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 Trans Am - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By Trans Am B - June 5 - 10:00 am

  A Trans Am is a great car for drivers that a really responsible and use caution. I love driving my car everwhere I go because it is very dependable and fuel effiecient. I think Trans Ams are the most popular car among U.S. consumers today. I think that they will bring these popular cars back out on the market soon because, people cant live without them.

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  Grand Damn - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By braves511 - June 5 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car. The saying Pontiac Drive= Love is def. true about this car. I have had mine for a month now and absolutely love driving it.

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  Hoodie - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Hoodie - June 4 - 12:40 pm

  This car is definitely a good car 2 pull out on any day of the week, would not say it is commuter friendly its a gas guzzler. All and all it is a great car would give a strong recommendation for anyone considering this car

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  Beautiful, but flawed - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Angela - June 4 - 9:10 am

  Beautiful SUV, classy and elegant in black. Bought @ under 7,000 mi. Had to replace passenger wheel baring @ 40k mi. Replace driver wheel baring @ 50k mi. Now must replace again 4 months later. Need to replace brakes too often. Leaks coolant. Doors dont always unlock. Locking doesnt always "beep". Rear hatch doesnt release without helping hand. Settings 1 & 2 on AC/heat dont work. At a stop it will "jump" forward for no reason nearly bumping car in front of me. Rolls forward after putting in park. Hard to find parts outside of dealership. All common problems according to other sites. Im so sad b/c I love this car so much. I want to keep it forever, but may have to trade someday soon.

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  GT Grand AM - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By gemini40 - June 4 - 5:46 am

  Very smooth ride, perfect first vehicle. Good on fuel economy for a 175hp V6 engine.

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  surprise surprise - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By mel rosenberg - June 3 - 6:33 am

  i have this car a month now and wow am i surprised :) i owned a grand am and this car is no grand am.mine is fully loaded and has the pan roof-everyone thinks its awesome.so far everything works perfect and im happy.

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  electrical - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By george - June 3 - 2:56 am

  An excellent vehicle for good acceleration and power but have had numerous problems with the anti theft system, tire wear is below average, thermostat problems and just replaced alternator at 140,000 mi. It also goes through brake pads quite frequent. Gas mileage not bad for a v6 with power if it was only more reliable.

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  2nd review; Almost at the two year mark. - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By adamb - June 2 - 1:53 pm

  If you look back about 5 - 10 reviews, youll see another one from me. This is just an update of that review. At this time, my 2005 grand prix turned over 50k last night. The dealership still has not figured out why it doesnt run right at times. They seem to think im crazy. Really, im not. It feels as if the brakes are sticking almost, but they say they arent. I dont know what to do anymore, so this car is for sale as we speak. Im getting an 07 Camry very soon. No more GM for me. Sorry. All in all, I would really have liked this car had it not been for this weird problem, and the problems with build quality. Rattles are getting worse. I do live in a large city with rough roads.

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  gas guzzler - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By jon - June 2 - 7:03 am

  I bought this car for my wife with 30000 miles on it. It has been in the shop several times. Issues with not starting, rack and pinion leak, and trans slipping with 34000 miles. I also found out it was a Hertz rental. So it definitely has been beat on. mileage is not good, city is 14.5 no highway trips yet but definitely a thirsty engine.

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  GTO to Go - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By H - June 1 - 10:06 pm

  I searched over 4 months for a new vehicle. Looking at Fords and Chevys. Heard bad reviews for the 2004 GTO. Waited for 2005 for improvements. Searched over a 100 mile radius to find the right dealership. Tested and enjoyed the performance. Same drivetrain as a corvette, for lower price plus it can hold two more people. Held out for the one color that would work. Cyclone Gray, which does not look like gray. Plus I wanted the Sport Appearance Package.