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:

• 

  Fast, Comfortable! - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By TOM - July 31 - 2:00 am

  This car is fast and comfortable. The front seats and lumbar in the driver seat is great and by moving the front up a little the back has plenty of leg-room as well. This car is fast as the wind! I love peeling tires at stop lights and out accelerating mustangs and other so called muscle cars. I bought my 2000 GTP with 78 thousand miles on it and have since put 14 thousand more on it and it still runs great!

• 

  Good Till High Miles - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By lost_in_new_mexico - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in november of 2002. I am now selling it in December of 2003. I bought it with 93K miles on it reading that these cars lasted a while. This is not true. I have put 25K miles on it and in that time I have warped the front brake rotors twice, the spark plug coils went bad, and there is no way to diagnose them without replacing them, and now the torque converter is going out and it is running roughly again. $1300 minimum for the tranny work! Do Not Get This Car!

• 

  The Best Car Ever - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Elizabeth P. - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I love my vibe! The moon and tunes package have made it a fun ride. The high rise seats are comfortable and the interior and exterior are sleek but sporty. Even without options the vibe is a good deal as much of the standard package is well-rounded. I love the versatility of this vehicle. You can move stuff inside and on top and the seating is roomy. Its like an SUV but smaller and more practical. Its also easier to park.

• 

  Best Thing to Come From Detroit in Years - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jonesm - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Well, this is my second Grand Am of the same body style. The first was lost in an unfortunate accident. 50MPH into a stationary object and all parties walked away. I dont know what standards the IIHS uses, but clearly this is a safe vehicle. With 170 horsepower, the V6 puts on a good show. Plenty of power, but not too much. Off the line, its quick and the automatic is smooth. Interior leaves a little to be desired, but its an American car, lets face it. The controls are VERY easy to read. The road manners on this car rival even the best Europe has to offer. As a BMW 325I owner, I can tell you its very close.

• 

  Dream car for under $29,000 - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Doug - July 30 - 3:40 pm

  Just got an 05 cyclone grey w/ 6 speed- -it rocks! Ive had Mustang GTs, a Z- 28, Grand National and other "enthusiast" cars, none are even close to a GTO in performance, comfort and overall enjoyment. Apologies are in order to the motorists Ive no doubt scared w/ the outrageous passing power and noise, but thats about the only downside Ive seen yet. It is also cool how much respect this car gets, lots of looks and compliments and people asking what 400hp feels like. Traction control and abs allowed for a real fun ride recently in the rain, which was a big suprise recalling other muscle cars complete inability on the wet. Gas mileage well over 20 on a recent tank w/ mostly hiway miles.

• 

  safe reliable commuter car - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By papi - July 30 - 11:23 am

  Son drives to school 25 miles. Mileage is great on highway. Not a lot of bells and whistles but is a safe and reliable car. XM is nice, and on star is great for college kids and parents peace of mind. Car can store a lot. I wish that they did not get rid of the separate opening glass on the rear door this year, but all in all it is a great first car, well above the typical entry level vehicle.

• 

  poor car - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By me999999 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  trouble from day 2. required 2 trips one on a tow truck to get it properly repaired

• 

  Squeeks and rattles - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By scothosw - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Purchased the brand new Bonnie over a Infiniti I30. Mistake #1. The car rides perfect, has lots of bells and whistles, and runs strong. The problem I have is various squeeks from the door, a slight rattle in the dash, all of which you would not expect from a car that stickers over 34K. I have had it in the shop 3 times the first 3 months I owned it. Water leaked into the trunk area when it rained. Found out the drain holes were not drilled into the trunk lid from the factory. Alternator was bad after 2 months. Squeeks and rattles still not fixed in the door and dash after 2 trips in. Very typical GM car, plauged with squeeks and rattles.

• 

  Finally, one of my own. - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SpaceAce - July 30 - 10:00 am

  Grew up with my father buying a 1990 SE 2 door and 1995 GTP 2 door new from the dealership. He would let me drive them once in a while when I was good - a giant leap up from my Honda Civic stationwagon I was stuck with during high school. Just bought a fire engine red 4 door SE and it handles almost TOO well, like Im not supposed to be driving it, or I should be extra careful with it. Good times.

• 

  Best when comparing - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By sweetmusic - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This is my third Grand am and my first 6cyl. I also bought it withe the SC/T hood. It is exteremly sharp looking and is one of the few in town, at least for the time being. I test drone cars like the 2003 TiburonGT, Stratus R/T and camaro, and the Grand am drove better and I got it loaded for the same if not less than those other cars.