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 - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tappan01 - November 24 - 11:20 pm

  This is my "4th" Grand Prix - and have loved each one I had. I cant believe they have stopped production of this model. This car has lots of power for the V6. Love the road-tight feel to the steering, but the traction control is not good at all. The car handles well in all weather and gets good gas mileage. Beautiful looking car and nice wheels on the GT model. Radio could be of higher quality.

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  Vibe_olisous - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By tlm - November 24 - 10:00 am

  Great Car. Fun to drive. Nice pickup. Lots of extras in the car. Lots of room. -- Car isnt too small or too Big -- just right.

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  pontiac vibe - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By robin - November 24 - 10:00 am

  I love the car but the seats and dashboard get dirty quick. It is hard to keep clean. The trunk doesnt come with a rug and your stuff slides all over the back.

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  Great Car for the Money - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By rosey - November 24 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my car after crashing my brand new truck. It has proven to be a very reliable car. Aside from the usual wear and tear, this car has not given me any major problems like my other cars. Its great. Its affordable and nice sporty/family look to it. Nice. I would recommend it for a small family.

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  SO CAL GTP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By SO CAL GTP - November 24 - 10:00 am

  I recently purchesed my GTP and it is a blast to drive. Punch the gas, hear the supercharger whine and your doing 90 before you know it. The interior and exterior look excellent.

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  Great Car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Great Car!!! - November 23 - 10:23 pm

  I love this car! I bought it in 1999 and it had 34,000 miles on it. Now it has approx. 113,000 miles on it. No real major problems at all. Some problems with power window motors. It hugs the road real nice and always has power when you need it.

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  Supercharged SSEi midnight blue - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Amber - November 23 - 5:03 pm

  Love it! I have always had a Bonneville or an Olds Aurora- love big sedans. This is my favorite of all time! My car is beautiful - love the look in and out and that supercharger is wow. Very comfortable ride

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  No fun in mountains, MPG false - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Denver Driver - November 23 - 5:36 am

  We got the AWD Vibe to take to the mountains but it is way underpowered and the AWD version doesnt come in manual transmission to help. Transmission actually feels like it slips when going up long hill, feels like someone has rear ended the car. Also we get about 22 MPG, Hwy or city. Other than that, the car is fine, roomy, I really like the air vents as they fully close.

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  Pontiac Grand Am GT1 - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By David - November 23 - 2:03 am

  This is the second Grand Am GT, the first was a 99 and was in a $7500 worth of damage accident with a child in the back. It held up perfect! very solid car. I never had any problems. Now I have the 2005 GT1 and am even happier! I have driven with friends in there Hondas and they continue to say "American cars break down and Japanese cars, never" but the truth is, if you do your homework and read reviews, that is not true, they actually need servicing too, and the $$$ they put into it to preform like mine, haha. My car out classes anything next to it except for an Eclipse w/turbo I tried to race and a Corvette. I plan to add to the engine to enhance it more, the handling is perfect. Go Pontiac!

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  A GEM - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By Stoney - November 22 - 6:26 am

  Bought my montana new in 1999. Wow what a Gem. Ive had no major mechanical issues at all other than doing schedule maintance and normal wear. As of today I have 166,000 miles on it and still no signs of major trouble. I will be looking to buy a used (2004) in the near future. I guess regular maintance and care pays off as with anything else.