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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  Catch It If You Can - 1998 Pontiac Firebird
  By Fish - January 9 - 8:50 am

  Bought the Bird myself when I was sixteen and havent regretted it one minute. Insurance isnt too bad since its a V6, but heck, it still wastes a majority of comparable cars (lets see you try that again, Mr. Mustang GT!). Averages about 23-27 MPG, and it doesnt take Premium like TAs need. This is a very solid car, mine is now seven years old and doesnt have a dent or crack or speck of rust or broken interior plastic. Absolutely GORGEOUS car. Only problems are with headlight motor gears, weak passenger power window, and corroded cooling system hoses (beware the black sludge). Rides rough but can turn on a dime at high speeds, and definitely turns heads! Very highly recommended!

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  It turns a few heads - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Eric - January 9 - 5:10 am

  Were a family of four and about to be empty nesters. We were looking for a minivan replacement, and frankly the $6K rebate is what sold us this car. Its good looking to us and the front seats are very comfortabe. But after a year with the car we have issues: cheap interior plastics are hard to clean; Engine has plenty of torque, but it always feels heavy; OEM tires impossible to keep balanced; its hard to back up; and the rear seat is downright painful for anyone over 12. (We noticed the rear seat has improved in the 2005 model) Anyway, its still fun to drive when its just my wife and I. The stereo is excellent, it handles well and its big V6 is good for interstate crusing.

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  Love It - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By peachez1964 - January 8 - 10:55 pm

  Have had my 2006 for eight years. She has over 240,000 miles and Ive only done basic maintenance. A comfortable ride which is important with a two hour commute each day. Great performance and gas mileage! Ive started looking for another vehicle and plan to pass this one to the kids. I wish the Grand Prixs were still being produced!

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  Happy to have this car - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Marty - January 7 - 8:06 pm

  I bought this as a 2007 leftover in April 2008, at a huge savings. I got the Emerald Green, which I have not seen another of and love it. It was peppy when I first got it and is getting even better as I put more miles on it and the mileage is getting better too. The interior is very comfortable and functional as well. Seats are padded well and hold you in place well. The dash is easy to read and controls easy to reach and use. As far at the exterior is concerned, what can I say, I always thought Pontiac made a great looking car with very few exceptions (Aztek). I got remote start, sun and sound package and just want to say, I am very happy with this purchase.

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  Roomy, comfortable, problematic - 2005 Pontiac Montana
  By unsolicitedadvice - January 7 - 5:56 pm

  Purchased 1 yr old with 25K miles. Put 20K on it during ownership. Tons of room, with a comfortable-for-adults, fold-flat third row. Fits 5 adult passengers with 2nd row bench seating and 6+ full-sized luggage pieces with third row folded. Much storage. Engine was powerful to begin with, but definitely had lost noticeable "punch" after one year. CD stereo radio sound was adequate but not great. Questionable build quality created worrisome driving @ 42K miles with a loud, metallic "clanking" sound when riding over bumps (dealer attempted to fix, but sound resurfaced within 5K); "ghost" power door that closed on command but opened by itself when parked; "chirping" noises when I turned right.

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  Best preloved car I ever bought - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ryan427 - January 7 - 12:53 pm

  I bought my 2000 GTP with 96000 miles on it. It was a one owner in mint condition. the previous owner had to put a transmission in at 77,000 miles, but had no other issues. Apparently, there was a problem with some of the trannys in these cars. Replacing the battery is a real bear. Dash rattles a bit over bumps. I am watching a possible leaky valve cover gasket. Aside from that, this car rocks. Performance, fuel economy and looks are all outstanding. I lucked out and found this model with every single feature offered. It was a $29,000 car in 2000. Added Mobil 1 to the engine and trans and, a K&N filter and am now experiencing 30 mpg on the highway.

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  Great Car For The Price - 2006 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jeff - January 6 - 11:10 pm

  I purchased this car due to its american styling and toyota engineering a great combination, along with 30+mpg. I found that a the heart of the vibe is the toyota corolla engine/transmission as well as some other carry overs from toyota and is better looking than the matrix. So far ive been very pleased with the handling/ride quality and how quiet it is on the freeway and lots of pep at freeway speeds. The dash is laid out nice and the styling circular designs are a plus. Plenty of backseat space for my 3 year old and really like how the middle and passenger seats fold flat and have protective covering on the backside. Very pleased and i like this alliance of GM/Toyota Toyota at a GM price.

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  Junkyard Special! - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jessica - January 6 - 7:30 pm

  I bought this car for $6995.00 in 2007. Within the first 3 days I had the car, the computer went out on it. A few months afterwards, my transmission started messing up. After that, it blew a head gasket. Then the power-steering went out. Then whatever turns the belt under the hood blew up. This car is a piece of junk, and Pontiac should be sued for all they are worth!

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  Life with a Red GTP - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By El Squid - January 6 - 7:20 am

  I bought a used GTP because GM decided to discontinue the 2-door version. I am amazed at how little fuel it takes to propel the GTP along open highways. Conversely, when engaging in stoplight gymnastics it rips through premium gas like, well you know what I mean. Its a shame that along with discontinuing the GTP coupe, the performance shift switch was also deleted. Hooray for Hypertech whose reprogrammer allows the return of fast shifts and also disables the silly governor. In spite of the cars 145 mph capability I drive the car within posted limits except when visiting the Nevada desert and other fun places. Besides, 30 mpg is available on the interstate if driven gently.

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  GTO - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Jess - January 5 - 12:06 pm

  This is the best car I have ever owned. It is super fast but costs only a fraction of many other muscle cars (i.e.: Cobra Mustang, Corvette, Viper). The gas mileage isnt as bad as I had originally expected. This is a fun, fast, reliable car that you can easily get used for under $27k or new for under $35k.