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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  2nd Bonneville in 3 Tears - 2005 Pontiac Bonneville
  By bill bryant - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Bought an 01, SSEI, and loved it, accept that it was white and showed every bug in Ga, Al, & Miss. BUT this GXP with V8 is a Blast. I can enjoy riding around and listening to these big 8 cylindars. With DOC and 4 valves/Cyl. this car will kick ass. The super charged 6 on my 01 was quick, but this is 1.5 seconds faster. I am burning mid grade gas, and not getting the same mileage HWY or City, but the wasy it drives and sounds, it is worth it. do yourself a favor, test drive one.

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  NICE CAR - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By VHAPPY - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE 11,000 MILES OF ENJOYABLE NO PROBLEM MILES. THE GAS MILEAGE IS GREAT AND COMFORT IS EXCELENT. HORSEPOWER IS O.K. MORE HORSEPOWER LESS MILEAGE. ILL TAKE LESS HORSEPOWER. I LOVE THE AGGRESIVE STYLING. LOVE THE CAR.

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  Nice, but not really a sports car - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Grandamgt33 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I really like this car. I had a 4 cylinder Grand Am SE. The upgrade was well worth the expense. Nice acceleration, great sound system. Firm ride. Comfortable front seats. Had only three problems in 3 years. Battery, fan speed control and cruise control. After driving my SUV all week, I get in my GT on the weekend and feel like I am almost driving a sports car. The car is louder than it is fast. Considering market value now is aroung 9 grand, I cant even consider trading it in. Looks like I am sticking with this one for the duration.

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  grand prix SE - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bsedgal - March 1 - 4:23 am

  This car was ok, but had some issues and depreciated. Bought it in 02 for 7k and sold it in 05 for 1400 while in college. Issues were leaky weather stripping on the sun roof, would drip on me after rains. Gas gauge out (bad sending unit), a/c went out. Other than that major mechanical was fine and so was drivability.

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  GP#2! - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Lotsamiles - February 28 - 1:53 pm

  What a fun car to own and drive! This is my second one, this one purchased used w/ 32k miles. Now at 100k miles and its getting those tranny and brake shakes. At least it has the great 3800 engine, one of the things GM has gotten right! It gets very good mileage if you keep your foot out of it, but hard to do.

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  Great Car - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By dkrii - February 27 - 6:10 am

  It doesnt look perfect, but I love the car. Put together really well, and very fast. Best car I have ever owned. I bought it as a weekend car, but I cant not drive it. It is my daily driver now. I will never sell this car.

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  Its cool - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Mr.Rob - February 26 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my SE model used with 28k miles from Dave Millers Carmart in Matteson, Il (I dont recommend them). The car has been pretty reliable-Ive had to have trans work-my key gets stuck and I have a knocking noise sometimes when I swicth vent directions

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  Pocket rocket - 1997 Pontiac Sunfire
  By pocket rocket - February 26 - 2:00 am

  Fun car to drive...dependable and loaded with safety features standard. Power convertible top has always worked great with no leaks. Maintenance is affordable and the car still has lots of value and fun left.

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  Pontiac Aztek - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Jackee - February 26 - 2:00 am

  The 2001 exterior design was an improvement over the 2000 model. It is sporty and fun. The mileage surpassed all expectations. I was getting over 27 miles to the gallon while on vacation. The slide-out cargo tray is wonderful when loading and unloading packages, no aching backs. The back is spacious and will handle lots of packages. I had done a lot of research regarding this vehicle and it is living up to everything I had read, and in some respects it is even better.

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  LIKE BONNIES BUT, - 1999 Pontiac Bonneville
  By EB AND LD - February 26 - 2:00 am

  LOVE RIDE AND INTERIOR COMFORT.HAD TRANS PROBLEMS AT 41,000 MILES AND STILL DO.AT 69,OOO ENGINE DECIDED TO DROP VAVLE INTO PISTON WHICH EXITED OUT SIDE OF BLOCK.YES I GUESS IT WAS MADE BY HUMANS BUT EXPECTED MORE SINCE I HAVE BEEN A GM SUPPORTER SINCE HIGH SCHOOL AND WORKED AT A DEALERSHIP.THE CAR HAS HAD STEADY MAINTENCE AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY MY WIFE