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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  The best 4 door - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Mike - May 5 - 2:46 pm

  The 2004 Grand Prix is the best looking four door car out there. I love the car inside and out. The GTP has a lot of power for 260 hp and when the 303 hp 2005 GXP comes out, that is going to be crazy.

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  Lovin every minute of it - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Titanlmn - May 5 - 6:56 am

  After owning a Grand Am GT for a year that I never wanted to buy in the first place. I have to say I am very pleased, aside from the cheap plastic clips used to hold the windows to the track that continue to break (JB Weld makes a good permanent fix) this car has been nothing but great. It has survived a year of my "all or nothing" "hey wanna race" driving without a sputter. I drive a lot and i drive hard and the Grand Am continues to deliver. It has the styling and performance I want in a car and the comfort and economy me wife wants. I never wanted to own a Grand am before this one. Now we plan to sell our Grand Prix and get another Grand Am GT preferably the SCT.

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  Not a bad car... - 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
  By patey99 - May 4 - 10:00 am

  The car has served me well for the last 3 years. Any major problems were covered under warranty. Aside from being on the loud side and typical GM build quality, its not a bad buy for your money.

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  Give it a chance - 2003 Pontiac Aztek
  By Geoffrey - May 4 - 10:00 am

  My father drives a Sante Fe, and I drive a VW GTI (Golf). We rented an Aztec this past weekend for some major moving. Wow, this was a great car. The inside is amazing. It could have held our entire load. It is a very practicle car, much like my Golf. Form follows function. The inside was made with nice materials, the ride was very smooth. Every aspect of the Aztec blew the Sante Fe away. If you are looking for an "SUV" and want to spend around 20k, I would suggest giving the Aztec a test drive. Driving is believing should be the Aztecs moto, not Hyundai. Because anyone who had driven a Hyundai then believes what they did before, their junk.

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  Great Van - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By retriever - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Fantastic Van. Really smooth, quiet and fuel efficient. Much nicer than the Toyota.

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  I love my new car! - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Lastone1 - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Granted, I dont know much about cars...but I have been driving this car for almost a year and it has been wonderful. The ride is smooth and comfortable for the long drive I have to work. I dont think that I can ever buy a car without Heads Up Display again. I no longer have to look down when changing my speed...or my radio controls. Also, the car has so many more features than any other for your dollar. The only problems are watching speed...a smooth ride makes you forget how fast youre going and hitting the breaks on a heavy car like this means you have to leave quite a bit of stopping distance!

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  I love my Solstice - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Pamke526 - May 3 - 8:20 am

  I just traded my 2007 Solstice for a 2007 Solstice GXP and I am in heaven!!The regular Solstice is a great little car, but the GXP is really fantastic! I got the 5-speed manual transmission with the GXP and boy is it awesome! I am already getting 30 miles a gallon in the city!

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  Fair Experience - 2000 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Glein - May 2 - 5:16 pm

  Fun car to drive, but several flaws in make. Brakes went out at 20K, tires at 25K, lost two driver side mirrors in cold weather (just fell off). Other GM problems were fixed by dealerhsip so Ive give those a pass. If you can only keep it on the road, itd be a great car.

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  Great Grand Am - 1995 Pontiac Grand AM
  By thestig - May 1 - 11:20 pm

  Bought the V6, automatic coupe as a lease-return in 1996. Has been very reliable, never left me stranded, no major issues. IMO, still one of the best looking cars out there! Good straight line performance. Door panels starting to crack around screws (hard plastic and -40C do not mix!), some rust starting around wheel wells. Starts in -40C weather without being plugged in (do not recommend!) Will hate to see it go, but the family is expanding so its days are numbered!

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  Car that wont stop - 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By fugary - May 1 - 4:41 am

  I have a 2005 gp that now has 361000 miles that has given me many years of use. If you take care of the 3800 V6 you will get your money back in return.