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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  Great coupe for the money - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By John - March 7 - 10:43 am

  I find this to be a very solid, great handling and fun to drive car. There is more then the rated horsepower available, especially considering the cars 3800 lbs. and it runs great!! I would advise i bought this NOT looking for a maintenance free car - it waas cherry but i replaced the coolant with NON DEX_COOL and a lower-tem thermostat - its a GM thing you need to correct but the engine will last foever - im a mechanic and trust me it will save you TONS of trouble. Ive seen GMs like this take some serious abuse and keep on going!!!

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  high tech - 4 dr rocket ship - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By s nemeth jr - March 6 - 3:40 am

  have about 5k miles on it now.no squeaks,rattles or faults.try to find that in a new car today !.if you start to compare -you will see that the g-6 has things to share with the new 05 cadillac sts ! no power steering pump drive by wire throttle .high tech bladeless wiper sytem. remote start,thought would not use it but i do every day ,great way to col down inside car in this hot sarasota ,fl days one of the best cars i have owned better than my 01 olds aurora priced at $34,500. this car was $21.530 .

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  This stopped me from ever trusting GM - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Mitch - March 6 - 3:36 am

  Ive owned it for 3 months and the intake gasket was done when I bought it but now its my problem. Head gasket just went and I pretty sure its going for scrap, as Im not rich! I had better luck with my rusty 91 Astro. All it needed was a y pipe. I would have been better to go with a Ford Taurus wagon for the family, oh well live and learn. I always wanted a Pontiac ever since I was little cause I new they were built better and stronger than GM but now theyre garbage and I will never buy Chevy or Pontiac again!

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  great sports car - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By r.rudiger - March 5 - 1:16 pm

  This car is fun to drive!! I had a 60 vet. when I was younger.This car reminds me of those great times.Only had it about 2 weeks,so not sure of the fuel economy, but who cares. Highly recommended.

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  This Car Has Been Great! - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By kcx1992 - March 4 - 5:44 pm

  Over all this car has been so realiable to me. The body was in rough shape when I got the car, but it just keeps running. I bought the car in Summer 2010, it is now spring 2013, the car has 178,478 miles on it! Still kick ass. Ive only had to replace a water pump (15 Dollars Brand New, Advanced Auto Parts), a starter (50 Dollars Brand new Ebay), & When I bought it the driver side window never worked. 70 dollars and an ebay search got me all new parts for both driver and passenger windows. Both work flawlessly now! also got two brand new headlights for 60 bucks, wasnt needed but wanted. LOVE THIS CAR! Still driving this car!

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  Solid, Reliable, Affordable - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Morris N - March 3 - 3:13 pm

  Weve had our Vibe for 5 years, and my wife drives it primarily around to & from work. The AWD is marvelous in the winter on packed snow & ice; much better than simply a front wheel drive vehicle. Mechanically, its solid. Interior is adequate for 4 adults, or 2 adults & 3 kids. Im 62" and I have plenty of headroom and leg room. The 4 cylinder engine has to work going up hills when in cruise, but the transmission shifts down and maintains speed. Still, I cant complain when we still get 25-28 mpg on the road with an AWD. Its a great package for the price, especially if you do winter driving.

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  Great Car Would buy Another!!!!!!!!!!! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By bobby - March 3 - 2:00 pm

  Got This car 7mo ago it is a 2004 pontiac grand am v 6 3.4. the car rides smooth and is a great car never had to put anything into this car just gas, and just change the oil thats it. this car is a very reliable vehicle.fun to drive. Would recommend to anyone.

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  Still going - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jddkkd - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned this car now for 7 years and 140,000 miles. The last 2 years it has been driven by my teenage daughter. She shows it no mercy, but it keeps going without problems. Only major repair of note was replacing the water pump at 75,000 miles. (rather expensive repair for a water pump). Car is excellent on the ice and snow. It has never failed to start or died on the road. Very inexpensive, reliable transportation.

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  Sunfire - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By CARR - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Not the most comfortable car, and steering is a bit tricky. The car seems to jerk slightly going into a curve, and always has. Very reliable, ok power.

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  Has anyone had this problem? - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By John - March 1 - 9:03 pm

  Love the car, but...there is a rattle noise in the right rear quarter. Very annoying. Rear back seat rattles also. Sounds like Im driving a popcorn machine. Rattles occur whether or not top is down. Makes no difference. If youve had this problem and it was fixed, let me know what was fixed. First dealership I took it to had no clue. I now have it at another dealership. Another issue is torque steer. When I get on it, hard to control the steering wheel. Anyone else experience this. Remedy, or than not getting on it? LOL.