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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  It has always been good to me - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By matt9404 - April 29 - 10:23 am

  This is my second Grand Prix and I love this one just as much. The mechanical quality has always been great, although the interior quality could be improved. Fun car, Id buy it again if I had to do it over again, although Id probably spring for the GXP with leather.

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  Bad car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bigdogdriver - April 28 - 3:40 pm

  Bought car for daughter, worst mistake ever. Only 92,000 miles on it and I have replaced the air cond. Unit, alternator and right side head gasket. This car will nickel and dime you to death.

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  Hot Car But Needs a Chrome Grill - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Lisa - April 26 - 7:43 pm

  My previous car was BMW Z4 3.0. So far, I really like the GXPs performance. The exterior is hot! My only beef with the exterior is the black grill -- it looks cheap! Why not keep the same chrome grill as the Solstice? The interior is sleek -- the seats hug you. However, there is no storage space. I cant even find any place to keep my garage door opener. Ive noticed that the window controls are in an awkward place -- inevitably, my elbow triggers the windows. The biggest pain is the manual top -- miss the Z4s automatic top. There is no trunk space with the top down. Wish they offered navigation system as option. But cant beat the price and bravo to Pontiac for its cool design!

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  Something New & Unique - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Jodi James - April 22 - 2:00 am

  The 2003 Aztek is a very smooth riding SUV with a unique exterior design. It offers many interior features and a sporty look both inside and out.

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  love it so far - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mfarrugg - April 22 - 2:00 am

  i bought the grand am GT1 with the sports perfromance package. this car looks great and for a relatively cheap price. its still early (9,000 miles) but so far i love this car. my main complaint is the cheap bumper. living in NYC, the parking is tight and i often find a new black scratch and dent in my silver bumber when the other car just taps my car. its called a bumber for a reason....its should act like one

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  LOVE MY G3 - 2009 Pontiac G3
  By tonidale - April 18 - 1:42 am

  I bought my g3 new july of 09, and love it, i have over 20,000 already have to have new tires :(. other than that i love it, i am a large size woman and when dealer showed me that car i laughed at him and said no way i can be comfy in that car, he proved me wrong. i only had i small thing wrong with it when i fisrt bought it. and since then it has been fine. i dont think i get that great of gas milage. but love the car.

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  To"buy or not to buy" - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Danny - April 16 - 3:40 am

  Found this to be a smooth riding car and well built. No squeaks when going over bumps and the vehicle felt "solid".

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  My Review - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ChrisGAGT96 - April 12 - 3:50 am

  After having this car for a little over a year, I find that it can get some attention with the right mind put into it. Although where the car does lack the edge most of the same year cars in this year range have, It still has a kick to it like no other. The Sporty appearance of the 2 door GT is very noticable; mix in a 5-spd and 2.4l, and you have yourself a combo. As far as performance parts go, there are really none available, which is sad because the engine is a sound one. For the daily driver this care is a phenom, great gas mileage, and hopefully minimal problems make it great for point A. to B. driving.

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  GT is worth the extra money! - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By mags118 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  I cant seem to understand why some individuals complain about Pontiac and the Sunfire in general. Sure, if you have the SE model, the performance wont be as high as a GT. Personally, I love the GT model. It rides great, its pretty smooth, and it has a great get- up-and-go from the minute the light turns green. No problems here!

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  No complaints - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Christine - April 9 - 1:40 am

  So far I think the car is great. A few minor modifications to interior set up could be made but otherwise all around its a fine car.