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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  Awesome! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By mkjaz - September 15 - 10:00 am

  I love my Vibe. I own the GT model and she sings wherever I take her. She is quick, different, and fully equipted. I will buy another one.

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  Keeps on Running - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Chris from Michigan - September 15 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Grand Am in 97 with only 4 miles on it. It now has over 105,000! Only repair that has been done was a water pump (at around 50,000 miles). Other than normal maintence, car has not cost me anything. Runs great everyday. I have the 4 cyl / 5 speed combo which works great. I wish that they had offered the 5 speed with the 6 cyl engine. Car does not excell at any particular thing, but does not bother me since it runs so good. Been very happy with my Grand Am.

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  Bonneville Reliability - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By astribling11 - September 15 - 10:00 am

  Bad experience. Bought car new. Had electrical problems for 2 months after I bought the car. I had transmission problems at 42,000 miles. Pontiac dealership fixed the problem. Then, at 45,000 miles the entire transmission had to be rebuilt. Also, electric window motor on passanger side front has gone out. Car reliablity is very poor!

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  We like this car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By splendidtina - September 15 - 10:00 am

  We just bought it yesterday, but we think it is awesome, so far.

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  Best Bang for your Buck In a AWD - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By PGKDave - September 15 - 10:00 am

  I compared the Subaru Forester, Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, and the VIBE AWD. They are all great vehicles but on paper the VIBE offered more for your money. So I took a chance and purchased the AWD Vibe. I was a little leary of its lower horsepower ratings. But after driving it for a week now in New York City traffic, I found that it is quite peppy and has more power than I was lead to belive. It is very nimble and handles like a dream. The gas milege is great for a AWD vehicle. I recommend that you purchase the rear cargo mat because things tend to slide around in the cargo area if they are not tied down.

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  Perfect - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By F-bird76 - September 15 - 10:00 am

  I have the gtp in white, it is great, u would be driving on the highway thinking that ur going 60 but ur goin 80, great pick up, can pass with a breese, the chrome rims turn heads while goin down the streets, i have xm, onstar, sunroof, heated seats, monsoon sterio, everything else toped out around 31,000 but it is a must great to drive fun car!!!!!

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  Fun to drive, but some issues - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By David - September 15 - 6:36 am

  This overall has been a great first car! The car was my sisters and when she got a newer Grand Am, she gave hers to me. The car is a lot of fun to drive, it has a lot of pick up with the V6, but has some mechanical issues. In the time that weve both had it weve replaced the passenger window motor, the passenger window, front breaks, a couple sensors here and there, it needs a new engine belt, the drivers brake light had to be replaced and some other repairs here and there.

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  Im having doubts - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By ahnalia - September 14 - 8:54 pm

  I have read a lot of good reviews about this car. I found one for sale with very low mileage, only 70k miles. Within 2 days of buying it, the ICP went out, so I had to replace that for $230.00. Not even a week later there was a loud knocking noice when I turned on the defroster, so now that will need replaced too. I know when you buy a used car, you take a risk, but I have -never- had a car start having problems within TWO days of buying it. It seems to drive OK, but I am having a lot of doubts about tyhe electrical system. It does handle good on ice, but doesnt have a lot of "Get up and go" it feels sort of laggy. It is a pretty car though, but still, Im not impressed.

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  Good solid car with some issues - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By R. Florez - September 14 - 4:33 pm

  Interior design is great. Very flexible, roomy, and comfortable, however there have been a few quality issues common to this model. Broken blend door motor, broken latches on HVAC air filter, overly sensitive automatic headlight sensor that turns on headlights and dims dash lights on a sunny day when A-pillar casts a shadow on sensor. Ive had an issue with the headlights mysteriously turning on when the car sits overnight in temperatures near or below freezing, resulting in a dead battery the next morning. No mechanical problems. Fuel mileage is excellent with 1.8L engine. I get about 31-32mpg in mostly city driving. Of course the downside is that acceleration with this engine is anemic.

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  3.8 V6 solid as a rock - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Arrowhead - September 14 - 4:23 pm

  Having been raised in a Pontiac family, I have owned more Oldsmobiles and Buicks. Bought this car for a reasonable price back in 05 with a GM certified warranty. This car has needed periodic maintenance per the owners manual of which absolutely no one follows. Doing the correct fluid flushs on time, the filters, injection cleaning, wires, plugs, brakes, tires. Its motor is bullet proof. I plan on keeping this car another 3 or 4 more years and I can most certainly expect with normal on time maintenance, it will perform as desired. It hauls quickly o-60, it handles incredible, has plenty of room. Some cheap interior stuff, but it just can be overlooked with its looks and reliability.