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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  love it !! - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By rockin car - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I love this car . power is good just wish it had a little more.

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  Just Love It! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By T149 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This is the first car that I have chosen for JUST ME... not for the family and I absolutely LOVE IT! The style, the ride and the performance has been outstanding. I have had so many compliments on its good looks and handling. Truly a stylish and comfortable car.

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  an import beaater - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Joe Camel - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I am so tired of writers saying the Toyota Camry is the best auto-- it is a bland auto. The new GP is a good example of the new thinking at GM. This car is comfortable and the styling is pure Pontiac- which is not bland! I have not had to return to the dealer for any problems-San Antonio is a very compettive mkt. for car sales. I answered an ad for $4,000 off retail and received it no questions asked! So far mr experence has been very positive with this car.

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  mine - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By marciabrewer - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. It drives so smooth and has great pick-up speed. It also seems quite safe for me to drive around my 4-year old daughter in . She too loves the car. We only got our car about 1 week ago.

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  COMP G - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By DAVID JOHNSON - July 30 - 10:00 am

  I REALLY ENJOY THE VEHICLE. I LOVE THE PERFORMANCE AND FEELS SAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE CONTROL OF THE CAR AT ALL SPEEDS

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  Grand Am - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Gand AM - July 29 - 5:56 am

  Compared to most imports I have driven the Grand Am handles better than most and has enough power to be sporty. The only problem I have is the automatic transmission and the hesitation when attempting to accelerate to pass a slow foreign car in front like a Camry or Nissan.

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  Power/Fun/perfect blend high/low tech - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By Benny - July 29 - 4:16 am

  This car has great power from the 6.0L. Comfortable ride that was not expected but the car combines the low tech, high out put of a large V8, rear drive and fat tires with a high tech suspension, traction & stability control, shiftable 6 speed auto tranny for a civilized ride. I drive hard and this car feels right during hard driving.

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  Great Vehicle - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By CharlieJ - July 28 - 11:36 am

  An outstanding review. Handles nicely and very comfortable to be in. I take it everywhere. Puts the Mustang GT to shame.

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  Great bargain - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Dale - July 27 - 1:13 pm

  I like the vehicle. I traded in a 2004 Vibe GT. I wasnt expecting handling like the Vibe, but the Torrent rides firm, corners well, and has good performance. I get 21 mpg overall but recently took a 600 mile road trip; 5 people and luggage and got 25 mpg. I could not fit 5 in the Vibe. The steering is a little light at low speeds. Id like to see GM put their 3.9 litre in this vehicle

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  Nice car for the price - 2009 Pontiac G5
  By kc hillman - July 26 - 8:03 pm

  Needed a new vehicle to use primarily to run around town that would be economical. Noticed the G5 on Pontiac web site. Sticker on vehicle we purchased was over $22500, but GM knocked off $2500 from the start, plus another $2500. off with incentives. The vehicle is a silver GT model which is well loaded (XM radio, remote start, sunroof, automatic, etc.) It rides nice, handles well on 17" rims and is comfortable. It is small interior wise, but we knew that going in. It seems well-built and the whole family is well pleased with it. It may not have a "pure-bred" pedigree since its basically a Cobalt, but it is much nicer than wed anticipated! We are glad we gave it a look.