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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  Great Car - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By JP - October 29 - 12:06 pm

  This is one of the greatest cars (and maybe the best engine) GM produces. I have 249,305 miles on it as of this morning and you couldnt ask for a better reliability report. That isnt to say I have never replaced anything on this car. I have. But it has the original "Big Ticket" items. No need to replace the trans or engine. Breaks, tires, oil filters. Almost as good as my 96 Bonnie with 309,000 miles. I would recommend this car to anybody.

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  It sounds great - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Thebigb - October 29 - 1:13 am

  Traded a 2003 Yukon for 2006 Grand Prix GXP. Had read review in various magazines and lived up to all of the hype. Fantastic power, great features, and best of all the $34000. list was reduced to $27,500 out the door. Car is equipped with every available option including Nav and power sun roof. GM dealers are willing to deal big time right now, and you can get those "employee discounts" without the program. This car was on the dealers lot for over 30 days, so he wanted to move it. Got it in black with black interior. Just looks real cool.

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  Maintain and Gain - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jjgalla - October 26 - 5:50 am

  I purchased as 2nd owner.I have had a few items that were a pain,no car is perfect but I maintain my cars and 105000 miles is current.I did have water from the cowling area and it took time to find it.Normal use items of discs,pads,shoes expected.Always O,L,filter@ 4000mi.Replaced carpet@ 10/09,fuellines,filter@12/09.Windshield and driver window regulator 01/2010. It is great in snow,quick at highway entry, rides steady for shorter wheelbase legnth. I hope to make 200,000 miles.

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  A Great Midsize American Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By 1st Time GM New Car - October 26 - 3:40 am

  Great car for style, handling, and safety; great value for price (GM Smart Buy) and fuel econ.

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  Roxanne, my grand prix - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By new guy - October 26 - 2:13 am

  I picked up my grand prix at a dealership that came to my town. shes white, with a loverly tint and 18" chrome rims. Her first big test was when I got a dui because my dumb ass was flying down a dirt road. I sideswiped a sign, lost control, and flew through a barbed wire fence into a deep field of mud. It sounded like it was supercharged for a minute till i found out i had to replace the water pump. After doing so it runs smooth and is still sexy and sleek.

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  Love it - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Pam - October 25 - 8:23 am

  This is the nicest vehicle Ive ever owned. Its beautiful inside and out.

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  Nimble - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By GSantee - October 25 - 2:00 am

  We love our Neptune Vibe with Tunes/Moon and Power Packages. Had been driving Toyota Celica with 120K miles when decided it was time to change. After seeing the Vibe, there was no further discussion! Pontiac did better job than Toyota with exterior design - sharp looking car! Tons of comfortable room inside. Easy to turn around in tight spots. I like orange backlit dashboard. It can fade during the day, but not bothersome, even here in the desert. Have tinted windows due to heat, makes it look even better. Buy the rubber backed carpet for cargo area to prevent sliding. This is a heck of a fun car for the money!

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  Best Car Ive Ever Driven/Owned - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By RWD-V8 - October 24 - 10:06 pm

  After quite a bit of research, I purchased a slate blue, G8 GXP with a manual transmission. Its truly a Corvette for a family of five. It has more space, the same or better performance and is more fun to drive then an M5. Im not interested in tons of electronics that will only fail and cause problems. This car is such fun to drive, I will never sell it. The fuel economy is great for the power/performance level. I get 20-22 mpg in mixed driving with the manual trans!

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  Sporty Look and Ride - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Peachy - October 22 - 5:06 pm

  Smooth ride, reliable car. Took a chance and bought used at 108K for $3K. Had to replace power steering pump and rack and pinion, because someone poured something in there. Cost $550. Relay switch burned out and interior fan would not cut off. Cost $125. Other than that..great car..good gas mileage and leather is holding up not too bad. Has a CD player and cup holder and back seat has a little fold out to put longer item in the trunk. It juts out into the back seat. Rear bumper paint worn, but all else good. Our color is plum. Driver side mirror loose, vibrates just a little. Dash lights are sporty red at night.

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  very surprised - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By damien - October 19 - 6:23 pm

  very good pick up speed , ive owned a lot of cars and this one is fun to drive, no problems of any sort.....