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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  The mean looking sunfire - 2003 Pontiac Sunfire
  By JAH36 - April 18 - 10:00 am

  Trade in my 98 4 door sedan for the 2003 fell in love with it. Very quick and fast, love the stereo system

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  Never Again - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By BJam - April 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car thinking that it would last as long as our 94 Grand Prix. My cars are well maintained and checked regularly. This one didnt even make it to 100,000 miles. No warning from any of the sensors, no telling that anything was wrong until I looked at the temp guage and saw 250 degrees. After immediately pulling over, it was too late. The engine was cooked. Now Im looking at a $3500 investment on a car that is valued $6500.

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  1999 Pontiac Grand Am - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By lawdog470 - April 18 - 10:00 am

  Excellent vehicle to drive. I love the handling and performance of this vehicle. I have had to replace the front brakes 3 times in 87,000 miles.The brake calipers have been replaced once. Lots of city driving. The idle air control sensor went bad at 70,000 miles. Reccommend Goodyear eagle GT tires for great handling. The cup holders are a waste need to be relocated to a more user friendly area.

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  My Montana - my favorite vehicle yet - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By Shelley Watts - April 18 - 10:00 am

  I did end up going in the ditch due to another driver pulling out directly in front of me. THis van handled excellent. The tow truck operator does not know how I survived and no damage at all to the van. It saved my life and handled like gold.

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  Nearly perfect! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By sspdfreek - April 17 - 5:16 am

  I love nearly everything about this car! The power is outstanding, the comfort of the seats and controls is fantastic. I love the fact that you dont see a lot of them on the road. My first time in the car, i drove it 900 miles to get it home. I averaged over 27 miles per gallon! The power is very addicting and that doesnt help with the rising fuel prices.

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  sharp car with dependability issues - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Wayne - April 16 - 7:46 pm

  I love the exterior styling of this car, very sporty. NO idea why GM ended its production. It handles well. The 3.8 engine is very dependable, but all the other attachments to it seem to go out. It started at 125,000 miles with a number of sensors, coil packs, alternator, starter, the plastic intake manifold, front ball joints, front wheel bearings, the list goes on. The same with my old 1989 Bonneville, only that started at 75,000 miles. And at 80,000 on my 1979 Pontiac Grand LeMans for that matter. I finally started to buy Toyota for dependability sake. GM may not have needed a bail out if they had adopted Toyotas model of quality control years ago. Daughter has it at college now.

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  05 Grand Prix GT - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JBS - April 16 - 4:43 pm

  I just took delivery of my new 05 GT and have had it now for about a week. I am very impressed with this vehicle. It is my 2nd Grand Prix and the car has gotten much better. The restyled interior is great. Everything is within easy reach of the drivers seat. The throttle response from the engine is right where it needs to be, and the engine has plenty of power in passing situations. The handling seems much imporved as well. The only negative so far is fuel economy in city driving. On the Highway its great but in day to day situations it can be improved.

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  GMLEMON - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By GMLEMON - April 16 - 1:33 am

  I will NEVER buy another Pontiac! I bought this car used with 35,000 miles and within a few months had to replace the brakes, now I can plan on brakes once a year...eats breaks. Fuel pump blew $$$$$$. Electronic issues caused 5 times towing $$$$$$. Computerized parts only work when they want, several times a month wont start, air works one day next day maybe, maybe not next day yes----same thing with radio lights locks everything! I have but more money into this car than it is now worth. I call it the money pit. I wish I had read these reviews before I bought the car.

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  Style, efficiency & reliability - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By David H. Hagen - April 15 - 6:56 pm

  Ive upgraded to the 2007 Torrent from the 2004 Aztek - wow! My Aztek was very reliable but Pontiac raised the bar even more with the Torrent. Style, class and efficiency are very common with Pontiac and the Torrent is no exception. I have the "Preferred" and "Sun and Sound" packages which make my Torrent feel worth double the money! The Torrent also handles wonderfully and is very fun to drive. Kudos Pontiac - the Torrent is a wonderful vehicle!

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  do you really wanna - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jasdva - April 15 - 1:33 pm

  Sure the cars and everything about them look great, but after so long they end up leaving you stranded. Its all due to the security/passlock system (e.g. the ignition switch and the electrical part of that switch). Read all the post on Edmunds.com about this problem before going out and buying a Grand Am.