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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  I love this car!!! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jason Bledsoe - May 17 - 10:00 am

  After losing my first 1999 Grand Am SE in an auto accident I decided to try somthing new and bought a 2000 Mercury Cougar. After only 2 1/2 weeks of owning the Cougar it was in the shop getting a massive repair. I thought to myself "I never had to do this with the Grand Am". So after I got it out of the shop I went and traded the Cougar in for a 1999 Grand Am GT. And I love it. It is the best move I have made. I understand that sometimes some people will get a bad car of any make and model, but it is the Pontiac Grand Am that has made me a Pontiac man for life. I always say to anybody I see "Buy a Pontiac"

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  Steering Problems - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Jon - May 16 - 10:50 pm

  I bought the car with 13 miles on it, great car, always started in the cold (-45 degrees f). Then i noticed I had a clunk in the front left. The dealership "never heard anything, and cant see any problems." This was common during turns especially with more that one person in the car, they finally fix it. It was the strut, it wasnt secured right. They secured the strut but the sound was still there, the rack & pinion had to be replaced, twice. The starter went out at about 40,000 miles. 43,000 miles, the clunk now turned into a squeak, it happens even when I get into the car. Im glad I splurged and got the 60mo/100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. The dealer hates me, oh well.

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  1 yr, 26000 miles - Nice Car - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Nancy - May 16 - 8:26 pm

  I waited for the AWD to return in 2009, and am happy I did. Nice, tight steering, it has more pickup than my 6 cyl Stratus, & the AWD plows through snow like a champ. Lots of cargo space and super-versatile layout. I can fit almost anything that would have fit in my Blazer. CONS: I wish the Vibe offered more options. In this day and age, it’s crazy that you can’t get power seats even if you want them! Like others, I noticed the chippy paint, but thought it was due to living on a rocky dirt road. Also, everyone is raving about the milage- it’s ok, but I think a car of this size could do better. Overall, I LOVE it! This is a great car for the money and I would happily buy another.

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  Wow, what kind of car is this? - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Russ - May 16 - 3:33 pm

  I get that question asked all the time. I dont know how to answer because its so different from the base Grand Prix that I often just say "GXP" and then the person who asked shuts up and you can tell they have no clue what a GXP is.

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  montana - 1999 Pontiac Montana
  By Sam - May 15 - 10:26 pm

  bought it used, transmission tanked at 103,000, no warning, rebuilt it, two more transmission rebuilds, broken rear wiper, broken power window, all in 40000 kms of owning. Nice to drive, but not reliable mechanically, left me stranded several times, and the window drives us nuts, $700 later, and it still sticks, have to realign manually for it to finish going up. Gas tank level suddenly off, ran out of gas twice before we figured out that problem, not fixed.

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  1998 4dr GTP - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jared Davis - May 15 - 5:16 pm

  I bought my grand Prix almost three years ago and for the most part, have enjoyed it since then.. There have been some problems with the inside door panels coming loose, the heater went out, and the window operating unit has broken. I have put alot of money into this car in little misc. parts... It has nickle and dimed me death... I love this car, but probably will not ever buy one again..

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  3 Years and going - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By G Sinchak - May 15 - 3:26 am

  We bought our 2005 Vibe brand new and had it for 3 years. It has been a great car. All we have done is change the oil and tires. We now have 40,000 miles without 1 problem to report. I have been driving for 33 years and found this the easiest to drive car ever. Gas Mileage averages about 28 MPG combined and I will get about 32-33 MPG on the highway with our an automatic transmission.automatic.

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  Pimp - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Aaroncam - May 14 - 10:00 am

  Fast as hell. Gets going fast and stays going fast

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  A Wonderful Ride - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Margaret Kelley - May 14 - 10:00 am

  As usual, GTO handles fantastic, has a quick start and is a joy to drive. Gas, well, being an 8 cyl., not to expect a 4 cyl. mileage, but driven conserverately, is fine - sure but then who drives conservately. Sound system is great!!

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  buy this car its worth it - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By welsh - May 14 - 10:00 am

  great buy for the money