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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  Endless repairs... - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By sarah - February 11 - 5:06 am

  We got this car for next to nothing and that was good because we have spent, on average, $380 a month in repairs over the past 2 years. brake pads, fuel leaks, wires going, brakes going, converter going, start plugs, you name it. Side mirrors fall off (Ive learned to order them online and glue them on) Fuel gauge inaccurate. Am buying new (used) car and not an American make.

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  Big Mistake - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Jimbo - February 5 - 6:13 am

  Havent had a GM product in about 15 years, daughter needed a car for school and the price was right so i bought the G5, what a mistake, has been in the shop twice in less than a year for new rear axel and rear suspension failure covered under warranty. but i need a reliable car not a reliable warranty. Should have gotten a honda. Im so stuck with this its not funny.

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  Don"t buy it!!! Unreliable - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By hflood - February 2 - 8:46 pm

  I have owned this car since 2002 and it has had muliple problems. Last year the engine went out at only 70,000 miles. It has been sitting for a year now. TOTAL LEMON!!!

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  Not Fun - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Gene G. - January 29 - 1:46 am

  I drove this car for two years. Continually took it back to dealer for various leaks. Handled terribly compared to my Miata. Poorly and cheaply constructed. After two years I could see this car could not be relied on for the long haul. I sold it and bought a Honda Civic which is solid reliable, much better milage and handled more like a sports car than the Solstice. Good ridance. Stay away from.

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  Worst Car Ever! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By trish526 - January 18 - 9:46 am

  This has to be the biggest lemon I ever bought! Its now 2 years old and its been in for service over 10 times starting 6 months after I bought it. Its been in for reasons ranging from a bad battery to the ignition column locking up. Each time I take it in service claims its fixed and each time I have the same issue or a whole new one. Ive called Pontiac and GMC and neither can help me. Im now stuck in a car thats been deemed unsafe for another 2 years because it will cost me too much to get out. I cringe whenever I drive the car and brace myself to deal with service centers. If you want reliable, go with a Honda. If you want headaches, buy a GMC or Pontiac.

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  Im trying to find the positives - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Russell Lewis - January 7 - 6:36 am

  Let me start by saying, Ive only had this car a few days but wow... It is awful. No light in the trunk. Front doors dont unlock when you open the door twice. The odomoter is in a stupid place. The radio has FM text, good luck reading it. The A pillars are in AWFUL locations, visibility out of the car is dangerously deminished. I think Pontiac hired Pablo Picasso to do the interior ergonomics. Im sure someone calls it beautiful, but it doesnt fit any human. The steering wheel is just awkward, has too much slop/play and feels cheap. The seats are also rather bad. As for how the car drives.. Awful. The car I have doesnt have anti-locks!

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  the best lemon - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By pmt - December 11 - 8:23 pm

  I bought the car in the beginnig of 2003 @ 101k. For the last year I had to repalce the starter, alternator, clutch, windshield and water pump (that killed me, over $500 for a simple water pump, problems with A/C. At 104k the transmission died and I junked the car. The worst reliability ever.

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  Horrible GrandAm - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Lexie837 - December 9 - 2:00 am

  This is the worst car we have ever bought. We will not only not ever buy another pontiac but we will tell all of our friends how bad this car really is.

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  P.O.S. please dont buy. JUNK!!!! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By thirst234 - December 1 - 2:26 am

  Bought a 2006 g6, Ive had it about almost 2 yrs now. Ive changed the brakes and rotors 6 times already, Ive had 4 aligments done, Ive had to replace some kind of sensor, had to replace tie rod and wheel bearings twice on passenger side, and the biggest thing is about a week ago i find out i need to replace my steering column and a intermediate shaft. With all the money i put into this car i could of paid it off by now or bought a new one... Ive read a lot of reviews and everyone is having these same issues with their cars. So if enough of us write to the headquaters maybe theyll put out a recall like the other companys have. DONT BUY THIS CAR, ITS A MONEY PIT.

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  not a good car - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Karen - November 27 - 7:50 pm

  do not buy! we have replaced the starter, battery, alternator, etc. in less than 3 months time. resell value stinks and youll be top heavy!! but they are good on gas mileage.