performance, comfort, and styling in general are great. However, even though Ive taken excellent care of my car, Ive had around 3,000 in general repairs over the past year. My headlight lenses went 1st - Apparently the glue used to hold them on the headlight assembly dry rots, and they can fall off. But, you cant buy just the lenses. The blower motor and resistor - for the interior vents needed replacement. Also, about a month ago, my brake calipers went bad in front. At present, its in the shop getting its transmission fixed, and the upgraded parts - which is by no means cheap. I dont want to scare anybody, the cars really been great.

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  This car rocks... - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By Maureen Shaw - May 21 - 10:00 am

  I have always been a huge fan of the Firebird and while I own an older 1991 it did not deter me in any way from acquiring a (sister) for her.Not only is the handling in this little beauty as good as it could be it gets better the body style, engine and comfort FAR outweigh anything I could have imagined. .I test drove a 91 when they first came out and scared the wits out of the poor dealer at the time so now naturally I own one.I get a lot of compliments on my older one and I have to admit I do prefer my older one but for sheer horse power and comfort I have to say you people at Pontiac DONT horse around when it comes to STYLE!! Keep up the great work!!

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  Love It - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Dave - May 20 - 7:26 am

  I absolutely love my Vibe. The mileage is great and there is plenty of room for my family of three. You cant beat Toyota quality at a Pontiac price!

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  Return of the G.O.A.T. (GTO) - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Sailmaker - May 20 - 2:16 am

  This car is amazing. The raw horsepower makes it want to scream out of every gear shift. To have 400 horsepower out of dealer is remarkable.

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  Love my collectors item! - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Carol Jarvinen - May 19 - 2:33 pm

  Sadly, this car (or any Pontiac) is no longer made, but if a used one is being considered, I highly recommend it.

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  Glad to have had this for my first car. - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Zdebedout - May 18 - 10:50 pm

  I would say if your thinking about getting this car then go for it. My grand am has been great to me iv owned it for 4 years and only had to put about $600 in repairs while having 138,000 miles on the car. this car is very reliable and to be honest actually way cooler then i first thought. For a cheep everyday driver it is fast and fun all while using regular gas and not hurting my bank. One thing that i found to be great is that there is actually a community around this car and entire website devoted to custom grand am. just google custom grand am and you will find it. i love my grand am. not to mention the car has held its value greatly i paid $1,700 for mine and found that in its condition i could sell it for up to $2,500 after just fixing a few things and owning it for 3 whole years.

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  I love my car! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Kiley - May 18 - 3:06 am

  I absolutely love this car! Aside from its stylish looks - for a 4 door its very sporty, it handles like a charm and is so much fun to drive. The gas mileage is great and the interior setup is user friendly. As a current owner of an 02 Grand Am GT, I find this car much easier to maneuver, better on gas and much more fun to drive. This ones a keeper!

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  All around good car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By wally012006 - May 17 - 3:26 pm

  I just bought my grand prix. Aas far as i can tell it is a good car, power when you need it, power when you dont, handles real well, nice seats, dash, and radio. I havent had a problem with it and others I know who own one have not either.

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  Great car after rattles fixed - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By JimV - May 16 - 5:20 am

  My dealer located the car I wanted, granite grey with ebony-morocco interior...sharp! The day I drove it off the lot though, the roof rattled loudly and didnt retract. I returned it immediately and I have to give the dealer credit. They apologized profusely, gave me a loaner, and repaired/adjusted everything in a few days. On top of that, the dealer worked w the Pontiac factory rep and extended my bumper to bumper warranty from 36K to 60K and even picked up the cost of the rubber mats I had ordered. The car is now totally rattle free and rides much smoother than I had expected and is quite quiet. Power is adequate and mpg is livable. (Im used to an 350 hp Accord with 29 mpg).