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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  Firebird - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By ashely - March 13 - 2:00 am

  I havent enjoyed owning my car at all. Winter driving has been absolute hell and i believe it should be illegal to drive Firebirds in the snow!!!

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  Good Looks, Weak Performer - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JEN - March 10 - 7:00 am

  30,500 miles, on the third ISS {intermediate steering shaft}, original tires were awful, on third battery. I let car dealer install new tires so they would be responsible for entire process..of providing a shake/vibration free experience thru all speed ranges.. Have owned 43 cars in long life, and the 75,76, and 77 Grand Prix SJs w/big block engines were the best. Had 1 of each yr and each one accumulated 90k miles..took a beating and never complained.. Current 2006 is nothing more than a Monte Carlo, rebadged GPGT. Purchased car used, w/4300 miles, Caddy tradein..Bargain-pricing was the only salvation..My other car is a 09 Mustang Bullitt..It is raw and rough, love it.

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  Very Disappointed! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Anonymous - March 10 - 3:46 am

  This car, in my opinion, is very cheaply made. The panoramic sunroof began rattling within a month from buying it. Its been in the garage 5 times to be repaired. GM even replaced the entire module during our last visit. Unfortunately, replacing the window did not help. The rattling and wind noise was so loud that we finally gave up and traded it in. We now have a 2007 Ford Five Hundred and absolutely love it! Weve always been GM fans, but no longer.

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  Grand AM GT 6cyl - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By amanton74 - March 2 - 10:00 am

  Good for 4 years, then fuel injectors started breaking left and right. Constant electrical problems. AC compressor failed. Now having constant misfires.

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  Disappointment - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Lora - February 21 - 9:53 pm

  I bought my car new, and have had nothing but problems. I consider myself an above average driver, as I put a lot of care into my cars. However, in the 3 years that I have had it I have replaced the following: CD player, front windshield, cruise control, steering column, head unit (#2 cylinder was misfiring), and now I have to replace the converter. Whats next? I am never buying Pontiac again!!

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  Bad brakes and bad Breaks from Pontiac! - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By General Lee GXP - February 21 - 2:03 pm

  Please know that I am a Loyal GM owner! Unfortunately, even with the high performance and fun driving factor, I will Never own another Pontiac and I have owned Numerous Pontiacs over the past 40 years. With fewer than 11K-miles, Pontiac had to replace the throttle-body which left me stranded on the freeway for 2 hours. With fewer than 13K-miles, I had to pay out of pocket for front brake pads And Disc Rotors; almost $700! I had to replace those Awful Bridgestone tires on front with Kumhos at the same time as the brake fix! I drove it from coast to coast right after the Disc replacement and it started scoring the front rotors Again! Neither the dealers involved not Pontiac was of any help!

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  not worth your money - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By downsthgagirl - February 17 - 12:16 am

  Purchased brand new and started having problems/safety issues from day one. Mechanical, steering, wiring, brakes, rotors, engine, and throttle body has gone out. Contacted gm customer service and not getting any help. Car to dangerous for me and my son to be in but now one wants to help me.

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  Bad fuel economy - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Scott - February 13 - 8:20 pm

  Nice car but can, t seem to get more than 250 km on a tank of fuel ( city driving in cold winter ) maybe summer will be better. Even took it in to get looked at and apparently there is nothing wrong. Once again bad fuel economy. Bought a lemon.

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  Didnt like it - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By ariesrose - February 12 - 4:03 pm

  we bought the Vibe used with 23,000 miles on it.when the tranny went in my van. big size difference. i liked the fact that it sat up high, but there wasnt much passenger room. had little nickle and dime things go wrong with it everytime i turned around. went through breaks often, the power windows died on thedrivers side open in a rain storm. the trim around the front passenger side door was a rusted mess ( yes rusted at 35,000 miles. the seals on th doors stuck and the seatbelts were constantly locking tight on you. the drivers belt would release but everybody else had to constantly rebuckle. yes it had an electric plug in it but for what? not enough power to it.

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  Pontaic Montanna SV6 2006 opinion - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Will - February 3 - 7:26 pm

  Short base van. 47K Kms. Blue colour. The good: Comfortable. large, smart looking, takes 2 kids and a dog easily. Long rides are easy to drive. Very practical. Cons: Build quality is questionable. SW problem (fuel cap is open message) took 3 weeks to diagnose and repair). Now have a horrible creaking noise when turning wheel and front end is very noisy when going over bumps.. suspect stabilizer bars. Engine. Very powerful in cruising, reasonably fuel efficient. Starting power is lacking. Stereo system and DVD players are reasonably good. Included cordless headphones are a nice touch.