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:

• 

  I love this car! - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By kbowser`05 - April 7 - 9:03 pm

  Great Gas mileage; fun Moon & Tunes package; comfortable. Just a great vehicle for an affordable price! Personally, I think the Vibe is much better looking than its "twin" the Toyota Matrix.

• 

  This car fell apart on me. - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By mloes - April 6 - 9:13 pm

  I bought this car in 2002 when it had less than 30,000 miles. By the time I got rid of it at 130K, both side mirrors were held up with glue, the bottom of the car was held up with a clothes hanger, the front dash was cracked, the security system cut off the fuel system at random times, the fuel gauge was broken, it burned a quart of oil every 200 miles, the power steering fluid would spill out about once every few months, all windows were broken, the shocks were shot, the fan would only work on settings 3, 4 and 5, the knob for the fan was broken and ABS light would come on went I made sharp turns and the car would skid on dry ground regularly. In short, this car was a piece of garbage.

• 

  Excellent car - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Alex - April 6 - 3:13 pm

  This is a really good car at this price. Good exterier, fantastic stereo, good power, 100000 miles/5 years limited warranty, etc. A lot of good things. I love this car. Although somebody told me the interior is not good, I chose the light interior, and it is really great.

• 

  love the torrent - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By juanita hammersley - April 5 - 11:30 pm

  The torrent has a smooth ride. The controls are easy to use. The only things that are not easy are the cup holders and ash tray. They are in an awkward position. The torrent is very comfortable on long trips. The sound system is terrific.

• 

  1998 GTP Sedan - 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Andrue - April 5 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new in 1998. It was my first new car and It had everything that I wanted. The car had excellent acceleration, especially for a large car. It handled well and it looked good. I can also attest to the safety. I was involved in a wreck that totaled the car but both myself, and my 6 year old son walked away with no problems. This GM product served me well from the moment I bought it, until it met its untimely demise. It sacrificed itself to protect its occupants. Excellent engineering!

• 

  My first brand new car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By rosemachine - April 5 - 10:00 am

  This car is a dream to own,its everything that I wanted and it is perfect for me and my kids.

• 

  Good Value and Performance - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Dominickc1 - April 5 - 10:00 am

  This is my third Grand Prix GTP as this is what the company I work for issues (Revious years were 2000 and 1997). The 2004 GTP w/ Comp. Group Pack. is the way to go. A little more refined versus previous years though drivers seat is mounted way to high for a sports car. Tap Shift works well and is fun to operate although not required to get the performance.. The Supercharger (GTP) is and well worth it. Heads Up Display is great and controls are improved. I do miss the Auto Night Vision Review Mirror Light Dimmer though.. GM please send me one. Performance is excellent and very responsive, ride is stiffer, steering is tighter and brakes are improved.

• 

  WOW! - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By GTP - April 5 - 10:00 am

  Overall, a great car. I would admit that it would have been nice to have cup holders in the back seat and an auto dimming rear view mirror, but these are just minor details. Great handling, fast - maybe too fast. I love the new look. I suppose for someone who traded in a 99 Cavalier this is a slight step up in quality and performance!

• 

  Poor Quality - 2000 Pontiac Firebird
  By JNas - April 3 - 10:03 am

  I bought this vehicle for my son back in 2000. Its done nothing but cost me money. Things that normally dont tear up on vehicles fall apart on this vehicle. From the power windows going bad, emission problems, replaced fuel tank and pump, replaced rear diff, pinion seal, replaced numerous lights switches, power steering pump leaked and on and on. Ive spend almost as much money in keeping this car running as I did when I bought it new. This car has only 68,000 miles on it. My toyota 4 runner has 165,000 and Ive only had to replace the brakes. Ill never buy another American made car.

• 

  Little Maintenance Requiered - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Corey - April 3 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my 2004 Sunfire since it had 6 miles on it; oil changes have been at 15,000 miles or more intervals (I use Synthetic. Today well driving to work she just hit 125,000 miles and runs like the day I bought it. The engine runs smooth, still gets 26mpg in the city and 31 on the highway. With all that said I have had few major issues. This year I had to replace the fuel pressure regulator, catalytic converter and the fuel tank purge solenoid. Other than that, 2 set of breaks, 2 ignition modules and 1 set of tires. The car is reliable and has never left me stranded, still has the factory exhaust, serpentine belt, spark plugs and transmission fluid. total Maint cost so far ($2200)