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:

• 

  a few problems but Id buy it again - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By nah1978 - December 12 - 9:23 am

  I bought my 2002 AWD used with 25k and it is now up to almost 60k. Just a warning, be prepared to replace both the front wheel bearings at some point. I have done some research on the internet and this seems to be about the most common major problem with the vehicle. I was just out of warranty and it cost me about 400 bucks to do both. Even so I love this vehicle. You can get a good deal on them since some people dont like the looks. I just tinted all the windows and put a grill guard on and it looks awesome. It handles great, good MPG for an SUV (lower to mid 20s), plenty of room, good for hauling people or just flip the seats up and you can haul a ton of cargo.

• 

  Excedllent used car, fun to drive! - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GiGi - December 11 - 9:46 pm

  I needed another car, wasnt in a position to buy a new car right, saw this car and liked it right away. Ive always liked the Grand Prix, they look so darn good. Ive only had mine for a couple of months but so far I have put about 1500 miles on it and have had no problems with it even though it is a 9 year old car. The previous owner took care of it and I love to drive it. It has power when I need it. It is roomy enough for my three children, it feels like a big car on the inside but it is sporty looking on the outside. It burns more gas than my previous car, which is to be expected since my Mazda was a 4 cylinder and this is a V6. I just love this car.

• 

  I enjoyed it but..... - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By formergrandamowner - December 11 - 2:00 am

  The car handled great, and the responsiveness was great. I was not very satisfied with the quality though. Had a leak from day one that the dealer could not find, finally turned out to be sun roof drains. The brakes wore out quickly under normal conditions, as did the struts and related parts. At trade in time, I got less than half the cost of the car, (my fault) but feel the car should have held its value a little better.

• 

  Great buy for performance - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Daniel Goosen - December 10 - 5:33 pm

  Awesome car for the money, solid and fun to drive. I have owned three Grand Prixs 97 to 2000. This is the first Grand Am GT1, great little car with great get up and go!

• 

  Diminishing reliability - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Wayne - December 7 - 3:36 am

  I bought the car used with 70,000 miles. Soon, it developed a cracked plastic intake manifold. It ran well, with few repairs until 140,000. In the past 10,000 miles, I have put over $2,200 in repairs into it, including front wheel bearings, several coil packs, a number of expensive electronic sensors, and I dont doubt the famously weak GM tranny will be next, at $1,600 to rebuild. I wish I could go back a year and dump it for a Toyota. Over the past 22 years, I have owned 4 GM cars and a Dodge, and I swear my mechanic owns a 401K with my name on it.

• 

  Fuel for my soul - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By DaleMF - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Does it have th eall around build quality of a Lexus or Audi? No. A perfomance machine equal to a BMW? No. But for the price, the size, the features, its hard to beat. It turns heads, the engine is wonderful, and its American. I dont need the glitz of a German badge. This one suits me just fine, thank you. And I really cant wait for the next generation.

• 

  2001 Grand Am GT - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Corey - December 5 - 10:16 pm

  I bought this car in August for $7500.00. By the month of October the pwr window regulator went out. The Tranny went out at 114,000 miles in febuary. $2800 to repair. other than these fixes its a fun car but buyer beware.

• 

  Cute, but not as stable as our Suburu - 2008 Pontiac Vibe
  By AM - December 4 - 1:00 am

  Defintitley notice the change going from a Forester (AWD) to the Vibe. It handles slick roads rather poorly, spinning the wheels as we turn corners on wet roads. But the mileage has ranged from 24 mpg city to 36 highway, doing better than our old Forester. Very cute and hip! Love the size and larger backseat.

• 

  Still Like mine - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Roj - December 3 - 9:13 pm

  1)Every now and then i would hear the double chime over the stereo and "Power Steering" warning message would flash across the display.I am still not able to locate the compartment to add fluid . 2) Now i am at 100,000, went away for a week, came back and now i have an intermittent problem where my brake pedal sits high at times. When this happens the braking is very sensitive,but shims(Shakes) right and left when braking.I have replace the front pads that seemed to help. Still like my car though ..Drives great ,fuel efficiency is excellent in my opinion. I plan to keep mine for awhile ..

• 

  A cut above for those who settle for no less - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By pontibonnie - December 3 - 9:11 am

  This is a pretty great car, although i have had for a short time only. I bought it in Nov/2013 with 95,000km (57,000mi) it was completely rust free and fit the price, It needed new air ride shocks in the back, but other then that it was practically new. In the 2 months i have owned it, it has performed well, although the passenger rear door lock has stopped working, otherwise though nothing has broken. it does have its issues, sure, what car doesnt. however, i think it is a great machine for a great price these days and i really am thrilled with my purchase and i encourage anyone looking for a fun, reliable cool looking car to not pass up the 2000-2005 Bonnevilles, theyre great :)