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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  Fun to Drive - 2003 Pontiac Bonneville
  By cneri - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Nice smooth ride, easy handeling.

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  If It Wasnt For the Windows - 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By lmojo - December 15 - 10:00 am

  This has been a great car EXCEPT for the 2 window and now 3 window mechanisms Ive had to replace. Without warning, my windows stopped going up they only went down and stayed there. Now, I trying to decide whether I want to replace another window mechanism or just bou another vehicle!

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  Excellent - 2003 Pontiac Montana
  By Dolores - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive, extremely comfortable, very easy access with dual sliding doors for putting child in and out of vehicle.

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  greatest ride ever - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By pepsiman - December 15 - 10:00 am

  after buying this new beauty, we took a trip to the north and was very pleased at the way the car handled and the comfort was perfect. the 4 cylinder engine handled like a 6 cylinder with alot of pep. a real pleasure to drive and the complements are always coming at the looks..

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  awesome car - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By creynolds4355 - December 15 - 10:00 am

  The car handles awesome and has a sporty look for a sedan, interior is very roomy. After previously owning an SUV the fuel economy seems great. I also got a great price and would recommend this car to both families becasue of the room and to singles due to the sporty design.

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  A Great SUV - 2006 Pontiac Torrent
  By Patch - December 15 - 3:56 am

  This is a great SUV. Its got a lot of interior room for the smaller size. The sound system is nice, but could have more reliable speakers (already broke one). It is not powerful enough to tow more then a little trailer to the dump. The 17" wheels are really nice. Great SUV.

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  Glad I Got It - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By Giselle - December 14 - 6:36 pm

  I had a 2002 Grand Prix which I really liked but was ready to trade in for a newer model, I never expected to walk out with a new G6 instead. I love it! Its got great pick-up, good on gas, feels safe, stylish and I enjoy the panoramic sunroof; however the leather interior makes it really hot.

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  Hapy owner - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By happy owner - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Great car. The only thing I would change are the rear taillights... look like a Neon. The Coupes rear end looks sharp. I wish the 4 door had a similar rear end.

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  Bummer - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By luvmydal - December 13 - 9:20 pm

  I bought my car brand new and was so excited about it. A year into it I started to have problems with it, and continue to, to this day. I own it for 3 years now and am currently out car shopping because I cant take the problems anymore. The car has been in for the same thing about 4-5 times and they can never find what I am describing. For 2 years now it makes a very high-pitched squeak and also creaking from the wheel shaft. We told them to replace, but would not. As I drive straight, take turns, the noises are always there and my passengers hear it, too. The moon roof rattles when open. A part of the seat belt and mirror also brooken.

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  Been a great car for 7 years now - 2003 Pontiac Grand AM
  By ted - December 13 - 10:00 am

  We were shopping for a Honda Accord when we stopped by the GM dealer, we drove away in a brand new Gt Grand Am with all the bells and whistles for $7000 less than a half loaded 4 cyl Accord. I thought i would pay in the end in repairs but this car has been very reliable, we have just over 170k on it now and have never had any major problems, and the car is stupidly cheap to maintain (no timing belt service to worry about)We have had the most trouble with the power windows, maybe its the cold Canadian winters thats hard on the window clips (we replaced ours twice now). The car performs well, gets great fuel economy, and we still get complements on the looks! Overall a good solid car for the price.