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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  Amazing Bonneville - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Gerry - April 6 - 10:00 am

  My dad purchased this car new 8/1997. He left the car to me after he passed on in 7/2004 with under 90,000 miles. Ive been driving it since and now has 215,000 miles. It is the best car Ive ever owned. Except for routine maintenance, Ive only replaced the exhaust system, struts and the alternator. It is a shame that GM decided to throw Pontiac under the bus. In the end all Pontiac had were rubber stamped Chevys. Instead, they should have been allowed to develop newer cars.

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  Concerns with Manufacturing - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By Steven Lopez - April 6 - 10:00 am

  I have a 2008 torrent and have had several issues go wrong with the SUV! My windshield wipers dont work on low speed, Air conditioner went out a few weeks ago, my back door, passenger side does not lock or unlock with auto unlock! These are just a few of things I have had trouble with right after the warranty went out!

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  So far so good - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Relly87 - April 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car in March of 2010 and Ive had it for about 6 mos now. There were a few minor problems when I first bought the car, but it was under warranty so fixing it was not a problem (power steering had to be fixed). Everythings been excellent up until 3 wks ago when my check engine light came on and stayed on. I took the car to a mechanic who told me that I needed to replace my gas cap. After I replaced the cap the engine light went off, but came back on a week later. I called the mechanic back and he told me that I may have a leak so thats my next mission. Besides that I love the car; it drives great, turns corners well and I love how fast it accelerates!

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  Poor quality - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Brad - April 5 - 6:10 pm

  Ive had my car for about 4 years and it is now falling apart. The ABS and Traction control are a constant battle. I have had to take the car to the shop 6 times to have them worked on. Now I am having electrical problems. I have a 95 Neon with 130,000 that has considerably less issues then my 02 GA with 62,000. I would not buy another Pontiac.

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  Best car! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Ultra - April 5 - 12:53 pm

  I have owned this car for 3 years and love it! This will actually be the 1st car I am going to pay off and keep! My car has 93,000 miles and nothing is wrong with it!It has been the most reliable car I ever owned! When I pay it off, I will buy another Grand Prix, but it will be a GXP!

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  versatile - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Patricia - April 5 - 11:20 am

  Peppy, manual 5spd trans, excellent acceleration even on steep inclines on open highways, good gas mileage, avg 28mpg city-35mpg highway, easy to maneuver, excellent short-turning range, interior spacious both front & rear for leggy passengers, plenty of head room, comfortable easy to reach for smaller drivers, front and rear seats fold down allowing gracious hauling capacity, excellent versatility as family vehicle seating max5 or camping, garage sailing, etc.

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  Mechanics Dream - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By anthony - April 5 - 10:10 am

  I second nightmare on wheels. Ive sent my mechanic on a few vacations from this car. Brakes are sized for a Geo metro, needs new ones every year and recently my engine control module went out on me, at least thats what the mechanic thinks it is. Another cruise for him! GM definitely needs to get rid of some engineers for this one.

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  Best Little SUV/Wagon Made! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By pattyc - April 4 - 11:03 pm

  We bought this car when it was just a yr old in 2004. It had 36,340 miles. It now has 172,000 miles and still in GREAT Shape! We drive mostly highway miles and enjoyed 30 MPG but got 33 MPG on a recent trip to Ohio. Due to the 6 speed manual transmission and being extremely well maintained. You would be Amazed at what you can haul when the back seats are laidd down flat since the back cargo capacity is Huge! Sister car to the Toyota Matrix at a fraction of the price. I Love this car and would buy a new one but Pontiac is no longer making them thanks to GM. Replaced the brakes once. Alternator Drive Belt in 2006. The starter recently & tires in 2007. Otherwise just changed the oil religiously.

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  Junk heap only - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Judy - April 4 - 9:16 am

  I purchased a 2006 Pontiac S6 as a repo from a bank in June 2008. It had 43,000 miles on it. Within a week of purchasing, it had "service stability soon". Front hub was bad - $525. I was also told there were 13,000 these parts on back-order. No recall tho. Back brake pads had to be replaced & rotors turned. Front needs it too. Seats stain from water. Tonight I drove to my sisters and I swear Im riding a broncing buck. Have no idea whats wrong. Im sure its big bucks whatever it is. This is why I drove Toyotas for 20 years and will probably never drive another American product and the big 3 wonder why theyre in trouble.

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  Very Disappointed - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By drc60 - April 4 - 4:53 am

  Purchased our G6 in Dec. 2005 and had the brakes repaired twice under warranty. Now the front calipers are grabbing and causing rotors to overheat. Have a huge vibration problem on the exhaust when accelerating. Had the brake light come on and added brake fluid only to be told by mechanic I shouldnt have done that as it throws off the electronic sensor and they had to flush the hydraulic system out and put in measured amount of fluid to make sure it is accurate. For only 45,000 miles we have put a lot of money into service on this car. We are very disappointed with GM and will probably think twice about purchasing another GM product. They need to get their act together on quality.