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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  My best car ever - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Goofyazz86 - August 7 - 10:00 am

  This Car is a very good car. It has many aftermarket parts and will be fun to work with.

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  bobs GP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By blar - August 7 - 10:00 am

  Just got the vehicle,great fun to drive .Corners as if on rails,bought the g/comp model,hud is really helpful.

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  Engine Problems Beware - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mmalchow - August 7 - 8:26 am

  When I bought this car I thought that I was getting a pretty good vehicle. Well that was until the engine started leaking antifreeze from the head gasket, which is pretty expensive to fix and if done wrong could cause more serious problems. The type of antifreeze that they used in this vehicle caused corrosion and ate away at the gaskets and seals in the engine. Most of which are quite expensive to have replaced and/or serviced, but in order to maintain this vehicle you end up sinking hundreds even thousands of dollars into it. Also, if you are ever in an accident, regardless of the severity, this car will fall apart. It has a horrible build quality.

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  We love it!! - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By janices - August 5 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Aztek after a lot of research that I based on people who actually owned them...and now I know I definitely did the right thing. Oh and I dont care if other dont like it,,,,,theyre not the one who drives it...and as long as Im satisfied thats all that really counts!! My 4 grandchildren who age from 2 to 11 just love to ride in it..and everyone who has ever ridden with me are pleasantly surprised....

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  Convertible Firehawk - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By firehawk - August 5 - 10:00 am

  best car Ive ever owned.

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  Convertible Firehawk - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By Firehawk - August 5 - 10:00 am

  best car Ive ever owned.

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  Not owned very long but so far so good - 2009 Pontiac G3
  By G3 - August 5 - 1:06 am

  Its a good car for the price I havent owned it very long so I cant say much but its turning out to be a fun little car

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  Love my G6 - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By been - August 4 - 9:10 pm

  I love my G6. I cant keep my eyes off of it. The difference between my last truck to this has been quite an awakening. At 22 years old I feel this was the perfect intro to my sport car dream, 1997 porsche 911 s4. the G6 is has been nothing but good times with lots of onlookers, I love my G6!

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  Looks nice, but needs improvement - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Gary - August 4 - 7:43 pm

  My dad is a GM mechanic, and he recommended me to buy this car. It has been very reliable except for the intake manifold (design problem). Also, the car makes enough HP that it does very well on long trips. The long trip highway mileage is very good.At times I get close to 30 mpg. This car is very spacious. I like it. However, the interior plastic is kinda chessy. I bought this car with 107k miles, and now it has 123k. I drove for 14 hours non-stop from Idaho to Arizona without any problems. Overall, I love this car. I would strongly suggest anybody who wants to buy a GP to make sure the previous owner had taken excellent care before you buy the car.

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  Grand Prix GT 4 Door Sedan - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By dede402 - August 4 - 1:30 pm

  We bought this car 7 months ago and ABSOLUTELY love it!!! It was a one owner car and VERY well taken care of! Even the body man at the dealership couldnt believe it was a 1999. It looks sooo much newer!! It rides like a dream and the gas milage is unbelievable! We plan on driving her down to Florida soon! The only problem we have had was a wheel bearing in the drivers side go and that has been it!! We LOVE this car soo much and would DEFINITELY buy another one!! We LOVE it that much!! There really is NOTHING bad we can say about this car! SHES BEEN GREAT!!!