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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  Wow - 2005 Pontiac Grand AM
  By lea - April 23 - 12:03 am

  I just bought a Grand Am GT and I love it compared to my other car (Ford Focus) I love the power it has in it. And the system is awesome in it. It will beat my boyfriends car now. I wouldnt change anything.

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  Perfect car in every way - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By roger sudut - April 22 - 9:33 pm

  Had this car for 5 years & I still look forward to driving it.For something with such good exceleraton that gets 30.5mpg/24 city who would what a 4 cyl thats not half as fun to drive. I can leave my SUV at home and still haul 8 2x4s with the folding pass. & rear seats. The only problem in 5 years were a water leak @ On-Star antenna & front seat cover tear.Car is tight,no rattles or wind noise just sorry to see Pontiac going away.

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  Great Car - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By RonNV - April 22 - 2:10 pm

  I have driver this car for about seven months. Some computer chip issues which were resolved by the dealer. I got big 19 inch snow tires for this baby since it is not really driveable in snowy weather. That reduced the mileage factor slightly. I used to have a problem accessing the highway ramp in my old Buick Park Avenues. With this car you have zero problem..regular or snow tires the cars acceleration is nothing less than fantastic. It is hard to explain but there is a confidence factor that you have with this car. You know that you can pass virtually any car out there. The brakes are excellent and versatility in emergency situations is really good.

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  DDB - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Donovan - April 22 - 10:00 am

  I chose all tens because I am selling one of these vehicles. but realistically, I would only have issues with a couple things. These are the gas mileage and the blind spots. Power is great for a six banger. The car is useful and the audio system is great.

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  Lemon from Pontiac - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By ibaqt - April 22 - 10:00 am

  Purchased car 9/1/01 with 12,000 mi. Now June (9 mo. later) and car only has 24,000 mi. Leaks water into speakers and dumps on leg when getting into/out of car. Car top is improperly designed and Pontiac Cust. Service said, tough luck. Replaced stero/cd twice so far, gasketing around all windows, adjusted trunk door and gas door so would close properly, now driver window is having electrical problems. Feel like am always in the shop. LOVE having a convertible and adore the car...when there are no problems and it is not raining.

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  GET EXTENDED WARRANTY - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Never again - April 22 - 10:00 am

  Motor 3.1 has intake manifold problems, rebuilt engine at 46,000. altenator 50,000 replaced all window motors. Trans went out at 68,000 and now timing chain just broke at 85,000 and the radiator leaks. Also changing the back 3 plugs is a pain in the a$$.

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  Amazing - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Jared T - April 22 - 3:53 am

  Bought this car for $222 after taxes from my dealership about a year ago. A fillup of chevron gas and a dose of Mystery Oil and she is running like a brand new car with 322,000 miles!!!! Best buy I have ever made. It gets better gas mileage than my 4 cyl camry, and it has more power than any V6 I have ever owned. It runs 90mph without any effort. The ride is smooth and fairly responsive, but it does lack the grip my camry has, which might have somthing to do with the cheap tires it is riding on. Overall I love this car best $222 I have ever spent!

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  Reliable Car ~ So sad to see it go.... - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Jasmine Primas - April 21 - 3:54 pm

  I had this car fora about a year, and I bought it at 180,000 miles on it....quiet, ran like new! I had absolutely no problems with this car besides regular maintenance like oil change, tire rotation, the usual stuff. I wasnt a big fan of the dark teal colored pain job, and interior is pretty boring, but the quality of this car is a keeper for sure! **Im sorry, I was at the shop one time, this is when I first bought it, I had to get my water pump replaced, but that was it...

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  Dissapointed in Pennsylvania - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Glenn Weisel - April 21 - 3:16 pm

  After buying All GM vehicles for my driving career of 36 years, I am very disappointed with my G6 GT . The styling and gas mileage are great but the build quality is awful. Currently with 59000 miles I have moisture inside the headlights , A broken drivers seat, deteriorating leather , broken hood release handle , and a bicycle caused 1100.00 damage to the left front fender which now rubs on the drivers door when opening. This is a very cheaply built car. Pontiac owes us G6 owners an additional credit toward a next car. I have never seen such horrible workmanship on a GM product.

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  LOVE IT - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By LOVE IT - April 21 - 5:43 am

  I have a 2008 Pontiac GT and it is the best car I have ever had. Before I had this car I had a VW that would give me problems all the time. This car tells you everything from gas, to tire pressure, oil needed. EVERYTHING.