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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  Great Car and Bargain - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By HET - October 23 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car for my wife and she loves it. Ita a big improvement over the Suburban we traded it for. Now she can pull in and out of parking spaces with ease, whip in and out of traffic, and not worry about using gas to go to the grocery store. We didnt get the power package or On-star; the dealership didnt have any on the lot. But thats OK. Shes the only one driving it and her other car is a Cadillac CTS. Eventually, it will be a great get around car one day for our soon to be teenager.

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  Great styling - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By hawk1 - October 23 - 10:00 am

  Great looking car, and in 2004, it still looks as contemporary as the new cars coming out. I always get compliments on the on the exterior styling. Im somewhat disappointed on the MPG, Ive been gettting around 23 mpg on the road and I set the cruise at 72 MPH. A few squeaks, but nothing unusual for a domestic vehicle. The factory sound system is better than any car Ive ever been in, and Ive worked in the car business for the last 12 years years.

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  First feel evaluation - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Gary Sr - October 23 - 10:00 am

  Still "new" but a great car so far...Rides and drives great, corners fine for what it is. It has plenty of "gitty up" and it seems to stop on a dime with no brake fade. I think it is a real kick to drive. It handles good and It looks a little deceiving then you mash it and it becomes this other car. Fit and finish is really good and my cars paint is flawless. I pretty much love it so far.

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  Every car bought has a story to tell - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Brett - October 21 - 8:56 pm

  I bought this van used, it already had sixty thousand miles on it. Myself have put over another one hundred thousand miles. Its been the best vehicle Ive ever owned. The car history report was clean when I bought it, still is today. No lie, the van runs like its new still to this day. However there is some minor issues that I think are small. The gas needle reads full all the time, It leeks dexacool, very small amount. My light comes on maybe once a month. I had to replace a fog light, and a head light. Thats it, I live up in the mountains of western Maryland and my van will fly up these hills like there nothing. Then again it should with a 3.4L V6!

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  No bad for a third owner - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By theskipman98 - October 21 - 5:13 am

  I purchased this car from private owner at tax time for $900. Previous owner had already replaced the water pump before I got it, but had had no problems with the car other than that. (the key to it is DO NOT drive the car while it is overheating, thats why most people had problems with the Quad 4 motor) Since I have owned it, I have put a starter on it ($85 from auto zone lifetime warranty), tune up with air filter(less than $20), Front brake pads ($20), replaced all the speakers to match after market Pioneer XM/CD deck ($75 from Walmart for Rockford Fosgate) Car is not perfect BUT it gets from point A to point B quickly, with good handling, and get 32 MPG doing it.

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  98 GP GT Coupe - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By john344 - October 21 - 2:00 am

  This is my 3rd GP. I love this car, if only GM would use better quality interior parts. My door panel on the drivers side is loose, cheap plastic on dash. Engine gaskets are poor quality and Ive just had $1500.00 worth of work done on the engine due to leaky gaskets all over the place. Other than that, its a great car, fun to drive, looks hot with the dual exhaust...standard 17 inch rims would be great. Whats up the headlight assembly on these cars?? Mine is loose & wiggles around, was filling up with water every time it rained until I took to a repair shop the they silconed the edges to stop the leaks (the dealer would not fix this under warrently).

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  Love my Tek! - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By OCAztek - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I did a lot of research last year before ordering my Tek. I am very pleased (and constantly amazed) at the ride that I get out of it. Over the Christmas holidays, I drove over 3500 miles with it fully loaded (4 adults, gifts and luggage filling the back and a fully loaded rooftop carrier). I had the tow package installed for the load leveling and stabilization features and it certainly proved its worth. The handling of it was so good that I had to keep reminding myself that I had it so loaded. My parents were helping with the driving and I had to beg them to let me do some of the driving. They are now looking at buying one for themselves!

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  275k and still runs well - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Creighton Barker - October 18 - 6:11 pm

  It is great in snow, gets 23mpg always, AWD, roomy, love the rear hatch. Yes I replaced one wheel bearing, did the head gaskets, and now adrive train bearing. But its on its third lifetime in Midwest Winters and hot summer. We got it with 74k 10 yrs ago. On our third set of tires, we buy Cooper. If I can find another with only 100 k on it, Ill buy it for later on. Love the manuverability.

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  My new ride - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tony A. - October 18 - 4:26 pm

  This is the third Pontiac Ive owned and it easily outclasses all the others in all-around performance. Not as fast or cool as the Trans-Am I drove in the 80s, but a lot more useful and quiet for long highway trips. The 3800 V-6 is dead reliable and the ride is firm yet comfortable. The front buckets are a bit tight for persons of girth but the leather/vinyl is very attractive. My wife drives a Grand Am and constantly wants to switch cars with me. I suppose one can call it an average mid-size sedan with solid reliability but thats not intended to be a criticism. It does exactly what I expect it to do: carry me around in style without breaking the bank and making me look like an old fart.

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  Decent car with regard to pricing factor - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By chris - October 18 - 5:53 am

  Ive had the car for 2 years with only 1 minor problem with the AC (the insulation under the dash detached itself and blocked the vent) which, the dealership fixed with no hasel. The car has been very reliable under all conditions and dependable in climate extremes for +115 heat in AZ to -40 in the Rockys. I have put alot of miles on this car (47,000 currently) and have never worried about having a performance related failure. For styling and performance I have yet to find anything else in the same price range that even comes close!