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:

• 

  Have to keep an eye on - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By meerkat_mayhem - October 23 - 5:26 pm

  I have had an amazing experience with this car in terms of its performance, but for you fellow owners, you have to be VERY AWARE of any issues with your power steering unit as well as any minute leakage that may be undetectable from your water pump. Watch your temperature gauge for any increase in heat and monitor your coolant levels. I just experienced the worse case scenario when driving on the freeway and suddenly getting the ping informing me to shut down AC due to engine overheating. 4200.00 later valves had to be replaced and head gaskets machined in addition to much more. Google make,model,year "engine overheating" for more info. Please be diligent about this.

• 

  Dont buy it - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By bob - October 22 - 4:06 pm

  Ive had this car 6 years, and Ive had ALL 4 power windows stop working (wont go down or up), I had 2 repaired and gave up on other 2. I got it with 32k miles, it has 84k now, at about 60k miles, the transmission failed. Had to have it rebuilt for about 2 grand. Ignition switch failed. Power steering pump failed 2 times. Power steering rod failed. Brakes had issues at about 75k miles, and again are grinding and just dont sound/feel right. Air conditioning still works, but speed settings 1 & 2 dont work, only 3-5 work. Rear view mirror fell off (didnt even touch it), had to re- adhere it. Its still fast, still fun, but I dont know whats gonna happen next. Im selling it soon, finally.

• 

  not that bad - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By not that bad - October 22 - 2:20 pm

  Yes, this van and the other two from GM have had problems, but how many folks have heard of PREVENTATIVE maintenance? Our van has been very reliable, except for the intake gaskets that I had to replace. Otherwise, at 100k it still runs and rides pretty good. Love the room, and we use this as our truck at times as well. I do wish they had better resale. Mine is 100% mechanically, and still worth peanuts. Power sliding door needs to be reset from time to time, but other than normal care, it has been a good van

• 

  fun car to drive - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Betsy O - October 20 - 9:23 pm

  Ive been very happy with my Vibe. Its cute, and fun and easy to drive. Despite its petite proportions, the interior has plenty of room for people and cargo, and the seating position is nice and high, so you dont feel like youre sitting on the road. Ive had several large and tall passengers who were impressed by the roominess even in the back seats. The Vibe gets great gas mileage - I typically average 30-34 (I have an automatic). The instrument panel is laid out well and the gauges are attractive

• 

  A zippy ride - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Martina G - October 20 - 11:23 am

  I used edmunds.com to review wagons and chose the Vibe over its fraternal twin, the Matrix, and the Mazda3 because I liked its design and the price better. Love the ride! It is easy to get in and out of, sits high, and it really hugs the road. It has a zippy start and wants to go much faster than the speed limit permits, so when possible, I use the cruise control which runs very evenly (no fits and starts). So far I get 25-26 mpg in city driving. Stereo is great and the sunroof is nice for California. Storage capacity is excellent, and the rubberized surface makes cleanup easy. Price was $300 over invoice.

• 

  Good Car - 163,000 miles - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Mike - October 20 - 5:00 am

  I bought my Vibe new in January 03, and it has been very reliable. I was horrified at first, when I leaned against the front fender, and it caved in like a paper bag, but the drivetrain is pure Toyota. I had a sensor replaced at around 100K for around $100, but thats it. I changed the hoses and serpentine belt, and flushed the radiator at around 80K, but thats it. My check engine light and airbag light are on, but it still runs great. It doesnt heat up until highway speed, so I think the thermostat is sticking. I am 63 and 275#, but I fit fine. My family of 4, and our luggage got 33mpg @ 80mph when the car was new!

• 

  Great car - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By 07gt - October 17 - 3:33 am

  I have owned 2 other Pontiacs. My 07 is the best car that I have driven. Plenty of horses, sporty but luxury at the same time. I sell cars for a living at a dealer and when ever we get them used I try to get people to buy this car. I believe they are worth every penny!

• 

  Not bad at all after all these years - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By sholomar - October 16 - 5:25 pm

  All in all I havent had to spend much at all on maintenance over the years.. the biggest expense was the intake manifold but that didnt need to be done, just a slow external leak that doesnt harm anything.. dealer sensationalism and gouging.. lesson learned. The blinker contacts are dirty making it blink a lot, the power window just went, the fan doesnt work above 3, the radios display is dead, the power lock on the passenger side is dead.. little electronic things are starting to happen over time that I could fix myself pretty cheap and just might.. but overall I cant complain for having a car last 10 years. Starts first time, every time.. even at 30 below zero. Well built powertrain

• 

  Two weeks later - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Rod - October 15 - 8:23 am

  It has been two weeks since I wrote my first review on the G8 GT. The fuel mileage has gone up 2 mpg from tank one to tank 3. This car gets more comments about how great it looks and impresses more people than the first car I had that was super impressive, and that was a 1970 Hemi Cuda. It is also as much fun to drive as the Cuda, and handles way better. In one review someone commented about no release for the gas filler door. The gas door lock is part of the door lock system. If the doors are locked the gas door is locked. I like that dont have to pull a lever, just make sure the doors are unlocked, and who locks their doors when they are at the gas pump. you know you are being robbed.

• 

  We call it the "crapteck" - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By aztec hater - October 14 - 1:36 pm

  Loved the car at first! Very comfortable and roomy--fits 4 and a dog very comfortably. Was very excited to get our first SUV and loved it for about a year. The air conditioner died at about 17k, the head gasket at 30K, the hatch never opens, anti theft system locked up for no reason & cost about $500 to replace. Head gasket again at 120K. I have a $50,000 car after all of the repairs that have been made on it--wise to quit producing this vehicle.