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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  leaking roof on hardtop convertible - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By conv - January 26 - 10:10 am

  spent $33,000 on this car and took it into a car wash 5 days later and it leaked all around the interior roof water poured inside the car soaking the interior including me. dealer did nothing told me nothing could be done. anybody out there had the same problem?????

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  07 Torrent - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By Matt - January 26 - 7:36 am

  I have owned my 07 torrent for two years now and love it! I have the upgrade package with XM, stereo upgrade, chrome polished wheels. I now have 53,000 miles on oit and I am looking at the new Torrent GXP. Bigger V-6. The only problem I have had with mine is the front wheel bearing went out on both sides. The dealer took care of it under warranty and gave me a rental. Tones of room for a samll to mid size SUV. Towes 3,500 lbs too!!

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  Hello Beautiful - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Jenna - January 23 - 9:16 pm

  Every time I walk out my front door, I look at my 2007 Pontiac G5 and say "Hello Beautiful!" I love my car. The exterior is nice, the interior is easy to keep clean and I get great gas mileage for an automatic. I do a lot of highway driving (70 mph) and this car handles beautifully at high speeds. I have no problems getting up to speed to merge either.

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  It just keeps on ticking - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By It wont die - January 23 - 7:20 am

  I have had a few problems with my Transport as well. The Manifold gasket and the radio display being 2 of them. I have also had to replace the power window switch twice on the drivers side. Overall this van has been exceptional. It never breaks down and all problems have been caught in regular checks. I was going to drive it till it died. But its 10 years old and not even sick!

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  Big Lous review - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By lou - January 22 - 12:20 pm

  Everything about this car is awesome. My gold WS6 T/A vert gets stared down by everyone in the city. The hood scoops and front end are the baddest of any car out there. The power and sound of this beast let you know that its a real muscle car. With 300hp at the rear wheels, this thing flies. It was disgustingly underrated by GM so that it wouldnt take sales from the vette, but in reality they have the same engine. 350hp would be more realistic. The chrome 17" wheels are the best looking stock rims ive ever seen. With almost 100,000 miles on it, nothing has gone wrong. Doing routine maintenance will hopefully keep this car running strong forever! Long live the Trans Am!

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  Lots of Work - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By Cruzincool - January 22 - 10:46 am

  I owned a 1997 Firebird before I bought this one and sold it with 167k and never had a single issue out of it, so naturally I bought another one. This one has been nothing but a headache. After having the vehicle for a week, my check engine light came on. Misfire due to bent valve and my automatic tensioner was bad. $1300 to fix. Three weeks later, car started running rough, then not at all. I had to replace all three coil packs and ignition module. Chrome rims had some sort of defect where they would not hold air, so I had to buy another set. Then yesterday it started the same rough running as before. Also, the electrical systems randomly quit operating and turn signals burn out in 2 days.

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  Tin Foil Car - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Matt - January 22 - 4:33 am

  This car is a basic to and from work car. Front fenders are thinner than the Lunar Landers. Interior is cheap, cheap, cheap. Visor mirror has closing lid on driver side only? Scared to death of being hit in this car at any speed.Cannot shut off auto headlights.Undercoat on car has to be re - applied due to poor quality control. Passenger seat too low. No power seats available.

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  Bad Decision - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mrsp1 - January 21 - 8:13 am

  After purchasing 5 other gm vehicles, i purchased this car used and thought that i was getting a quality product. Now 2 years 4 months later i sit having to trade the car with a bad engine. My car is not overdriven in 4 years it has 59,000 miles on it. The dealership i took it to in Escondido states that its just a valve failure and cannot tell me what caused it or why. While i was sitting in a dealership looking at another vehicle another 02 Pontiac owner came in and said that her vehicle was falling apart. Needless to say after 6500 in repair (much more than i can get on trade) i will not be going with another Pontiac ever.

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  Great Car - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By awos - January 21 - 6:14 am

  This is our second Pontiac and what a car. Regular maintance and thats it. 122,000 miles and 4 new struts and shes always ready. We have a 2008 GP, GXP with same results. No problems

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  2002 Grand AM SE - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Cydal - January 20 - 5:43 pm

  I have only had this car for about a month now, but it has yet to disappoint me. The fuel economy is great, the style is stylish, the performance is good (Considering its still stock! LOL) Overall, it is a good car.