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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  good early - poor midlife-okay now - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By ttbbjjmm - February 16 - 2:03 pm

  bought aztek new 2003 was great till warranty ran out. common problems occured then. Wheel bearings, intake gasket, 2 ignition key switches. I kept the vehicle after all the repairs and its been good. I like the features especially the awd.

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  Engines bearings go bad - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By animalpals2 - February 15 - 4:36 pm

  after 100,000 miles the engines main bearings go bad. they are very quick cars though. im a female and even dodge trucks cant keep up with me , hehehe overall its been very reliable to me i take care of the maintenance on the engine and the bearings still went. its the only downfall in grand ams either the bearings go or the timing belt.

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  Good Van - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By ISU FAN - February 8 - 10:00 am

  So far it has been a good, solid van. Love the sporty design and gas mileage. Much better van than a Caravan at a similar price. Windshield wipers are poor, but otherwise everything else is good. Also like the parking aid and stereo.

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  What A Difference Tires Make! - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By richgimmel - February 7 - 3:13 pm

  I replaced the factory tires this week with Bridgestone Potenza RE960 Pole Positions and guess what... NO TORQUE STEER! This car is now amazingly fun to drive, and with a lot less road noise.

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  just okay - 2000 Pontiac Montana
  By gmcman97 - February 6 - 8:32 pm

  had a lot of problems for the first 3 years some were fixed before warranty ran out had to threaten to sue for after warranty problems but settled out of court for extended warranty (7 yrs. 84,000 miles) have not had anything serious go wrong since it became completely out of warranty the usual tire wear, battery, water pump, alternator etc.

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  GM did just fine with the Montana - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By BCC - February 6 - 2:00 am

  I tested alot of Minivans and I cant say that this was my first choice but I am happy that I bought it. This is the only van that still felt like driving a car. I also like the rugged look. The Honda was #1 but the mark up just wasnt worth it to me. The 0% financing on the Montana didnt hurt. The van has run great and after all the reviews I read about the lack of engine power....Im content and believe that its more than adequate. Get the extended warranty for peace of mind!

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  G8-Late in 08 - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By msufan - February 5 - 6:40 pm

  Great exterior styling, nice cool interior, except for the center battery and oil display (ugh!). Also, someone forgot to install the trunk sound dampening material lining; the dealer put in 09 sound material. Our 1996 Bonneville SSEi has a heads- up display and I wonder why Pontiac never pushed this and/or continued this cool feature in other models. Anyway, we like our White Hot G8 a lot; and, there arent that many G8s on the road it seems and thats cool. It drives well, is tight on curves and moves out when you want to. It feels sturdy and solid-well put together.

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  BAD ENGINE! - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tears0fash666 - February 5 - 10:11 am

  First I owned the car for a month, had to replace the engine because oil wasnt going to one of the rods. Now, 2 years later, its sitting waiting to be sold for the same problem. Had about 100,000 on both engines. Had it in the shop all the time, it was never the easy things that were wrong either. I would not buy this car again.

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  Good gas & reliable - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Jay - February 4 - 4:26 pm

  I bought this car when it was just reaching 10 years old. Ive had to do only minor work on it and it still gets great fuel economy. Runs good, but the fuel pump can be a little noisy. Handles great and an ok ride. Otherwise one of the best cars Ive ever bought. Perfect for an home and back type car.

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  Fun - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By megz629 - February 4 - 2:30 am

  This car has been very good to me, I bought it used, being the second owner. All I have had to do to the car, is a new battery and new tires. Its fun to drive, gets pretty good gas mileage too. Sound system is great, pretty much enjoy the car overall.