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:

• 

  Great Value - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By corvette - November 28 - 1:46 am

  I love this car. I can not think of a better value. I also own a corvette and like to use my grand prix for long trips. I will get good use of it for 4- 5 years and it will still have a decent life for the next owner. Comparing it to a car like the vette is not fair but dollar for dollar it is work every cent. You get a powerful engine that responds. Decent comfort and great style. Try other cars that are priced the same and the grand prix is at the top of the list.

• 

  I love my car!!! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Stephanie - November 27 - 8:50 pm

  This is the best car Ive ever owned!!!! I am a total Pontiac lover and highly reccomend the Torrent to any one!

• 

  Great little Car!!! - 2009 Pontiac G3
  By peewee - November 26 - 11:53 pm

  Its a great little car for the price, I havent had it very long so I cant say to much but its turning out to be a fun car to drive.

• 

  Lousy GM Torrent/Equinox vehicles - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By David M. - November 26 - 2:43 pm

  Absolutely WORST front and rear seats ever! 14.5 mpg in Summer and 12.5 mpg in Winter as overall mileage definitely PROVE GM does not really care about keeping its customers...GM will be down the tubes in short order as they keep this up. Oh, and how about the skunk smell from poor QC of radiator hose-curing, so every one of these lousy SUVs need to have dealer flush ( but GM never notifies owner of this problem !)...and unsatisfactory shifting transmission is a joy, isnt it? How about the rear strut towers intruding big-time into rear cargo area...nice play GM! Dont be foolish enough to even test drive one of these slugs...instead buy a Toyota or Honda SUV if you really want SUV.

• 

  2001 Trans Am WS6 - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By Timmay - November 26 - 2:00 am

  I have no clue why the 2001 and 2002 models were rated so differently by J.D. Power, especially considering they are almost exactly alike... Ive owned the car for 15 months now, and still love it as much as the day I bought it. Top performer, WS6 model.

• 

  Look it over - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By lilbulah - November 26 - 2:00 am

  I got my Grand AM as a graduations gift for graduating high school. Ive had to replace the brakes 3 times in 6 months, ive had to replace the alternator. Also i wrecked this car doing 40 mph into the back of a minivan and my airbags did not deploy, even though it was totalled the insurance company still fixed it, luckly i had on my seatbelt that did enough damage. My transmission is slipping, and all my parking lights keep going out, also so are my brake lights.. I think that these are awesome looking cars but the mechanical errors need to be fixed!!!

• 

  Beware of Repairs - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By WSG - November 24 - 1:53 pm

  List of problems: EGR value replaced at 40k miles ($410), multi-function switch replaced (for faulty wiper blades) at 43k miles ($530), replaced brake rotors at 44k miles ($300), new catalytic converter and transmission at 53k miles ($4,900). Sorry to say, this has just not been a reliable car at all.

• 

  The affordable car with a big honking V8 - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Kris Gillespie - November 24 - 10:00 am

  Overall its the best buy of any of Americas cheap horsepower. The 4- speed automatic is top-notch, but I would recommend the 6-speed manual over the auto. Its LT1 V8 engine has enough power for anyone except John Force. You couldnt ask for a better factory suspension, it has extremely good 4-disc ABS brake system that stops on a dime and gives you 3 cents back. The car has some weak points though. The quality of some of the build parts are questionable. The optispark ignition system is junk, but it works better than any OEM ignition put in a car in 50 years. The power window motors are prone to just craping out.

• 

  I love this car! - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By Mike - November 24 - 6:16 am

  Ive had my Aztek for about 5 years now and its perfect for us. It washes up to look great for executive meetings and transforms to a great family rig for weekends on the coast. I have a two package and pull a trailer with gear for longer trips. Plenty of room. It runs great. 80k miles and still strong. My only thing is the sunroof is flawed. Had it repaired 5 times and it still doesnt work. Im looking for a second one now.

• 

  Great car - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By Shelly - November 24 - 5:47 am

  I have owned my 2009 G5 for 1 1/2 years. I have had great performance, reliability and performance. The only problem I seem to have is the fob keeps burning out. would like to find ananswer for it. I bought it because I travel on the freeway to work every day. Montana has some harsh winter weather, It has great traction in the snow. What I dont like is driving it in the rain on the highway. It seems to hydroplane easily.