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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  POS - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By bob carlson - December 14 - 2:00 am

  This is a big ripoff of the public,the car for its size gets terrible gas mileage.It is ranked #10 of 10 in crash tests and retains 24% of value to rank it in worst ten cars in the USA.Overall the car is just a throwawy car.Parts are constantly breaking,door handles, mirrors dont fold back to resist breaking if you hit one .The door window motors are always breaking.

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  2006 AWD - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By nhollins - December 14 - 1:23 am

  My new Vibe replaces a 12 year old Sunbird. I thought the 1.8l engine would be a headache on the freeway. Surprise for me ! The rpms are only at 3200 to go 130km/hr. The 4 valve/cylinder is the only way to go ,to make a sensor controlled engine function to its best. I had TrimLine install a hoodshield thats 24" wide ; 1/2 way up the hood. I had a 74 Corolla that ran troublefree for 10years. So as soon as i found out the Vibe had a Toyota motor , i ordered a new Vibe. What a happy newcar owner i am, considering this is the 1st vehicle bought without even a testdrive !

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  Awesome Car!!! - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GrandPrixForever!!! - December 13 - 10:20 pm

  I love this car!!! This thing has some great power! Not to mention a great stereo, great handling, Great ride, and awesome style. I would highly recommend this car to anyone! I would definely buy another one. :)

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  Perfect - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By RedHotGTP - December 12 - 11:53 am

  I purchased this car in January of 05 with less than 80k miles on it. I had to replace the Supercharger coupler (bought at ZZperformance.com for $40) right after I bought it and I had it fully serviced at my local dealership. I love to drive this car! I recently owned a 99 Grand Prix GT and when you go from 200HP to 240HP it makes a big difference! It is fully loaded, HUD, Bose, 12-disc changer, heated seat (great in the winter), sunroof, everything. The only problem I have noticed is the display on the radio gets confused and shows weird numbers, but only for a few seconds after start- up. I have heard of several GPs doing this with or without Bose. This wont be my last Grand Prix!

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  Very nice but can use 100 HP more - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By daVE - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Very awsome with the storm package...

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  Its OK - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By SD - December 10 - 8:43 am

  I guess Im just not as blown away as everyone else. We have put 10,000 miles on our GTP now and I think it is a nice car but I do have a couple gripes; fuel economy, and power. It seems like a car with 240 horses should be a little quicker (hint - push and hold the traction control button for 5 second to turn off stability control!). Our average fuel economy is 19-20 mpg with my light-on- the-gas wife driving. Interior and exterior fit and finish are great. The layout of the interior was well thought out. Big trunk with a relatively small opening.

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  Great car interior lacks somewhat - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Aces - December 10 - 1:00 am

  Apparently Pontiac Motors thinks a lot of plastic is ok in the interior of a retail $30,000 car. I disagree. The car preforms fantastic, great power and exceptional handling. The car will understeer if pushed too hard. The brakes are ok if you dont consistently pound on them, they are not track ready. The size of the car is to be taken into consideration as it is a wide body and can be difficult to park. I love the car.

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  Window problems - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By John - December 9 - 11:40 pm

  The electronic window device is of poor quality. The window on the drivers side was repaired twice, and is in need of repair again. The passenger side window has been repaired once.

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  2002 AZTEK ONE SWEET RIDE!!!! - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By AZTEKLOVER - December 9 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the top three vehicles I have ever owned from a Cadillac to a Mustang. Wonderful, forward thinking design,not a cookie cutter SUV.Turns heads!!Better gas mileage than otherSUV.Great sound system,cold air,lights everywhere!! Rides way smooth and quiet.Do not overlook the Aztek for an attention getter.My daughter(22)is thinking of trading her Grand Am for one,it is so sweet.Oh,with sunroof tho.You will not be sorry on this one.Will look new for years.

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  Dont Waste Your Money - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By neverbuypontiac - December 9 - 10:00 am

  This car was always at the garage. The car left my wife stranded two times due to the alternator dying and the automatic transmission needing rebuild at 45,000 miles. We also experienced the same problems as the other owners. (Warped brake rotors, Fan would not work on 1,2 or 3, Fuel injectors needed replaced after 2 years, and cracked interior molding) Better get the extended warranty, you are going to need it with this car!!!