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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  Get what you pay for - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Brent - July 5 - 10:16 am

  Traded this car after 1 year. Couldnt get over the rough ride very cheap plastic bland interior. The front seats are hard as rocks and the drivers seat (not power) was horribly uncomfortable and actually put your legs to sleep. i always felt like i was in a cave while driving this car. Then the steering at 9,000 miles broke and that was it for me. Read past blogs about the major problem Pontiac is having with this crap steering system. i was not interested in keeping a car with abysmal ratings in my garage any longer. Went with Hyundai 09 sonata and so much happier. i also got 22 miles per gallon in the city with some highway driving here in Chicago and i am far from a lead foot.

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  my baby - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By convertible nut - July 4 - 2:23 am

  Ive been driving my car daily for 2 years and am beginning to have problems with it; more problems than I expected for a relatively new car. This is my 5th convertible to drive - one Corvette, a Cabriolet, and 2 Miatas, and this is by far the least reliable car Ive ever owned in my life. Yes, it looks great. Yes, driving a roadster is fun. Yes, its a guy magnet. But Im even debating to keep my car.

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  Why not a recall??!! - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jinx - June 23 - 2:06 pm

  I can not understand why a recall has not been issued for the passlock system! I googled the problem with my car and saw hundreds of people having the same problem as I have with having to wait ten minutes ,randomly , to start my car. I was docked 15 minutes of pay last week because I was 45 seconds late for work one morning.! I left the house at 6:30 am and twice in a row my car made me wait ten minutes to start it...even though I live just a few minutes from work with half an hour to spare to get there ( I thought ) I ended up being late. I called the nearest Pontiac dealer and was told there was no recall because it is not a safety issue.

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  Terrible in Snow! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Barbara Tirone - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely loved this car when I bought it in April. I loved it up until the snow started to fall. This car has terrible performance in snowy/icy conditions. Has anyone else experienced this? There is another gentleman who I work with and he feels the same way about his vibe. I have never owned a Pontiac before, and by far this is the worst car I have ever driven in the snow/ice.

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  2005 G6 GT= too problematic - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By 74anthony - June 16 - 7:35 pm

  Purchased this car new. 80- 90% of mileage is highway milage. (32 miles to and from work) I had all required maintenance performed and never drove aggressively. 10,800 miles BRAKES....???/ front and rear, and speedometer issue 18,000 new battery..??? 1 yr later 37,000 BRAKES/ front and rear, Other/ lower intake gasket replaced All previous repairs were just inconvient. Warranty covered most of this. The following are all out-pocket 42,000 BRAKES (5000 miles later!!!) / front only 71,000 Front End / control arms LS & RS 75,00 Differentials seals replaced 78,000 Transmission / Gears blew through case Rebuild Req 88,000 BRAKES Again

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  Buyer Beware - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By bpduplex - June 16 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car with 30000 miles. In only 4000 miles the ignition harness blew out and all my gauges failed. It took forever to drop off my car a Pontiac since their lines were so long. My biggest complaint is resale, I paid 13000 for it in 2001 and it was worth 8000 in 2002 :(

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  Say no to Pontiac! - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Briguy - June 4 - 5:20 am

  When I saw this car on the dealers lot I fell in love with the style in and out. Also the gas mileage was impressive but little did I know this would be the worst running vehicle I had ever owned. Bought with 10K by 28K ABS system failure, serpentine belt, valve lifters, and engine overheating made me have to say bye-bye. Of course GM did its damnedest to make sure they fixed nothing, solidifying my decision.

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  It aint the 99 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ruffner6 - June 2 - 7:33 pm

  I had a 99 and loved it every day I had it. On a whim, I traded it for this adult version with leather and sunroof. Almost immediately I was unhappy. The sunroof hesitated for the first 3 years then fixed itself. The front end has been repaired at least 6 times. It ate a set of tires in 8 month. Tie rods, bushing alignment issues. The interior stinks: My 6 foot husband cant get into it, period with out moving the steering wheel and seat. "leather is all cracking, wheel is peeling, plastic is impossible to clean. I miss my 99 in myriad ways. It was huge, got better mileage. I HATE leather, especially this leather. And the AM radio is affected by sunspots or something 2x a year. weird

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  Small Problems from the Start - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By dcrambler - May 24 - 10:00 am

  Great deal when you factor in both the Montana Vision and regular factory rebates. Walked away with the MV FWD for less than $21K after GM card maximum credit allowance. Overall build is less than desirable - have had door handle, rattle and lug cap problems in the first month plus horrible warranty service from a local Pontiac dealership. Still couldnt pass up the overall low price when compared to the Odyssey.

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  Average Car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By juan_david - May 19 - 11:13 pm

  Expensive repairs... ABS, Steering rack, rear tail lights, seat belt buckle.