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:

• 

  97 SSEi - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Kevin - June 12 - 4:26 pm

  Great car to drive! Powerful and still good fuel mileage! With a few Mods, Upgraded exhaust, Cold air intake, upgraded Supercharger pulley and PCM upgrade, Car is even more powerful ( up to about 290 HP.) And driving normal still gets great MPG. Love it !

• 

  Who needs steering? - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Stang - June 12 - 7:46 am

  I hate the variable speed assisted steering. Had to replace the steering box, $1,200, because of leaking fluid. I came back from my test drive asking what the whining in the engine came from. Just outside my warranty I discovered the problem. After fixing the problem, it still cuts out at low speeds. Will not buy a car with this type of steering again. You basically pull in at slow speed turn and you go straight instead of turning. Not good!

• 

  Rattles and Rotors - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ldenn - June 11 - 6:33 am

  Big fan of the Pontiac Grand Prix 3x owner. This car has a lot of rattling inside which seems to come from the sunroof, have had it at the dealership 8 times and they still are not able to fix it. The rattling becomes very unerving on long road trips and bumpy roads. The rotors had to be replaced the first year I had it and now have to be replaced again 6 months later. There is a problem with the rotors obviously.

• 

  Love my GP - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By MarcelF - June 11 - 12:33 am

  Very fun to drive. No problems with get up & go. The 3800 V6 uses regular gas and I get 23-25 MPG here in Phoenix, and have gotten up to 32 MPG on long highway trips. Heads Up display should be standard on cars, Ive found that its vary useful. Bose sound system sounds great. No problems yet, 15,000 miles into vehicle life. Great car for the money!

• 

  So far - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Cathy - June 10 - 6:16 am

  2005 G6, Ive always liked the look of them so bought one this past month. At this time Im glad I bought a Pontiac, always been a Honda lady! But after having 2 different transmissions go out on them American made for me this time. Love the feel and the roof love it, opens up 4 times. I would like a new one one day!

• 

  Great Car - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By singledt - June 9 - 7:36 pm

  I have thoroughly enjoyed owning my Grand Prix. It has nice acceleration and a smooth ride. It handles very well in all conditions, even snow. All the controls are within easy reach and are easy to find. I was surprised by just how large it is on the inside. There is plenty of room in the backseat for passengers to be comfortable and not have their knees in their chest. The trunk is also very spacious and can hold tons of luggage. I drive this car from Nebraska to Florida two or three times a year, and have no complaints. Except that I wish Nebraska was closer to Florida.

• 

  Vibe - 2008 Pontiac Vibe
  By Mike - June 9 - 10:13 am

  This is a great car getting 34 mph highway with a manual. Capable of 150- 200 K easy. Too bad it takes Toyota to design such a great car for GM.

• 

  Happy Owner - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By KH - June 7 - 4:03 pm

  After a month, weve got 2000 miles and am really convinced its the right car for me. We went planning to get another G6 but decided to check out the less expensive G5. Im 64" and didnt really think it would work out for me but it does! I even had room in the one with the sunroof! Tight handler, roomy for 2 plus luggage and getting better than EPA rated 32 mpg. Have to watch it though, it sneaks up to 80 mph real easily!

• 

  Fried - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Sorryiboughtit - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Major problems with the ignition & computerized parts. Replaced the ignition, body control module, fuel pump, master power control module(last one was still under warranty). Four major repairs between 40,000 and 45,000 miles.

• 

  AUSSIE SUPER EIGHT - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Graham Davies - June 7 - 9:16 am

  this car is a real performer, tried & tested for years in Australia this fully imported machine is awesome, being from Australia I have always been a HOLDEN guy, & when I heard they were being exported to th USA, I had to have one, who cares if they changed the name from HOLDEN MONARO to PONTIAC GTO this machine kicks butt !