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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  Great Car - Never Stops Giving! - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By GregD - March 18 - 6:46 pm

  I have owned this car for almost 8 months and I love it! I traded a 2005 Bonneville GXP, and I did not expect such a great deal from the G8 but, it keeps on giving. The styling, comfort, handeling and cool navigation system are always a good reason to look forward to driving this car. Oh yeah, the Sport Drive is great when you are looking for a thrill! Hopefully GM will keep Pontiac, if not only for the G8, this is the best car and it would be a shame to see it go. Finally, the consumer can own a really terrific car at a great price.

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  woopie - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By hottieskaterchick - March 18 - 10:00 am

  it is the funest car that i have ever drove and it also has enough room for a car seat to fet very easy and comfertably.

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  Hunk o Junk - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By yoodle - March 18 - 10:00 am

  In the year that Ive had this car it has been nothing but problems. There is a consistent problem with the steering that three trips to the mechanic have not fixed. I am aware of the recall, but even after my mechnic replaced the entire power steering rack, the problems persist. Things seem to have improved after the struts and a tie rod were replaced though. I also had the fuel pump go, and now there is a stuttering when Im accelerating that seems to indicate a transmission problem. At just over 50000 miles, this car has spent way too much time in the shop. Im staying away from Pontiacs in the future.

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  1995 T/A Onvert. - 1995 Pontiac Firebird
  By Joseph hendrix - March 18 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding performance and reliability. Eats up front brakes regularly but absolutely no mechanical problems over the eight years of ownership.

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  AZTEK IS AOK - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By alan & connie - March 18 - 10:00 am

  The Aztek is a great vehicle. Comfort is the best and gas mileage is 23-29. Everyone who rides in mine says the ride is terrific. I tell everyone to just get in it and drive one and they will be sold. No problems on my 2003 yet, 10,000 miles and only slight a/c problems on my 2001 that were fixed under warranty.

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  Judging Books by Their Cover - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Willinois - March 18 - 10:00 am

  It handles just like a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, which is very good. The interior has many conveniences the others dont. The Aztek is a car you have to drive prior to making a judgement upon it. AWD is great for those of us in Northern cities.

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  Time to trade it in! - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Jennifer S. - March 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 1999 Grand Am GT1 new. This car is all about small things breaking all the time. I got a lot of things fixed under warranty. Unfortunately, a lot of things broke when it went out of warranty. The brakes continue to be a problem. I need new pads every year and am on my 3rd set of rotors.On the brighter side, I have close to 100,000 miles and she still runs like a champ. This car is so much fun to drive.I dont think any car is worth what you pay for it, but I am happy I bought this car. If you are thinking of buying this car, please make sure you like to work on cars and do lots of brake jobs!

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  Love it!! - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By moneypenny - March 15 - 6:20 pm

  I love this car. It was love at first sight. I did not even drive it before I signed the papers. I drove a plain silver one but had to have the orange one.

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  10 years of foreign, now GXP - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Chak - March 15 - 1:56 am

  Both wife and I saw eye-to-eye after test drive of GXP, buy it. Very quick to highway speed - sport suspension, braking all excellent. At 62, pushing the envelope on room, bit more than OK. Cockpit dashboard @ night is awesome. Live in town with many Lexus, BMW, Audi, etc and this styling stands up to all of them, performance does too. This is great choice and too bad they are discontinuing them.

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  2001 Firebird, V6 3.8L, 2DR Hatch w/TTop - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By My Baby - March 14 - 1:16 pm

  My first car was a 73 Firebird 2DR Coupe, V-8 350 and I loved her. My latest is this 2001 and I love her even more. I cannot imagine owning something else in place of her. She has plenty of power even with the V6 and she is a joy to drive.