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, Reliable Car - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Nissan16 - January 12 - 10:00 am

  Great car for any college student in need of a reliable car. I have never had a problem with it!

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  Fun Alternative to Foreign Models - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By paddymac - January 12 - 10:00 am

  Great little Ride. My first choice was a Honda or Toyota, but opted for an American model becuase of the price options. Besides the fuel economy I love this car!

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  Nice, but be careful - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By daman617 - January 12 - 10:00 am

  I love this car, I really do... but if you think you are getting a maintance free car, think again. Ive had to replace the cadilidic converter, transmition, and window motors all in a matter of 8 months. Its a fun car to drive, but again with any sports car, be prepared to put up with some headaches. Also, upgrading some of the performance peices can be a snap, but others can be a pain in the rear. For example, the engine is mounted sideways, so replacing spark plugs can be a chore. NOTE, I only gave the performance a six becuase the relaibility is so poor.... mine is increased to a good 230 HP and it handles great, but becuase of shop problems Im often left wondering.

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  great ride - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By cpyguy69 - January 12 - 2:00 am

  Ive put 100,000 miles of hard city driving on this car and havent had one problem; the most reliable car i.ve ever owned.

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  miserable montana - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By carnatic - January 12 - 2:00 am

  To describe this vehicle in one word--NIGHTMARE!! Oil leaks, transmission fluid leaks, coolant leaks, brake problems, anti-lock problems, electrical problems,drivers seat came apart, squeaks and rattles galore,etc.,etc.,etc. And ONLY 23,000 miles on this hunk of American JUNK!!! AND the crash test results--HORRIBLE AND APPALLING!!!

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  Amazing - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Praetorian - January 12 - 2:00 am

  This is an amazing car. I would totally recommend it!

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  Great - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Robert Schleimer - January 11 - 7:16 am

  Only disapapointment is fuel economy. 22 MPG on trip and 18 in city

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  Descent little car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Myron King - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I traded my 06 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Hemi for this car. Overall, the car is okay. I miss having a truck though. The car had 51k miles when I got it. Its got 61k miles and theres been some problems with it. The stability track module went bad, the moonroof doesnt function properly, window motors went bad. Thankfully, the car has a maxcare warranty from CarMax thats good for 100k miles. The previous owner kept detailed maintenance recds. I cant wait to trade this car in for something bigger and more powerful.

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  Great vehicle, much recommended. - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By glenn1312 - January 10 - 5:43 pm

  My Grand Prix is now approaching 120000 miles, and Ive enjoyed every minute Ive driven it. This car is great to drive: it handles well, is comfortable, and runs great. The only problems Ive had up to this point have been with the power windows (see below) and losing headlight covers, which as I understand, is a common problem with this vehicle. Other than that, I highly recommend looking into this car.

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  Perfect Blend - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Dave - January 10 - 7:20 am

  After reading the Edmunds Editor review I have to conclude that he or she did not even drive the car. First of all the GXP V8 weighs less than the old 3.8 supercharged GTP and I have seen 0 - 60 in less than 6 seconds. This car is a great blend of performance, fun, comfort and if driven correctly on the highway can get super mileage. I have been averaging 29 mpg on the highway and can still punch it out from a red light and leave a nice cloud of smoke in the rear view mirror. True to the G8 is a great performance car, but try driving it in the snow. At least the GXP gives you the V8 push and still offers descent year round driving capabilities. Next time have your editor drive one.