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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  Disappointed Owner - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By S. Byrne - February 23 - 10:00 pm

  Love the ride and comfort and handling, but turned off on GM after other experiences, including broken fold-down cupholder; brakepad loss resulting in grinding of rotors in second year of ownership (GM did pay, although out of warranty); erratic fuel sensor, service engine soon light, change oil light, and overhead displays; flickering lighting, including headlights; sludge in coolant; air conditioner replacement at a cost of nearly $600 at 75,000; excessive oil usage. Dealer turns a deaf ear, while a call to GM was no better--gentleman I spoke with indicated that 95,000 was a good excuse for oil usage. My comment to him was that he was indicating that the life of the vehicle was 100,000!

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  Big Bad and Beautiful Red Tek - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Jack Egan - February 23 - 10:00 am

  Ever since the introduction of the Aztek Ive wanted to own one.When my Olds Intrigue died I needed a vehicle fairly quick. I knew I wanted an suv and went looking at all the candidates. I drove an Escape and Blazer and felt claustrophobic along with not being able to stomach the poor gas mileage and poor ride. I then took a ride in a Tek and was hooked. The interior was spacious, the seating comfortable and the 10 speaker system awesome. I immediately went into the dealership and purchased it. Since Ive owned it Ive averaged 22-24 miles per gallon. Ive managed to haul a set of 68" doors inside and close the hatch.

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  best SUV for the money - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By maple garland - February 23 - 10:00 am

  I think the looks of the Aztek are sleek and sexy. The model comes in many different colors and they all look great on the car. The interior seats five passengers and it seats them very cormfortably. The gas mileage is better than most suxs in it class I get 22 mpg averaging. It is very quiet has very little road noise inside the compatrment. It handles very well on the road and it accelerates fairly well. It can handle itself very well in the snow and rain. The cool features is the center console that is also a drink cooler/cd holder. It has a lot of fun accessories like the camping package, and the bike package.

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  Pontiac Montana - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By dcoffin - February 23 - 10:00 am

  My family and I enjoy driving the Pontiac Montana. I have a small 6 years old girl and she is now able to see out the windows with just a booster seat.

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  Loyal Bonneville Buyer! - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Loriorio - February 23 - 10:00 am

  This is my 4th Bonneville. My trade was a 2000 Grand Prix GT...super sharp looking but just not a Bonneville. Bonnevilles ride is smooth and quiet. Driver seat is so comfortable and controls are easy to find and use.

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  GM - NEVER AGAIN! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By "PATTY" OLOUGHLIN - February 23 - 10:00 am

  VEHICLE NOT BUILT FOR ENDURANCE. PURCHASED IN 12/98. AT 38,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT. GM’S ANSWER- “YOU SHOULD HAVE PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY!” NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM THOUGHT THE LIFE OF THE AUTO. AFTER 3 YEARS AND 120,000 THE ENGINE SEALS WENT RESULTING WITH WATER IN THE OIL. TRADED FOR ANOTHER MANUFACTURER AND GM WILL NEVER SEE ME AGAIN!

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  Worst car I ever owned - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ManofSteel - February 23 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Grand Am new in 99. Had troubles with it from the very begining. Brakes seemed to wear out almost endlessly. Had to replace a caliper just after warrany was up. Wheel bearings needed replaced in the second year wich is just ridiculus. Power widows on each side needed to be replaced twice. Also had to have the car stero CD replaced twice due to malfunction. the ride was very sloppy and bumpy. Engine noise was noticable. Just not a very good car.

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  2004 GTP Comp G - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By greg328 - February 23 - 10:00 am

  I traded our 99 GTP in on my wifes Tahoe, and really missed driving it. I wasnt impressed with the new GP in the brochure until I saw & drove it. It was a joy to drive and looked much better with the 5 spoke chrome wheels than the 10 spoke in the brochure. I would highly recommend this car to anyone with a family that needs room but still craves a little sport and performance. This car is a perfect fit!

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  One Great Automobile - Is it really a GM?? - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Bill Ziebarth - February 21 - 9:03 am

  Before I picked-up the car, I thought it would be great. After I drove it for just a 100 miles I knew it was great! It gives the "off the line" performance of a 1963 Chevy "409". The handling as good or better than a 1969 Camaro Z28 . And top-end speed that leaves you breathless. I have had trouble with General Motors cars that were built for only those that are beyond middle age. This one is Not. I drove back to Seattle vis Idaho, Nevada, California, & Oregon. The GTO got an average of 24.7 miles to the gallon. Now, that pretty good for a car with 400 HP and the air-conditioning on the entire way. The GTOs interior is just a work of art, all in all its better than a 10

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  Quick but not worth it - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By DJR - February 20 - 4:56 pm

  Purchased the GT with the Ram-air V6. Ill never forget how fun it was the 1st time I test drove it. Im a sucker for fast acceleration, and that alone attracted me enough to fork out the 3100.00 price. It wasnt long though before realizing what every one else does. Its an electrical nightmare and found out recently the 1998-2000 models have been known to catch fire without even being started (DO NOT PARK NEAR HOUSE) The cheap plastic control knobs break easy in cold weather. The CD players are famous for flashing "error messages" and quit working around 120,000 miles. Blown head gaskets are very common around 90- 100,000 miles. So yes, it looks good, drives tight but I wouldnt buy another!!