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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  Itll WOW You! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By kbowser105 - May 14 - 10:00 am

  Love our Vibe! Moon & Tunes Package is awesome & it is just "fun to drive"! I think its prettier than the Toyota version as well...

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  2001 Pontaic Gran Prix GT Coupe - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jayramos - May 14 - 10:00 am

  This car has been the best GM car I had in the past 12 years. It has been reliable and well designed - young yet looks good on a 40 year old-LOL. Although the minor interior noises annoy me now & then - it is a fun car to drive & have.

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  Grand Prix GT2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jim Shaw - May 14 - 10:00 am

  Back seat? Forget it, its way too small for any distance. Engine is quite powerful and it gets up and goes. Comfortable driving position for longer trips hard to find. Some minor rattles and shakes. Brakes are in need of work after 19K miles, am having a problem with warped rotors that make brakes pulsate when stopping or slowing from higher speeds like 65 plus. Fit and finish is OK but not great.

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  Good Car - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Frank - May 13 - 11:13 am

  Was the first in my town to purchase this brand new 99 Pont Grand Prix GT (white). Ive had several things go out on it, but was mostly while under warranty. The shifter linkage worked its way loose (5 times) had to be towed in. While getting a tune-up the mechanic noticed that the coils were burned so had to replace them. The computer went out and after returning the car to the mechanic 3 times he found that a frayed wire in the rear of the car was filling with water and running the length of the wire to the computer, shorting it out. I payed for the first computer but dealership paid for the second since they didnt locate the source of the problem. It has 160,000 original miles.

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  Disappointed - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Miss49079 - May 12 - 9:50 pm

  I bough my car about 5 months ago and Loved it. I researched the G6 for months before my purchase and test drove many. I owned a Grand Am GT1 previous to this that I absolutely loved. I found out one thing with this car that has sent me looking for another... its horrible in the winter. I have never had so many issues or problems driving in the snow until I got this car. I have had one accident that could have been worse then it was due to the no T/C or ABS being on the car. I thought when purchasing that ABS was a standard feature, boy was I wrong. I am now doing what I can to trade the car in on something with a better braking system and that I feel safe driving.

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  Is it a LEMON?? - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By nic - May 12 - 8:53 am

  This van had 19,000 KM on it when purchases. I have replaced the brakes twice in 2 and 1/2 years, and no, I do not ride the brakes. There has been one problem after another. Right now it is surging or slipping, yet nothing wrong with transmission. Last bill, for transmission, spark plugs, brakes and engine problem $2000. Not happy with this vehicle, and very disappointed as it is the first Pontiac I have had problems with. What is with the Brakes. How can they need replacing so soon? Why did they need replaceing at so soon after purchase? Why does the transmission slip yet nothing wrong with it? I am very disappointed in this vehicle

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  Great Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By J. Moyer - May 11 - 9:16 pm

  I loved the look of the GP when I first saw it, and traded a 2000 Accord V6 for a new 04, black with chrome wheels. After 58K miles, the GP has been just as reliable as the Accord (which is to say zero problems) and it rides quieter and feels more stable on the highway than the Honda. However its fun to drive when I want it to be: acceleration is fine, and new Bridgestone Potenza tires helped the handling (the standard Goodyear Eagle LS tires are cheap squealers in Eagle disguise). My GP is a car I still look back at after parking it. The only disappointment is that if I were to trade-in the GP today, I would get much less for it than an Accord that cost me exactly the same.

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  Excellent Van With A Lot Of Space - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By Foster Dad - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I have six foster children and the 8 passenger seating arrangement is wonderful. The seats are very easy to fold and flip up and even easier to remove and re-install. I have the extended wheelbase model and the room behind the folding rear seat is excellent. This van is well laid out and thoughfully designed for a busy family on the road. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a lot of room and 8 passenger seating.

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  GAGT - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ROB_ROB - May 11 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love my GAGT. It handles like no other car Ive driven for its price. Off the line my car took my friends c230 kompressor (manual) to the cleaners, not to mention his Celica GTS before that. I got my car fully loaded for under $24,000. What a deal! At 70MPH my engine is doing about two thousand RPM, its a heavy car and it shows on the freeway...I can hardly feel the wind. Only bad thing is the governor...but then again, who needs to go faster than 115 MPH when the car can get you there before you know it.

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  Love My 09 G8 GT! - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By dudeman135 - May 11 - 12:43 am

  I purchased my new Maverick Silver Metallic 09 G8 GT about a month ago with all available options and wow. Ive never owned a V8 prior to the G8 and am quite impressed. Its such a fun car to drive and was pleasantly surprised with the gas mileage. I averaged 22MPG on the first tank, 21MPG on the 2nd tank and 19 on the 3rd which is after I got through the break-in period and discovered the button to turn traction control off. ;) The ride is super smooth and refined. The exhaust is quiet until you slam on the gas, then you get the nice throaty exhaust note you would expect from a 6 liter V8. So far the G8 GT is exactly what I was looking for. Awesome ride!