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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  Leaking Struts - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By jcoyle - November 22 - 2:40 am

  I purchased this car new on 6-30, noticed it leaking on 7-1. Both front struts blown. Cannot drive car and still waiting on parts as of 8-8. Fluid leaked onto front brake pads and rotors making dangerous to drive. GM knew this was a problem with all 06s and continues to sell them without fixing this first. Pontiac has been a nightmare to deal with. Refuses to extend warranty to cover time Ive been without car. Do a search for 06 gto leaking struts and read others stories. Terrible customer service.

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  G6 GT just Great - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By bhshop - November 21 - 3:43 am

  Have been driving my G6 GT for 2 weeks now and I simply love it. Ive already put over 600 miles on the car and averaging at least 25mpg. This car looks great, rides great, handles great and just feels real solid. One friend who is anti-american when it comes to cars said after driving mine they would definitely consider buying one. If you were like me and drawn in by the looks, after driving one and seeing it up close, the whole package will not disappoint. I love my new G6.

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  ooh no!!!!!!!!!!! - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By nad - November 19 - 7:03 pm

  I bought an 09 G6 GT currently 28400 miles and today it went dead and wouldnt start. I had to call ONSTAR to the rescue, but the tow truck company wouldnt give me a ride so I had to call a friend to get home. A anti theft symbol a (car and lock) showed up on my dash as I was driving along and then my speedometer went crazy and I pulled off the highway thinking I was going to go down and as I expected it wouldnt start again when I shut down.

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  Ill Miss Her - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Brittany Henceroth - November 19 - 5:30 pm

  I absolutely loved this car, it was my baby, my pride and joy. Mother bought it back in 02 and gave it to me in 07 as a graduation gift. We did spend X amount of dollars fixing the water pump, alternator, and the heater coil. Other than that, the car was everything I could have asked for. It finally broke 120k miles in the beginning of Feb, but on the 14th I lost control of it, barrel rolled it, and it was totaled. She was a very good reliable car throughout her 12 years she gave to me and the elderly couple that owned it before me.

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  Rock solid - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By DERRECK - November 18 - 11:06 pm

  I recently traded my saturn l300 for the grand prix gt and i am very satisfied. With the excepition of the tight back seat, i have no complaints. The interior is very roomy, but the backseat leg room is less than my old saturn. I got a great lease deal with incentives and my dads employee discount. The supercharged 3800 is smooth and strong and gets good fuel economy. I recomend this vehicle as an alternative to the everyday camry and accord.

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  So Many Things to Like-so many problems - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By MDuff - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I really like this van, however; Ive had so many problems with it. Fortunately I bought an extended warranty, which still has me ahead on cost compared to Chrysler. However, the constant trips to the dealer was a pain. Some of the repeat repairs may have been due to the dealers ability. Problems include: (3)new wiper assemblies, (2)new torque converters, new transmission, air leakage around windows, sliding door alignment, instrument panel lights & switches at $125 each, Traction Control Circuit problems, ABS Brake problems, new ventilation blower motor, & fuel level sensor level sensor.

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  Once in a while - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Patrick - November 18 - 6:33 am

  Background: This purchase was a new 2003 Vibe in 2002. This is a long term veiw of the car. Do you know the feeling when you buy I knew car? When you love your new car? I did. I loved this car, and still do, as much as the day I drove it off the lot. It held speed at 80 across the western US on a recent 4000 mile round trip and got 34 MPG while doing it. This was with automatic Tranny too. The power train is from the Corolla, tranny also, but the interior space is like a large sedan. You never feel cramped. The test drive will show how it feels and that is the way it will feel 3 years later. I liked the Vibe so much, I bought one for my wife last December. See Favorite Feature below.

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  Best Pontiac yet! - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Pontiac_man - November 18 - 4:16 am

  I did not purchased the GT model because I didnt see the need for the upgraded transmission. If you like doing a lot of shifting then go for the GT model and plan on spending additional 3K. I purchased the one with the panoramic roof and love it. The editoral says the back seat roof clearance is too low but I sat in the back and didnt noticed that much less room for my head. If your over 6 feet tall then, yes youre going to be bumping your head. The interior is very well laid out. Driver controls are all in a good easy to reach. The tilt steering and telescoping column is a welcome feature. The back seat has a lot of leg room. The trunk is larger than my Pontiac GM GT.

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  Fun and Fast - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Bruce M - November 16 - 6:33 pm

  Great car all around so far. Plenty of power with decent mileage. Six speed is a lot of fun; the only way to go. Havent owned long enough to gauge reliabiltiy, but to date very good with 9000 miles. Stereo is good with fair equalizer features (would like to do more manual adjusting). Front seat motors are very slow so backseat entry is a pain. Trunk is small but dont really use it anyway. Front seats are excellent.

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  my car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By monica - November 14 - 2:50 pm

  i loved to drive the car. its beautiful and realistic to my family. its black too