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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  worth the wait - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By LYN - October 9 - 10:00 am

  great handling and performance, gets lots of looks and attention. couldt be more pleased so far. however, it does like to frequent gas stations.

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  thrilling - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By melissagt1 - October 9 - 10:00 am

  awesome ride! This is my 3rd Grand am. They keep getting better and better.

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  GTP CompG - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By U TI VOM - October 9 - 10:00 am

  When I initially drove and decided to trade in my 02 GTP I loved the new GTP with Comp G package. But Ive steadily seen horrible gas mileage in city driving (hovering around 15 MPG), and a terribly bouncy ride between 50-80 MPH on anything other than perfectly smooth backtop (which is hard to find in Chicago). Its fun to drive if you dont care at all about your gas mileage. The interior is a nice change in styling over the 02, but leaves a lot to be desired in quality. Although

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  Love it - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Blitzed14 - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Awesome car, especially for someone in my age range. If youre still young enough to want a sports car, but you cant afford a Vette, I suggest you lean in this direction.

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  04 GRAND PRIX - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By shadow - October 9 - 10:00 am

  ONE OF THE BEST BUILT AUTOS IVE EVER PURCHASED. A LOT OF LITTLE EXTRAS THAT I DIDNT EXPECT IN THIS PRICE RANGE.

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  Timing Chain eats engine - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Cracky - October 8 - 6:00 am

  So much for regular maintenance and synthetic oil. The 2002 2.2L ecotec has a childs bicycle chain to drive the cams and it, like thousands of others , have failed. GM knew this. They made improvements in 2003. They sent dealer bulletins but not a word to the owners. I think this is a very poor way to do business. I visited the dealership and got a world class cock and bull story with an offer to take my car in trade for $125 dollars. Im done with GM... forever.

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  Grand Prix GTP - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Cars4me89 - October 7 - 10:00 am

  Good performance and handling. Although rear is extremely ugly without spoiler. Lucky for me I was the next on the waiting list so that one had a spoiler.

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  i love the pontiac trans ams - 1997 Pontiac Firebird
  By jared - October 7 - 10:00 am

  i currently own a 1997 pontiac trans am i have owned two trans ams in the last year and a half and i think that that is the best car i have ever bought i runs great andis fun to drive

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  8 - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jackpot - October 7 - 10:00 am

  No rust interior cloth no rips air condition power seats power windows power locks

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  Excellent car for the size - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By rabbit - October 7 - 6:16 am

  Great car. Love the factory remote start. Better mileage than the Camry, we get 32-34 mpg on a trip. Had a few mechanical problems - electric steering failed and had to be replaced under warranty. Definitely would buy another.