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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  Impressive - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Kaci TRUTXN - September 6 - 2:00 am

  I have to admit that I have a 2002, but as soon as I drove home I fell in love. It has good pick up, nice comfort in the back, plenty of trunk space. I was overall impressed. I did notice that the pain on the front has chipped off from objects hitting it off the highway. I guess I didnt expect for it to be like that. I do think it is a good car over all. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  Excellent Car!!! - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Pontiac Grand Am GT - September 6 - 2:00 am

  Just bought our first Grand Am GT. Its an excellent car, thats fun to drive. Other Grand Am owners say its reliable and maintance is minimal. I highly recommend this car!

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  Disappointing - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By Jackson Johns - September 5 - 4:16 am

  I have an Accord. I got this car as a rental while my Accord was in the shop for a few weeks. Wow. Did Pontiac ever try out other cars? The seats were uncomfortable. There was no place to put my sunglasses. Only 2 cup holders. None in the back seats. It has a horrible turning radius. The engine was very nice. Overall, you can do much better than this.

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  Back for more - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By car-mine - September 5 - 3:03 am

  My wife has a 2005 Vibe. Very reliable. We use it to car-top two kayaks, and I can fit my bicycle in it, with the back seats folded. It has gotten good mileage--close to 30 MPG. When I decided to get a new car for myself, I checked out the restyled 2009 Vibe and was impressed. It is much sportier looking, and the interior has been refined. The seats are firmer and more supportive. The vinyl on the dashboard and upper door panels is cloth-like in texture, and somewhat upscale. Hard to find the 1.8 liter engine with automatic, but one came through my local dealer and I snapped it up-- didnt want mileage penalty for the 2.4. The 1.8 is quite good and quieter than in the 2005.

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  buying foreign from now on - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Wayne - September 4 - 6:30 pm

  Bought it used. At 70,000 the plastic intake manifold cracked, at 140,000 front wheel bearings, at 141,000 a coil pack, at 145,000 another coil pack,at 149,000 MAF sensor, at 149,500 another MAF, at 149,550 a MAP sensor, and now the weakly designed tranny is slipping. It was a stylish and sporty design, but after 4 GM cars and a Dodge, my mechanic has a 401K with my name on it. He even said that if everybody owned a Toyota, hed be out of business, so I am going to do my part to help him retire.

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  Coupe De Gras - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Mot G. - September 4 - 4:23 am

  Ive owned many Pontiacs and this is one of my favorites. From the sloping rear deck to the 18" wheels, its a looker. Little things like remote starter and heated seats come in very handy on those cool days. The ride is excellent for its size thanks to the long wheel base. More driver headroom than my 04 Grand Prix.

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  As good as most foreign cars - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bullwhip - September 4 - 1:30 am

  I have owned it since new and drive it daily for Sales work. Overall mileage has been 25.3 but I can still get 30 mpg on highway driving with 179,000 miles on it. Ive used synthetic oil since it was new. Brakes have been replace twice, third time coming soon. Front wheel bearings and inner tie rod replaced and thats about all other than some minor warranty work early on. Its a shame they wont be making them any more. :(

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  2005 G6 GT - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By sms1 - September 4 - 1:00 am

  This was the first brand new car Ive ever purchased and overall Ive had nothing but headaches with it. The first thing to go was the stereo wiring within the first year, which was fixed under warranty. Then at 62,000 miles the timing chain in my engine broke. Thankfully a call placed to the GM customer center got my engine replaced for free even though the original warranty had expired. Last year I received a safety recall on it for brake light & cruise control issues, had that fixed and now a year later, Im experiencing the same issues again with the brake lights. The only reason Ive kept it this long is that the engine now is pretty new and its almost paid for.

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  This Car is Junk - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By DoNotBuy - September 3 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car and it only had 12,000 miles on it. At 19,000 miles the automatic transmission went out and had to be replaced at MY COST ($3,000)! Then the alternater was replaced (Twice), both window motors had to be replaced, two front hub assembiles, the left CV joint twice, the right CV joint once, and it eats brakes like crazy (replaced 4 times just this year). I do not drive my car hard nor do I neglect it. I loved this car at first and now it is nothing but a headache. DO NOT BUY GRAND AMs they will live you in ruins!

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  Sleeper - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By blackgoat - September 3 - 7:50 am

  I purchased an 06 GTO over a year and a half ago and still smile every time I start it up. It is by far the best car that I have ever owned and a blast to drive. The car looks much better in person than in pictures and most people have no idea what it is. The engine sounds great and the acceleration is impressive. The car may have sold better if the styling was more retro and less European but it is nice driving a car that you dont see at every stop light. The seats are very comfortable and the gas mileage is not too bad considering the power under the hood. It has been very reliable and the car can be modded if 400 hp is not enough for you.