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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  Early use, but promising! - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By Minivan Dad - February 13 - 8:06 am

  Having owned a 96 Voyager previously, we were VERY pleased with our Montana. The quality and materials are first rate and the build appears to be solid. We had to get the chrome wheels for $650 (pricey!)and werent allowed to exchange them for cheaper alloys due to the employee discount rules. The ride is butter smooth and the power adequate. With the employee discount, we feel that we received an excellent value for the money. A reccommended vehicle!

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  Lovin my G6 Hardtop convertible - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By GiGi - February 13 - 3:13 am

  Picked up my car on 5/01/06 had been awaiting its arrival since February 2006. I can truly say,"Im loving It". We took it to the mountains in Pennsylvania and to the shore on Long Island. It drives nice, has good Pick up, handles well and drives smooth. The top pops up or down in app 30 seconds and its beautiful to look at!!!!!! Pontiac did a very good job. I almost broght a toyota but I am SO...Happy that I waited until pontiac perfected the G6! It was definitely worth the wait!!!!!!!!!!!

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  LOve, Love, Love This Car!!!! - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Lydia - February 12 - 11:23 pm

  Bought this car with 20k on it. Thnis is my third Pontiac. Have had some electrical problems with this car, typical Pontiac! Had the transmission replaced before warranty was up, only other thing replaced was alternator at 64k. Been very reliable car(s).

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  What a car! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Lew - February 12 - 1:06 am

  Forget the small storage space and all the other minor complaints...its not a $35,000 sports car! What it is, is a car that is beautiful to look at and fun to drive. Ive had the car for about a month and put about 1000 miles on it. The pick-up is ample the ride is what youd expect in a roadster...the handling is great. You cant beat it for about $24,000 with most options. The only thing I wish...is for the weather to get warm, so the top can come down. Its a fantastic car!!

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  Great Car for the Money - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By AZEX - February 12 - 12:03 am

  When my 93 Geo Prizm died we needed a car, and fast. While the I was not excited about the Gran Prix at first I quickly saw for the money this was great buy. To get the 3800 V6 in a loaded Gran Prix was a steal compared to smaller foreign makes with 4 cylinders which were priced much higher than the Gran Prix. The car is fast, hugs the road, and is able to carry the family and all of our gear. The trunk is HUGE.

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  g6 is reason for gm failing - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By steve - February 11 - 7:06 pm

  Purchased this 08 g6 for my wife and it was a nightmare from the time we purchased it almost 2 years ago till we traded it in a few weeks ago. Premature brake failure on rotors and pads at 6000 miles, Pontiac says it was due to wifes poor driving habits and would not cover under warranty. Then the iceing on the cake was when the steering went out at 9,000 miles and I had had enough. If I had done my research on this car I would have seen that brake problems and steering failures are a common problem with the g6 and gm refuses to do anything about it.

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  2nd Montana - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By Gary - February 10 - 10:53 pm

  When I saw the employee pricing, I decided to trade my 03 Montana for a 05, but I could not find one that I wanted. Looked at the SV6, thought about it and got a loaded one. 4 weeks later it was on the road for a 4 week vacation in NE. 3 bikes on top, rear seats down, loaded to the gills. What a joy. DVD and the ability to multitask the sound system was great. Satellite radio! Where was it when I was driving cross county in 1980. Seems to be a little less elbow room in the front, but the change in the interior of the doors makes up for it. Plenty of storage space, like the removable storage compartment. Good for putting things away when parking in the city.

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  pontiac hits a home run - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Robert Dumont - February 9 - 7:06 pm

  On a recent 1200 mile trip this car performed flawlessly ,very comfortable as any autos out there. Gas mileage was 31.6 mpg when run at speeds of 75 to 80 all day.Ive had more complements on this car than i ever expected.I would strongly recomend this car to anyone who wants a near luxury car at a reasonable price.

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  Good Van - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By ISU FAN - February 8 - 10:00 am

  So far it has been a good, solid van. Love the sporty design and gas mileage. Much better van than a Caravan at a similar price. Windshield wipers are poor, but otherwise everything else is good. Also like the parking aid and stereo.

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  Hell of a car - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By iplayhockey24 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  Nice car wish i had the GTP for the extra 40 hp but sweet car for the everday driver its a fun good looking car that has room the two door that has the leg room of a full size 4 is nice in some cases overall besides some minor problems with my last one the car in general has been great