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:

• 

  NOT TO SHABBY - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Ray - October 29 - 12:10 pm

  I bought the car online and after i paid i read all the bad reviews. my experience with the car has be mostly positive the only problem i had was with the brakes. i replaced the brakes myself(ceramics of course)and i replaced the rotors at the same time because of all the reviews about them. i feel if pontiac is more sport orientated they would use some decent rotors. a few other problems ive encountered is my throttle body keeps getting dirty and the car clunks and rattles. for a car with such a big engine it get between 33 and 29MPG (60-90 MPH).the sound system is great. i had to replace the radio(6 disc)and just got an aftermarket and got a device to replace the DIC.all in all a good car

• 

  This GP is awesome! - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Dayelilly - October 29 - 12:13 am

  We have owned our new Grand Prix less then a month and it is awesome! Really fun to drive, hugs the road and your flying before you realize it! All the instruments are turned toward the driver which makes it easy to use the a/c, heat or radio. There are "6" air vents on the front dash! The profile of this car is fun and sporty! You really couldnt ask for more car or features for the money! All the power you need and a great ride! Pontiac needs to advertise this car more! We didnt go in to buy a Grand Prix but one test drive and we were hooked! Looking forward to some fun trips on the road.

• 

  I Love It - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By Syzio - October 29 - 12:00 am

  I purchased my Aztek in Jan. I do not regret this purchase at all. I love it. It is roomy and I love the design. I would recommend this SUV to anyone. It is also good on gas mileage.

• 

  04 Grand Prix - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By oleedr - October 28 - 9:43 pm

  I love my new Grand Prix!! It is reliable, fun to drive, stylish and very comfortable. The only thing I would change is a little more leg room in the backseat. The trunk is huge, and I feel very safe in it! I love the Onstar option as well as the Monsoon stereo system and of course the Super Charger. I get lots of comments on my nice car!

• 

  I Love this car. - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Duke - October 28 - 5:26 pm

  I had a 2005 Mustang GT and that was the 6th Mustang I owned. After only 3 months I sold it and bought the 2005 Grand Prix GXP. Soooo many more features and it handles incredibly great for a sedan. And regardless of what the magazines say. The Grand prix beat the Mustang at the Drag strip in (STOCK) form by a tenth of a second. Not bad for a sedan. The suspension and brake system is great and the tires are the same as the factory Mercedes AMG 500. For some reason this car was never advertised and the magazines wont print much about it. To all the magazine editors out there. WAKE UP. All you need Is a few aftermarket companies to make some goodies and this car will blow the doors off anythn

• 

  Sport Red Metallic G8 GT - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Hitman1970 - October 28 - 3:40 pm

  This car is a complete joy to drive. This is my first true sports sedan and I love it. So far I have received multiple unsolicited compliments driving this car around town. Fun and practical. The back seat and trunk are bigger than my last vehicle, 2006 Buick LaCrosse CXS.

• 

  98 Montana unreliable - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By waterman - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Like to drive it. Nice features. Good on fuel. Handling and comfort are very good. Reliability is poor. Numerous problems...power doors, power windows, fuel injectors, intake manifold gaskets, rear wiper motor, now seized engine at 71,000 miles due to coolant leaking into crankcase. Pontiac is paying for 1/2 of over $5,000 worth of repairs to engine. Very discouraging.

• 

  nice - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By stormilee106 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I love my new Aztec, its fun to drive, and spacious enough for all my friends.

• 

  Stop critizing this great car! - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By siucgirl - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I bought this great SUV just this month, but I am sure I will be in love with it for awhile. I love the design, although many critics are out there, even my fiance. He kept going on and on about how ugly it was, but when he got in for the test drive he totally changed his tune. Now we both love driving it and it is more like a fight to see who gets to drive. Its roomy, comfy, and the ride is very smooth, something you wont find in other SUV since they are built on truck frames, and the Aztek is built on a mini-van frame.

• 

  Awesome - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By 02 Bonnie Lover - October 27 - 10:00 am

  This is our thrid bonneville, we previously had a 97 se and a 92 before that. Were thinking about goign for a maxima/altima this time but decided that the galaxy silver sle was perfect for us as it is the family car. went to the dealer not intending to purchase another pontiac because we needed change and fell in love with it. the sle is perfect all the great features with out the high cost no use to us options