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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  Crazy Car.... - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By mjessup - July 7 - 5:13 am

  Loved this car...when I bought it still under warranty. Super fun. Good price. Great camping-getup. Cool features (heads-up display!!) Met all my needs for the 1st year. Then the warranty ended and Ive had nothing but problems. Like the others: Air conditioner out X2, Head Gaskets, Brakes X2, Various Engine Parts, Fuel Pump, and CRAZY mechanical problems that just wont quit (ie: lights come on and stay on when nothing is wrong, security system locks up and shuts everything off while driving, gauges spin in circles, headlights turn off, once OnStar even started talking to me..and Im not a subscriber... it really IS a Christine!!) Ive spent more in repairs than payments. Never again.

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  The light bright - 1999 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Bhart1990 - July 6 - 9:50 pm

  I bought my Bonneville, with 100,300, it now has 107,000 miles on it and since has been pretty solid. Shorty after i bought it wouldnt start, replaced the fuel pump and thinking that was it, turned out to be a air/fuel mix sensor, and havent had a problem since. knock on wood. I did think the tumbler went out but after some searching i discovered the shifter boot was blocking the park thing from releasing the key. What could have been an expense fix turned out to be nothing. Other than that this car has been fantastic. It hasnt had another problem since, no cursed manifold trouble yet. doesnt really rattle until i hit a bump really hard and even then its from time to time.

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  GXP Sleeper - 2008 Pontiac Torrent
  By ACE - July 6 - 7:46 pm

  Every Torrent owner I have talked to really likes their vehicle. This GXP is really fast and handles like a sports car. It is so neutral in the corners. When you expect the front end to push, it just digs in & goes round. I am at over 22 mpg now. It has great utility to boot. If you are looking for a vehicle like this, you really owe it to yourself to give it a try. I know of Honda owners who dont get but a 1mpg more in their smaller CR-V and no fun factor at all. Even Scions only get about 23.5 & are slower than molasses.

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  My first new car - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By DARLENE GREEN - July 6 - 1:06 pm

  I love driving my new torrent that was a gift given to me by my husband of 11yrs. I wish it had cruise control though. Cruise control should be installed including basic models. The winfdows should be tinted on the basic model as well. I am sure in the future these concerns will be addressed and changed.

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  2002 grand prix with many issues - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Margaret Paoli - July 4 - 8:46 pm

  Car has been in the shop more than any car I have owned since purchased new. Window problems, loose dash, intake gaskets replaced several times, wheel bearing bad at 34,000 miles, catalytic converter replaced, heater has never worked and Gay Pontiac service center never fixed when reported 10+ times in there service shop for all other listed issues, leather seats coming apart, loose door panels (possibly from all the window repairs). This is my second grand prix and 8th and LAST GM vehicle as I will be getting a Toyota on my next purchase and dont even want to start on the customer service or lack of when calling what was GMACFS now India handles and Pontiac division customer service.

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  Great Car!!! - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By JDogg27 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  Love the pickup the 2.2 manaual has.Very great design and good sound.Just a very sharp looking car.

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  Some Like it Hot - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Terri - July 3 - 11:23 am

  When I purchased this car,it had 165k miles. My Volvos pmts were $400.00 a month, and repairs on the Volvo were never less than $1000-$2000., just to keep it on the road! For the last three years. I was never told EXACTLY what was wrong, but they definitely wanted their money! Since the Pontiac purchase, I have replaced the ignition switch,$400.00, and now know that the intake manifold gasket will need to be replaced- the a/c needs to be fixed, and the passenger side windows no longer roll down- must fix soon. Live in MS! All this is STILL less than I have put into my USED Volvo over a one year period. I think that I will live with the Pontiac- did I mention that I purchased for $1000.00?

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  G8 is CAR - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By G8 888 - July 3 - 1:43 am

  This car is amazing! I just picked up my new Ignition Orange G8 GT! The only thing I dont like is the panel gap between the hood and the grill, but to me, it kinda adds toughness to it! This car can smoke any "competition" any day of the week!

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  Too New To Know - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Too New To Know - July 2 - 10:03 pm

  Its a little too new to know everything aout my new Torrent, but am looking forwrd to learning more. Only have 450 miles, but have already driven in snow and ice and Torrent appears to handle well. Had a 98 AWD Astro minivan and loved the AWD feature. I also like sitting up a little higher than in a car. There does seem to be a bit of road noise, but that could be the 17" tires. Also, noticing little less visibility to the side and rear than I am used to and the gas mileage so far hasnt been as good as expected, but maybe thats just the break in period. Like I said, its too new to know everything.

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  Best Kept Secret - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By italian princess - July 2 - 10:00 am

  Im on my second Aztec now after ridding myself of a gas-guzzling uncomfortable, sluggish toyota 4runner. Fun to drive, comfortable,and decent gas mileage. Only complaint so far is that its underpowered for climbing hills, which is really not a problem in Florida. Back hatch sticks sometimes; still trying to get that resolved. Could have never gotten all the bells & whistles this has on a Toyota or Honda for the money. Im even starting to think that its not really that ugly on the outside anymore!