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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  the gto - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By santacruz - July 9 - 6:43 am

  Everywhere i go i turn heads. the power of my LS1 put fear in every thing around me. i love my GTO. the feel of freedom and control.

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  Well worth the money - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Ben - July 8 - 8:43 pm

  Bought this car on an almost-whim. Saw it on the lot and took it for a test drive. Fell in love. Was a low-mileage repo from what Ive been told. Major head turner, top up or down.

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  Horrible Ride 4 college student - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Brandon - July 8 - 9:40 am

  Im a college student so i needed a reliable ride! This was definitely NOT what i was expecting. Car was good at first then became extremely horrible. Kept up with the maintenance but the stupid POWER REDUCED spell kicked in anyway! Ended up trading for Nissan Sentra and will never look at an American car the same way!!

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  cool car! - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By t strand - July 8 - 2:00 am

  this suv is exceptional in comfort and function, a enjoyable experience on any road

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  ? on transfer case & transmission - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Brenda Shumate - July 8 - 2:00 am

  New Car-heard a faint hum in engine when accelerating after having the van for 7 months,dealership found no reason for it. Within 1 year of owning the van, something broke in the transfer case which affected the transmission (could have been the hum we were hearing) Dealership replaced both. 7 months later, the same thing happened while driving, a popin engine area, then noise when leaving off the accelerator of some-thing broken in the transfer case. We currently are waiting for GM to replace the transfer case and transmission a second time.

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  ~Fun Starter Car!~ - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By GrandAm_CMD - July 8 - 2:00 am

  Took some time adjusting to driving this car at first, but it drives great now. Makes a wonderful starter car. The seats are very comfortable and help ease my neck and back pain. I receive alot of nice compliments and it fits all sporty, casual and formal events. Very reliable on long road trips. Fun Fun Fun!

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  Not a bad car if you get good rebates - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Tevin2 - July 8 - 2:00 am

  My other car is a 96 VW with 165000 on it and the interior and exterior panels still fit better than my brand new grand am. Not impressed with the comfort of the seats not supportave enough. I had a little sticker shock at $27,000, but after rebates and gm discounts got it for under $20,000

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  GM denotes General Maintainence - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By GM JUNK - July 7 - 12:33 pm

  What a horrible vehicle. From the day i bought it, it was in the shop for an intake gasket then, a fuel pump, brakes, constant emissions problems, power seat, a/c, cracked exhaust manifold and the problems continue. No wonder imports retain value. With the quality of gm cars, there is no competition for imports. Keep-up the "great" work GM.

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  Saved my life - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By thankful - July 7 - 2:23 am

  Only had 5400 miles mine when a tractor trailor hit me and drove me off the road and the car rolled over. The car is a total loss, but I walked away without a scratch. not only was this a great car to drive, it saved my life. I plan to go out and get 2009 G8 as soon as the insurance claim is settled.

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  GM -Generates Maintenance - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Worst Buy Ever! - July 6 - 10:23 am

  Worst vehicle I ever bought. Also have the revving problem. Coolant leaking into the cylinders for quite some time but just letting it go to squeeze the last few miles out of this. Electrical problems since new, hooking up to computer does not tell mechs what is wrong. Front windows both not working!Replaced steering, ignition,headlamp switch, fuel system (2 x). Replaced cup holders under warranty several times and now all broken. Do not close rear hatch with handle because I know it will break. Sliding door serviced 5 separate times. Replaces generator. Bought this for 30K. have spent another 5K. No wonder GM is having problems! Go spend time with Japanese to find out how to make cars!