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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  Nothin But a Good Thing - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Vader953 - November 4 - 1:26 pm

  Im soooo impressed. Ive wanted one for a year now. Found a black one with Red Int./6 speed for a STEAL. I have a Vette and am in a Vette club, and this car is equal in performance. The inside sold me as much as the performance. I am in love. I look forward to going to work in the morning now. Im most suprised about the build quality. Just like an import. Handling is amazing for a non- Vette. Ride is a bit rough, but well worth it. You have to be an acrobat to access the rear seats, but they are roomy and usable once inside!

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  Great car! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Angela - November 1 - 10:43 am

  Ive had this car for about a year and a half now and I have absolutely no complaints! I bought it with 32,000 miles as it was a rental car, but it looks great, runs perfectly, and the 3.5l V6 is perfect. Such a fun, sporty car to drive. I love it! I dont know what everyone else is complaining about.

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  Great Car - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Joe mussey - November 1 - 10:00 am

  First of all I would like to say this cars speakers are incredible. I bought 2 12" subs (which the alternator ran fine with, more on that in a litte) and the speakers sounded great even with the volume all the way up. the alternator is pretty good at 105amps, it ran my sound system for about 2 months before fially failing to charge my battery, but parts for this car are dirt cheap and i upgraded it. Performance is great espically w/ the v6. great car

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  Overall a dependable car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By tcestes - October 29 - 10:06 am

  I bought mine almost 2 years ago in March 2007. It had 80k on it when purchased. I drive almost 55,000 miles per year for work. And Ive gotta say this has been a dependable car. Im currently at 192k on it and I had to replace the fuel pump 1 time. Other than that it has never left me stranded. And that is very important for my job. On the highway, I regularly got around 30mpg, which is hard to beat. The only recurring problems Ive had is the TRAC light coming on, and a strange clicking sound, which Im told is tied to the ignition system. The security light did come on around 180k but has stayed on with no problems. Ive been very impressed with it, its done the job for me.

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  new Tek fan - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By pontiacboi - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I recently puchased the new Aztek, and Im a fan. I got mine in bright red, which really does this truck justice. It has an excellent ride, better than many I rode in. I researched SUVs for 8 months before buying this. I know I made the ride choice. There is no SUV made that can offer as much as the Aztek does at the price. I drove away with close to $8,000 off sticker. I dont know any other vehicle in this price range that can offer you that. Its comfortable, very smooth, and quiet inside. The stereo is awesome, although it is a little difficult to figure out how to use.

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  I love my Car - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Justin - October 29 - 2:13 am

  the car has been amazing reliable for me, i use it as a daily driver and my work car ( i deliver pizza ) and to be honest for a car with 230,000 on it, its solid the engine is very strong and amazing, its got ample performance and has been bullit proof this far (knock on wood) iv only had to replace the fuel pump and spark plugs, people complaining about brakes is just stupid, they wear thats what they do, iv replaced the brakes probley a good 6x but no biggie, its cheap its a sunfire :), im purchasing a 2008 chrysler 300 limited and still keeping my sunfire cuz it will probley last longer then that car will, its treated me well and i treat it well, il be happy to get it over 500,000kms :)

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  Improvements needed - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Sam Abraham - October 29 - 12:20 am

  Air conditioning leaves a lot to be desired. In 95 degree weather it did not cool even when recirculatimg the inside air.

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  Great car, horrible sunroof - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By joane - October 27 - 9:10 pm

  I love the G6, its a beautiful well running car. The wind noise in the panoramic sunroof is so bad that i would not buy it again. It sounds as though the window is cracked. There is no beauty or no amount of performance that makes up for the noise and water leaks in this sunroof. Beware if you buy it, my experience is showing that General Motors doesnt want to work with the consumer on this problem.

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  Reliable for being an american Car - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Hydracid - October 23 - 10:00 am

  Only trouble I had was the side view mirro connectors are cheaply made and the light went out in the stereo clock. I have only had to perform routine maintainence which is nice. This is a much better pontiac in comparison to previous brands from previous years.

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  Sunfires Kick Arse - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Babyboy2711 - October 23 - 10:00 am

  The sunfire does great on the road.Its fuel is good on highways, but city needs a bit improving.Its fun to drive and very roomy.The sound system is okie, the front small speakers make it a bit worse then a Dodge Neon but still good.