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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  One big headache - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mmabry - March 5 - 2:00 am

  The car started out great, fun to drive and handled well. I put a lot of miles on it but it looks great and Ive taken care of it. But the brakes shake, even after being replaced. The Intake gasket leaks and may cause engine damage. The drivers window no longer rolls up the whole way. People have made comments that it doesnt sound good and that it makes a lot of noises. Not being able to check the transmission fluid caused a problem when the dealership failed to put enough in and I couldnt tell without taking it back to them. It just seems to be a constant headache.

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  Excelent car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By donmal - March 5 - 2:00 am

  The car is good. I usually bought foreign cars, but after test driving the GTP in 1998 I fell in love, and; no- more foreign cars for me. The 04 Grand Prix is not the best looking car on the market one must admit but it worth the price for the package

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  Warning! - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By VincentModrak - March 4 - 9:26 pm

  I bought this car a year ago off my Dad and ever since it has been a nightmare. Shutting off randomly at first. Then the water pump blew out in October, $300. One month later my Upper Intake Manifold cracked for a second time in 3 years flooding the engine with coolant causing my starter to blow as well when trying to restart. The Upper Intake Manifolds on these cars are made of cheap plastic. They will crack on your car around 100k to 130k. Its a 1200 dollar repair bill as well. After happily owning a 95 Grand Prix, 94 Trans Am and an 02 Grand Am I was very disappointed by the Bonneville..

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  My 2007 G6 convertible - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By MaryAnnMiller - March 4 - 12:23 pm

  I got my 2007 convertible sept 9th and so far i just love it . my husband loves it also . it is a pleasure to drive we only got to ride with the top down on the day we got it , its rained everyday since !!!It looks and drives like no other car we have ever owned . the only thing that we have found so far that anoys us is the windows rubbing on the rubber mouldings . my husband put some silicone on them and it stopped . we love the interior its so rich looking..

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  pontiac bonneville - 1999 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Kirk Shank - March 4 - 10:00 am

  over all great car

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  Run away from Bonneville & GM - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Nomorbonnevilles - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I purchase my Bonneville SSE new in 1998. At $56,000 the plastic intake manifold cracked, allowing fluid into the cylinders which locked down the engine. Now at 102,000 miles the same thing. No help from GM either time. I am out over $2000 for this poor engineering design. The more I look into it, this is a very common problem with this engine. From day one, the car has had a vibration. I replaced the Goodyear tires with Michelin and the dealer replaced 2 more sets until he found tires that were close enough to perfect to reduce the vibration. Is the suspension so bad I have to search the country for 4 perfect tires so the vehicle doesnt vibrate?

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  Brand NEW CAR for $12,500 - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By krzy4bmx - March 4 - 10:00 am

  This little car cant be beat for the bang for the Buck. I looked for 3 months and couldnt find anything close to the features of this car for the money.. auto, Powersunroof, kickbut stereo and head turning lines. Sure you wouldnt want to take a family vacation in it but for getting to work and cruising around town you cant go wrong. I dare you to find a car with this much to offer for what theyre getting.

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  Great Bonneville - 2000 Pontiac Bonneville
  By ctlackey - March 4 - 10:00 am

  My Bonneville has been a excellent running car for the past 46000 miles of driving. Average 28 mph driving at highway speeds of 75 miles per hour. I am 6 5" tall and weigh in at 240 lbs. and find this car very comfortable driving it up to 16 hours at a time on trips across country. Original tires still show little tread wear. Every component of the car has operated flawlessly since delivery. When car was first test driven, I reported defective seat belt sensor which was replaced before delivery. I could not be more satisfied with this automobile. Would buy another without hesitation.

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  excellent - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By zexerking - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I have had a wonderful time driving my grand am gt.Very reliable,i admit i have a heavy foot, i put my my car thru hell and back every week pbut it never fails me.I am extremely happy with my grand am.

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  Great Car - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By silver bullet - March 4 - 1:20 am

  I purchased this car from my sister-in- law who purchased it new! I have owned it for about 3 yrs and have great luck with it. I just replaced the original battery (8 1/2 yrs old) not bad. i have had trouble with the psgr window but everything cant be perfect all the time, heck they cant even get my pizza order right 1/2 the time :) just relocated, drove the car 550 miles averaged 34.9 miles on hwy and get 23-24 around town. Currently have 75K and looking forward to another 75K!