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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  V8 Bang for the Buck Winner - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By APR - December 16 - 8:30 pm

  Dreamed about this car a year before it was available. Great looking machine w/ the performance (HP, torque, braking, suspension) to support it. Surprisely controlled torque-steer (traction control) and instantaneous response from the beefed- up 4T65E tranny. The LS4s torque band is huge and pulls from one end of the tach to the other. The StabiliTrak Sport is simply amazing in the snow/ice allowing you to drive safely while having some fun to boot. The PBR brakes (huge drilled & vented rotors w/ dual pistons calipers up front) are gorgeous, responsive, and fade-free. After 6600 mi. were averaging 20.2 mpg (trip computer) w/ mostly highway (using cruise control) driving @ 74mph.

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  GXP Review - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By redgxp - December 16 - 10:57 am

  I bought this car in 2004 after seeing it at a local car show i fell in love with it .. as of today 3/6/2012 i only have 45k on it it has been a wonderful car ive done nothing to it just a onstar upgrade and new tires still on same brakes and oil changes at local dealer

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  Mistake! - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Ashley - December 15 - 4:00 pm

  ONE owner. I bought new 10/2002 happy to have a new car. Headliner fell down 5X in the first 6 mos, then brake pads (every 4 mos & a few calipers) Owner of 5 cars in my life, ONLY 1 has done this, hmm?? Driver, doubt it. Then 2007 big ticket repairs, Dex-Cool ruined hoses, gaskets, manifolds THEN I find out about the Class Action Lawsuit too late to file my repairs. Also replaced many other parts. Do I go on? Not only did I pay of $24K new I have about $8K in repairs. Sell? find out about GMs extreme depreciation, I could not get this nightmare off my hands! 2010 with a 155K mi & needs 3K more in repairs to run, I cant give this car away at this point! Buy a GM, NEVER AGAIN!

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  Great Car - 2010 Pontiac Vibe
  By Snoop - December 15 - 2:10 pm

  Great car in its segment. The redesign in 09 blows away the out of date/style (ugly) "ribbed" & rigid look of the original. The engine is peppy enough and the car is surprisingly fun to drive. Spacious interior with efficient layout. Great gas mileage & sturdy build.

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  The best car ever - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Corey - December 15 - 6:53 am

  I bought this car with a 113k on it. The engine still purrrrs and runs perfect. The transmission does not even miss a beat. It runs beautifully. And the ride is excellent. It is difficult to explain, it rides soft and quiet enough to not get bounced around but also the ride is stiff enough to feel the road. I like this car inside and out. The 3.4l engine in the car is one of GMs best(next to the 3.8L of course) and I know the transmission in these cars are solid. I expect to easily get over 200,000 miles out of this car without spending a lot of money and/or something major going on. Thanks

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  2000 Pontiac Bonneville SLE - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By BJ Baker - December 15 - 2:00 am

  I love my Bonneville!!! Exterior styling is awesome for a 4- door.

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  Good car - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By vengland - December 14 - 4:23 am

  I bought my grand am in June of 2008 with 114,000 miles on it. I had one problem when the gas cap didnt get tightened up properly and the car wouldnt start. But I have had no other problems with it. Its reliable, gets ok gas mileage and I would buy another one just newer next time. I am a big fan of GM products and this car is great. I love the way it looks and the sound system is awesome.

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  Pontiaction - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By The Icon - December 14 - 1:26 am

  I bought the car brand new with all the available options possible including the Bose sound system. I dont drive the car very far at all but when I do it is pure excitement and I get looks when I am next to another car. When I first had it, I did have seal leak problems and the steering, when very cold outside, seems stiff. Other than this I had good luck with the car. It just turned 7yrs old in February and it looks new, had several offers to buy it from me , including my mechanic.

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  Best Car Ive ever owned - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Kathy - December 12 - 9:56 am

  I absolutely loved this car. I bought it used a little over 2 years ago. It is very spacious inside - I am 6 tall and my husband is 61" and there is plenty of room without feeling cramped. This car has been extremely reliable and awesome on gas. I averaged about 28-29 mpg, city. Put me on a highway and I was always well above 30. This car has also proved itself to be very safe and solidly built. My car was recently totaled (someone pulled out in front of us while we were going 55 mph). The damage from the crash did not go past the front door, and we all walked away unharmed. I will be replacing it with another Vibe shortly

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  Trans Am Ram Air - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By tedmc - December 12 - 5:30 am

  Love this car! Fun to drive and the 5.7 liter coupled with a six speed tranny is pure throwback American muscle. All the horsepower and torque of higher priced cars is readily available under your right foot! Its really hard to beat this car in the bang for your buck category.