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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  A Peppy Little Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Greg Bower - December 10 - 8:23 pm

  Our new Pontiac G6 is a lot better car than we had hoped for. We like the way it drives and handles on the highway, and we certainly like the way strangers walk up to us at a gas station when we fill up the tank and ask us what kind of car is that. They seem to be impressed by the sporty look of the vehicle. The inside is a lot roomier than it first appears. I only wish that there was a little more storage space to hide belongings. The car definitely has a little pep to it!

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  my gtp - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By batmon - December 8 - 10:00 am

  this is an awesome car to drive in, it is quick with a dominating roar. the only down side is the power steering is under powered. this is an awesome ride!!!

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  Nice, but.... - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By boonie80mph - December 8 - 10:00 am

  The comfortable seats convinced us that this was the car for us. The ride was incredibly smooth and quiet. The handling just great. BUT...the car was in the shop more than with me the first few months, due to trunk leaking, brakes squeeking, noise coming through front doors, CD playing going crazy, fuel pump rattling, headliner rattling, etc. Most of these problems have not been able to be corrected due to design problems or "cant be duplicated".

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  Never Again - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By rarrr - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Grand Am almost 2 years now and Id never buy another. Beginning about 3 months ago, my Grand Am has been nothing but trouble. Ive put almost $1000 into repairs. The fuel pump died, the ignition switch died, and now the a/c isnt working properly. On top of that, the turn signals only work when they feel like it, the interior lights only work when they feel like it, and the gauges dont register as they should. General Motors has surely let me down.

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  1999 Firebird - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By rotc6girl9 - December 7 - 7:16 pm

  Great reliability and quality. It also has great performance, much better than most imports and the exterior design is amazing. These types of cars really are beautiful

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  Replace your SUV with a Pontiac Vib - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ron Douglas - December 6 - 6:06 pm

  Replace your SUV with this ca.r Im saving money on fuel. Its got the features of my suv but smaller. The main thing is that I can tow my 16 ft bass boat with this car with no problems and still get out to my favorite fishing spots at (27.5 MPG) far away, with out spending the extra bucks on gas if your looking for a kind of small suv this would make a great choice it gets the job done so far its been very Reliable

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  smooth and fast - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By squirt03_25 - December 6 - 2:40 pm

  Purchased mine as a lease turn in with 30,000 miles on it. I now have 45,000 on it and its just as good now as it was then. Very good car for the driving enthusiast or just as a daily driver. Affordable power and handling in a stylish design that is well put together and balanced. Good fit and finish overall. 127 mph top speed is impressive for a sedan.

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  Good car with minor problems - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Peter Harris - December 5 - 7:38 am

  The front wheel bearings went just two years after buying the car. There was a minor electrical problem with the radiator fan. And, just recently, after ten years, the three major electrical components failed: battery, alternator, and starter. Peter Harris

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  Never will buy again! - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By cheerjill23 - December 5 - 6:50 am

  I got this car as a gift and have had nothing but problems with it. Replaced brakes too many to count, alternator 2X, front shakes all the time, coolant constantly low and over heats. Never sure if I would make it to where I needed to go. Didnt even make it to 115,000 miles. Coolant would leak and have to refill every 7- 10 days.

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  Still great after 8 years - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Vivian - December 4 - 11:50 pm

  Bought it brand new in 2002, little white coupe. Manual 5 speed with a 4 cyl, gets 33 mpg on highway. Just worried about all the bigger cars on the road not seeing me. Great car, no major problems.