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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  Questions unanswered - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By LFT - January 21 - 3:16 pm

  The car needs work. It isnt too bad for the price, but the small 2.4L should get better MPG and the same old GM issues with never correcting anything exists.

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  Good Car for a Good Price - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ND_OLE - January 20 - 6:46 am

  After owning a 97 GASE coupe for 3 years I was thrilled to get my 03 GAGT SC/T coupe in December as a Christmas present to myself. I love the exterior design especially with the SC/T package. Mine is one of the few bright red SC/T coupes and it always gets attention whenever I take it out. Since this is my daily driver (I have a 100 mile/day commute to work) interior comfort was a must, and my GAGT doesnt disappoint. So far with 41k miles (bought it with 17.5K) the only thing to go wrong was the blower motor resistor, a typical problem for the 99+ GAs. Would definitely recommend this car to anyone who is looking for a sporty car on a budget.

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  Love it - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Ryan - January 19 - 8:13 am

  Have had this car for almost a year now. Only problem Ive had with it is the manifold gasket, other than that it is an excellent daily driver very reasonable on gas yet still has enough power to have a little fun. I love the simplicity of the interior design (I have the charcoal gray int.)

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  Looks are deceiving - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By johnsoka606 - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Great sound system, rides good, fun to drive, nice interior, very unreliable, electronic dashboard has bugs in it, not good gas mileage, alternators are bad

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  Great Car But...... - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By TNuss915 - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Brake noise! This is my 2nd GT. My first was a 2000. I love the car but wont buy another one, because the brake noise. It sounds like the pads are dragging but there not. Ive had it to the dealership several times and they say its because of what the rotors are made of. I have talked to other Grand Am driver and they have the same problem. It is annoying to the point that it ruins the car.

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  love it - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By berdonn - January 13 - 2:26 pm

  my experience has been wonderful i really love the way the car looks feels and handles. I am finding that i like driving it too much at the rate im going i will have the miles jacked up in a year.

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  Could be better - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By chestnuts - January 12 - 5:36 pm

  Having driven my new Torrent for about 4 months now, I do find a few annoying shortcomings. The controls on the Steering Wheel are terribly designed. The 3 cruise control buttons (and those for the radio too) are much too small for a mans finger! I must take off my eyes off the road and actually look to find the right button, then use my fingernails to activate the control button.In short, a terrible design. I now have 12,000 Miles on it and I am ready to replace the tires. Especially in rainy weather, a little acceleration and the wheels start to spin! No traction whatsoever -very disappointing. I feel car should have more power. In normal overtaking maneuvers,car moans and groans.

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  4 passenger corvette - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By BCWatty - January 12 - 3:56 pm

  I am a car-a-holic, my last 4 were a Lexus, MINI, M-B, and BMW. Always valued handling over horsepower - I never knew what I was missing. Not sure if I can go back. I was glad to find a GM product with some appeal; unfortunately, the lower portion of my rear bumper keeps falling off and dealer states this design defect is not covered under warranty (a unique strategy, car falls apart, blame the customer) cannot imagine being treated this way at Lexus dealership. Car is never fixed the first time and the wait for parts is in terms of months, not weeks or days. Cool car, but not very stylish when the bumper spends more time in my trunk than on the vehicle. There is no viable alternative.

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  Its a sweet car! - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Marie w - January 12 - 10:00 am

  I got my car 8 months ago, its been a pretty awesome car. Its got great pick up, and is pretty solid. Ive had to put a new condenser cord in. but thats with any older car.

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  Love this car !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Kenda - January 10 - 10:00 pm

  Overall i love this car. I bought a 96 grand am in 1999 and i loved it so much when i traded it in, it was for another grand am gt.I do have to say the first GA was built better, never had any noise, but with my 04GA there was a rattle noise...come to find out it was the rear bumper (a screw was loose). I just hope that when i get ready to trade this one in, Pontiac will still be making the Grand Am Gt Coupe.