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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  Fun and Reliable - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By RedMersady - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Sunfire Convertibel for 4 years and have loved it every minute. It has alot of pep for a 2.4 ltr engine. It looks like a much more expensive sports car...definitely doesnt look like any other compact car Ive ever seen. Id definitely recommend it!

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  Never again - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Kevin Nadai - April 26 - 2:00 am

  From day one we had little bits of interior pieces break and/or fall off. Powertrain warranty only 36 months. Transmission destroyed itself at 42,000 miles. Very poor customer service and support. Even though Pontiac admitted the failure was "unusual" and NOT related to abuse or maintenance, it still took over six months to receive any compensation from Pontiac in the form of 60% of the cost of the repair.

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  Supercharged Excitement - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jduff72 - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I upgraded my GTP to the SLP Ram Air GTX, with the added exhaust. This car is about the most fun you can have for under $35,000! There was a recall on the starter, which had already failed in my vehicle at 10,000 miles. The transmission blew at 65,000 miles. Fortunately, I have an extended warranty. Anyway - the car is blast to drive, but I question the reliability of the vehicle. If you drive it like a sportscar, expect high maintenance costs. The paint also chips very easily. Its the best car with 6 cylinders made by an American company.

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  Disappointing 04 GP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JDCar - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Im really disapointed...only 5 exterior colors. Wheel design is poor. Styling is as bluh as you can get. A change was way way over do, but I was hoping after 7 years Pontiac would have done a better job. The "cloth" interior looks cheap...like it came out of a striped down pick-up. What were they thinking??? Is GM trying to go out of business???

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  Love my vibe! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Sara - April 26 - 1:00 am

  Just got my new Fusion Orange Vibe and I LOVE it. Almost bought at Matrix, dealer got a little nasty when we said we were going to look at the Vibe. Saw my baby on the Lot and I was hooked, got a great deal with the moons & toons and on-star package already in car. Didnt think I cared about the moon roof but now I love it. Smooth drive, seems to get great mileage, love the wide front window, great viewing area (compared to my old Jimmy). Just FUN to drive at 52 years old, feel like a kid with my first car!!

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  Great Car! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Birdman - April 25 - 9:50 pm

  I traded in an 05 Corvette Coupe for this car, due to relocation and change of jobs. (Yeah-huge task of competing with a Vette!) But seriously, this car has beat all my expectations. The gas mileage is great! I bought the electric blue color, and love it. I knew it would be an adjustment going from a vette, to a G6, but this car has made it pretty easy! Im very pleased with the way it drives and handles, and the leather seats (in my opinion) are better than the vettes were! Very Happy!! and i would recommend!!

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  Worth The Value! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Wild Cherry - April 25 - 2:40 pm

  This car is very well built. We drove the Nissan Altima also. The G6 drove better, was quieter, and quality of workmanship was much better. This car is well worth the money

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  Great deal - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By ANJERS - April 24 - 5:10 pm

  This is my 2nd Sunfire (1st one was totaled in an accident). It now has 120,000 miles on it and it still runs beautifully! I had my tranny serviced on it the other day just to keep it healthy and my mechanic was very much impressed w/my car. Had it looked over completely and it is still in amazing condition. The takeoff from a stop is suprisingly quick and has lots of balls for such a small engine. Love it!!

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  Buy something else - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Brian - April 23 - 5:23 am

  I loved my new G6 the first couple months, then alot of problems happened. First the headlight gasket split leaving moisture in my light. Then I experienced shaking and a knocking noise when braking. Also my sunroof had a leak plus I have a really annoying squeaking noise somewhere around my dash which my dealership still has not fix. So buyer beware!!! I cant believe I traded in my Camaro for this car. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!

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  Bang for your buck - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By Capt. Gary - April 23 - 2:00 am

  For the money, there are few cars in the WORLD which look, handle, and perform like a T/A! GM put most everything into the LS1 and the BW 6- speed tranny. I have the traction control which I leave on! I must be doing something right for at 25K miles, theres tread on the tires and I have never had a SINGLE problem. This car is excellent for eating asphalt. Ive had it in 6th on the highway and its just like an automatic. At 70 mph on cruise (EXCEPT "just accelerating to pass..."), I get over 25 mpg. These cars are a STEAL as used cars! Right now, you can pick one up for less than KBB trade. I plan to keep driving either a T/A or SS as long as I can find them! THESE cars are great!