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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  2 Years of love so far - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Scott - October 7 - 6:26 pm

  This car was bought in 2007 with 60k on it and never a problem other than a waterpump. The engine is strong as a horse for only 6 cylinders thanks to the supercharger. Highly recommend this vehicle to others.

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  Good performance, horrible reliability - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By dmblystone14 - October 6 - 10:50 pm

  I bought a GXP used with less than 30K miles in early 2010. I now own a 2009 G8 GT, and while the performance is comparable the reliability is not. Too many issues, most being transmission related for me to recommend this to another buyer. If you have one of these and you make it to 50k miles without replacing the transmission consider yourself lucky. I began having transmission problems at 35k miles and had the tranny fluid changed but still didnt shift right. within 5k miles had to have a new tranny put in. The car never shifted right again.

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  love my g6 gt - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By don lukas - October 6 - 10:10 pm

  Pontiac did a great job in replacing grand am with G6, I am very happy with ride, style & overall performance. I average 22 mpg in city & 33 on hiway. Fun car to drive, GM got this one right!

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  Great car for 10,000 - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By KIMBERLY - October 6 - 8:46 pm

  I have to say this is a great car for the price, 1 year ago you couldnt buy a new car like this for 10,000 I have to say thanks to the economy for my great deal! Drives great in the snow! Lots of room in the back seat and trunk! Everyone who sits in my car can not believe how comfortable it is, and it can go! Gas is not great but hey the cost of gas is no longer at $4 a gallon! My next purchase will be the G8. GM has made a great car!

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  Affordable for the Price - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Steve - October 6 - 3:43 am

  A nice car for the money. I will agree that it is difficult to see in the rear view mirror. Really peppy when passing on the interstate. Nice interior and aux. jack on the radio for the ipod/mp3. Overall a great car.

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  Terrific for the $$ - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Love it in Wichita - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Recent past cars include Lexus LS400, Infiniti I30, Mercedes SDL; but this is the best car for the money Ive ever driven. Leased new in Dec 99, been back to the dealer one time in over 3 yrs for a short in the interior lighting. Fun to drive, handles well, lots of great toys, good appearance for price. A real winner.

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  Az to me - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By vern - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Would purchase again, gets bad reveiws because people havent driven, once driven loved. Certin colors combos stink and could use a little more agressive posture.

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  Love this car! - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By transformedxian - October 6 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car when my other car of another brand started blowing smoke. This is the first Pontiac Ive ever owned and have been very impressed with it. I have had problems with the instrument panel going on me, but the two times that has happened, Ive been able to get it replaced under warranty. This car reminds me of my first car, which I loved, only the Sunfire handles so much tighter on curves. It has a fast, smooth acceleration; very impressive for a 4 cyl. automatic. At the same time, because it has a small engine, the gas mileage is great. My car looks flirty and fun, but the four doors are also practical for loading luggage and cats.

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  still like it after 75,000 miles - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By herbdoc - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Car is great all-purpose vehicle. Great flexiblity in seating, able to seat 8 and can fold up middle seats without removing them to give LOTS of legroom to my 6-foot tall boys! Gas mileage is good for a van, love the drivers side sliding door. Not many problems, either!

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  Best bang for the buck - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By Jules301h - October 6 - 2:00 am

  My car made 308RWHP on a dyno with minor mods, thats around 360HP at the engine. The engine is greatly underrated by GM to make the corvette look better. Mods are cheap and these cars can easily run 12s in the 1/4. The engine has great power, but the car does not handle well due to body roll. Suspension mods like new shocks and sway bar quickly fix this. The auto trans is excellent and nearly as fast as the manual. If you are looking for a fast car that has great mod potential, this is the one.