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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  1999 Pontiac - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Ataguy - August 29 - 4:36 am

  We were the original owners of this car. Previously owned a Dodge Neon that was rather unrelieable. What a difference with this Pontiac.. Very reliable. We had the oil seals replaced at 100k miles & a electronic sensor replaced at around 80K miles. Other then that there were no major repairs. Solid ride, 28 mpg on the highway. Great performance & quiet ride. Wed buy another one.

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  Not too bad - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By n wiebe - August 28 - 2:00 am

  The car captured me right away. The car handles like the pros. I can corner with absolute confidence regardless of my speed. Acceleration is not bad, but you will suck the gas back if you enjoy using the gas pedal. Sound system is quite good. I found the bass to be somewhat lacking, but a small subwoofer solved that. The doors are awfully wide when trying to park. Would love to have vertical door kit installed for that. Front wheel bearing have gone, blinker relay went crazy, had a bit too much shavings in the tranny when I changed filter and oil, doors dont seal well in cross winds, factory rims peeling(so much for chrome). Other than that, has been fine.

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  Only, ok. - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By Jim-Bob - August 27 - 12:30 am

  It was an ok car. Got me from point A to point B. Looks cool, but not enough power or look as cool as a Mustang, if it was the 5.7 that may be a different story (I still doubt it!) But even then the Firebird is way too wide making it impossible to park. Also, you can never see more than a foot of the hood. It always had computer problems and had to be taken to the shop constantly.

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  Love It - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By QOTW - August 26 - 11:53 am

  Love the Torrent, I went from an Olds Bravada 03 luxury SUV to this and have not missed a moment of the other. Drove my dads Z71 over the wkd. and couldnt wait to get my SUV back b/c its quieter and handles the bumps better. Overall the perfect SUV for a growing family with lots of room! Has pep in its step.

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  Worst vehicle Ive ever owned - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tom - August 26 - 2:16 am

  Great power and fun to drive, however, 2 pages of repairs including 3 transmissions, tie rod ends, 3 $340 tires, this car was towed 6 times, when I basically gave it away on a trade-in it was diagnosed with another bad transmission and a bad starter!! Drove it a total of 86K. Of all the new vehicles I owned in 35 years this one is the worst. At one point the dealer said he was going to get GM to take the vehicle back, but, that TOO didnt happen. My wife actually told me "that car or me". I love my wife.

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  Torrent Value - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By torrent owner - August 24 - 9:20 pm

  The Torrent/Equinox is nothing special, but it does lots of things well and doesnt cost a fortune. It is very safe, one of only two cars getting 5 stars with-out side airbags! Get the SAB option anyway! It is very roomy, opened up it holds more than many SUVs much larger, and it holds more than all other mid and small SUVs. This is because the rear is still squarish, so it really opens up. The mileage is good for an AWD, I regularly get 22 to 24 in real driving. But like all Torrent/NOX owners I wish it had a little more pep. The 08 has more engine options. Major complaint is the lack of a good arm rest for my left arm on the door, or a telescopic steering wheel.

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  Best Car I ever owned - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By carguy2549 - August 24 - 10:00 am

  Comfort-unbeatable. Style-like it or dont-I like it. Driving-fantastic. Economy-with 54,500 miles my overall average is 23.9. Love that computer. Ihave the top model but in FWD with traction control. Snow is nothing to me. the heads up display is great. All the other cars are catching on the the style thing. I just dont like rounded corners. OH, as far as the rear wiper goes, you dont need one. The dirt just blows away and window stays clean.

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  a eulogy for my first car - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By It is dead - August 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought it with 75K, and things went well for the first year. Then had transmition problems. Had that rebuilt for $1000. Things went pretty well for the next couple years, just regular stuff (brakes, catalytic converter, sway bars)happening. Then the head gasket blew, warping the block. That happened out of the blue and at one of the most inopportune times. Had to find another quad four engine to put in it. This one sounded funny. It was in a collision, now it is dead. It was a fun first car to have. Interior was compfortable enough for two, more than that got tough. Decent for hauling stuff on road trips, the gas mileage was usually around 30.

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  I love the Aztek - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By michelle C - August 24 - 10:00 am

  I have had mine since December and although some people still dont like the look of it, once they see the interior and all of its ammenities, they usually change their mind. I personally like the look, and like to be different. I feel very safe in it and have found no other vehicle, that compared to it in price and value. The only thing that could be better is the warrenty. I think it should be like the other competitors and be 5-7 years instead of 3.

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  No Problem - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By hmiwb - August 24 - 10:00 am

  Im very pleased with my Vibe and have had absolutely no problems with it so far (6500 miles). The fuel economy has been excellent, consistently in the low to mid 30s and the comfort and drivability (5 speed) have been great, no squeeks, rattles or things falling off at all. I owned a Toyota/GM mix before as a Geo Prism and had excellent service from it. I believe I will enjoy this car even more and expect that the reliability will be there as well due to the Toyota influence.