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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  Disapointment - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By DM - March 9 - 9:20 am

  This is my wifes car and I loathe the day I have to drive it. It handles like a top heavy SUV, the seats have no support and no comfort adjustments, and it has no power to accelerate unless you push it off a cliff (Ive considered it). The Insurance Institue of America provides crash ratings for all vehicles. If the impact is over 40mph on this car expect death and or dismemberment for all passengers.

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  Cheap Piece of Junk - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By John - January 25 - 3:03 am

  The nose of this car is cheap plastic. It pulls off whenever the rear of the nose comes in contact with anything on the ground. The interior is also a very cheap plastic along with the siding under the car. Overall poor build quality. This car is not as fast as it should be with this kind of engine in it and the poor gas mileage it gets. It is heavier than most SUVs so power to weight ratio is terrible!

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  DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By nell - December 26 - 10:00 am

  this car is junk.it has leaked on the passenger side since i bought it.i have taken to dealer 5 times.still not fixed.they are driving me crazy!!!! the floor board is full of water everyday.the car smells like something has died in it.try eating in it! i have called GM for help they told me to roll the window down before closing the door.pay this much for a car and do this until another appt.@ body shop!!!

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  Dont Buy - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By tk6227 - June 13 - 7:51 pm

  I purchased by Pontiac Torrent in 2011 each year i have had problems. Within the first year the radio went out and the repair is $400. The next year my transmission went out $1500. The next year - when it rains the floors in my back seat get wet and causes and odor. Now i am seeing all these recalls for all these things that are wrong with the car. I called GM and the Dealership on several occassions and they just dont care. i am too far under to even get out of the car into something more reliable.

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  Lemon City - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By MaryBeth - June 1 - 3:43 am

  I purchase this car brand new. I had the car for a week and the speed gauges went out. I had to change the oxygen sensors three times. The battery went dead after three months. The electrical system had to be rewired after 3 mos. The front windshield cracked after two years. The car burned up a full tank of gas in three days. The car began to overheat and a component was added to regulate the temperature. Four years later the transmission went out and left me stranded on the side of the road. The trans would cost me $1900 to fix with a warranty. To top it off the moonroof went out. I had 50,000 miles which is low mileage because it stayed in the shop broken down. MS residents beware

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  A piece of Junk - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Dont buy GM - May 13 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has had 4 repairs on the sliding door, 4 fuel injectors replaced. 4 repairs on the Air Conditioner, many other single repairs to mention. My wife is about to shoot this thing...do not buy this vehicle or any other GM product. They are absolutely no help post purchase!!!!

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  Montana is Horrible - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By Tina In TN - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Engine failure and complete lock up at 65,000... Lemon is an understatement!

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  Lemon this van is a nightmare - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By smitty - October 25 - 8:06 am

  Bught brand new, always had a Pontiac so I thought this van would be good. boy was I wrong. Its been in the shop every month for something. It leaks water, threw the wheel well and the carpet gets soaked. It had to be stripped out inside and totally resealed. where they asleep on the job the day they made these vans? This was turned into the lemon law through GM but no response. Will never buy another Pontiac again.

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  The worst care I have EVER owned. - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By LadyRae - August 21 - 7:51 am

  I cannot WAIT to get rid of this car. It is simply the worse car I have ever owned. Ive had the ignition replaced on recall TWICE. At less than 78,000, Ive had to replace the brakes at 63,000 (I owned 3 Cavaliers and NEVER had to replace the brakes this early). Ive replaced one wheel bearing and the other needs replaced (again, never had that issue on any other vehicle Ive owned). Basically, the front end is shot. The body is rusting through on the doors, hood, and trunk. It is simply horrible in snow, rain and wind. The front stereo speakers stopped working within 2 years of ownership. The car is noisy, cramped. I will say the engine itself is good. Just everything attached to it is simply horrible.

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  Looks good, thats about it! - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Al209340 - June 17 - 2:00 am

  When I got my Sunfire I was really happy to get it, but since time as gone by, I have been disappointed with this car. One of the issues is the Headlights. They don’t put out much light when on high beam. This car squeaks and rattles down the road, and it has TONS of interior problems, including the seat not being able to adjust without breaking, and controls sticking. I had problems with paint pealing and problems starting the car. Plus this car bounces all over the place on uneven or bad roads. A person who owned a 1996 Sunfire told me not to buy Sunfire, now I wished I took his advice. He told me he just has had is 5th major safety recall notice on his 1996 Sunfire. Yikes!