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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  not as happy as I thought - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By momsryde - May 20 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned my Montana for 2 years - bought it as a pre-owned (rental) w/28K on it. I have mixed feelings on the van. Have had a few service trips for minor inconveniences. Never knew about the LONG list of recalls and problems until I searched online. Wind noise is terrible. Drivers side sliding door has had problems. My cheap rear hatch handle fell off b/4 40k miles, proof that duck tape doesnt cure all. Definitely the best looking "mom- mobile" out there, but not the best quality.

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  Dont make a mistake, I DID - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By kuhny - May 19 - 10:00 am

  I bought this 2006 g6 brand new. Now I wish I wouldnt have. from day one with the dealership. the first 2 weeks I have a popping in front end, rack and pinion replaced, 3 months later a/c quits working (compressor), within 1 week radio quit working and cd stuck in player, while they had it belt broke, 6-7 months later a/c compressor & belt again, also tensioner pulley found to be bad while in shop, another bad radio and heat/ac vent broke, had sun visor mirror break 3 times, and now have 15,000 miles on it and transmission making sounds/shifting hard. at 20,000 miles had 2 sensors go out. finally at 64,000 miles transmission and thermostat out. what a fun car to drive, but a serious money pit.

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  Used G6 - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By bautistaiii - May 13 - 3:03 pm

  The vehicle interior is not handsome and the seats are by far not the most comfortable and supportive, the car should have been tinted by the manufacturer. If you live in a sunny state window tinting is highly suggested and get seat covers if you dont get one in leather. It does have some pep to it, when you step on the pedals it does take off relatively quick. The mileage is also surprising in that I am averging about 29/30 on the highway with the V6 so that is a pleasant surprise. The noise inside the cabin is moderate. Use ceramic tint in the rear since the radio antenae is built into the glass. The power pedals make it easy to find a comfortable driving position for my wife and I.

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  Starter Car - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By S.Ronson - May 13 - 7:43 am

  Ive driven my G6 for 9 months now, and its good and bad. It has some power, but the mileage isnt as good as the competition. The interior is poorly made, most of the buttons do not display their purposes anymore. Electrical issues for practically the whole time Ive owned it.

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  Please! Dont buy this car! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By car_man_66 - May 9 - 7:23 am

  I bought a brand new 2007 red G6! I loved it but then the repairs that were not covered under warranty started coming! Then winter came in Western New York and the car couldnt get out of its own way even with traction control! So i had to order snow tires! (by the way no-one carries the tires for this car, they HAVE to be ordered) $700 from tire rack! then spring came and i put the originals back on and with 31,000 miles on the tires (rotated every 2nd oil change) there were steel belts showing on 3 of the 4 tires and they had to be ordered $666.99 from the distributor where my dealership gets their tires. then the traction, and abs lights came on, as well as the air bag light

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  G6 junk - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By recii - May 8 - 12:50 pm

  Worst car Ive owned to date. Steering locks randomly on curves. Body lines are not straight. Radio malfunctioning. Car has mild stalling problem. Panaromic roof leaks.

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  Learning Experience - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By andldvor - May 4 - 6:43 am

  Owning the car was fun, obviously it is nice to look at and definitely attracts attention. Before this car I was use to smooth riding coupes or sedans so this was a change in road feel. I realized that I enjoyed driving a smoother ride much better, so am going to trade it in. i also purchased the manual transmission which has become a hassle now that i live in a city with endless red lights. I felt like the engine stuttered a little at times in third. It has never broken down on me or anything like that, but I definitely miss a bigger four door car with a smoother ride.

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  Mediocre has a new definition - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Camryn Cox - May 4 - 3:21 am

  Pros sporty look strong v6 engine smooth ride decent mpg for a v6 18-20city 23-26 highway Cons not very reliable cheap interior poor safety rating very little resale value bought car in 2012 with 65k, now has 106k, had numerous pricey repairs done, timing belt twice in 6 months, oil pan and transmission fluid leaks, faulty alternator, air conditioning stopped working at around 95k.

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  right string and the WRONG YOYO :( - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By JOHN - April 27 - 4:26 pm

  have owned lots of dif cars.. after living with this latest GM wonder..(only decent car theyve tried to build in over 10 years). DRIVETRAIN: pretty good ! 4cyl. shutdown works!(23mpg@80 and under 14sec. darn good :trans- kinda close. suspension/steering..borderline lousy! steers hard at slow speed and too light at speed. rear end skips on ANY rough surface and the darn thing weighs as much as my previous crown vic..which with aftermarket sway bars, out handles it.... Interior sound system..1 on a hundred! other controls..fire the computer nerd !

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  piece of crap - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By unhappy women - April 19 - 2:00 am

  What a pain in the butt!! I guess they were having a bad day on the assembly line when my car was made! Everything that could go wrong did, and has!! First the window motors went out (both of them, and apparently they are hard to get out and change,) then the widows started leaking (not just a little, it pours,)both my seatbelts broke and wouldnt retract, my passenger seat is stuck all the way forward, my alternator went out, my light switch broke so my headlights wouldnt work, and my water pump cracked so I cant drive 2 blocks without it overheating all the way in the red! Oh but thats it, not too much ;(