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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  Grand Am 2004 - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By fldeb - November 14 - 5:37 am

  I purchased my Grand Am in Oct. 2004. Carfax report said it was a rental car. It currently has 79,000 miles. The door panels developed bubbles. Had them replace since it was under warrant. Didnt last long. All 4 door panels has bubbles in them. A/c knob broke. Inside light only works 10% of the time. A plastic nut in the widowshield wippers broke, I couldnt just buy the nut I had to buy the whole motor system. trunk leaks. Biggest problem is the dashboard lifting up. Dealership says it will cost over $1200 to fix and they will need my car 3 or 4 days. The lifting dashboard crumbled my defrosters. I cant use them. Blinkers keep blinking. 3 windows need new window regulator cost $390 each.

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  Former auto Europhile - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By dhalbach - November 13 - 10:50 pm

  Have had the AWD with all the goodies for 850 miles now and am pleased. The AWD has performed well in the little snow and slush weve had. Nice power, ride and handling for such a vehicle. Good looking inside and out. Hauls long pieces of lumber well. Ive owned 5 BMWs and largely avoided US vehicles until I got a GMC Canyon to go 4x4ing. Had a good experience with that, so when I discovered that crew cabs dont fit into the 80 year old garage in the house I just got decided to give GM another chance and on paper the Torrent fit my needs better than anything else. Have been turned off by the recent quality problems with Euro cars. So far so good, and, my teenage daugter likes it too!

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  Love my Torrent GXP - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By JRagan - November 13 - 12:10 am

  I bought my 08 Torrent GXP about a month ago. It is Carbon Black. Mine came fully loaded with DVD entertainment system which included a pair of Panasonic wireless headphones. It also has OnStar and XM raidio. The sound system sounds great and movies really rock coming out of the cars speakers. The wireless headphones sound great and are much much better than I thought they would be. I really like how the 60/40 rear seat can slide almost 8 in. I must say the GXPs 264 hp engine really delivers.It gives you plenty of get up and go and lots of power to tow. I drove mine through the Rocky Mtns towing over 3000 lbs and had no problem on the very steep grades. This is my first SUV and I love it.

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  Excellent Machine - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Mongoose - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 2000 Grand Prix SE from a private group and enjoy it very much. It has more than enough power coming from the 3.1 Litre 3100 V6 engine. The engine has a great power improvment from the old 3.1 V6 engine Chevrolet had produced. My previous car, a 1995 Monte Carlo LS, had this engine and it hadnt nearly the amount of the power the new 3.1 V6 engine. The engine is in the 2000 and newer GM cars. The suspension and steering in this car is also unbelievable. The steering is very tight and enjoyable.

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  Nice Overall Car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Johnnyboy - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I love my 97, im running dynomax and intake kickin up on 8 cyl cars

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  Love My Firebird - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By jakobshay - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I have a 98 Firebird with the standard V-6 matched with the 5-speed. it never fails to amaze me the power from this engine, its always smooth leaves most in the dust an I still am not stopping at every gas station in town. Many road trips later,,, its a nice smooth road car an handles nice to at speed. Im glad I am the driver however cuz I dont want to sit in the back seat!!! an luggage space is okay but could use some help in that dept!! but over all I am very very happy with the car !!!

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  nothing good, its junk - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By shepp69 - November 12 - 2:00 am

  nothing about this car is any good. this is the worst car I have ever owned. (14 previous) Problem areas: fuel system, interior pieces falling off/apart, exhaust system, body panels separating (plastic to metal), fuel economy, creaking and rattles that have developed, suspension. need I go any further? I could. Too many miles on this car I guess, wasnt built to go any farther than 80,000. Mine has 87,000.

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  G6 GT much fun to drive! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By beerdude - November 11 - 11:50 am

  Excellent handling. Very peppy engine regardless of what the others say of the lack of 240hp. 200hp is plenty for 99% of the population. The panoramic roof is way too cool and actually works quite well. Tall folks may hit their head in the back. The monsoon sound system is pretty decent for factory rig. Absolutely love the exterior styling and wheels. Love the car so far ... after having an Accord and Mazda 6 and Mazda 626.

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  Still love this car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By chris - November 11 - 1:16 am

  Have owned this car for 6 years now. Its still a great ride. Have had some minor issues. Fan switch for A/C & heat broke. Had to install new resistor $200. Windshield fluid motor burned out. Another $200. Brakes were garbage at 35k. Besides that, just the basics. Its a great car. Need to get an SUV for my family. I own 3 cars, but this is the last 1 Id trade in. It has lots of power, when you need it. Plan on enjoying it for years to come.

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  Best Bang for the Buck - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Slats - November 10 - 10:00 am

  I am now purchasing my 3rd Sunfire GT. This is a testiment to the uncanny reliability I have experienced over the years with these inexpensive cars and large number of features for the buck. Simply put, no car for the dollar offers what Sunfire does. I owned a 97 GT, 01 GT and now just purchased an 05 GT. Besides regular maintenance (Oil, brakes and odd recall for software updates), I have had operational failure in these cars. I owned a 95 Honda Prelude that almost bankrupt me in repair bills, then I took a chance on the Sunfire and still cant find a reason leave. Sorry Corolla, Civic and Focus; Youre too expensive and lack Zest!