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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  A lot of car for the money - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Todster - July 14 - 5:06 am

  This is a phenomenal vehicle for the money and overall I am very pleased with it. My only complaint is the fact that the vehicle left the factory with a defect (hole) in the gas tank. It was discovered after a 1600 mile trip to Las Vegas. After repair I contacted Pontiacs customer service division about the problem from the safety standpoint and they really didnt seem to care. I love the car, I do not care much for Pontiac Motor Divisions so called customer service. I will probably not purchase another Pontiac product due to this, but the car is a lot of fun.

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  What a Beaut! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Rebbratt - July 13 - 10:03 pm

  Had the GT for about a week with 300 in and out of city miles. Man, does this thing hum! Great performance with 23+ so far in all conditions. Runs like a top and the guys at Speedway had already put a air wing on the trunk lid. Really turned some heads and I was told by one admirer that it looked like something right out of Italy.

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  Pontiac Excitement - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Black Brad - July 13 - 1:56 pm

  The overall experience with my G6 has been great. This is the best car from Pontiac since the Firebird. The ride is smooth and solid. It handles securely, but lacks a bit of steering feel.

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  Favorite Car - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By mike_ike - July 13 - 1:44 pm

  I am writing this review on a 2008 Pontiac Grand Am that I own. I have owned this car for about two years and have only one bad thing to say about the car but other than that the car has been a great fit for me. I have owned the car for about five years. It has great gas mileage, great horsepower, it has needed only minimal repairs, and the only thing bad thing about it has been an issue with the ignition but that has been fixed. This is my first Pontiac I have bought and I don’t regret the decision one bit. Every day I have to commute about 20 miles to work, so most of the miles I have put on my car are highway miles. My Pontiac gets around 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

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  Perfect car for me - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By 2K GTP - July 13 - 10:00 am

  This car kicks A$$... You get strong acceleration, sharp handling wraped in one of the best bodys on the road. I almost always opt for this car over my wifes 99 Maxima SE. Gas milage is impressive for 240HP, 280 ft. lbs. The computer reads an avarage of 24.6MPG mixed city/highway and i havent reset it in about a month. Just waiting patently for the 280X2 3800 V-6.

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  GTP Review - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By CWM - July 13 - 10:00 am

  Lots of power on demand for passing or steep hills. The "head up" display is a feature ALL cars should have. It is convenient and more importantly, a saftey feature. It does not interfere with normal driving vision as it is projected only slightly above the top of the hood. The only real problems have been the Driver Info Computer, which resets itself at times, and wind noise from the side windows. Mazzei Pontiac couldnt repair either of these conditions after several repeat visits. Im sad to hear that GM will drop the 2- door model when other manufacturers are now producing 2-doors at an invigorated pace.

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  outstanding minivan - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By minivanmama - July 13 - 10:00 am

  Had this van for 2 years and I still love it. It is fun to drive. The Montana has a very powerful engine and it rides smooth. I think this van is the coolest of all vans. It is really sporty looking. The only problem so far is the oil change light wont go out. I have the 7 seater but shouldve went for the 8 seater.

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  Not soooo bad... - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Jonny the freak - July 13 - 10:00 am

  I wouldnt say its a so bad car ; its OK for the price, offers acceptable performance (I have the manual transmission) and seems reliable for now (it has about 40000 miles). I didnt really have problems with it except that when I stalled (yes it still happens :P) the engine had problems to restart when hot but a visit to the dealer and everything was fine. The only thing I dont like about it is the gaz mileage... it seems poor for the only 115 hp it has... but at least the gas tank has a good capacity !

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  Exterior looks arent everything - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Jackies Aztek - July 13 - 10:00 am

  The Pontiac Aztek has been known for having a different/odd, not so popular exterior. When I purchased my own I got mixed opinions, ranging from hitious to groovy. I was able to persuade each and every non-Aztek believe by showing them the awesome interior (I choose the loaded ISD package). Not only is the interior everything I was looking for, it was 10,000 dollars cheaper than a Buick rendevous or Chevy Traliblazer with loaded options. It rides great too. I absoultley love it!

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  ALL GOOD - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By JamesMIV - July 13 - 10:00 am

  I love the my Grand Am, just wished that I could have affored the Grand Prix. The only major maintance that it need was a replacement of the lower intake manifolds. After it was replaced I got better performance from it. All in all the GrandAm is a good starter car, but if you have the extra money I would recommened the Grand Prix GT just because of the larger size and increased performance.