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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  My 2000 Bonniville - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By cmorgan429 - September 24 - 5:50 pm

  This has been one of the best cars I have ever had. No mechanical problems in seven years except for a rear power window malfunction while under warranty. Great fuel mileage for a full sized car with the 3.8 V6. On trips I always get near or above 30mpg on the highway on regular fuel. Good power and smooth ride. Comfortable seating for my 6ft 4in frame. I only wish they still made them so I could get another new one.

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  A total surprise inside and out - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By Raven2wren - September 24 - 10:00 am

  We had driven and looked at dozens of cars and SUVs. Nothing seemed to fit what we needed. Having driven a Buick Park Avenue Ultra I was more than a little bit spoiled by the power and options I had become used to. I had walked past the Aztek twice and never gave it a second look, but my husband stopped and looked inside. He called me over and we went for a test drive and immediately knew that this was exactly what we needed at a price that we could afford! It had all of the options that my Buick had, plus the fun sporty drive that is classic Pontiac.

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  The most beautiful car ever! - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By JCMoya - September 24 - 10:00 am

  After 5 yrs and 56K miles I still in love with my bird. This is my 2nd Firebird. The 1st one (1986) was the worst, but this one (1998) is the best car I ever owned (of 14 cars so far). CR use to rate the reliability of this car as the worst, but my experience is very very very different. Except for the regular Lube and New tire installation, this baby has not been touch by a mechanic. Thats right, NO PROBLEM in 5 years. Thats a lot better than my neighbors Camry.

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  NOTHINS THE SAME -- ONLY THE NAME - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Deon - September 24 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely was blown away with the interior..updated HUD, XM, OnStar, new steering wheel controls and a sound system that performs...not bad for the money. The horsepower is no joke..and the TapShift scares away all the teenie boppers trying to race me from stoplight to stoplight. The dealership was great with the 24- hr test drive program -- it got me hooked. I was a fan, but now I am fully a fanatic.

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  Love it!! - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By toadster - September 24 - 2:06 am

  I bought the Vibe just before Thanksgiving and have put 400 miles on it. Was looking for a car thats practical, reliable, and economical to replace my 1992 Sentra. The Vibe fit the bill perfectly. The only options I wanted were automatic transmission, monochrome package, and power windows/locks. Since all of the mechanicals are Toyota, reliability should be great. Lots of headroom, legroom (for a small car), and storage. High seats make it easy to get in and out. The drive is smooth and quiet once up to speed. Engine is "buzzy" under acceleration but the automatic transmission shifts smoothly. Body style is sporty and the new nose keeps it from looking like a small Aztec.

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  Finally a good product innovation - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By DAVE - September 23 - 3:16 pm

  Pontiac division has been needing a new product line to bring it back from its stagnant ho-hum stylings. Ive bought Pontiacs in the past for improved style, comfort and roominess but had been shied away until this hardtop convertible came out. I like the idea of being able to either have a hardtop or convertible, like two cars in one. The hardtop doesnt leak water as in most convertibles tend to have and is much warmer inside in colder weather. The remote control start feature works great on days when its cold outside and you dont want to sit in a cold car waiting for it to warm up. The heated seat feature warms up faster than on other cars. The GTP has more styling over the GT models.

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  Great - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By ryan w - September 23 - 11:40 am

  I feel my 98 has held up better than most cars half its age. I work at a car dealership and the Bonneville has a much roomier interior than any 06 Impala. The interior is quiet, although less wind noise would be preferable, and The interior had a tenancy to creak and rattle in colder conditions. Overall, this is a good car and I wish more cars were built like this.

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  Awesome reliable car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By donnac - September 23 - 6:06 am

  I owned this car for 2.5 years and put 45,000 miles on it with no problems (other than catalytic converter fixed under warranty). When I traded it in, it still had the original brakes with 75% pads left! I never even had to have an alignment! The only things I ever had to do to the car were oil, tires, and wiper blade changes. I did change the spark plugs at 50,000 miles, but only because I wanted to, it didnt need it. Totally amazing reliability for an American built car. Awesome looks, car ran great, I would highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  2006 GTO - Bad struts!!!!! - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Chris Smith - September 22 - 9:26 am

  I am soured today because my GTO has 730 miles on it and the left front has blown out for the second time. Each time strut oil is flung all over the place, melting the undercoating creating a goo that is difficult to cleanup. Look on www.nhtsa.dot.gov to witness the 55+ entries for this problem alone. Pontiac also doesnt appear to be too concerned about this problem as well. I get tons of lip service from their customer support but overall it is what we all know and expect as GM. I am very saddened by this as I want GM the biggest and baddest. Well... to my chagrin the latter is true. My wife’s Odyssey certainly looks like the better of the two purchases.

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  Wish it could last forever - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By nina41 - September 21 - 4:06 am

  Purchased used with 45,000 miles on it. Dealer included new tires. Just replaced those in summer of 2006. Only other replacement was battery after 4 years(still factory issue). The only problems have been with the rear shocks. Replaced both due to clamp failure. Great gas mileage. Great ride. Very dependable with loads of room. With rear seats out you have a covered truck. Cant imagine life without my van.