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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  Silver GTP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Richm4 - January 21 - 10:00 am

  After considering the ES300, Accord and CTS, I bought the GTP minus Comp-G. Great exterior styling, power an handling, BUT it is a bit rough riding for my tastes. Nice leather seats and the interior materials are an improvement over the prior generation Grand Prix which I had owned.

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  My first Car - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Melissa - January 21 - 8:10 am

  My parents bought this car for themselves in 2003. I started driving a yr later. They let me drive it. At first no problems. But then The battery kept dying. The motorized lift in the seat stopped working and the passenger seat no longer tilted forward or backwards. The display died the stereo and the coolant tank had a slow leak. When involved in a low impact crash in a parking lot where both cars were barely moving (not my fault) the driver side rear panel crumbled and the light shattered. No very strong.

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  GTO a GO! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By FatheadCrash - January 19 - 5:10 am

  My experience with my 05 GTO is one word... AMAZING!!! it is the most fun car I could of ever hoped to own. I am the envy and focal point of the road wherever I go. A stock 400 hp and trq... oh yea... a 6.0 pushrod... 30 lbs lighter than a mustang GTs 4.6... it isnt even a side by side comparison. its faster than the new challenger SRT8, charger, and keeps up with a shelby gt 500 for half the price.the exterior styling is captivating, the interior sporty, comfortable, and bold. the original muscle car was a gto... and the legend lives on!

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  Awesome car. - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By cbeck3 - January 18 - 7:45 pm

  I love my car, but Ive had problems with the PassKey system - still looking for a way to disable that completely. Also, Im not a fan of the Monsoon sound system. In spite of all that, my car is great. Its very quick and plenty fast - although the 150mph speedometer is tempting. Its a great looking car; Ive received lots of complements. All in all, its a great car for the money.

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  Always been a GM guy - 2004 Pontiac Bonneville
  By shakenbake88 - January 18 - 6:46 pm

  IMHO i would stay away from these cars as they are nothing but an electrical nightmare. The car is less then 9 years old and have spent ridiculous amounts of coin on it. The computer was replaced, and programed by dealer, with less then 120,000 km. and i still have the engine light going off. Dropped the transmission with less then 160, 000 mostly highway kms. Cracked the plastic plentum on the the engine with just over 130, 000km. Who thought of that, plastic on top of a hot engine! The design flaws are endless.

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  2004 GTO - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By brereton - January 18 - 6:06 am

  A well built car with outstanding performance. Competitive with much more expensive cars.

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  last of the great ones - 2009 Pontiac G8
  By Ringo1 - January 17 - 11:50 pm

  I love the 2009 G8 GT that I recently purchased. Hot White with Onyx/Red cloth interior. One of the few early GTs built with leather delete and Onyx/Red interior. Im asked questions all the time about the car. People cant believe that Pontiac was making such a great car, way under the radar. Try to find a four door sedan with a big V8, 6 speed auto trans. and RWD for under 35k. For those who complain about the overall fuel economy, remember that no one twisted your arm to buy a performance car. Cant have the ponies without having to feed them too. The G8 GTs and GXPs are the final chapter in a long line of fine cars. If Pontiac had to go, at least they went out with a bang!!

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  A Nice Car - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By FA - January 17 - 10:10 pm

  I bought my Grand Prix GTP with about 34K miles on it. Its been a fun & very sporty car to drive. The GTP feature resulted in me paying a surcharge in my car insurance though. I guess they thought Id drive like a race car driver. The car has great pick-up & allows you to move through traffic well. To my surprise the fuel economy has been great as I do lots of hwy driving. Im at 82K, so little things are starting need repair. Most of the repairs to date include front- wheel ballbearings, breaks, replacement of a tail light cover ($$$) & fog light ($$$), a valve in the transmission ($900), & a water leak under the dash. The water issue made me crazy, but overall I really enjoyed the car

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  great car - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Ron - January 17 - 9:46 am

  tight car, made well, great to drive. the radio is the worst thing about the car, the radio doesnt come in very well, but I guess no one purchased this car for the radio.

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  Im never looking at another Pontiac. - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By never buy pontiac - January 17 - 2:43 am

  I got my G6 in May 2008. Complained about the brakes up the first two weeks of me buying the car. (7000 mi @ purchase) I have been to the shop complaining about brake numerous times! The car is always ticking and making a squeaky noise. I have no clue what it is. The check engine light has came on a few times. I want to get rid of this! Sticking with Honda and Nissan from now on! I would never buy another G6 or suggest that anyone else does!!