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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  Sunfire The best - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Jon - March 29 - 12:56 am

  I have had this Car since the begining of September of 04. I drive a lot and put on astronmocial amounts of mileage on my cars. I have had foreign cars and find they are are more trouble than they are worth. I had a Honda Accord and didnt like them so I went to American after that car. Having over 70,000 miles on this car it was never in the shop for warrenty work always regular maintence. Although seats arent the best it gives me enough room for driving every day and the cruise control is awsome. This car has a nice in your face front and clean look in the back.

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  Fun Sedan - 1998 Pontiac Bonneville
  By ejant - March 28 - 10:00 am

  This was my third Bonny. 90 and 96 prior years. This it one strong sedan. Not too much out there can be comparable in performance for a sedan. Truly "Luxury with Attitude". The alternator went on it at 23,000 and the transmission at 34,500. other than that nil. Ya gotta drive it to beleive it.

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  lovin the ride - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ibike - March 28 - 10:00 am

  i took a chance on this car as opposed to the camaro. glad i did. with 200HP and 225 FPT you really cant go wrong. i have run a few times against mustang, BMW, Benz, acura.... beat em all with a stock domestic! the only thing i would have done differently would be to opt for the GTP. once you drive one you will wish you could add a supercharger!

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  Vibe 05 - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Gary - March 27 - 2:56 am

  On the good side, robust for a 4- cylinder, SUV-like roominess with seats down, mileage great @ 55-60mph, not so good averaging 70mph as could be expected. On the bad side, rough downshift when braking downhill, annoying seatbelt reminder, headlights that cant make up their mind at dawn and dusk. Overall a very sound car.

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  My Lemon - 2006 Pontiac Montana SV6
  By sv6regal - March 26 - 10:10 am

  This van has been a POJ since we bought it.The build quailty is bad (paint flaws,poor plastics)@20km the drivers sliding door rubs on wheel moulding (replaced)door adjusted(2xs) defective plastic door cover inside rear hatch area replaced,drivers window run channel replaced,steering shaft replaced(rattle)sway bar link replaced(still a rattle in the steering wheel)drivers sliding door moulding replaced (2xs)peeling,tire noise(crappy GOODYEAR tires)poor fuel mileage,wind noise,not enough leg room for anyone,cheap plastics inside van,could have used a 5spd transmission,the only good thing is the DVD player for the kids.Hard to find snow tires and rims due to odd ball wheel bolt pattern(6x115)

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  Great car to own - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By marlene - March 26 - 9:33 am

  This is the first time I have ever done a review but I wanted people to know that Pontiac Grand Prix was a blast. I purchased the car in 1998 with 30,000 miles on it. I have never had any problems other than replacing the alternator several times and the usual brakes and oil. Last week the car was at 323,800 when the car finally gave up. I have owned the car for 12 years going from coast to coast in it for family vacations. It will be truly missed.

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  StubMobile-06 GP GXP - 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By BOB_houston - March 25 - 10:50 pm

  My wife and I love all of the features on this pontiac. I do not know of another Auto that is so packed with features. Fast, farily economical (18.6 MPG Average)and a-blast to drive. Very comfortable for four people. Onstar, XM Satellite Radio, great Transmission. Black Cherry Metalliac Paint is beautiful.

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  Performance, compfort, and style. - 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Josh Gray - March 25 - 9:46 pm

  The 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix meets all of my expectations, after driving, but not owning, Pontiacs for the past 14 years. I am most pleased with the vehicle. It is full of new features that appear on many of the same class and luxury cars, HUD, Leather seats, sun roof, bose sound system, and now in many GM cars: OnStar. The gas milage is better than they publish at 25.5 city / 33.2 hwy. Perhaps this will lower with time.

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  Good ergonomics - 2005 Pontiac Vibe
  By Rob - March 25 - 2:10 pm

  I originally wanted to replace my 85 Voyager with a new minivan but I would have to spend an additional five grand to own a van vs a Vibe. I drove past a local dealer and took one home to show the family. My wife and two boys climbed in and were surprised at the amount of room inside this neat car.The first thing you notice is that you sit up high giving you fantastic visibility, as well as great ease of entry and exit.The 1.8 liter motor has plenty of power and zips through traffic just fine. It is also amazing how much you can fit inside, fold the seats down all the way,or half way, you can load up for a craft show or major grocery shopping. This is a small car with a big attitude, get one.

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  hurrah - 2004 Pontiac Sunfire
  By juniper - March 25 - 10:00 am

  its great: fast, reliable. i enjoy driving it and it is comfortable. the new design is way cuter than the older models.