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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  Good gas & reliable - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Jay - February 4 - 4:26 pm

  I bought this car when it was just reaching 10 years old. Ive had to do only minor work on it and it still gets great fuel economy. Runs good, but the fuel pump can be a little noisy. Handles great and an ok ride. Otherwise one of the best cars Ive ever bought. Perfect for an home and back type car.

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  Driving Excitement - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Judith - February 4 - 10:36 am

  I had purchased this vehicle in October 2006. I traded in my 1996 Pontiac Grand Am gt for it. I walked into the showroom and I fell in love with this car when I laid my eyes on it. It looks and drives awesomely. It hauls. People have underestimated this car until I have proved it.

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  Fun - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By megz629 - February 4 - 2:30 am

  This car has been very good to me, I bought it used, being the second owner. All I have had to do to the car, is a new battery and new tires. Its fun to drive, gets pretty good gas mileage too. Sound system is great, pretty much enjoy the car overall.

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  88K-5+ Years: Going Great. - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By IndyLee - February 3 - 11:36 pm

  First was my wifes car. Became mine last year. Great road car. Wish we could get 27-29 mpg, best ever 26.5 on highway. Got rid of full-size pick-up and took over the Aztek ... not a bad deal. Few negatives, lots of good stuff. Stereo rocks. Pull out tray in rear is wonderful. If they still made them, wed buy another.

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  Great vehicle - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By iamian - February 3 - 5:54 pm

  This vehicle performs much better then I had anticipated. I had heard so much about the torque steer during acceleration and was very pleased when I actually got behind the wheel and pounded the peddle a few times. There is a fair amount of torque steer but if you have both hands on the wheel its actually very mild. This car also goes very very fast, very very quickly. 0-60 in 5.7 is no lie. The interior is very comfortable. The heated seats and lumbar support make driving long periods almost enjoyable. Gas mileage was a concern for me with the v8 but I see 28-33 mpg pretty consistently when I cruise control around 70-75. The gas mileage you get from this car is based solely on how you drive

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  8 years ... $0 in repairs - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By pjk - February 1 - 8:56 pm

  Knock on wood. So far our "99" Pontiac Montana has been just about flawless and has not cost us one red cent in repairs so far. We bought it new and are very pleased with this Van. We had some minor problems that were fixed when taking it in for inspections at not cost to us. We had a minor leak in the rear hatch.. one of the seat switches was replaced which we really didnt know was bad and the sliding door was recalled to have it recalibrated the door has never failed. The van still looks like new and still has its original exhaust. We get a easy 25 mpg on the road. We will be buying a new vehicle next year... we will most likely buy another GM v

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  Car is Back for Pontiac - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By brian - January 31 - 11:16 pm

  This is the best Pontiac car ever. I think it blows away the gto by comparison and has a huge trunk and back seat. Head room is miles long and for a 63" 240 pound guy i am sooo comfortable while driving i strongly recommend.

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  Reliable Sport Compact. - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By MATT - January 31 - 10:00 pm

  Gets reasonable mileage, Fun to drive, Sporty if outdated styling.all the original options work including the cruise control.

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  Whats up with the radiator - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Pat - January 31 - 10:30 am

  When we got this car it had 300,000 miles on it. It had set under a tarp in a garage for the past 3 years. Within a month I had to replace two tires. Within two months I had to put in the shop for almost two weeks for radiator problems. Major overheating especially in slow traffic and while idling. Shop changed three or four things and cleaned out radiator. Its still overeheating. Also we have water coming into the car from under the dash especially when raining. Windshield was replaced; didnt help. Now we;ve lost two window motors. It gets me from A to B and gas mileage is great but Ill never have another. Its not worth the $2200.00 I have to pay.

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  WOW! - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By leotus - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Went with the leather. It is holding up really nice. Get the heated seat option if ya live up north like myself!! Very impressive to drive...hugs the road like a child does an icecream cone. Just wished I would have got the on-star package is the only drawback.