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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  Love my Grand Am - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By alie0313 - June 7 - 2:30 pm

  I have had this car for 5 years now, bought off my aunt. It has 150,000 miles on her and she still runs like new! Ive had to replave the power steering pump and chip that controls electricals on the dash at about 140,000 miles. Other than that, she runs great, mpg is good and plenty of room for a family!!

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  great American design and quality - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By save the brand - June 6 - 2:40 pm

  I have never been sorry I bought this GM product.Overall reliability has been excellent.The engine has good power and good fuel economy,and it SOUNDS like a real engine. The handling with the low profile tires and alloy wheels is excellent. Ride quality is very good,a bit on the firm side,w/good road feel. This car has never had a 4 wheel alignment and tracks straight as an arrow. No probs with the with the exhaust,battery,or even a belt!I have replaced only 2 components- the gas cap and the blower motor resistor(that was a tough do-it-yourself-job, but I managed).The fit and finish is very good,with virtually no squeaks or rattles in 5+years. &I know my wife is safe in it.I would buy again.

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  Love It - 2004 Pontiac Aztek
  By Ozlover - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Love The look, Love The Ride.

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  Pontiac Sunfire 2001 - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Laurbabe - June 5 - 2:00 am

  Its a fun sporty car. Its a coupe, but the interior is extremely comfortable, and the backseat IS big enough to fit 3 people instead of only 2. Its comfortable, cute, and fun.

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  02 Bonneville SLE - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Natalee - June 5 - 2:00 am

  This is a great Pontiac! Gets a lot of looks, very flashy for a sedan. Performs very well when needed with the standard SLE V-6. Only area for improvement is the cabin space, but over-all a great, fun-to-drive car.

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  6 yrs and going strong - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By ddeaves - June 4 - 5:07 pm

  I bought my little sunfire new in 2005. I got the sport package with the snazzy wheels and side designs. I have had more complements on this Electric Blue car, than my red mustang! It just looks FAST and sporty. Im not even a big fan of blue, but people love it. I have never had to do a thing to it, just reg. oil changes, runs great. I only have 35,000 miles on it, but Im pretty rough on a car, and it has done well, and is still BEAUTIFUL. I have the 5 speed manuel, gets good gas mileage, about 33 hwy, 25 in town. My kids all say it is a really rough passenger ride, but as the driver, I dont notice it. It has a lot of get up and go (torque).

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  Replace the gas cap properly - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By FWGT - June 4 - 10:00 am

  This is a great looking car inside and out! The performance is adequate. To all the people that have the check engine light appear randomly...instead of blaming the car, why dont you read your owners manual and educate yourselves. The check engine light will appear if you do not properly lighten the gas cap.

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  GTO and the driver of today - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Hennesey GTO - June 4 - 7:30 am

  Coming back from a visit from Afghanistan I wanted a new vehicle. I was debating between three cars. A 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra, 2005 Corvette C-6 or a 2005/06 GTO. The Vette and the GTO offered 400Hp of true aspirated engine. The Cobra offered 390 with the factory Super Charger. The GTO had four seats. Also honestly, how many GTOs do you see compared to the mustang and Vette? My choice was obvious. I needed to put the test on it. I drove it from North Carolina to California and back. No problems the entire trip. When I got back there were some electronic issues. Nothing a few hundred cant fix. I later invested about $10,000 into the engine to make it a real 535 RWHP beast. I love my GTO.

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  Best.... Car.... Ever. - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Bryan - June 2 - 8:50 am

  Wow, what a fun car to drive. Everything from the comfortable and roomy all leather interior to the LS2 engine and exhaust sound is fantastic. In terms of interior roominess, this puts the Mustang to shame (same with the engine and power). 400 HP for $30,000, just try to find more power for a better price, you wont be able to.

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  2003 Vibe - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By l giuliano - June 2 - 2:36 am

  I have 120,000 miles on my Vibe. I have had zero problems. I am going to get another one next year and give my present Vibe to my kids.