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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  Grand Crap - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By EMC - November 27 - 10:00 am

  This car started off good and turned into a lemon. The GM dealer wanted $400 to replace breaks and rotors. I had to replace a rim on the car and that was $180. This was the worst car I have ever owned. The car was made very poorly.

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  All the fun, for half the price - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By bundok - November 26 - 2:16 pm

  I really like my car, but Im reluctant to do any modifications to it. Its an SE but it has the 2.4 liter engine and twin Cams. Its very peppy and handles well, though a little splashy. Great car for driving and the occasional (or frequent) driving wild. You wont feel like Mario Andretti in this car, but it definitely has a kick. The alternator has gone out once and my clutch cables snapped and had to be replaced. It has an oil leak Im assuming is from the oil pan gasket thats pretty bad; all of which I chalk up to my own driving and not the cars reliability.

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  Better Than Expected - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Rich - November 26 - 2:20 am

  Had decided on either a Ford Freestyle or a Toyota RAV-4, but drove a Torrent and liked it much more than the Equinox I had driven earlier. The price versus options was better than the other two vehicles I tried. The ride is comfortable and visibility is good. I also like the fact that the vehicle has stabilitrak and traction control. Mileage is about 22 mpg overall.

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  My new car has a vibration? - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Tina - November 23 - 1:33 pm

  We really thought that we had found our dream car, even though we traded in a 2006 330I BMW. We loved the whole look and feel until we drove our new vehicle home for the first time. Mind you, this vehicle was on the showroom floor, the odometer read 11 miles. While driving our "new" vehicle we first noticed that it did not idle properly and at various speeds between 30-45mph and 50-65mph there is a harmonic vibration. We have spoken with the auto specialist thinking that they would know what was happening since they are familiar with the vehicles they sell. We were told that this is normal for the 6.0L. We do not believe this is normal and we are still currently having these issues today.

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  07 GXP - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By ¿spoom - November 22 - 5:10 pm

  Too early to tell, as I dropped it off at the dealer last week after 11 days because of an intermittent "no starter when you turn the key" problem. Ill test it some more when I get the car back ;) Overall, this is a fun car to drive. The 2.0 turbo took care of the weak performance that kept me from buying the first years model. Handling is on par with cars costing $10k+ more (Ive driven a Crossfire some). Even with cold tires & road on a 11 °F day this thing road like it was on rails-the suspension set-up is perfect,IMHO. I constantly found myself wishing I could reach the seat angle knob while driving but that would take a skinny-armed contortionist.

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  No Remorse - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Scott - November 21 - 7:40 am

  I leased a base G6. To give some background I own a Toyota Highlander, I never thought Id get a Pontiac, I hate their looks. The G6 looked different so I decided to take a look since I knew I could get a great deal on one compared to a Honda or Toyota. I only have 250 miles on mine but can tell you this. It handles really well and has a quiet and supple ride. It comes well equiped and like the V6. It is sporty enough for me and can handle 2 kids in car seats. It has been fine in the snow belt. My new Consumer Reports rags on this car which isnt fair. I never thought Id defend a Pontiac but drive one and judge for yourself. I got more bang for the buck which Magazines dont consider.

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  So-So - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Chicago Pam - November 20 - 2:00 am

  The Grand Am SE is a beautiful car and it handles great on dry roads. It doesnt perform the greatest when the roads, or especially RR tracks, are wet. Ive had a lot of little things wrong that have cost about $400 to fix with 30,000 miles on it, which I think is too much.

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  Much better than expected! - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By benswing - November 17 - 8:00 am

  After 110,000 miles, 2 minor fender benders and loads of road trips I still love my first car. Even the SE engine has some pep with an upper engine mount and a K&N air filter. She is relatively quick off the line and gets me where Im going with a touch of style. Not the cleanest lines in a car, but not a boring Civic/Camry/Escort/etc. Only issues in 8+ years has been a hose replacement, and the vibrations are more noticeable than Id like, but not bad overall. Ive been very pleased with the reliability, fun and comfort for the price.

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  Alot of car for little money - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JLaws - November 17 - 12:20 am

  Picked up my gorgeous stealth gray Grand Prix with 84000 miles on it for $5800. After I did the brakes and purge valve, which is a common thing to fail, it drove like a brand new car. Still feels tight after all the miles and very quiet with the windows rolled up. Ive owned higher end luxury car, i.e Lexus, Audi, Cadillac STS, so I can see the drop off in the quality of materials, but the GPs base V6 performance feels as powerful as the 300hp+ engines I am used too.I am on a budget and this car satisfies my needs for the time being. I plan to drive it to the ground!

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  Good purchase....poor investment - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Rah Rah - November 14 - 2:00 am

  After 40,000 miles, my SSEI has proven its merit. I have enjoyed driving it but am disapointed with the resale value. The heating system has very poor venting . The air blows out weakly in numerous caverns and crevices and nowhere strongly. Dealership did not see anything unusual with this. Headrests are absolutely worthless. All else up to par or better.