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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  A piece of Junk - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Dont buy GM - May 13 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has had 4 repairs on the sliding door, 4 fuel injectors replaced. 4 repairs on the Air Conditioner, many other single repairs to mention. My wife is about to shoot this thing...do not buy this vehicle or any other GM product. They are absolutely no help post purchase!!!!

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  Awesome Ride for the Price!!! - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By pontiac_lover - May 13 - 10:00 am

  I have had no trouble whatsoever with this car! Its a blast to drive... sporty, sleek, and comfortable.

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  Great Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By BobMc - May 13 - 10:00 am

  This is a fun car to drive. Great power, speed and handling. Its a very good value as well. I think the car surprises people with its power.

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  Starter Car - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By S.Ronson - May 13 - 7:43 am

  Ive driven my G6 for 9 months now, and its good and bad. It has some power, but the mileage isnt as good as the competition. The interior is poorly made, most of the buttons do not display their purposes anymore. Electrical issues for practically the whole time Ive owned it.

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  excellent car to drive - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By johnnyv40th - May 12 - 6:10 pm

  The grand prix is a very fun car to drive , it has a nice sporty feel but not too hard over bumps.The supercharger realy makes a big difference - it provides great tire smoking performance.

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  97 Formula - 1997 Pontiac Firebird
  By Danny - May 12 - 5:00 am

  The car is a beautiful combination of style and performance that turns heads everywhere. Just because it doesnt have the 505 hp found in the Chevy Z06, you will never feel like you need anything else. Never have I found a postion in which I wished for more acceleration or a higher maximum speed. The ride is fairly smooth, but in the automatic form, 3rd gear gets a little bumpy around 4000 rpm, but 4th gear is smoother and more quiet than Ive ever experienced in the f-bodys.

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  Nice car but lacking important qualities - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By aregister11 - May 11 - 2:40 am

  Overall a nice car; comfortable, decent pick-up for a 4 cyl car, and nice radio with mp3 jack. I think that the exterior makes the car look more expensive than it is. My big problems with this car is the lack of keyless entry and the fuel economy. There is only one keyhole on the drivers door and it only unlocks that door-a big pain with full hands. Also I only get about 21mpg which is a big let down to me. I feel like Im filling up all the time. Im glad its a lease. I miss my 06 Hyundai Elantra; it was cheaper had keyless entry and much better fuel economy. My advice - check other cars in this price range before buying, you may feel that you get more for your money.

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  Please! Dont buy this car! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By car_man_66 - May 9 - 7:23 am

  I bought a brand new 2007 red G6! I loved it but then the repairs that were not covered under warranty started coming! Then winter came in Western New York and the car couldnt get out of its own way even with traction control! So i had to order snow tires! (by the way no-one carries the tires for this car, they HAVE to be ordered) $700 from tire rack! then spring came and i put the originals back on and with 31,000 miles on the tires (rotated every 2nd oil change) there were steel belts showing on 3 of the 4 tires and they had to be ordered $666.99 from the distributor where my dealership gets their tires. then the traction, and abs lights came on, as well as the air bag light

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  Cool Car... Toyota Quality? - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Team Canada - May 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought a base Vibe a little over a year ago and I think its great. Not much can match its looks, performance, versatility, fuel mileage and price. That being said, I have come across many little problems that are typical of Pontiac, maybe not Toyota. The driver’s window rattles when up, the driver’s seat shifts when starting and stopping, the blower fan sounds like it needs a new bearing, the rear windshield wiper stopped working, Ive had 2 rattles in the dash and the front tires have worn out in 10,000 km (Continentals)!! All little but annoying problems.

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  I love it - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By dpitt - May 9 - 2:00 am

  I love my car - Canadian. I now have 202,000 kms on the original transmission and motor. Sure needs regular maintenance - hard on brakes. But very reliable and well worth it!