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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  One Nice Car - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Robert Gould - April 10 - 9:56 pm

  I have gotten several compliments on this car.I really like it alot, especially compared to the other Grand Ams I own. It definately is fun to drive.It has alot of room for passengers or cargo and love the great mileage as well. The Pontiac G6 looks expensive and has a look all its own.

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  Great Fun! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Trance - April 10 - 4:46 pm

  Love the car for its performance. Even though the car is large...the interior feels a bit cramped. The back seats are almost useless to adults. However...Im single and bought it for the performance...so Im happy.

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  True Long-Distance Driving - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Mike L - April 10 - 9:43 am

  I worked for a firm that leased a couple of different vehicles one of which was the VIBE. I was due a new vehicle and chose to try the Vibe since it seemed to be a mini SUV wagon. The vehicle was the best vehicle I ever was issued. No breakdowns, always reliable sturdy, and "quick" dispite the under- powered engine (should be larger 4 cyl or 6 cyl) Only issue was starting from the line, no pep and you need some distance to enter a busy fast highway. However, using it on the streets of NYC I never had a problem. The only issue I had was the interior design, window opener locations, lack of rear seat heading, Air conditioning ports seemd sloppily designed. I recommend it for all.

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  Great car - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Raden - April 9 - 4:53 am

  I bought the car a little over a year now and owning a 93 Grand-Am before this I knew what I was getting my self in to. This car has the 3100 V6 auto. Great pick up. Fuel econ was better then expected. Again and problems were expected including Power windows (GM cant seem to build power windows) and front brakes suck. Better to upgrade with slotted/drilled rotors or face premature rotor ware and constant garage time.

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  Overall Great SUV - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By wax - April 9 - 4:33 am

  Get a lot of comments about how good the Torrent looks with the 17" allows. A very versatile, roomy SUV. Great pickup and smooth transmission. Interior materials are somewhat cheap. Very few reliability issues so far, at the 43,000 mile mark. The center arm rest design is a disaster. Would buy it again.

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  Very Quirky - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By oldwiz09 - April 8 - 10:57 pm

  Im experiencing the same problems as many of these reviewers. Ive had 3 window regulators go bad and replaced them myself, which wasnt bad once I figured out how to remove the door panels. Interior lights frequently blow the fuse. Just replaced heater blower motor and resistor. Intermediate steering shaft bumps but tech bulletins say this poses no real problems. IP lights are slowly fading out. I have enjoyed owning this car overall but all these quirks make me want to never own another GM product.

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  30th Anniversary Edition Ram Air - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Simpledlte - April 8 - 10:16 am

  This car is totally awesome. It does everything but talk to me and it drives like a wet dream. Fast, Sporty, mine is bright red. My only complaint is speeding tickets! Owned it two years and all i have had to do is replace a fuse and routine oil changes. This car has embroidered leather power seats and all the whoopty doos you could want.

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  Mean Manta Green GT - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By barbay - April 8 - 10:00 am

  First car I ever purchased new. Had a long commute to work and put over 100 miles a day. The first 5 years were great with little maintenance required just the average wear and tear. After 5 years though I started having problems: First it was the Fuel pump, then the switch for the headlights, the driver side window followed and now the water pump has a leak. All of this has been within the last 12 months. Id say the car hit 100K miles and started to self destruct.

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  40th Anniversary - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Buster - April 7 - 6:36 pm

  We purchased a 40th anniversary model, which was hard to find, but we were lucky enough to find one at a local dealership. So far we love the car. We compared it to many other models, even the Jag X-type. But dollar for dollar, it seemed like the best value. So far we dont regret that decision. The car has plenty of power (we didnt go with the GTP becuase of the 93 octane gas requirement). This car handles well, accelerates very well and has plenty of interior room. Once we fot used to it, we find the heads up display very useful. Keeps reminding you of your speed. We wouls strongly recommend this car.

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  Throw away car! - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By bkelly - April 7 - 6:10 am

  I have had nothing but problem after problem with my Vibe. I am so very sorry that I purchased this car. I hadnt had the car a week and had a problem with the brakes. I was told it was because I live on a dirt road. How funny. Dirt roads have been around forever. It was a metal shard they found after much insistence. Many other problems exist as well.