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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  awesome car - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By marlboromandiggs - October 6 - 2:00 am

  This car is the best purchase I have made. It has the speed that I want when I need to get up and go

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  Decent car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By daishi48 - October 6 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for less than a year, and I am satified overall. The only problem I have had is the drivers side power window quit working about 3000 miles out of warranty.

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  GT 4dr SC/T - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By new buyer - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Got the car for 22450 before rebates. TMV was 22600. Its a black 4dr GT with the SC/T package, leather seats, sunroof, and it looks great. Considered the GT1 but the XM radio receiver looks pretty bad centered on the roof in front of the sunroof. So far Im pleased with the car, although Ive only had it for about a month.

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  the car my wife does not let me drive - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By L.BROUSSARD - October 5 - 9:06 am

  Very proud owner of this fine looking car. The car gets a lot of stares male and female. Its the type of car that is new to the eye. Owned the car for three days and already someone was wanting to use it for a Mardi Gras parade.

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  My Torrent - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By King - October 4 - 8:40 pm

  I love driving my Torrent. Its fast and comfortable and the best buck for the bang.

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  I was Wowwed! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By RJA - October 4 - 9:30 am

  By looking at the car from afar, I was not impressed. But when I got in it and drove it, I was Wowwed! I love it, its alot of fun, great mileage, easy to handle, and a great looking small car.

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  Great Car Overall - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By blakehannan - October 3 - 7:00 pm

  I bought this car last February used. It is very fast, rides tight... Hard suspension so its a little bumpy but ill survive due to the performance. I love the look of the exterior with the factory wheels, id love to put some different wheels on to make it look even more sharp! But, the downfall to this vehicle is the interior, the seats are nice, but the plastic throughout the car is a little annoying and i do not believe that Pontiac put any time into it and did not give the consumer what they should have gotten. Could have been an AMAZING vehicle, but due to this, just great. Good fuel economy for 5.3 L V-8.

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  My Grand Prix Baby - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Christopher George - October 3 - 5:16 pm

  This car is superb for highway driving. It has the look and feel of a much more expensive vehicle.

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  My GXP - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Ismael - October 3 - 10:50 am

  I love my GXP especially since nobody else has it yet. Im always asked whats a GXP, they dont even realize its a G6. Looks so much different than all the others. I love that!

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  Unreliable - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Pete - October 2 - 7:10 pm

  This car was a lot of fun when I first got it. I kept it for 8 years. It was never reliable. It had problems from the day I drove it off the lot. Eventually the warranty expired and I couldnt afford to keep up with all the maintenance. I kept up with reasonable maintenance and traded it in for a new Civic when it became too unreliable/expensive to keep.