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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  A great car at an affordable price. - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Michaelangelo - January 20 - 9:13 pm

  The new 2002 Pontiac Grand Am drives like a true sportscar. The coupe looks very nice, and is very fun to drive. It has a great stereo system in it as well. I am planning on upgrades upgrades onto it, even though it is extremely nice the way it comes from the factory. The car could come with a larger engine, and the sc/t spoiler should take place of the current spoilers for gt models. The wheels are the best wheels I have seen that acually come with the car. The ride is exceptionally smooth, and it is a great value for what you pay for the vehicle.

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  Like it, But much rather have a G8. - 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By delta125 - January 20 - 3:08 am

  Got mine in August 2010 with 54,000 miles on it and only paid 11000 for it with everything I could Want. Great car, I treat it terribly but have no problems with it. Averaging 18 mpg mostly a city drive for me, Not a big fan of all the exterior plastic and how the Controls are angled toward me. My by far favorite part of this car is the stiching on the leather, makes the interior shine im my opinion.

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  My Aztek - 2002 Pontiac Aztek
  By comscan - January 19 - 10:00 am

  So far the vehicle has proven to be both reliable and safe to drive, I live in Calgary Canada aaand my Aztek has proved its self more than capable of handling all of the snow we receive here during day to day driving. Also during this period the heating system has been more than adequate even in - 30c temperatures, I am looking forward to driving it long distance during the summer!

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  Unexpected Sunfire - 2001 Pontiac Sunfire
  By firewire007 - January 19 - 10:00 am

  Was going for a back and forth to work shuttle. Got a car that was fun to drive, both economic and powerful enough for the highway, reliable, well- built, and it even looks good. Fold down rear seat gives extra utility. Car just makes me feel good.

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  Very Satisfied - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By KyDave - January 19 - 4:06 am

  After selling a Honda S2000 over year ago I decided to jump back into the vert world. The Solstice really wasnt in the running until I got the $3000 dollar coupon from my GMCard. I paid just over 16.5k for a brand new 08 with the wheel package, Monsoon radio (a must), and a few other goodies. The car stickered at $26,062. An unbelievable deal and Im pleasantly surprised with the ride, handling and even the performance of the 2.4 ltr. The fit and finish is great and the materials arent as cheap as I had expected from a GM product. This may just be the best car deal Ive ever made.

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  Still Blows Me Away - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By joser94 - January 19 - 12:08 am

  I have owned this car for a little over a year now after getting it pretty cheap and I love it and hope to have it for years to come. First few months were okay but did a few weird things that required some work to be done to it but no problem because I do just about all of it myself. It growled when accelerating from a stop but surprisingly fun to drive and extremely cozy in the fall and winter! I got 3 months/2000 miles out of it and the engine bearings went bad, guessing the previous owner didnt keep the oil changed. Since then all has been well with it. I have replaced the brake pads and rotors, drums and shoes, mounts and alternator but it makes up for that wit its power!

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  My first Pontiac ever so far so good, 2010 G6 - 2009 Pontiac G6
  By painter60 - January 18 - 8:41 pm

  So far we like the G6 we bought it 3 months ago with 25,000 miles and we have put another 1,000 miles on it, one thing I dont like is the hood bumpers keep loosening and the hood rattles, I found out after buying that t has been wrecked on the left front but its hard to tell. All I know at this point is that its a base model 2.4 motor it runs alittle rough in the morning but smoths out when it gets worm. I changed the tire size to 235/55-17 and it looks great with the wider tires, my wife wants me to paint it red she hates the white. Is there anything I can do to give it more HP?? I would like to find a rear wing for it (used) if anyone has one email me. Thanks for reading.

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  05 vibe - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Nick Davis - January 18 - 5:30 pm

  always seems to run and drive well, never any reliability concerns, I do have a rattle in the dash at less than 1 year old, and seems a little small at times. But I otherwise cant think of a more practical starter car for the small family.

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  Worst Car Ever! - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By trish526 - January 18 - 9:46 am

  This has to be the biggest lemon I ever bought! Its now 2 years old and its been in for service over 10 times starting 6 months after I bought it. Its been in for reasons ranging from a bad battery to the ignition column locking up. Each time I take it in service claims its fixed and each time I have the same issue or a whole new one. Ive called Pontiac and GMC and neither can help me. Im now stuck in a car thats been deemed unsafe for another 2 years because it will cost me too much to get out. I cringe whenever I drive the car and brace myself to deal with service centers. If you want reliable, go with a Honda. If you want headaches, buy a GMC or Pontiac.

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  My Grand Am GT sucks too - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Eunity T - January 17 - 2:06 am

  I had to get new rotors after one month, new struts, bushing, fuel sensor, serpentine belt, wheel sensors, seat motor, 2 new batteries that only lasted 2 years a piece, had an intake gasket leak, and now it needs a new rod and pinion and a water pump. Im sure Im forgetting some of the other problems Ive had with it. After my extended warranty expires Im getting rid of this crappy car.