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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  Awesome Looking - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By fly - November 25 - 12:56 am

  What a fun car to drive and look at! DVD Navigation is is awesome, sound controls on the steering wheel is very helpful. I Love the HUD, and the ability to adjust the info presented on it.

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  Mod - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By MJ - November 25 - 12:16 am

  I have mainly great reviews for my GTO. I had strut issues at first with poor dealer support. I recently added the pedders x-treme pro suspension package, new clutch and twin 400 hp turbos. We are working out some bugs with the system but all I have to say at this point is I may need to add wings and a parachute. Its a BEAST.

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  Montana 04 Review - 2004 Pontiac Montana
  By Ray - November 25 - 12:16 am

  They had trouble with finding wind noise problem. Lost a key cost me $134.00 to replace!!! Generally good ride, very reliable.

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  2004 GTO - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By JC - November 24 - 4:13 am

  Just bought an 04 Goat and I loved it...for 2 days. Back to the dealership and now I am waiting for parts to be imported from Australia to overhaul the manual transmisson. Reverse stopped working. Why are these parts not on hand??? For 2 days, this was my dream car. I cant wait to get it back but Im afraid I may have a lemon. Pontiacs are not exactly known for having the best transmissions out there.

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  Ignition Key Removal - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By S Hook - November 23 - 2:00 am

  I have been having problems removing the ingition key. The problem turned out to be a faulty switch on the shift lever. The switch was a part of the gear lever and could not be replaced independently. This problem has a $425 price tag to repair. I was told it was a problem that is common but there is no bulletin or recall. Something like a switch should be designed to be replaces on its own and not as a part of a complete assembly. Automobile repair costs are a;ready high and a design like this is just another reason to look at Japanese Imports.

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  Fun to Drive! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Michelle H - November 23 - 2:00 am

  Overall this car is great. Has nice power, passing is a breeze! Heated seats, satellite, heads up, XM radio, On Star, everything is great. Heated seats too! This car turns a lot of heads.

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  Great Car - Reasonable Price! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jan - November 22 - 6:13 pm

  Just purchased my third Grand Prix GT (I trade every two years). The wide track handling is superb for a car this size, its roomy, quiet, and comes with a great sound system. A nice looking car that handles great and seats five comfortably. All for right at 20 grand. Now you see why Ive bought three!

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  Better than expected - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By JamJan - November 22 - 2:23 pm

  Weve owned this vehicle for nearly 3 years and are basically pleased. For an inexpensive car, it performs pretty well. The build quality leaves a bit to be desired and the steering feels a little heavy (dang front wheel drive), but GM did a fine job with the rest of it.

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  Love My Vibes - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Jack - November 22 - 11:20 am

  Recently took a 4000 mile trip from FL to AZ and return; my Vibe was flawless and performed superbly on the flat land as well as the mountain portions of the trip. My prior car was a Grand marquis and I can honestly say that the Vibe was a more comfortable car on this potentially arduous trip.

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  Love This Car - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Jeffs72 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  Great car. I love driving it - it is fast, it is sporty, it is big enough to be comfortable.