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 CAR...BAD REAR END - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Joey Cips - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Put in an EATON high performance posi traction rear. can beat the car all day.. will never break again. the original Auburn diff. is crap. broke a spider gear on day one. Eaton diff is a vast improvement for great traction and durability. the rest of the car is top notch. only problem was a leaky intake gasket.. $475 to fix. both windows are slow, but work. KYB shocks make a huge difference in handling. that is it.. the rest is stock with 35,000 miles on it. almost forgot.. the hypertech power programmer3 did wonders for acceleration and shift point changes. I recommend it.

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  Been more flawless than most - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Cheez - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Bought as a primary vehicle in 2001, with 44,000 miles on it. Has served excellent now approaching 80,000 miles. My 3rd overall Firebird, and definitely favorite. Plenty of room for my 63, and extremely comfortable on long hwy drives. It moved to nice weather only car the past year with only about 3,000 miles put on it, but with no noticable deterioration.

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  my crazy driver - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By nicoel - January 31 - 2:00 am

  the car is nice inside and out it has a lot of power

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  Hoping they will make it right...... - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Not happy in NC - January 31 - 2:00 am

  Van has been in shop 3 times in two weeks. My ABS light came on and the AWD disengaged was told not to drive it. Hauled in on a flat bed. Dealer tried turning off lights I drove it less than a mile and the lights came back on. I and drove it back in, they cleaned the sensor head, I drove it 40 miles the brakes locked up and lights came back on. Hauled it in again. They tell me now it is ready and they were told by GM to replace the hub on the left front wheel and something else was replaced but Im not sure what. Told it was fixed. Well see.

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  Nice Car-loosed value fast - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By VWM - January 31 - 2:00 am

  I really like this car but I mean is it possible to loose value that fast on a brand new car? I have had this thing for almost 2 years and another dealership offered me $6700 for it. I mean come on 2 years ago this thing cost 17K brand new...The car is comfortable but the back seat has no comfortability to it. I have also had some problems with air noise

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  Chucks Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Charles Johnson - January 30 - 2:43 pm

  This is one outstanding car with fantastic handling. Currently getting 28 MPG on the road with around 20 MPG in town with an average of 24.5 MPG overall. I have found out that the car runs better using 93 octane gasoline. Have a total of 900 miles after 3 weeks of driving. Seats are very comfortable but as reported the trunk has limited space. With top up I am able to get 3 large duffel type bags and one large soft sided hanging bag, enough for my wife and I to have a long weekend. With top down, there is enough space for 2 small duffel bags. I am using the car as a daily driver and regardless of weather it handles great.

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  Must be very blessed - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By TOM HALL - January 30 - 1:46 pm

  After reading the reviews from other owners I must have gotten a good one!! After 139,000 miles have only replaced the brakes and normal maintenance. As for the antifreeze leak these cars came with the 100,000 fluid. Some people add the wrong type, thus causing the leak and in some cases the water pump. It is all about PROPER MAINTENANCE. AS for the Toyota and Honda reference I had a 1996 Toyota and the engine went south at 56,721 miles. With the same GOOD Maintenance.

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  good montana - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By ron - January 30 - 6:23 am

  My montana has been very reliable since my original purchase,new.The most major problems were, replacing the steering box , and replacing the rear air shocks. Its been a good vehicle.

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  Great Hardtop - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By PowayMike - January 29 - 5:43 am

  I have owned several convertibles and I find that this one is the most comfortable and quietest I have ever owned. The hardtop works very smoothly and the interior and exterior styling is excellent. The black exterior with the taupe and black interior works very well together. I dont think you can beat it for the price.

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  Herbs Look - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Herb - January 28 - 7:06 am

  I have been enjoying my car every time I drive it. Even as the "base" model, I have found it to be comfortable, powerful, and quiet. Have had no problems at all. Only negative would be the design of the center console where the storage is just a box shape. I miss having a place for coins and audio containers.