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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  not bad - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bboss - August 24 - 10:00 am

  the handling of the grand prix is choice. it handles the best out of the cars i have owned in the past. the 2001 to 2003s have the best design out of the grand prix, it looks sporty and acts it too. the fuel mileage is not the best i average only 22mpg with highway and city driving, my ford explorer gets that, and that has four wheel drive. other then that, it is a great choice!

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  GranDAMNED - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Stupid - August 24 - 10:00 am

  GrandAM is a nightmare to drive on wet and uneven road surfaces. The vehicle has a tendency to push on left turns and sometimes delivers an abrupt swerve when turning to the left on dry roads. This condition almost caused an accident on the PA Turnpike. GM dealers repsonse was the typical "couldnt duplicate condition" but refuses to remove the McPherson struts for thorough examination. What ever happened to the old reliable GM Corporation? As a diehard GM fan I am now looking to imports as replacement. Never thought I would see this day!

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  The best - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By grandprix - August 24 - 10:00 am

  All i have to say it is the best car i have ever drove. It has so much power and rides great.

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  pontiac - 1996 Pontiac Grand AM
  By lisa - August 23 - 4:46 pm

  I bought this car with 108,000 miles on it and it has 144,000 on it now and it still runs GREAT...I have had a few brake problems but other than that it has been a great car:)

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  Very Good Quality Car - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ballbreaker910 - August 23 - 1:36 pm

  I purchased this car to replace a car that was on its last leg. After reading reviews from a website like this I decided to purchase one. It was a well made decision. This car is very reliable. I lived 2 miles from work and found out the hard way how bad the car was on gas, especially with local driving. However on the highway I was able to get about 25 mpg. Things I noticed before trading it in was it began to burn oil. The indicator advised me of low oil well before the 3000 mile recommended oil change and I used synthetic blend. Overall. It was a great car.

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  Time for another vehicle - 2001 Pontiac Montana
  By Darla - August 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought my mini-van in 2006, and it had 95,000 miles on it. For the first two years, it did great. I took it on vacations with no problems whatsoever. And the best part was that there was plenty of room for everyone. In 2008, I had to replace the head gasket and intake gaskets. It had been overheating. Thats been the biggest expense. Recently, at 165,000 miles Ive noticed that if I turn the AC on for long periods of time when driving, it tends to run hot. I have not let it overheat, but it does run hot. Im also noticing the transmission is sticking. The power sliding door has a mind of its own, sometimes works and sometimes not.

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  The lemon - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By g6- 2 door coupe - August 23 - 10:00 am

  The car had been in the shop several time handles poorly in the snow. Tires are very expensive to replace. The brake light was on when driving - did not know it until a state trooper followed me. I would say that 36,000 miles was the life before every thing began to break down and then lets not mention the warranty was up after that and obama motors did not have a stimulus for the replacing the warranty of the car, how about that for a change!

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  Underrated!!! - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Dr. RWK - August 22 - 11:16 am

  No problems here! Cannot understand why this car is not highly rated. Handles well, very quiet, adequate power, smooth ride. No problems in 60,000 miles. Normally would be trading about now, but we will be keeping for a while. Best van we have owned.

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  2nd Grand Prix First GTP - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Phil - August 21 - 10:16 am

  This vehicle has all the power and sporty style a driver requires. The front seats are very comfortable. The controls are very easy to use but plain. The rear seat certainly could have more leg room considering how deep the trunk is in this vehicle. The truck is almost too large. The superchager certainly moves this vehicle and without premium gas. I have owned a 2002 Grand Prix GT and have NO repairs or warranty work. The sporty style is what I wanted and still remains true in the 2005. The interior is plain and cheatly made, the overhead garage door compartment has been broken and is currently held together with tape. I do not plan on paying $50+ to replace it. Inc. Interior Qual

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  Fairly Good Car overall - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By njoosse - August 20 - 9:07 pm

  Nice big car, lots of room, loads of power from the 3.8 v6. Love the exhaust growl. I always compare this car to my 04 Honda Accord 4cyl. This car has way more power and gets the same fuel mileage. On the other hand it doesnt handle as well and the fit and finish are not nearly as good. I love the interior, especially at night. Reliability is ok. Burns a bit of oil. At 100000miles, its starting to squeak and rattle, which my Honda is not. Overall a pretty good car.