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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  Grand Prix GTP Supercharged - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By gtpprog - May 18 - 10:00 am

  I am the orginal owner of this car. This is a great car to drive and it looks great. Unfortunately the build quatity is poor. This car has been in the shop over 50 times for warranty work. I am very luckly that I purchased an extended warranty on this vehicle.

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  vibing in the vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By bonnievg - May 18 - 10:00 am

  the only problem i have is it makes a whistling sound on windy days.

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  Pinch me, am I dreaming - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jshaf - May 18 - 10:00 am

  got a 03 GT1 with only 20 miles on it for 17113(w/ext warrenty), life is good. Had a 99 GT and it was a good car, expect much the same.

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  Its been a good car overall - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Duke - May 17 - 10:13 pm

  I got this one with 62,000 miles on it and have 208,000 now. Ive put several alternators on it and two batteries. Just had the struts replaced as well. Ive enjoyed the fuel economy as it has an 18 gallon fuel tank that allows me to drive for 500 miles when on road trips with work before needing to fill up. Gas guage broke a year after I got it, so I just fill up every 350- 400 miles to be safe. I got 224,000 miles out of an 89 Grand Am, so these cars can go for a while if you take care of them. Also have an oil leak and did with the Grand Am too. Thats been my biggest complaint along with the alternators.

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  1998 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Bob Ryan - May 17 - 7:30 pm

  Great car to drive. Average in snow, good in rain. Have had some mech. problems after 60000 miles. Supercharger bearings need replacement;appox. $500 to do myself, close to $2000 for a shop to fix. Power window switch replaced;$80. Automatic dimming rearview mirror stopped working;havent replaced. Comfortable for 4 adults. Decent gas mileage if not driving too hard.

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  Poor Quality - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Phil - May 17 - 1:10 pm

  Ive had this 2003 grand am for 1 1/2 years now and have had nothing but problems with it. The turn signal/4-way clicks more than occasionally. Especially when it is cold outside. Ive had to replace both front hubs, a cv joint, the fuel pump, an ignition control module, and on 3 separate occasions, have had 3 rocker arms come loose on the rear head (by loose I mean they were lying on top of the head when I opened the valve cover). Ive replaced the brakes and rotors twice since I bought the car and have to do them again soon due to warped rotors. I do not intend to buy another grand am. Ever. And I do not recommend anyone else buying one. Unless they like to work on vehicles a lot.

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  So disappointed - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By jnellky - May 16 - 6:03 pm

  Was in love with this car bought it, and have been incredibly disappointed since Ive had it. I love everything about it except its had so many problems. Steering issue, oil leaks, waterpump leak, steering fluid leak, rodars changed, breaks changed, battery changed. Only has 40,000 miles should not be having all these problems & only owned for 1 year, used. Very sad but have to get rid of the car before I become anymore upside down in it. Do not buy this car even as attractive as it may be you will regret it!

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  love my trans am - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By ramairlady - May 15 - 6:33 pm

  my ram air has been really good to me, runs great, looks great, a real head turner. looks better than most cars on the road today...even those pony boys check her out. reliable, dependable and fun fun fun

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  engineered to fail - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By leefan32 - May 15 - 9:53 am

  Owned it for 3 years now and everything I heard would fail did. I even changed the tranny fluid and antifreeze when I bought it at 20000 miles (32000km) but this year the tranny was revving high before changing gears and failed, then 3 months later there is a slight smell of antifreeze when the engine is warm and we find out the intake gasket is leaking - this is all before hitting 50000 miles (80000km). I know 4 other people who have similar vans and have had the same things changed. I bought the vehicle with really low miles so i wouldnt have to buy the ext warranty MISTAKE! if you get suckered into buying this do youself a favour get the ext warranty cause you will need it!

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  grand prix gt - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By burgsports - May 15 - 7:16 am

  great car