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:

• 

  Good value and fun ride - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By doogienj - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I just got this car as a company car to replace my Chevy Impala LS. This is a mans car. The engine has a nice roar to it, though a bit noisy. This car accelerates like a rocket at stand still and 70MPH. Passing and merging has become fun:) I am also very pleased with the general handling and suspenstion. I would like a little more power steering when parking. The cockpit is well designed and easy to use. Trunk room is plentful. I wish they had used metal inside instead of cheap looking plastic.

• 

  Comfortable car - engine issues - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By kjkrgk - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car new because I fell in love with the looks and ride. Had absolutely no problems for 3 yrs, only needed routine maintenance. At 48000 miles the engine suddenly siezed, needed total engine replacement. After 2 months of aggravation and argument, GM and the dealer each covered a third of the repair costs, and threw in a $1500 certificate for a new GM vehicle. I still love the car, but dont have the same level of confidence when I first bought it. I plan to keep the car for another 4 to 5 years, hopefully no further major problems will develop.

• 

  First Impression - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Eddybauer1 - October 17 - 10:00 am

  I thought the car has a boring exterior, I thought the interior was really well designed, but the audio controls on the steering wheel felt very cheap, and so did some of the interior hard ware, the sun visors feels like they were made out of card board that were covered with cloth, The seats were top quality on the other hand. I have no doubt that the power train will hold up, I just dont think that 31k is what this car is worth. Save a few bucks, and put a ls1 v8 in a Saturn L300 AKA Catera, and you get 2 extra doors free, that basically is what this car is.

• 

  Not Made to Last - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Grand Prix GT - October 16 - 3:46 pm

  Bought the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix GT which was the third pontiac that I purchased since 1998. The 2002 Grand Prix was a trade in. The Lower Intake Gasket went out on it at 15000. It went out again at 30000 and again at 115000. The car brakes tend to wear prematurely averaging 30K on brakes and rotors. The AC/Heat Knobs tend to break prematurely. The tires goodyear 225/60R16 last about 30K per set. Ive had to replace speed sensors, the fuel line rail, the rear suspension, and wheel nut caps that crack easily upon removal.

• 

  First time owner - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pettyspontiac - October 16 - 4:56 am

  This is my first Grand Prix and I love it!! The gas mileage is only getting around 21 mpg and that is really disappointing since sticker says 20/30 and have bout 50/50 city/hwy miles. Otherwise its an awesome car. Very sporty, yet its a family car. Its very sharp looking and fun to drive. Radio will blow you out of the car! Overall, Im pretty satisfied.

• 

  2001 ssei - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By serell - October 14 - 10:00 am

  The paint quality needs to be improved for metallic light bronze mist. There are numerous small air bubbles in the paint. The fit on the door handles could be tighter to the body.

• 

  good car - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Happy Owner - October 13 - 2:30 pm

  This has been a great car. When I look at comparable vehicles I feel I kept $10,000 in my pocket and have a safe, fun, powerful American car. Buy American had better become a way of life in this country or it will no longer be our country!

• 

  Gets into yer pocket a bit at a time - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By Drive-It-Til-It-Dies - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Imagine a vehicle you like which nickles and dimes you to death... I drive a lot on Chicagos tollway system...lotsa miles. The car runs good, but some failures have cost me some money. The radio display went Klingon on me, was fixed, and is going Klingon again. The power door has failed... is now a manual door. Coolant leak into engine darn near killed it and cost me over a grand to fix. But I like sitting high, and it is a great road vehicle. With the miles I put on it I wont get squat in trade, so Ill drive it until it blows up.

• 

  2000 4dr gt - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Ryukyu_Warrior - October 5 - 5:03 am

  Good car, fun to drive when it runs. Poor Engine design, will run hot. and stock water pump is garbage. other than that good car.

• 

  Very Decieving - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Not Satisfied! - October 3 - 2:00 am

  This car is not what you think you are getting. Have had to replace racking pionion 5 times, transmission had to be replaced, new brakes in less than 5000 miles, makes popping noise all the time, front end will not stay in in-linement, Tire Rods has had to be replaced 4 times, Tires are to expense to have to ahve replaced so often because of the rubbing of the tires. Do not recommend this car to ANYONE> It is a LEMON!