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 solid car - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ken - January 31 - 6:33 am

  No problems except transmission just before the warranty expired (thank goodness). nice sturdy car, v6 has good power, good cornering, and fun to drive.

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  SGOOD - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By stick - January 30 - 10:00 am

  Gobs of power but a bit of a plain-jane. A perfect sleeper. Near perfection in areas of fit-form & function. Give it a try.

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  Competent value - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Marco - January 29 - 11:03 pm

  Bought the sedan as an everyday driver. Power with base engine is good. Overall competent handling, power and braking combination. Solid feel to build. No other car offered more value (200 hp, auto, power everything) after rebates.

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  Wanna Race? - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By D - Nasty - January 29 - 9:26 pm

  Ive had my G5 for about 8 months now and I really like it. The power is there when you want it, and when you need it. Its real fun to take a sharp turn with, or fit in tight squeezes while switching lanes. The gas is very good, especially when going highway. I drive it every single day and every time I fill up my gas tank someone always comments on how nice my car is. White G5 GT with Custom 18" Black Racing Rims, with 40 meat kumho tires and 20% window tint all the way around.

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  Little but Unique - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Dan Stiel - January 29 - 12:20 pm

  I have a Lava red mono tone, preferred package, It is great on gas, but can be a little more sportier and comfortable for the driver.

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  New Buyer - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By B. Puthoff - January 28 - 1:40 am

  I just purchased my Torrent 5 days ago. I have had prior Pontiac vehicles, and so far, so good. I do notice more wind noise with the sunroof. I dont know if its the pop-up wind deflector or the roof rails that I hear the wind noise from. I also agree that the steering feels "loose" and slow to respond. But Im also used to a Grand Prix GT ! Well, heres hoping that GM is in the market with the oversees competitors.

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  97 Trans Am - 1997 Pontiac Firebird
  By Sinurgy - January 26 - 10:46 am

  I chose to purchase the Trans Am for two major reasons, looks and performance. It has a very sleek yet muscular look. Also the car is simply fast. Power is always available. For the money I cannot think of a better sports car. It easily out performs the Mustang (yes, even the Cobra) and is certainly more rare. While its performance is about the same as the Camaro, it looks so much better. To get better performance\looks youd have to head into Vette\Boxter.

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  Bad handling and always something wrong - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By angel - January 23 - 5:20 pm

  I bought this car thinking that Pontiacs are good car. Sure it looks nice on the outside and inside but its a piece of junk. I have put it in the ditch 3x, the handling sucks, the thermostat goes out and the brakes I replace every couple months. Not to mention several electronic things from time to time need to be constantly replaced

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  Silver GTP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Richm4 - January 21 - 10:00 am

  After considering the ES300, Accord and CTS, I bought the GTP minus Comp-G. Great exterior styling, power an handling, BUT it is a bit rough riding for my tastes. Nice leather seats and the interior materials are an improvement over the prior generation Grand Prix which I had owned.

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  Awesome car. - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By cbeck3 - January 18 - 7:45 pm

  I love my car, but Ive had problems with the PassKey system - still looking for a way to disable that completely. Also, Im not a fan of the Monsoon sound system. In spite of all that, my car is great. Its very quick and plenty fast - although the 150mph speedometer is tempting. Its a great looking car; Ive received lots of complements. All in all, its a great car for the money.