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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  Mostly Content! - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By QTPIE - November 6 - 2:00 am

  I like the car- I prefer the newer body styles, but I think it handles well. Had to fix EGR, thermostat, axels, and throttle body sensor ($600), but I love the extra room and comfort of this car! I do think GM needs to focus on the reliability of their cars, but overall, Ive been very satisfied with this vehicle.

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  Shouldve bought the Nissan - 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Fog - November 6 - 2:00 am

  Ive had pretty good luck with the car up until 2003. If you are looking for something that will last a long time I would suggest buying something else. I hit the 50 thousand mark and I am selling it. The gas pedal sticks and the ABS light comes on quite frequently. The dealer says its nothing. Had the brakes fixed and they still grind and the ABS light still comes on. Resale value is terrible...everyone has a Grand Prix.

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  2nd Grand Am Owned - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Gorgeous Gal08 - November 4 - 2:33 am

  All in all a good car except for when the security light comes on and car doesnt start unless you leave the key in the ignition switch for 10 minutes in the "on" position. Owners manual stated this. Estimated costs to fix $425, plus labor. Needs longer warranty. Very bad electrical problems, especially with the computer. RPM gauge was messed up for half a day. Going 60 mph and running at 3,000 rpm. Would not shift into overdrive. Kinda ridiculous. 1st Grand Am had similar problems but the security light stayed on all the TIME. Air conditioner did not work.

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  NOT TO SHABBY - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Ray - October 29 - 12:10 pm

  I bought the car online and after i paid i read all the bad reviews. my experience with the car has be mostly positive the only problem i had was with the brakes. i replaced the brakes myself(ceramics of course)and i replaced the rotors at the same time because of all the reviews about them. i feel if pontiac is more sport orientated they would use some decent rotors. a few other problems ive encountered is my throttle body keeps getting dirty and the car clunks and rattles. for a car with such a big engine it get between 33 and 29MPG (60-90 MPH).the sound system is great. i had to replace the radio(6 disc)and just got an aftermarket and got a device to replace the DIC.all in all a good car

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  98 Montana unreliable - 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport
  By waterman - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Like to drive it. Nice features. Good on fuel. Handling and comfort are very good. Reliability is poor. Numerous problems...power doors, power windows, fuel injectors, intake manifold gaskets, rear wiper motor, now seized engine at 71,000 miles due to coolant leaking into crankcase. Pontiac is paying for 1/2 of over $5,000 worth of repairs to engine. Very discouraging.

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  Lots of Power, Less $$$ - 2002 Pontiac Firebird
  By TireSmoke - October 27 - 10:00 am

  There simply is no way you can touch this level of performance for this price. The F-body twins blow the Mustang out of the water when it comes to power and handling. Its a shame that GM saw fit to kill them off.

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  My most reliable car...ever! - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By T. Wambaugh - October 25 - 7:16 pm

  I bought this car new four and a half years ago. It now has 65,000 miles on it and all that it has required of me is to change the oil and filter. The original tires, brakes, even windshield wipers are still installed. The vehicle is garaged and run primarily on interstates at 60 to 80 mph. It gets about 30 mpg on the interstate. Around town, the mileage drops down to low to mid twenties. Although the depreciation rate is fairly steep on this car the actual dollars depreciated are far less than my wifes 2003 Lexus. The only complaint I have regards the Traction Control System; it is far to easy to spin the tires at take off on wet pavement.

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  Good Car - 163,000 miles - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By Mike - October 20 - 5:00 am

  I bought my Vibe new in January 03, and it has been very reliable. I was horrified at first, when I leaned against the front fender, and it caved in like a paper bag, but the drivetrain is pure Toyota. I had a sensor replaced at around 100K for around $100, but thats it. I changed the hoses and serpentine belt, and flushed the radiator at around 80K, but thats it. My check engine light and airbag light are on, but it still runs great. It doesnt heat up until highway speed, so I think the thermostat is sticking. I am 63 and 275#, but I fit fine. My family of 4, and our luggage got 33mpg @ 80mph when the car was new!

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  Not bad at all after all these years - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By sholomar - October 16 - 5:25 pm

  All in all I havent had to spend much at all on maintenance over the years.. the biggest expense was the intake manifold but that didnt need to be done, just a slow external leak that doesnt harm anything.. dealer sensationalism and gouging.. lesson learned. The blinker contacts are dirty making it blink a lot, the power window just went, the fan doesnt work above 3, the radios display is dead, the power lock on the passenger side is dead.. little electronic things are starting to happen over time that I could fix myself pretty cheap and just might.. but overall I cant complain for having a car last 10 years. Starts first time, every time.. even at 30 below zero. Well built powertrain

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  Great Value - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By BRMike - October 13 - 11:53 pm

  My wife and I replaced her 2000 Grand Prix GTP coupe with a a 2007 Blue-Gold Chrystal Metallic G6 GTP sedan. Through the first 7200 miles weve taken it on one road trip thus far and achieved an average of 30.6 mpg. Overall my wife and I are happy with the G6 GTP. However, the steering rack had to be replaced (warranty). The steering rack replacement was painless and took just one day (great local dealer).