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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  water troubles - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By 1awsmgto - July 29 - 9:33 pm

  I leased the car for my daughter not knowing that I was leasing a swimming pool at the same time. On my fourth trip to dealer trying to get water leak/mildew smell taken car of. On my 12th GM car in the last 10 years and I am thinking about ditching this process. I am tired of the run around, Maybe some of the service reps should get the boot like what they have done with all the engineers. Just a wishful thought. I am at the point where I need to hire a life guard to oversee the water activities in the G6. Anyone else had this much fun with mold. Car is on the fourth trip to dealership with new seats,carpet , and been deionzed 6 times. Maybe GM and febreeze can make a commercial. Good PR...

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  Time for it to go! - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By Had_enough - July 21 - 6:40 pm

  Purchased at 73,000 miles, currently 170,000 miles. Second time intake gasket leaking. Outside temp display works only if I bang on it. Lights on steering wheel controls dont work. Power sliding door wont open/close when vans on a hill. Lots of rattling noise in rear. Load leveler stopped working after hitting a bump in road. Rear brakes lock up when adjusted. headlights are aweful. Just ready to walk away from this van!

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  Not what I expected from GM - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By RSturkie - July 9 - 10:00 am

  I am dissappointed in this car. I have had 3 sets of front brake pads and 2 sets of front rotors on this car and still the brakes make a noise. I just put a new altenator on it a month ago. I found a leak in the intake manifold and took it to a different dealer than I purchased the vehicle from to get better service. The bolts in the intake were not tightened to specs and backed out causing a leak. Also had to send the radio off twice to be repaired because of parts in the radio overheating and failing. I will not buy another vehicle from Ponitac as long as I have the memory of this car in my head.

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  Read a review before you buy - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Corey - June 28 - 9:00 am

  I absolutely hate my G6 GT coupe. After 6 months the interior vanity light went out and the brakes started squeeking. I went in for an oil change and had the guy look at my brakes. I am currently at 32K miles. Apparently all my brake pads are shot and all my rotors need to be machined. For such an aerodynamic car, people always think I get such great mileage. I have the exact same gas mileage as my previous 4 door Jeep Cherokee - 19 miles per gallon. Also the sunroof rattles all the time.

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  they seem nice until you own one. - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By AJGierer - June 25 - 10:00 am

  i enjoyed this car until stuff starting breaking for no reason. like the strut broke and broke the spring and ripped up the tire, at 50000 miles. then at about 51000 the power steering pump and pressure hose behind it broke. not only that but that parts for GM cost an arm and a leg and the labor for this poorly desigened cars is a killer too. as i said i liked this car until i had to do repairs on things that should not of broke or the expensive labor costs.

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  Designed to fail catastrophically - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Saaphiel - June 25 - 4:03 am

  For the longest time, the van seemed to be doing all right. Certainly it was comfy to drive, mileage was great, but then things started breaking. A/C, door seals, ABS light, headlights full of water after rain causing me to buy new halogen bulbs every month, various electrical gremlins. The final nail in the coffin was the gaskets failing. Plenty of oil and plenty of coolant, suddenly mixed together then cooling and coagulating in the engine to a peanut butter like consistency. Its being hauled to the auto wreckers this week. Rather than throw the equivalent of a down payment on a new car at this miserable van to fix it, I bought a Toyota 4 Runner instead.

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  Feed up with GM lack of quality - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Feed up with GM - June 17 - 4:10 pm

  GM builds crap and wonders why they have problems. Our van has been in the shop way too much for big items. The van has 87,000 miles on it and we have to replace the whole gasket system and front wheel hub at 65,000 miles ($1,600 fix). The battery has gone bad twice. The DVD player barely works and the heated seats have been replaced twice and continue to short out. Now the Fuel pump has gone bad at 87,000 miles another $1,000 fix. This makes the little items like rubber stripping on the sliding doors falling off way to annoying. Do not buy GM you will regret it.

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  G5 GT - Not For Me! - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By Bigron - June 11 - 11:00 am

  I bought this car this past January, but was disappointed. I really only bought it for the gas mileage (since gas prices were peaking just over $4.00 per gallon!). Im an avid weightlifter, a big guy (62 260). I have a small waist (I wear a size 33 inch/34 length cargo pants) but I have very large arms and very broad shoulders. My point is, my upper body feels too cramped in a car this size, and there is not much headroom. Bigger guys definitely should not purchase this car because I guarantee you that you will not be comfortable!

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  Finally Paid Off - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Lance - June 5 - 4:40 pm

  I bought my 2004 with 24,000 miles on it. A factory exhaust system was installed. Good car until the 40,000 mile mark. Took it in for my routine oil change, and was told that there were particles of metal in transmission fluid. I did a trans flush and added Lucas Trans Lube to it. It took 2 full flushes to get all of the metal out of the system. Now at 88,000 miles, I was told, again, by a new mechanic that my trans fluid needs to be changed. The manual calls for 1 trans change at 100,000 miles. This would now make it 3 flushes in 88,000 miles. Check gas cap and check eng light came on at 65,000 miles. Computer says theres a leak in the exhaust manifold. Trading in before I dump money in it.

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  Bad Quality - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By Lorie - May 22 - 10:00 am

  Where do I start? We have had a constant shaking/vibration between 38mph-44mph. The dealership and district manager say there is no problem; a clunk in the transmission from reverse to drive; many repairs on the hatch door; constant rattling in the plastic on the driver side sliding door; now theres a problem when putting your foot on the break; front end pops when taking off; The older the van gets, the more noise it makes. Need I say more!!!!!