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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  Bonneville, good quality, fair price - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By mdjinic - July 6 - 9:33 am

  Had trouble with the steering wheel initially. Strong vibrations in the wheel. This was corrected under warranty, and has been fine since. Engine has given me no problems. Highway mileage consistently 28-30mpg. Seat is kind of hard, and feels like it leans toward center of car, but not the most uncomfortable car I have been in.

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  new GP is fantastic - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By phill - July 6 - 2:00 am

  What a wonderful experience to be the first to have this marvelous vehicle. Great power, outstanding design both inside and out, and an amazing pricing point makes this car heads above all the others we test drove including the Acura TL, Toyota Camry XLE w/ the new V6 210hp engine, Volvo S60, and the VW Passat V6 GLX. Handling in the GP is smooth, acceleration is extremely quick, and the seats envelop and hold you in any type of maneuver. Coming out of an Acura TL, we were concerned about quietness and fit and trim but Pontiac made this a no brainer.

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  Good car, but little things go bad - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tpasa - July 6 - 12:13 am

  This is a stylish car with good pick up and decent room inside and in the trunk. My only gripe with the car is the power window motors have gone bad on two different windows four times total, the time display in the radio went bad, and the sunroof cover broke. If not for little things like this going bad, the car has been great. Good pickup and about 18-20 MPG for the most part. No problems with the engine or transmission after 74K miles...

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  97 Grand prix coupe - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By pontiacdude97 - July 5 - 12:55 am

  Needless to say, I absolutely Love this car! I enjoy destroying others on the street and absolutely confident on back country roads, does not shy from bends, twists or any kind of roads, even goes nicely down dirt or gravel roads.

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  Very Dissappointed in this car! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Crazy_lady955 - July 4 - 12:33 pm

  This car is a piece of junk! The steering rack has broken twice, the passenger window slams down when you do the auto down, now the check engine light is on and I get this message check gas cap. One time my gas cap was off completely. I wish I had never got this thing. And god knows how many more problems we are going to have Im nervous I dont have the money to replace all the crap that is going wrong with this. This car must be made in China, and the driver side seat heater is broken for some reason. Im disappointed.

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  love my sv6 - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By michael - July 4 - 12:30 pm

  this vehicle has plenty to offer. It has surpassed my expectations. Roomy interior and practical environment. Stands out in the "mini- van" category.

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  Great car but... - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Grotonems5 - July 3 - 10:53 am

  Great overall car, I dont like cars but this is a nice mid-priced car, sporty, handles nice, but I have had MAJOR problems every time I take it to the shop and have anything to do with the brakes or hubs. New front rotors at 15000 miles, the g5 rotors didnt fit.. had to get g6 rotors, then a wheel bearing went in the back, have to get a whole new hub assembly, again g5 part didnt fit, had to get g6 part and now my abs and traction control dont work... also had to have some bushings in the front replaced 3 times!!! and my rear defroster never works. and they fixed it twice.

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  Better than Memories - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Little GTO - July 3 - 5:20 am

  The new GTO is a true modern muscle car. Yes, I remember driving the original GTOs, and my 2004 is as fast or faster than the best of the 60s. The difference is that it handles better than most sports cars and is quiet and relaxed on the highway. Ive owned mostly BMWs, Porsches and other euro cars, and the build quality of this built down under GTO is as good as any of them. With a 160 mph top end, 14 seconds flat in the quarter, and real world economy of 18 to 24 mpg this is a great car.

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  Needs More Power - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Brian - July 2 - 9:33 pm

  I wish I didnt buy this car. The Cobalt SS is about the same price and a much better performer. The G5 is a good look decent all around car, but just dont offer the kind of performance it should at the selling price.

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  GREAT car!!! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By michael jennings - July 2 - 12:26 pm

  Wonderful looks, comfort, performance, gas mileage. Everyone looks at it when I drive it.