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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  BTA Firebird Review - 1999 Pontiac Firebird
  By flybigrc - April 4 - 2:00 am

  Really fun car to drive. A real head turner. Interior controls are well laid out. Cup holder could be bigger. Actually can fit two adults in back seat unlike any other sports car. (e.g. Mustang, RX7). Great 10 speaker stereo and lots of after market upgrades if you are into that.

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  Most appealing minivan - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By middrealtor - April 4 - 2:00 am

  We find this minivan to be smartly styled compared to most minivans, very comfortable on the inside, and the engine is responsive. If you compare prices for what you actually pay versus sticker price, this beats them all. Easy to reconfigure seating, double side doors, keyless entry, very nice features. Service department much better than past GM dealerships.

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  Great car! - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jtrout - April 4 - 2:00 am

  This is a really fun car to drive, my second GA, the last one I had required minimal maintenance and I got 170k miles out of it. Great goodies and price to beat! Would reccomend this car to anyone looking for performance and value in a mid size.

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  Another Reliable Pontiac! :) - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ggaring2012 - April 2 - 2:51 pm

  Before buying my 2000 Grand Am, I owned a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire, and even though it was old and a little rough around the edges, it never failed me... even with having 250,000 miles on it! For that reason, I felt secure with purchasing another Pontiac, the Grand Am. Ive had this car for 6 months without any major problems. I purchased it from a friend with 170,000 miles. It now has almost 180,000 miles on it, and I have only had to replace a wheel bearing, blower motor for the a/c, and the drive belt, which is expected from a car with that many miles. None of which were expensive at all! They are neat little cars and I plan to keep mine until it dies! Too bad they stopped making Pontiacs...

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  Nice Ride - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Andy - April 2 - 2:50 am

  I have owned the car for 5 years and have put on nearly 150,000 miles. There have been no negative surprises, unexpected maintenance or mechanical problems. The car runs great, remains tight and has more power than it needs.

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  great - 1997 Pontiac Grand AM
  By lilmoe - April 1 - 7:03 pm

  never had a problem bought it with 50,000 miles never had a problems it loves to be on the road

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  The best car Ive ever owned - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Michelle - April 1 - 4:00 am

  Never failed me. Few repairs and fewer problems. Car is amazing. Reliable and sound. Great engine, great acceleration, wonderful handling, beautiful body, powerful engine, great fuel usage, sleek design, great red dash, dashboard ignition, and many extras. Overall the best car I have ever driven.

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  Good so far - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By luck5393 - April 1 - 3:14 am

  We have had this car for a few weeks now. I do a lot of driving, and it has been a very good car in the few weeks we have owned it. I activated the XM radio in it, it tends to loose a signal when going under bridges or parked next to 3 story buildings. the engine is very responsive and the steering is tight. I bought it with about 91000 miles, so it has already been well broken in. The interior is roomy, and the back seat is very roomy for the size of car it is. One option that I wish it had was being able to pull down the 40/60 seats from the interior of the car and not just from the trunk.

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  its a so-so car - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By adam - March 31 - 1:33 am

  I like my 2007 2.4l g6 it drives well and I bought it new. At 23,000 miles I didnt have to do any Major repairs. I have noticed that when you turn and take off fast there is a "clunking" noise that is starting to annoy me. I have called the dealer and they said it must be because of the speed Im taking off at but thats not true.

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  great - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By tony - March 30 - 10:00 am

  I love the way it looks in and out.it drive awsome handles great .it also very fast.