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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  Ive waited for one of these for a long - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Ted - July 2 - 7:50 am

  I chose this car purely from lust. It helped that it was a bargain and in good shape. The styling of this car is first-rate, inside and out. Mine came with Camaro SS rims and 11" wide Goodyear F1 radials. It handles like a slot car. Fuel despite this, fuel economy is stil about 26 highway. The 3.4 litre engine may not be a LS1 but it moves the car nicely. The roof is dependable and leak-free. The engine is also, for that matter. Dash arrangement is excellent and includes all gauges. The adjustable lumbar is great, and leather int. is durable. Fit n Finish is good for Pontiacs, as well as quality of materials. cabin noise, etc is typical for a convertible sportscar.

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  Good To Go, Go, Go - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Jim - July 1 - 10:30 pm

  I love my GXP. It has that deep V-8 sound and has the get up and go to match. Plenty of room for 5 fullsized adults and lots of trunk space. Great for the long hauls to Vegas baby.

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  Great Car - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By PM - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Great car, the only problem that I had with it was the sending unit for the check antifreeze light

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  97 GTP - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bribrad - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I Love this car. Its a high performace car with plenty of room. Its very sporty looking. The only thing that I can say bad about the car is having a few problems with the transmission, 4th gear overdrive.

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  Repair Head-ache waiting to happen - 1999 Pontiac Bonneville
  By David Flynn - June 29 - 2:00 am

  A vehicle that once was a perennial Consumer Digest "Best Buy" is no longer. Why? My 1999 Bonneville is a typical example. At 38K miles the power steering died. I brought it to the dealer and found that there is a TSB on the problem. I would need to pay $2300 to have the problem corrected. I skipped the repairs, a gym membership to build arm strength was cheaper. At 61K miles the the coolant system failed. Again brought it in and had $1800 and had repairs done. Two months the engine completely expired. This would have cost $8000 to fix. Total repairs needed were still $10,300 on a car whose value would be $9500 if in perfect condition.

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  I like it - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Kappamac63 - June 29 - 2:00 am

  The 99 Grand Prix is a very exceptional car. It offers many options, and outperforms the competition in performance and style. I chose it because its much easier to find, maintain, and buy than the foreign competition. I love my Prix GT.

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  Great Domestic Car - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mike Reed - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Ive been driving a Grand Am GT sedan for six months now and I am very impressed. Its a great car, perfect for everyday needs with some fun on the side. The 3400 SFI is a great engine and very reliable. The pricing of Grand Ams seems to be creeping upwards, but then, it is worth it in my opinion rather than to be driving an Accord with 100 million other people.

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  THE BEST 2003 - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By 03GTCruzzer - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I love it! Hands down.

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  most fun to drive in years - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By m brock - June 28 - 3:13 pm

  I waited almost a full year, and the wait was well worth it. A great car to drive. Not real practical, but great looks, design, a real roadster. There are some quality issues, poor design of trunkspace, window bottons, some skeekiness with the top down, and wind noise from the windows driving on the highway, but i dont even care. I take my blue solstice for a sat am drive every week, to open her up and enjoy driving and shifting gears. I am now even starting to rev past 4000 rpms, to push the car , and it purrs like a car that cost over $40,000. my only complaint is that the dealer raised the msrp, even though i had a contract priced agreed to last year. Everyone will enjoy this car!!!

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  01 Grand Am GT Worst Car Ever - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Matt - June 28 - 3:23 am

  In my opinion the Pontiac Grand Am GT1 is the worst car to ever roll off of an assembly line. While it only had 18,000 miles when I acquired it from a private party known very well to me who kept it very well maintained and garaged, both window regulators broke, the heater knob busted, constant "Check Engine" lights, terrible grinding from the front end (no it wasnt the brakes). Tried to change a headlight bulb yesterday, after an hour and half of trying to get to it ( I finally did) the headlight retainer ring broke. I will never ever buy another gm car as long as i live, especially not a pontiac, i wouldnt even buy one with someone elses money