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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  Had this for 3 years no real issues - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By patroness - January 8 - 9:01 pm

  My G6 2005 has 120,000 miles on it. Up til now I have only had to replace the tire, brakes, and battery. All of these things are due to be changed at its age. Tomorrow I am replacing a tie rod and a Control arm, both considered to be a wearable item. Given its mileage I think that there replacement is a no issue. I have no complaints other than the featureless radio and built in Info center. At 120, 000 miles my car still drives, looks, feels like new. I have a future plan to change out the stereo and say good by to the info display. I have in the past changed the transmission fluid, and I will do a spark plug and belt change all thing due at 100,000.

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  I won it at the Oprah show - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By izapem2 - January 8 - 8:20 am

  I won this car at the Oprah season premiere. It is an amazing car. I have already put over 3,000 miles on it since I received it just before Thanksgiving. I have a family of five and we all fit very comfortably in it, we have even all gone on vacation already in it. It also is loaded with all kinds of safety features, which is important to me since I have children. The car handles very well in snow and icy road conditions. The back seats fold down to give you more trunk space which is very nice, I fit a very large bookcase in my trunk with no problem. So far I have absolutely no complaints about this vehicle. I love my pontiac G6 GT!!!!

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  Detail of My first car - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Crystal - January 7 - 7:50 am

  I have had my car for two years. It is my first car and I love it. I think that it has great pick up and most cars cant even keep up. I love the body style I think that it looks very sporty but yet is very comfortable. My next car is definitely going to be a Pontiac!

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  Never again! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By smithkjw - January 6 - 12:31 pm

  Everything about this car is more difficult than it has to be! This car was a gift from family when our previous car died, but we have spent three times its value fixing it... And every repair leads to way more frustration because of its design. Replacing headlights is a quick and easy repair on every car Ive driven until this one. On this car I had to have help to remove the entire headlight assembly which was no easy task. Replacing radiator hoses reqiures removal of several unrelated things. Fuel line tends to rust at the fuel filter, requiring replacement of the fuel line which is built into the fuel tank! AC vents spin and keep air from coming out.

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  Enjoying the fuel mileage - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Pontiac Man - January 6 - 10:00 am

  I tried Matrix and Vibe. Vibe seems to be a better value to me. We have the moon and tunes package. Radio sounds good, could care less about the moon roof. Getting 10 more miles to the gallon than the SUV I traded. Enjoying the extra pocket money.

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  Sunfire-quality & dependable - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By ci1101 - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Most dependable small car Ive owned at a very reasonable price. What impressed me most when I first got in to check it out, was the "heavy car feel"---no tinny sounding doors, quiet interior, etc. Biggest problem: defroster for windshield is only one approx. 8" oval in the center---long defrosting time in the snowy, icy winters. Mechanically, Ive replaced brakes twice and needed a new starter just a month ago. Not bad for owning it new.

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  2000 Montana Blue - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By RGP - January 6 - 10:00 am

  We are happy with the Montana - design & performance. The fit and finish is not as good. Comfort is good - though front passanger seat could have more basic adjustments. Power sliding door went out recently.

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  Great Car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By lscamp - January 6 - 10:00 am

  Very Few Problems: Express feature on driver window stopped working--fixed under warranty.

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  Excellent Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By drive_pontiac - January 6 - 10:00 am

  This is definately a car worth investing in. I had my car for a year, and people still talk about it.

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  Daves Review - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By davidw169 - January 6 - 10:00 am

  This is the most fun vehicle Ive driven in years! It has incredible pick up. I can go from 0 to 60 in about 5 seconds. The handling is far superior to any other car I test drove. Just a wonderful experience.