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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  Fun little chick car - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Beanerzz - December 9 - 10:00 am

  This car gives a lot of bang for your buck.. I purchased my 99 Sunfire GT because I was offered a sponsorship from RKSport. It came stock with a 2.4L interference motor, 5 speed manual transmission. With the 150/150 ratio, this car hauls for a 4 cylinder. It also handles the mods I added really well without any major internal modifications to the engine. Now, my engine pushes out close to 310 HP and its wonderful. If youre looking for a great little car to mod up.. you gotta get a Sunfire GT.

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  Why stop making these things??? - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By Tommyb11 - December 9 - 10:00 am

  Recently bought a loaded 02 base coupe, just an unbelievable car. Looks, performance, and features all well worth the price... Get compliments all the time, and its a blast to drive also.... why are they being discontinued??? This is Knight Riders car!!!!

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  I LOVE my G6!!! - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By iBCraZ131 - December 9 - 6:53 am

  So far I have only had this car for about 2 weeks. Ive driven it for 300 miles. I think it drives very smoothly, except for the braking. When it brakes, it has a pulsing feeling. I love all the features that it has. I have the panoramic sunroof and open it every chance I get. It is actually surprisingly quiet. The sunroof is so large that it almost feels like Im driving a convertible! The monsoon 6 disc stereo system is awesome. It has great sound quality. The trunk is quite roomy as well. The backseat has plenty of legroom. One other downside is when backing up that there are a lot of blindspots because the back of the car is so high. Overall a really great car!

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  Diminishing reliability - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By Wayne - December 7 - 3:36 am

  I bought the car used with 70,000 miles. Soon, it developed a cracked plastic intake manifold. It ran well, with few repairs until 140,000. In the past 10,000 miles, I have put over $2,200 in repairs into it, including front wheel bearings, several coil packs, a number of expensive electronic sensors, and I dont doubt the famously weak GM tranny will be next, at $1,600 to rebuild. I wish I could go back a year and dump it for a Toyota. Over the past 22 years, I have owned 4 GM cars and a Dodge, and I swear my mechanic owns a 401K with my name on it.

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  Fuel for my soul - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By DaleMF - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Does it have th eall around build quality of a Lexus or Audi? No. A perfomance machine equal to a BMW? No. But for the price, the size, the features, its hard to beat. It turns heads, the engine is wonderful, and its American. I dont need the glitz of a German badge. This one suits me just fine, thank you. And I really cant wait for the next generation.

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  Lovin it! - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By tatooedlady - December 6 - 10:00 am

  2004 SE1 with the V-6 engine. Ive driven most of whats on the road, and I am in LOVE! Of course, it doesnt hurt that I got a great deal on it...Using premium gas Ive gotten almost 30mpg with the 3.4L engine. Drives smoothly, gets up and GOES when I need to, reasonable gas mileage, doesnt shake, squeak, rattle or do other nasty tricks AND it turns heads. What more can I ask for?

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  Just LOOKING at it makes me smile! - 2009 Pontiac G3
  By MichaelB - December 5 - 10:23 pm

  What a fun car! Even when youre not driving it you can just look at it and get a good chuckle! Surprisingly good seat comfort (thats vital to me). Great gas mileage. Performs just fine on the freeway, but theres a little road noise at freeway speeds.

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  2001 Grand Am GT - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Corey - December 5 - 10:16 pm

  I bought this car in August for $7500.00. By the month of October the pwr window regulator went out. The Tranny went out at 114,000 miles in febuary. $2800 to repair. other than these fixes its a fun car but buyer beware.

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  I will never let it go - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By PBMGTOM6 - December 4 - 4:50 am

  As the title reads, this vehicle will be with me as long as it runs. Sleeper look with raw power. I get pure respect everywhere I go from people who know what this car is. The ones who dont know and test me, soon find out as they fade in my rear view mirror. The interior is amazing, best in its class. Its rare to find a performance vehicle with a nice interior. Very comfy seats with a high quality look and feel. The GTO is a sheer thrill to drive. Beware: If you drive one, you will buy one! Very rare car and hardly see any driving around. Get one while you still can!

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  POJ - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By deanke - December 4 - 2:36 am

  This was the biggest waste of money I have ever seen. I will never by a GM product again. I had to get the intake gasket replaced twice which was over $1200 each time. The headlights, heat, air conditioning, and windows stopped working. It burned anti-freeze and I had to replace blown-out tires 3 times. NEVER buy this car!!