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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  Not a bad car, but... - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By daxx - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Pontiac for 7 years, and put over 120,000 miles on it. Its fairly comfortable, quick enough for daily driving and fun to drive. Reliability is... okay. Its had intake gaskets, power steering pump, fuel pump, water pump, power seat motors, front power windows replaced twice each, rear power windows replaced and a new BCM computer. It looks like junk with peeling clearcoat and disintegrating dashboard, but it starts first try and gets me to my destination with no fuss. Gas mileage averages mid-20s, but thats mostly my fault as I like making the V6 work hard.

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  G8 - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Krisi C - March 1 - 10:00 am

  My parents got me a G8 for my 16th birthday going on 2 years ago. My parents love it because of all the safety features but I love the way it looks. We have not had any trouble with it at all. I am very happy they chose this car!

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  Great first car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By easye93 - March 1 - 1:06 am

  I have a 2001 se 3.4 and its never let me down. Ive had it for 3 years, and my mom had it for about 4 years before that. It has 242,000 miles on it and its still going strong. It gets 30 mpg highway too. Ive replaced the coolant temp. sensor a couple times, brake pads and shoes, tires and a radiator hose since I got it, and no major repairs were done while my mom had it. Besides the rust behind the doors, it looks great as well.

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  Cmon Pontiac - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Blair - February 28 - 2:36 pm

  Ive my car for about 10 months and have had many problems with it. A month after having it my car started dying even thought a month earlier a new battery was put in. I ended having to buy a new battery for it. Then in 11/08 the car started making noises. Every time I would accelerate or turn my car to the left. It sounded as if the suspension was about to come apart as still does it today. 5 days ago when I was driving the engine light was lit up and the engine pow reduced light also came up. My MPG reduced from 40 to 15 and my car eventually stalled. I took it into the shop and had it fixed. I drove it home and did it again and is now sitting in my drive way while I figure out what to do

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  Love It! - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Paul Wall - February 28 - 6:46 am

  I bought my Trans AM in October and the only thing that had to be replaced so far is a transmission bracket. i love driving my car and would recommend it to anyone who asks! The car had 85,000 miles on it when I bought it and gets around 18 mpg if you keep your foot out of it (which is much easier said than done). One thing that do not like is the lack of aftermarket visual parts for the car.

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  great pontiac - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Nebbieman - February 27 - 12:36 pm

  This car gets looked at all the time,looked at the sport red but wife spotted the pacific slate metallic and sold me on it.runs and handles great power reminds me of muscle car days to bad gm stop doing them

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  Fun car! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By MSR - February 26 - 2:46 pm

  I purchased my brand new 05 Vibe about a week ago. I was looking for a "family car" that had plenty of room, a great safety review, and a reliable build. The Vibe has all that, and is also a blast to drive. Its utilitarian.. theres plenty of room for all your stuff, and the rear seats fold down to give you a huge amount of cargo room. Its also a gas sipper, mine gets about 29/34 mpg on regular gas.. a plus with the insane fuel prices right now. It also features a Toyota engine and drivetrain. Much of the car is designed by Toyota, and it shares many parts with its "sister" auto, the Toyota Matrix. There were a lot of nice options included for the price too, it was a great overall value.

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  Four Doors of Fun - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Trexler - February 25 - 10:50 am

  This car is very impressive, and fun to drive. The four doors dont take away from the looks or performance. 0-60 is plenty quick, and the handling is very impressive. Heads up windshield display, tap shift transmission, and virtually every power option available in a car make the comfort endless.

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  Thanks Pontiac - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Loubigfish - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Hi, I purchased this vehicle some years ago and I am very satisfied with the car. Nice styling and lines, reliable and turns heads.... I like the steering wheel controls and the traction suspension. normal wear and tear... only major problem was a belt in the transmission.

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  Finally Arrived from GM - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Lead Foot Grandfathe - February 25 - 2:00 am

  This is a great looking car, which handles extremely well. Stopping power is excellent. This is my 18th General Motors product, most of which have been Pontiacs, Bonneville SSEs and SSEi. This is the best put together car that I have ever owned from General Motors. Everything fits exactly the way it is supposed to, from interior to exterior.