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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  Not my top choice - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By keith - May 15 - 6:53 am

  I liked this car when I bought it in 2005 with 70000 miles, thats where the fun stopped. Now has 92000. My biggest peeve is the bad gas mileage. You can hear your money thrown away in the guzzle sound the motor makes. The window motors are crap. They make weird noises and seem like they will break, already replaced one. The interior is just plain ugly. Sound system is great though. Single CD with equalizer. Amazing bass as stock. And I cant go anywhere without the front end bottoming out. Steep driveways, curbs, you name it. But the car gets me where I need to go. Just not very high quality of a car. I like the new g6 coupe, but my car makes me think twice about another Pontiac.

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  Brilliant car that came too late - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By fuhteng - May 15 - 4:46 am

  I did my research about the sport sedan segment, and while originally looking at the BMW 335i and the G35/37, the G8 GT captivated me. It is bigger, much cheaper, and nearly as much fun. It was just what I was looking for. Owning it has been a delight. I have never had any problems with the car, and the car does everything I expect from a sports sedan, and does them all well. It is not a luxury car like the BMW and the G, but it is not supposed to be. The G8 GT is what Pontiac should have been all along.

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  I like it - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Dinky - May 15 - 2:00 am

  We just bought a used 95 Grand Am, weve owned it for about a month and I have already taken it on two trips (over 5k miles) and the car has ran wonderfully. Only minor problems i.e. blown fuses and short in blinkers - went out in Atlanta so that was a pain, but lived through it. Overall a great car, with wonderful seats!

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  Repairs - 1997 Pontiac Bonneville
  By BDBrown - May 15 - 2:00 am

  Like the vechicle. bought used with relatively low miles. At this time 67000. Recent repairs, however, have included water pump, brakes, and oil pan leak. Troublesome brake problem is re-occuring and apparently difficult for mechanics to solve.... front brakes grab at slow speed... not always, but wish we could get is solved. Overall we like the car and performance.

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  Try It - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Mjh - May 15 - 2:00 am

  If you want a cookie cutter run of the mill SUV buy a Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Honda, etc,etc. If you want something different, that does everything well, then buy an Aztek. Weve had ours about 3 weeks and are completely satisfied with it. The more we drive it the more we like. For the price, features, and all around vehicle satifaction, give the Aztek a try.

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  Unhappy at this point - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By spytfyre13 - May 14 - 10:06 pm

  My father bought this car and unfortunately he died 5 months after. I put car on the road 5 months later at 18,000 some miles in mar 05. Couple months later inside dome lights stopped working and battery died. Took it to dealer told them I thought there were electrical problems they said it was just a fuse, replaced battery. 3 months later inside dome lights quit working again. Awhile after that, driver side rear window just fell down one day. Passenger side front and rear power switches stopped working, heated seats stopped working and keyless entry alarm. Now at 69,946 miles car has bad vibration in front end and gas pedal at high speeds usually 55 mph and up. Just replaced wheel bearing and helped

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  Love it , but needs better fuel economy - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Big Red - May 14 - 6:46 am

  The GTO has more power than Ill ever need, and with a partial sports appearence package this one beautiful auto. Im 99% in love with the GTO with the 1% being poor gas mileage. The EPA rates it at 17 city and 25 highway, but Ive been averaging 11 all-around. I have a 6 speed and have driving very moderately as I am still breaking the engine.

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  The Things We Would Do Differently - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By KDidles - May 13 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned this car since January of 1997. The car has had chronic electrical problems for the past eight years. The power windows stopped working in March of 1998 and rather than fixing the problem, the dealership let the problem remain until after the car was out of warranty then stated "oh, your windows dont work." We have gone through 4 factory radios all of which were replaced for free because they were defective. The car has also had chronic water pump problems. What would I have done differently? Never bought this car. This vehicle invokes a love/hate relationship but it seems as if the hate part is a lot stronger

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  Great bird - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By JRMUNC - May 13 - 10:00 am

  Car drives great handles like a dream.Great looks inside and out.Sound system is wonderful.T-tops slide in and out with ease.

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  Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Saree - May 13 - 10:00 am

  This was the very first NEW car I ever bought. I love it still. It is so fun and comfortable to drive. I often drive from the Southern US to Southern Ontario Canada and I have never had a problem with the car itself. This car has served as a mode of transportation, a hotel room, a way to move house, there is so much room!