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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  Why did I Settle? - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By L.A. - January 20 - 12:50 pm

  Reading whats on here made me cry. It really is a death trap. I have a 2006 Pontiac G6. I didnt have it two months before Engine Power Reduced popped up. I can be on the highway going 60 and my speed will reduce to 35. I wont even be able to pull a hill. I thank God I didnt get in a wreck because of this car. I tried all I can. I dont have any more money to spend on parts that dont help the problem. I cant talk to the people at GM any more. I cant call lawyer any more. I tried giving the car back. I tried turning it in to be repo. But, I will still have to pay remaining balance after they resale the car. I hate this. Paying for a car for 16 months that I cant drive. cant be fixed

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  My Second Grand Am - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Carolyn Shipley - January 20 - 3:20 am

  Bought it brand new and its now 5 years old. Very reliable. Warranty has paid off. Changed oil regularly and had very few problems. Love the exterior design. My first Grand Am had 4 doors and this one has 2. Now I know I prefer 4 because its difficult getting into and out of the back seat. Value is now less than half what I am paying for it. I think I owe more on the loan that it is now worth – because of this, I may never by new again. I would think about upgrading to a Grand Prix next time for more interior comfort.

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  Exciting Family Sedan!!! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By TMC - January 20 - 2:50 am

  As a former salesman at a luxury high- end new car dealer, I am definitely impressed with this car! And, Ive driven probably a couple of thousand different cars(cadillac, lexus, infinity, acura, and the normal domestics, etc) Pontiac did an excellent job with the 2004 Grand Prix. I kept finding myself going ever so faster on the highway. Virtually no roadnoise at 80 mph+. I recently did a 300 mile road trip through small towns and highway driving & averaged 28.5 mpg. Tons of legroom in the front seats. Easy to read displays. Some people complain that the interior plastic is too plain, but I was never a fan of imitation wood trim as on some of the "high end" cars.

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  best in class - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By MCGYVER64 - January 18 - 11:23 pm

  dollar for dollar this is the best value in its class. Comfort, styling, performance, this car has it all. Excellent ride in regular V6 model. GT was very stiff and twitchy.

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  Zero Quality - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By cdubcols - January 18 - 8:36 pm

  Ive had my Grand Am for 2 years now and the drivers seat has broken, the timing chain broke and I had to have the engine rebuilt, the struts rattle, the wheel covers rattle, there have been several electrical problems... serious lack of quality. No foreign car would be on its second engine at 63k.

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  A Nice Balance - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Slee_Stack - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Its not a vette nor will it ever be regardless of how much money you dump into it. It is, however, a remarkably fast car for a surprisingly low price. As a bonus, you can seat 5 comfortably.

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  GM has Nailed the Market -SOLSTICE - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Lisa Jeffcoat - January 17 - 10:10 pm

  This car outshines anything Ive driven or even seen on the market,GM really went above, and why to even compare to the others is silly. It handles as close and my 1981 corvette,easier to park than a vette, and the gas hand seems to never move. The innovative features are so easy to operate and storage is just enough for a road trip. This car is Blows away any other car in my book! The seats are so comfty and plenty of leg room and head room, its just a stylish beauty and I predict it will hold its value,we will look back on it like people look at Corvettes now in 10 to 20 yrs--and WHAT a GREAT price--I just LOVE mine.

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  True Ride - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By M john J - January 17 - 6:46 pm

  lets see not only is this car very comfortable it also looks sharp. the interior is very sleek with tons of extras i couldnt even list them all. never had any problems but like any car its all how you treat it i had a friend who beat on it pretty bad and even his held most of the torcher, all age car ia right on the money i like it and all my friends complement it and i let my parents borrow it for 2 week and they loved it! they fought over it... good in the snow and i always feel safe in it. Avoid 2 accidents in it and had complete control while swiving ... Its a keeper in my eyes!

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  Terrible G6! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By skpalmer - January 17 - 8:26 am

  I am with all the other G6 owners out there have the love hate relationship with their G6. I have had so many problems with my car, we had to buy a separate car that was more dependable just to make sure wed have a car to drive. Now just another problem to add to the list, tonight we started driving 55-60 mph and the stupid thing starts shaking so much that your voice shakes if you try and talk! Love the looks but hate the car! Never buying a Pontiac again, I had 02 Grand Prix and loved it so much I got this. Pontiac really messed up when they built this car!

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  Awesome buy - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By tishwo - January 16 - 5:56 pm

  Our vibe has been phenomenal. No mechanical problems whatsoever! The reliability and drivability has been that of a European car!