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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  Best Car I have Ever had - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By wild willy - July 27 - 8:23 pm

  With out a doubt the most solidly built car I have ever owned. I leased this car due to the fact that GM gave them away at the end of 2004 for peanuts. I am very sorry I did not buy it from the start. The car is an absolute dream to drive and I take every opportunity to get behind the wheel. If you have not driven one....Just go do it.!!

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  love my GT - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By aubs - July 26 - 4:56 am

  very fun to drive, has nice acceleration, love the heater in chairs, great exterior and interior design. Also love the very large trunk!

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  poor design - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By snowburd - July 25 - 6:23 am

  This car has three absolute blind spots...also,the reae window is so wide may look good but without a rear wiper when it rains. its impossible to see out of it. There is a quirky sound from the exhaust that the dealership insist ... is by design? from GMC? They also say the RPMs do not go past certain point because manufactur installed regulator? the blind spots and rear window issue are going to cause accidents, its seriously an issue that no one seems interested in. I wish I had kept the car a day or two before paying so much for it. WOULD NEVER BUY THIS CAR AGAIN

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  Best dollar per pound USED high proformence vehicle - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By randallel - July 24 - 5:52 pm

  Pound for pound this is the best car for you the price. The V8 is powerful and responsive, tires get great grip, good handling the weight ratio is almost 50/50 which helps the suspension and handling but if you have the option the fe3 suspension on the GXP is better. The fact that you can buy one for under 20K and the car is competitive to hang with last model Camaros and Mustangs that are twice the price tag is the best reason to buy this car.

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  Love and Hate - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Cumberland, Md - July 23 - 10:00 am

  The Bonneville has the most comfortable seats of any car I ever owned. It has been a perfect car for me....until it came time to repair it. I had two major repairs under warranty and after out of warranty, I have has substantial repair bills. Now they tell me the transmission is on the way out. Repairing this car is too expensive! This could have been a great car if it didnt need so much work on it. The mechanical integrety is bad.

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  My 99 Bonneville Was a Lemon - 1999 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Ray Williams - July 23 - 10:00 am

  This car was in the shop one day for each 287 miles. The windshield wipers intermittently didnt work, and GM refused to work on it, claiming I was making up the problem (the zone rep was rather amazed when the wipers failed to operate at the lemon law hearing with the judge present). It had numerous other problems, including turn signals, molding, trunk deck lid, horn, belt tensioner, compass, air conditioning, automatic light dimmer, head-up display, sunroof failure, peeling paint, interior trim falling off, and difficulty starting the engine. GM fought the lemon law process like a tiger, and treated us like dirt, but we finally won.

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  good - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By StacyBaby - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I just LOVE my 2003 sunfire!!!

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  have enjoyed this car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By fungirlok - July 23 - 10:00 am

  This was my first brand new car, and it has been reliable and very fun to drive. Had 4 years, with 50K miles, havent had many problems. Got my first bad suprise when I had to replace a tire, almost 160 for one! My fuel filter and pump went out, left me on the road on Thanksgiving, $800 repair!, advice, replace the fuel filter every year, this is not listed in the manual. Also, what is up with the brakes? Mine make noise, especially when it is humid. Also my pads are warped because GM used cheap brakes for production. Hibdon says they are fine, but I still have to put up with the noise.

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  its great - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By johnson - July 23 - 7:50 am

  its a great midsize, longer wider than most more room with fold flat seats, see real good, service is great, great dash

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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!