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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  Loved my Car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Kerrilynn - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car brand new & drove it 60K miles until it was totalled after being hit at 60 MPH (I was doing 35) in a semi-T-bone on the drivers side by a DUI in a Tahoe. My injuries were less than expected considering it took jaws of life & 45 minutes to extract me. Both axles were broke off. But the car protected me and my passenger!! Car ran perfectly with zero problems. Big- O brakes never lasted long - was it them or the car?

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  Great Value - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By BRMike - October 13 - 11:53 pm

  My wife and I replaced her 2000 Grand Prix GTP coupe with a a 2007 Blue-Gold Chrystal Metallic G6 GTP sedan. Through the first 7200 miles weve taken it on one road trip thus far and achieved an average of 30.6 mpg. Overall my wife and I are happy with the G6 GTP. However, the steering rack had to be replaced (warranty). The steering rack replacement was painless and took just one day (great local dealer).

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  Sporty and unique - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Dee - October 13 - 7:13 pm

  I bought this car in May of 05 & so far so good. The car is fully loaded with all the bells & whistles, I got it with the awesome panaramic view. The monsoon sound system is great & the information center is very informative. I like how the interior was layed out, with soft touch material everywhere & very roomy & I compared it to other vehicles in its group & they had hard plastics & small inside. The cars suspension is very good & corners without sceeching the tires. The leather interior is well thought out & great looking. I like the exterior styling with slick looking lines which makes it look sporty. The six way power seat, telescoping, & tilt steering makes it comfortable to drive.

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  Best Buy For The Buck - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Tanja B - October 13 - 10:00 am

  This car is really fun to drive, and incredibly reliable. It is no joke when I say that this car has NEVER broken down on me. Thsi year I had to replace the shocks, and I am now having minor problems with the power windows.This is the very best and most reliable car I have ever owned. I bought it used in 1997 with 400km on it.

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  Excellent Value - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pro driver - October 11 - 5:00 am

  All I can say is drive this thing and enjoy. I came out of a park avenue and into the grand prix. It rides a little rough compared to the park ave, but this thing is slick. The handling and the comfort form a mid sized Rocket ship is outstanding. The fule mileage is outstanding and the sight lines are also great from a car so low to the ground. Go and have some fun and be safe.

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  Pontiac Grand Am - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jean - October 10 - 11:46 pm

  A very nice care and good value for the money, however a little more head room would be nice.

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  The most fun Ive had driving a car - 2007 Pontiac Vibe
  By elaine - October 10 - 5:56 pm

  I looked at every car with this body style, ie: Aveo, Matrix, Spectra5. This car is so fun. I feel like Im in an SUV because I sit up so high. The interior has more room than my 4 door sedan but the body is about 4ft smaller. Acceleration is steady, braking not too hard. Ive drive 160 miles and used a bit more than a qtr. tank. I do not have the engine noise that Ive read about in some reviews. Maybe Im just not that spoilt. I drove a lot of cars and read a lot of reviews...this is the car I bought. Even with its little quirks, in my opinion even with the expensive cars out there, the reliability and reviews prove this to be the car to pick.

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  Buy a Ford - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By EJT - October 10 - 1:36 pm

  Fun to drive good performance for the money. This is my second GM product and would buy a Ford next time. Have had a half dozen Fords and never saw the service department. This my second GM and new the service guy at both dealers on a first name basis. 5- weeks of ownership and already have my 3rd service appointment. Similar experience when I purchased a Cadillac Deville. No major problems but lots of small stuff. It s not the problems so much as the inconvenience. All the trips back and forth to the dealer, being late to work cause you have drop of the car and then having to leave early to pick it up.

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  Salesmans Car - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pakeane - October 10 - 3:03 am

  Test drove the ususal mid-size imports along with the GP, after crunching the numbers the GP provides much more value for your dollar. Base drivetrain miles ahead of base imports. Ample torque across powerband. Purchased for a salesman who travels 20k+ each year in the car (in addition to countless miles via air). Fair city mileage with good highway mileage and manners. Dont be affraid of domestic cars based on that crappy 1987 Oldsmoford you owned. While maybe not as refined as the other options on the market, this is surley a solid car at an attractive price point.

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  great car - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By chasma17 - October 9 - 10:00 am

  great car i wouldnt change anything. it is ahead of its time. in features. the extra power of the supercharger is great but doesnt rob fuel millage like i thought it would