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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  What a van! - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By DocBen - November 30 - 2:00 am

  Im not sure what the other reviews are talking about, but I love this van! It is beautiful and stylish, and the amenities are awesome. Great ride, very comfortable back seat, etc.

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  Pretty Damn good - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Alan Lowe - November 28 - 10:00 am

  This car is incredibly fun to drive. I could be much happier with the fuel mileage however this is a fun little sports car.

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  I love Pontiacs - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Jennifer Ann - November 28 - 10:00 am

  The car is comfortable, it has power if needed. It is roomy, the trunk is large.The adjustments for the seats are easy, the lumbar adjustment just even more comfort. Do not have to use best gas as in my previous Grand Prix GPT Supercharged.The radio is like listening to live performances. The handling is easy. Not too big for parking. This is my fifth Pontiac since 1982.

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  No more soccer mom image - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By autojudge - November 27 - 8:20 am

  Love this VAN/SUV. Great quality. Efficient gas mileage and plenty of power on hwy. Spacious interior with plenty of cargo space.

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  380,000 KM and Passing it down. - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By pilotauto - November 26 - 5:06 am

  I purchased my 2003 Aztek new in the spring of 2003..I guess I,m one of the weirdos that like the styling..that is what attracted me to this vehicle,when I test drove it and saw all the cool little features,and how much room it had..well it spoke to me,so I bought it and,and have "0" regrets in fact it is without a doubt the best vehicle I have owned At 320,000KM I did have to have the intake manifold gasket replaced....but at 380.000KM she runs like a top.I oil sprayed(undercoated her from new,and every year after,and used 5W-30 Full synthetic Motor oil from Day 1 now my daughter is going to have it I only hope the new vehicle I purchased gives me the worry free long service the Aztek has.

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  I LOVED my GTP but now shes gone - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Sandra - November 24 - 5:43 pm

  I bought this car used in Feb. 07 and lost it in an accident July 08. It was quick and accelerated smoothly, performed well both on the city streets and on long trips. Very nice stereo system-great bass. Minor drawback is some of the paint chipped off the radios on/off button and the knobs/buttons in general seemed a bit cheap. Mileage averaged approx. 19 in city and 23 highway. In these times of high gas prices, one might struggle between choosing this higher performing car versus a more efficient auto. I had my fun but have now concluded I must choose a more economical vehicle; however, I will never forget my Pontiac G6 GTP.

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  Good but not great - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By chad - November 24 - 7:40 am

  I bought my grand am gt 2 months ago and love it for the most part. It really runs well and has a thrill factor to it. I would like a little more power though. The ram air is a joke and im looking into cold air intake. Car guzzles gas like a v-8. It is important not to run cheap gas in these cars as your performance will suffer. Dont get me wrong i love th e car but pontiac cant seem to get enough power out of a 6- cylinder engine. Should be faster than it is. Any model but the gt is a waste of money.

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  NO PROBLEMS SO FAR ALL HIGHWAY MILES - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jon Miller - November 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car with 64,000 on it. As of 2/11/03 it now has 106,000 miles on it. I drive 70 miles a day just to work ALL highway with cruise set at 71mph. Still has factory trans fluid, coolant (dexcool), and spark plugs. My only problem was the alternator which went at 79000 miles - $100 bucks and 10 minutes and it was fixed!!! Brakes had to be re done - but they were factory originals at about 81000 miles. Still burns tires if need be (with trac control off of course)!! The key is following the manual for oil changes!

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  Expected ecitement and quality, oops - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By UKFan - November 24 - 2:00 am

  As a previous owner of a 1995 SEL, I really like the improvements in the 2000 model. Ive had a few issues: replaced heater fan, water gathered under the spoiler and would spill into the trunk when I opened it, an A/C hose failed last year. But what really pissed me off, was both of the rear power window motors had to be replaced within two weeks of each other. This happend at just under 40,000 miles and the dealer nor GM would cover it under warranty. I had to go through a lenghty process to get 50% back from GM.

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  3rd Pontiac Bonneville - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By niles - November 24 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive and comfortable. Loyal to Bonneville until now. Disappointed in overall quality. Too much interior plastic. To date: trouble with the driver window and fluid leakeage. Dealer is fabulous and warranty covered repairs, but am worried about what the future holds for this car.