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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  Grand Am - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jeff24135 - June 30 - 8:33 am

  Great car for anyone. Lotsof interior room especially in the back considering its a two door car.

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  Runs good decent mileage looks - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By jazbo01 - June 30 - 3:06 am

  My wife bought this car with 20K on it a yr old. It has 75k on it now the car shakes VIOLENTLY when you brake from highway speeds always has. In the snow.. what happened to the ETS off button from the grand ams..you cant get any momentum in deep snow. it rides like a rock you cant spin the tires in deep snow and braking on ice.. abs is wayyyy to sensitive. now the heat went out on her.. i took a look and found very low coolant levels. I am a certified auto tech and I drive a toyota 4x4, my wife will have a yota before spring. Every GM I have owned i have not been happy. for a truck I have dodge-no issues for everyday toyota 4runner-incredible, no wonder GM is in trouble..but runs good go gm

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  Not Happy - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By John - June 25 - 7:13 pm

  This car was great for the first 50K miles then things started to fall apart. The catalytic converter went out at about 55K, and the transmission started operating real sloppy. From there the transmission went downhill. The transmission had a certain lag when you needed to accelerate and it started making funny noises. At 85K the transmission started dropping into gears and continued to sound worse. I just got rid of it before things got worse.

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  Solid Performance Sedan - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By MarkK - June 23 - 9:30 pm

  I had the power steering pump replaced at 21000 miles. I had the outside rubber/plastic lining at the base of the windshield replaced at 30,000 miles. The fuel economy isnt the best but it has 260 HP and 280 ft/lbs. of tourque, so I expected it. I get around 23 miles per gallon average on mostly highway driving. Im almost 6 4" and just barely fit in the car (It has a moon roof which lowered the roof line). Regardless, its a fun ride with very good acceleration and decent handling. The fold down front seat is a nice addition. The trunk is large. Overall, Im happy with the car for the price.

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  2004 Aztek - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By gogoclown - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought this "truck" to replace my van. Didnt realize the reach over the back end. Also, didnt realize how impairing the strip through the back window could be. Lots of blind spots in this vehicle. When it rains or snows....the back window gets yucky with no way to clean it. I havent driven it during snow, but theres no way to get rid of snow on the big back window, either. My experience with the sliding rear cargo tray....I took it out after 3 days. What a waste of space. And...when I went to roll the cargo tray out of the back, all the stuff that was on it rolled back into the car.

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  Not a bad car, I like it. - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By Adam - June 22 - 9:00 am

  This car is fun to drive. The engine is powerful. It kinda lack stability when you take of fast. The exterior looks really good, but the interior lacks a lot of options. GM need to step their game up a notch with the pontiac interior. if you want a luxury car, dont buy this. If you want a car with options, dont buy it either. buy the pontiac if you like a smooth sport ride.

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  More Good Than Bad - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By jpollock - June 20 - 7:03 pm

  I purchased this 2000 Pontiac Montana new. Features power sliding door, climate control, power seats, etc. Payed $32k new for it, not worth that much, maybe close to $20k. All GMs vans had problems, this is by far the best out of the three though. There are about 127k miles on it now, its still running ok, but needs new head gaskets soon, so will be trading in shortly. For the most part the quad seating and roomy interior was a great van for a family of four and the dog!

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  Pontiac Grand Prix - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By S Smith - June 18 - 11:03 am

  Great responsiveness upon acceleration. Monsoon stereo makes driving a pleasure. Pontiac stepped up and subsidized the conversion to aluminum caps. Drive 20K + miles per year - best car Ive driven.

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  Awesome - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By James West - June 18 - 10:00 am

  Handles great. I love the outside design. It has the kind of power and speed you love for touch and go situations. I could drive it all the time. I feel like I have been in a commercial where I make excuses to take a drive anywhere. It is an awsome car.

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  total dismay - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By badoogi - June 16 - 10:00 am

  In 3 days after the purchase, it breaks down. The car would not start. The dealership did not respond quick enough. the 24hour assistance was just horrible. I was stranded on busy two - lane street (Ave of stars in Century city, L.A.). at 1 p.m. The service technician sent from the dealer arrived at the scene at 7:00 p.m. The guy did not even know where Century city was. To make it worse, he could not fix the problem. Then, I called the 24 hour road side assistance at 8;00 P.M. The towing truck driver arrived at 10:10 P.M. It has been the worst day of life and this is all because of one stupid, crappy car.