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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  Great Van! - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By CabForward - November 1 - 2:00 am

  Bought new in March 2000 - now at 44000 miles. We had to buy a minivan when the family grew from 4 to 6 in one shot. A minivan was not our favorite type of vehicle, but the Pontiac has completely won us over. It drives & handles like a car and has plenty of power. The city mpg is a bit low at about 17, but freeway exceeds 25.

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  Downsizing to a Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By UGS - November 1 - 2:00 am

  A lot of utility & Ill never lose it in a parking lot (Fusion Orange Metallic). Cargo floor rattles sometimes. Great gas mileage (30.2 mpg for 1st 3600 miles) Wheel doesnt tilt enough & I cant move the seat closer w/o bumping my knee. It is a lot of fun & the moons & tunes pkg. is a kick; but I miss the power of my 2000 Intrigue.

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  GREAT PRIX - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By BIGALB - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE MY GRAND PRIX, ITS A GREAT CAR , BUT THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOWS. THEY STARTED RATTLEING AFTER A YEAR. THE CAR IS ALSO BAD ON CITY GAS MILAGE, THE HIGHWAY YOU GET 30MPG AND CITY ONLY 12-14

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  Used GT - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By GM User - October 31 - 10:00 am

  I bought my wife a used 96 Grand Am GT with 42,000 miles. I thought that was low milage considering we bought it in 02. I went ahead and purchased an extended warranty, thank god. After owning the vehicle for one week we had to replace the Window motor driver side, the head gasket, the O2 Sensor, and the Alternator. Granted, we purchased used so I dont know how the vehicle was being maintained by the previous owner. But Ive heard similar problems with this model from other owners.

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  Uncomfortable ride for a luxury car - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Scott-ssei - October 31 - 10:00 am

  The car ran well for the first year. After that a power window broke, numerous rattles began, the rack and pinion failed (replaced twice), the transmission shifting became inconsistant, rough idle, and worst of all, a harsh vibration started to occur at speedsover 55 mph. Freeway driving is VERY uncofortale. The worst part is that the dealer failed or even tried to repair the problems. Even though they acknowledge the problems when I test drive the car with them, the car is returned to me with "problem not found". This is my last Pontiac. Dont buy this car.

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  Easy-To-Smoke em!! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By BigDipper - October 31 - 10:00 am

  Purchased my 2002 GTP Sedan in March and did not get a real "feel" until I took a road trip..... AWESOME! Ive owned a couple of dozen cars, including performance cars, and this one takes the cake! I dont care what speed youre traveling, stomp the pedal and this monster JUMPS! I luv playing with Mustang GTs!

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  Awesome - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By pinks_2013 - October 30 - 12:47 pm

  The best used car.. We bought this car used with 90k+ miles on it. Now it is 140k++. And its still running fine, without any issues. Just oil changes and brakepad changes. Very stable car and great pickup. Hwy MPG can go as high as 27-28, better than any sedan of the same time frame. Excellent car.

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  Nice ride! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Ron - October 30 - 9:23 am

  I drive 110 miles a day to work enjoy the good gas mileage! Very nice riding car!

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  Great Car! - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By VROOOOOM! - October 28 - 6:40 pm

  What an awesome car! I am a little sad that this will be the last Grand Prix model year, and that 2 doors are not an option anymore. But otherwise, I have owned 4 Pontiacs, 2nd Grand Prix (other was a 01 GT) and I expect the same level of satisfaction as with all the others. Gas mileage is NOT BAD for a V8, especially with the active fuel management system. When you spend as much time in a car as I do commuting, you must LOVE your car! Traded a Mazda CX7. The CX7 was awful on gas (with a 4 cyl), very hard to see out of, and felt cheap! I did not feel the joy of "zoom zoom." I definitely like the VROOM VROOM more!

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  Glad to be back in a car! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jbowen81 - October 28 - 6:43 am

  The family had been driving SUVs and Minivans for years because the kids volume of friends and stuff demanded it. Now that we have a teenage driver it was time to get a vehicle with some drivability back in the driveway. The Grand Prix has delivered a powerful drive and been okay at the pump -- knowingly and acceptingly self- inflicted.