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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  Hate my Bonneville - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By belyache - December 16 - 4:46 am

  Purchased used, after 2 years I started noticing some transmission slippage from 1st to 2nd.. Then came the the transmission not engaging 1st. I had the transmission replaced, it worked fine for about 5 months. Now it is doing the exact same thing. It also has an annoying steering grind. I would not recommend this car. I have also heard others complaining of transmission problems with this car.

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  Nothing but troubles - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By dre256 - December 16 - 1:43 am

  Very nice car, but had nothing but issues on it from day one. Biggest issue is the 3900, the head gasket just leaks and leaks. Dealership made it worse, GM told me to sue dealership. Had my mechanic repair head, stop leaking for 6 months and still leaks. Wasnt for the engine issue I would love this car for years. One big complaint, I feel the seats are too stiff for long rides and need several seat adjustments. But body is very nice and slick, and this car performs well 0-60 in a tad over 6 seconds. Fuel economy average is 18 city and 23 hwy. Dont know how got a 26 MPG hwy ratting, I never have hit that even with car never going over 2500 RPM from a stop.

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  Finally - 2008 Pontiac G8
  By BJames - December 15 - 11:23 pm

  Pontiac gets it right this time. Really the Aussies do. Fast, refined, comfortable beast! What an American muscle car sedan should be. Can compete with the Euro boys and blow them away. Excellent build quality. I have a little over 1100 miles and look forward to driving it every single day.

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  Great Vibe - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By Macadew - December 15 - 12:50 pm

  Outstanding vehicle for the price. Gas mileage is excellent, car rides well and very comfortable in front seat. Surprising amount of room for rear seat passengers as well. Quality has been super outside and inside. Only negative is noise generated by engine. Besides that everything is great.

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  Grand AM, this is a great car! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Chris - December 15 - 2:11 am

  If you are looking for something sporty looking with hood scoops that rides like you are floating on a couch cushion, look no further than the 2004 Pontiac Grand Am GT with a Ram-air V6. This car has excellent traction in the winter time. The engine performs astonishingly well when floored. The Monsoon sound system is of very good quality and if youre not a fan of traction control (as I am not), you can turn it off with the push of a button. Although my car is now 13 years old and barely has 81,000 miles, it is the best I could ever expect in a used sports coupe.

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  GREAT Car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By The MAN - December 14 - 4:06 am

  Great ride, very smooth and nice looking. Plenty of power, who needs 400 horsepower any way. I would recommend this car to anyone. Had 2003 Honda Accord and the G6 is much better. Better quality and smoother ride. Handling is great.

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  Solstice so fun! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Frank - December 14 - 3:06 am

  After 1 year and 12,000 miles car runs, feels and looks great. Not one Problem to date. Still as much fun to drive as the first time. Great handling and driveablity.

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  Problems All Over - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Really? - December 13 - 10:10 pm

  Where do I start. I purchased this car in 2000 and was initially happy with it. Then after 8000 miles the front brake pads were worn and badly warped. With brand new ones installed, I lasted another 22000 miles,while the rear shoes and drums never wore. The dealers response was dont ride the brakes. I downshifted every opportunity and with 90% highway miles, that never really was a problem. So after about 6 adjustments and rotors I purchased slotted rotors. 48000 miles and no problem. Brake bias problem some engineer overlooked I assume. 2 water pumps, starter, intake manifold gasket,etc. With all the preventative maint. done one can wonder what would happen if you slipped on one service.

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  as unreliable as a suzuki forenza!!!!! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By drivenitall80 - December 13 - 12:30 pm

  horrible car, my gf had one when she moved in with me and even before she moved in it was constantly in the shop for engine problems, wierd noises, no ac, no heat, stalling, power loss, i bought my gf a jeep for her bday and now the worthless piece of GM sits in our driveway, were trying to sell it, otherwise we let family use it when they come stay with us, she bought the car for 8000 we put 12000 into it.

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  a few problems but Id buy it again - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By nah1978 - December 12 - 9:23 am

  I bought my 2002 AWD used with 25k and it is now up to almost 60k. Just a warning, be prepared to replace both the front wheel bearings at some point. I have done some research on the internet and this seems to be about the most common major problem with the vehicle. I was just out of warranty and it cost me about 400 bucks to do both. Even so I love this vehicle. You can get a good deal on them since some people dont like the looks. I just tinted all the windows and put a grill guard on and it looks awesome. It handles great, good MPG for an SUV (lower to mid 20s), plenty of room, good for hauling people or just flip the seats up and you can haul a ton of cargo.