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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  2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GT2 - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jgordon05 - May 22 - 2:00 am

  The first time I saw this car it was awesome and totally redesigned inside and out. The interior is updated to todays standards. The plastic is covered up in the front and the back. The sound system is the cheaper one but still sounds awesome. The leather is firm and takes time getting used. The steering wheel and the controls are great. Overall very nice car.

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  Good all around car - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By JaSu - May 21 - 10:00 am

  Great reliable car. Had problems with power steering pressure line. Dash squeaks and rattles. Shifting cable snap rings and rubber gromets fell off. Front seats could use some lumbar support. Noise in steering unit. Exterior chrome strips fading. Floor mats could be more dependable. Engine very dependable and powerful for a four cylinder w/ 5-speed. Nice gauges and dash design. Good car!

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  Fun to drive! - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GPFan - May 21 - 10:00 am

  My car has about 85,000 miles on it. The performance, comfort, and styling in general are great. However, even though Ive taken excellent care of my car, Ive had around 3,000 in general repairs over the past year. My headlight lenses went 1st - Apparently the glue used to hold them on the headlight assembly dry rots, and they can fall off. But, you cant buy just the lenses. The blower motor and resistor - for the interior vents needed replacement. Also, about a month ago, my brake calipers went bad in front. At present, its in the shop getting its transmission fixed, and the upgraded parts - which is by no means cheap. I dont want to scare anybody, the cars really been great.

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  Love my collectors item! - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Carol Jarvinen - May 19 - 2:33 pm

  Sadly, this car (or any Pontiac) is no longer made, but if a used one is being considered, I highly recommend it.

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  All around good car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By wally012006 - May 17 - 3:26 pm

  I just bought my grand prix. Aas far as i can tell it is a good car, power when you need it, power when you dont, handles real well, nice seats, dash, and radio. I havent had a problem with it and others I know who own one have not either.

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  Great car after rattles fixed - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By JimV - May 16 - 5:20 am

  My dealer located the car I wanted, granite grey with ebony-morocco interior...sharp! The day I drove it off the lot though, the roof rattled loudly and didnt retract. I returned it immediately and I have to give the dealer credit. They apologized profusely, gave me a loaner, and repaired/adjusted everything in a few days. On top of that, the dealer worked w the Pontiac factory rep and extended my bumper to bumper warranty from 36K to 60K and even picked up the cost of the rubber mats I had ordered. The car is now totally rattle free and rides much smoother than I had expected and is quite quiet. Power is adequate and mpg is livable. (Im used to an 350 hp Accord with 29 mpg).

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  Happy so far! - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By swimtime7 - May 16 - 5:03 am

  We just purchased my first car... 2005 Pontiac Sunfire base with air conditioning being the only option, no power windows, no power locks. It was 4000 with 86,100 miles on it. Obviously, since its my first car I love it, but seriously this is a fun car to drive, and the 5 speed stick shift just adds to the fun! This is the best year reliability wise for the Sunfire, and in my opinion I think this was the best design of the Sunfire series. I do wish i at least had a cassette or cd player, but until i come up with the $$ for a new head unit, my Belkin Auto FM Transmitter will do just fine. So far so good!

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  Ready to trade - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By rooster - May 14 - 10:00 am

  We have had it in the shop five times since we bought it. Twice for the van not starting (both times had to have it towed), twice for power sliding door problems (recall opener, then a short in wiring), once for shorted coolent sensor. If not for the reliability problems, we like the van.

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  Jims 55 Birthday! - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Jim Menefee - May 13 - 8:50 am

  My wife gave it to me for my 55th Birthday. I have owned 5 - 240, 260 and 280 Z-cars. When you reach my age you either get a Harley a Sports Car or an exercise bike. I chose the Solstice... Nothing can touch it ... its fast, feels like a million dollars and really gets the looks. Could not be more pleased! My other choice was $20K extra on a BMW. This beats the BMW hands down!

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  Bad Transmission - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GP owner37 - May 12 - 10:43 pm

  I have a 2004 Pontiac grand prix It was a great car till the transmission went out on I 90.. I had it towed home took the trans pan off and found chips in the pan. cleaned it and changed the filter but it would not move it was shot. I never drove it hard but I bought the car with 27,000 miles on it every now and then it would hesitate before it went into gear but always ran fine once you got going, could not believe it went out so soon.I was hoping to get at least 100,000 miles out of it.It always ran fine as far as the motor goes but the transmission has serious issues. I am going to try and replace the trans and see what happens because I like the way the car handles in the snow.Thanks