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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  Mine is Great! - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Alml - February 5 - 7:30 pm

  I purchased my 03 Grand Am new as a left over in Feb. 04. I paid about $7000 less than sticker and it s the best car bargain I ever got. Since Ive had I put 53000 NYC miles on it and its only needed minor normal wear repairs that one would expect for a 03 model. Water pump was the most serious. I do go thru brakes more than I think i should but other than that this car has been good to me and I love it!

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  Problems with ignition and key assembly - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Annette - February 4 - 12:50 pm

  Positive things: roomy inside, and gas mileage is great. Negative things: key ignition locks up. Have had it replaced (cylinder) and still in locks up again. Also had a defect in the wheel bearing and GM first did not want to include in my GM protection plan extended warranty which I purchased at a high price. After reaching GMPP themselves, it was paid. But I had to pay $100 deductible 3 times to get things straightened out.

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  Great car with some small irritations - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By G. Kline - February 4 - 10:50 am

  Ive had a base model for over 2 years now. Im very happy with the performance, handling, and gas mileage. The car is beautiful and Ive got some great and interesting compliments on it. It is great fun and I love it, but there are some bad points. As several others have said, the interior design is lacking. No storage space, bad cup holders, the temperature control is one of the worst Ive seen (should have been more like my 2000 Firebird). I dont know why people complain about reliability. I have over 60,000 miles already (fun to drive, daily driver)and have had little to no problems. Too bad Pontiac folded, GM needs to keep producing these some how.

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  owner - 2005 Pontiac Aztek
  By kathey sisemore - February 4 - 9:40 am

  I love the handling and the versatility and the over all performance of the Aztek. The only thing is I have had a lot of problems with the car locking in park due to the(bitsy) part of the braking system and the block ( brain with the fuses) being loose and then melting. My family and myself was stranded in Mississippi for a day and a half because of the block. Now the wires have melted, unknown reason. I would keep the car except I have driven a rental more than I have driven mine. So I am trading my Aztek for another Aztek. Just to see if i got a lemon the first time. My whole family loves the Aztek. Correct the problems of the Aztek and I will buy more of them in the future.

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  Terrible - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By grandamgirl - February 3 - 2:00 am

  Read the consumer reports!! This 2 year old car is on 4 sets of brakes, a new set of wheel bearings and new electrical system. The complaints will tell you that GM brakes are terrible and and the bearings/electrical system is worthless. When the car isnt in the shop, it is slow, and forever shaking.

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  Wouldnt suggest - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By cnfusd1 - February 2 - 3:30 pm

  Ive had more problems with this car in two years than any other vehicle Ive owned. It has left me stranded on the highway twice. Do not like the 17" low profile tires that cost more to replace than my truck tires do. With only 24,000 miles Ive spent over $2500 keeping this car on the road. Its comfortable and roomy but that is all that this car has going for it. Its not the economy making GM go under. Its GMs inferior products. Im looking at trading it in before it leaves me stranded once again.

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  My New Baby - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By sweetsie619 - February 2 - 1:23 pm

  This is the best car i will ever own and it is so fast. the handling is just amazing. And the are so many customizations that look great on the car. Rims, hood, spoiler, all of it looks great.

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  Car Great. Oil usage very bad. - 2007 Pontiac Torrent
  By George - February 2 - 12:43 am

  My 2007 Torrent has 13,000 miles on it. It has been carefully driven and dealer serviced. It uses 1 qt. of oil every 2000 miles. GM says this is normal for all of their cars and trucks and refuses to fix it. Dealer says theyve not seen this before but refuses to help. GMs Regional Manager refuses to contact me so I can discuss this with GM. This defect and GMs refusal to honor their warranty has ruined our experience with an otherwise excellent vehicle. I strongly suggest you not buy a GM vehicle.

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  Great Car! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Fbtainted - February 1 - 9:13 pm

  I love this car! Its as if this car were designed just for me. It is super fun to drive. Mileage is great. Style is awesome. Engine is powerful. Very quiet and smooth in every day driving. Very comfortable and roomy too.

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  performance of my 1998 grand am se - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Karen Kirby - February 1 - 3:26 pm

  I would have to say in the 3 years Ive had my car, its been reliable. Brakes need to be replaced often. And it seems that some places have a problem getting the brakes to work correctly. almost exclusively the rear brakes. They tend to brake uneven, like your car is tilting. After having gone to about three different repair shops, the problem was finally resolved when they changed the rotors as well. Struts need to be reolaced, and power windows are going out, but I have never been stranded.