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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  Need a little shine - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Harris - June 16 - 1:16 pm

  I have a 1997 Pontiac Sunfir Gt, and its fine for just driving around, but i have had some problems with it, my sunroof broke about 2 months after i bought it, my brakes went bad after a short while and my alternator went also. J-body cars(Sunfires and Cavaliers) are also known to have water pump problems.

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  It rocks - 1997 Pontiac Firebird
  By Swimmerboy - June 14 - 7:30 am

  This car is more fun to drive thing my moms 2006 mustang. I have be out standing happy with my car. and it has never left me anywere. even after the waterpump went out. i was able to limp her 2 miles home. the only bad thing is she lecks a little oil. but i dont have to add oil between oil changes.

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  Perfect small car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By wewans - June 10 - 7:23 am

  86,000 miles, not one bit of trouble. change oil every 3,000 miles, runs like new

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  Fun and Reliable - 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
  By justin_c_wood - June 10 - 4:31 am

  I bought this car with 198 000km on it and it now has 218 000km. This is my first car and Im very happy with it. All Ive done besides regular maintenance ( tires, brakes, spark plugs, oil and e.t.c) is replace a heater fan van vent motor and an idler pulley. Both were cheap to replace. I also find it accelerates decently for a pushrod 4 cylinder motor with the manual 5spd. When driven easy, its not too hard to attain around 32mpg highway.

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  Looks Nice - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By craigo19 - June 7 - 4:20 pm

  I just traded mine in last weekend, but wanted to recap 6+ years of ownership. The car was a good and fun car to drive, but it did have issues. First, the engine went after 120k miles when the timing belt went. Then the Body Control Module went costing me another $1000. The wheel bearings started going after 75k miles. The window regulator on the drivers side went in less than 4 years. Finally the blower motor went in under 4 years. The car did provide a good smooth ride and got great gas mileage (30MPG).

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  Pontiac G6 - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Al. - May 28 - 6:56 pm

  Im a young male so i needed a car that had speed and comfort and this fit the picture very well. It is very nice interior inside with wood grain and leather, and is comparable to a Cadillacs interior. The gas mileage is great but all depends on how you drive. Its very quiet and the sound system is excellent. plenty of room for me and all my buddies. Never have to worry about pulling my seat up and im 63. Trust me if youre looking for that sporty look sedan then a g6 is for you.

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  600 miles to a full tank of gas - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By dcharger - May 27 - 10:58 am

  love the car, got 209,000 miles on it now,,car was great on gas, but now have trans problem, and some motor problem, but after running it and dumping money in it, i still like it,, but like everything, it dont last forever, smooth ride, never cared for GMs, but this was the only good car i think they made, well thats that

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  So far so good - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Ambiegirl - May 24 - 4:16 am

  I got this car after researching it for hours and hours and came to the conclusion it would be a good car considering the lowest rating was a 6.5, compared to a ford explorer which was like a 1.1. I love the design of the car i like unique things and this is definitely unique. My camping vehicle i have been waiting for! I bought it at 68,000 miles and hopefully it has a lot of life left because I noticed ive never seen an Aztek for sale with over 100,000 miles which makes me kind of nervous

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  Another customer GM Has lost!!!! - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By Wallman - May 22 - 2:00 am

  I Have owned over 40 cars, & have always had a least one GM product for the last 27 years(mostly pontaics). The build quality & responce from GM on this vechile has led me to never buy another GM product!!!Intake manifold leaks, Poor transmission, Brake problems, power door problems, etc. & very lousy service and responce. I Contacted Pontaic and they do not know how to treat customers. They will continue to lose market share until they make better cars.

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  my aztec - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By mistykair - May 22 - 2:00 am

  People say that the design is awkward but we love it because of the body design. Its Not hard to find in a full parking lot.