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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  Stay far away from GM cars! - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Simply FAB - August 23 - 5:50 am

  I have had this car for 4 years and I had fixed the intake gasket 3 times. I have to do brakes like twice a year. Both side mirrors broke easily. Service vehicle and engine light always on!Signals and power seat broke and there is a cracking noise when I turn the wheel. This car is a nightmare!

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  5 Speed, 4 Cyl, 4 Dr GT - Water pump! - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By GMUser - August 11 - 2:00 am

  OK, overall I have enjoyed this car which I bought new, but the mechanical reliability is questionable. The worst design flaw is the water pump it is driven from the cam chain and requires a MAJOR stripdown of one side of the engine to replace. For a water pump!!! They cost over $500 to replace and last about 40000 miles - Pontiac this was not a smart idea.

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  Vibe Quality - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Sweetness - July 31 - 10:00 am

  T have had problems with the vehicle. The sunroof leaks. It has been replaced and still leaks. I have to take it in again. I has been repainted in areas. I have tried to trade up but was told that they would not even give me what I paid for it.

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  Water leaks - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By Rick D. - July 24 - 2:20 pm

  I purchased a 2006 SV6 AWD. It was a used lease van with 12,500 miles.The dealer prepped it for sale after purchase agreement. I have been a GM owner and mechanic for 30 years.I wanted the AWD version for safety in winter. It handles,brakes and has more comfort than the Astro AWD it replaced.The 3.5liter engine power per weight ratio is too low, but the 3.9 liter has too much torque for the AWD unit! The van had a major flaw that may have been unique to this one or a problem on the assembly line.It had a chronic water leak from the wheelwells and all the seams.The rug was always wet. The dealer had to completely strip out the interior and found multiple leaks from improper sealant at all seams

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  average quality - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By tom - July 24 - 12:30 am

  I have owned this car for 3 years after purchasing brand new in 2006 and it currently has 78500 miles. Since then I have replaced the tires once, had to have the fuel injection system replaced, exhaust replaced, steering column replaced and replaced the brakes and rotors once. The engine is noisy and the car squeaks and rattles under normal driving conditions. The average MPG registers about 25 on the information center with a mix of city and highway driving. The best mileage has been close to 30. The brakes are noisy but work fine. The resale value is not great, I would not recommend buying a new G6 but a used one may provide cheap transportation.

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  Its just not my ol 94 Bonneville - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Its for sale - July 21 - 2:00 am

  When I purchased this car, I was in hopes that it would compare to my 94 Bonneville. Didnt happen. The r&p steering has been replaced twice before fixed. Fan blower motor replaced, still chirps. Dealership trying to find clunking noise near glove box. Have installed a windshield and "three alternators" (not sure why)with the noise still there. Terrible wind/road interior noise in front and back. Front cup holders are too small.

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  This car is a step behind the rest - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Courtney - July 18 - 7:26 am

  This is my 1st Pontiac that I traded my Nissan Altima for, big mistake! My Altima drove like a luxory vehicle, this thing is so loud and rough riding. You can hear everything that is going on outside of the car, especially freeway traffic. The inside is pretty basic compared to other sedans in its class (honda, nissan, toyota...) Its getting left in the dust by other competitors styles.

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  There is a reason GM killed this heap - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Joshua Riopiedra - July 15 - 4:50 am

  GM used to build solid cars What the hell happened? Save your money and purchase a quality vehicle. A wealthy friend of mine put it best..."You need not be rich to afford a BMW, but the opposite is true about owning a domestic". -Buy something well built and you wont break yourself in repairs. Im sorry but we did it to ourselves, America. We lost the zero defect mentality and embraced the quick buck slap it together and send it out the door philosophy.

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  Its been a good ride w/minor irks! - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By cliff - July 14 - 4:36 am

  Purchased in 2002 with 44K on the 2.4L DOHC 150hp, 150lbs ft motor. I drive approx. 150+ miles daily, it now has 163K and still runs strong at highway speeds. Problems w/ the car: alternator and starter replaced; seems to run through brakes and rotors; both power window motors failed; left stranded after clutch cable broke, a $300 repair; the cd player quit; I had to replace water pump (Who designed this motor? Dealers wanted $700-800. Why? It is run by timing chain and you have to disconnect the exhaust, the ex manifold, timing cover and chain to replace. This is not a lexus guys.) has been reliable car. If this motor is this good, the ecotec which replaces the 2.4 should be better!!!

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  What a lemon! - 2007 Pontiac G5
  By Miss Unhappy! - July 12 - 9:13 pm

  What a disappointment this car has been! We purchased this G5, hoping that it would be similar in quality as the Pontiac Sunfire that we had previously driven. Not even close! We have always had a problems with the keys, to the point we cant even open our doors or trunk, and now the key wont even start the car! Its still under warranty but yet the dealership has chosen to spray my ignition with rustcheck instead of addressing the real problem, the keys! From months of juggling both of our keys to either get the doors opened and now to start the car, I guess the problems start now! Both keys are so worn out just from one year of driving. I also cant stand the noise whilst driving!