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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  Nice Car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bean - March 21 - 10:00 am

  My last vehicle was a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I was tired of the ride and the poor mileage. The Grand Prix has been a nice surprise so far. I get lots of comments on how sharp the car looks (red Metallic exterior). The ride is smooth and the mileage accepable (24mpg city/country). Im anxious to see how the car responds in the snow.

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  Steering Wheel Problems - 2005 Pontiac G6
  By Carla - March 20 - 9:53 pm

  My husband and I purchased the g6 gt less than one month ago. It was love at first sight until it was time to parallel park on the streets of New York/New Jersey (which is a must living in the City). After a few left and right turns the wheel suddenly got extremely stiff that it was nearly impossible for my 63" 200 lbs husband to turn the steering wheel any further to park properly. Took the car back to the dealer to have it tested and he found the same problem. He contacted GM about problem waiting for a response since it seem to be a manfacture problem. The dealer also test another car but the wheels were not as stiff.

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  Great Car - 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By ken - March 20 - 2:10 pm

  great looking car, great handling, the 3800 V6 has everything you need, very reliable motor, not a sportier looking car on the road for the money

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  Better Than Expected - 2004 Pontiac Grand AM
  By hank - March 15 - 5:40 pm

  Never thought much of the Grand Am- basic trans. bought it for 50% off sticker price to share with my teenage son. Had it for a year now, its not that bad a car. It handles very well, comfortable yet sporty. fine stereo for stock(monsoon) only real complaint is fuel mileage. only got 19- 20. installed TORNADO device-now ave.22- 23

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  my 2001 bonneville sle - 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
  By w. jones - March 13 - 10:00 am

  At almost 20,000 miles has never been back to dealer for any reason,great car

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  Fun enough, but not impressed - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By AmandaJo88 - March 12 - 4:50 pm

  I bought this car 3/2008 used with 29000 miles but I am starting to worry about problems. My trip odometers reset on their own and a few months ago I noticed rotten egg smell and it started to guzzle gas like no tomorrow (I have to get gas 2x/week when I used to 1x/wk). Burning smell/rotten egg smell with hard acceleration. Sunroof squeaks and interior side panel rattles. However, I do enjoy driving fast and keeping up with all the other "racers" out on the road. But the longer I drive, the slower the car seems to accelerate. Overall its a nice fun car to drive, but doesnt seem as reliable as it should be.

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  Love my Bonneville! - 2002 Pontiac Bonneville
  By lreed - March 11 - 8:13 pm

  I have loved this car since the day I bought it new in July 2002. It has required no major repairs and still runs smooth after 100,000 miles. Regular oil changes are the best investment youll ever make in your car. I only wish Pontiac still made them so I could buy another. Guess Ill have to settle for a G6.

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  OK Car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe
  By wingman - March 11 - 2:43 pm

  Roomy for a smaller car. Has some nice amenities - lots of nice storage areas, regular electrical outlet, fold-flat front passenger seat. Has needed more repairs than Id like. Has had on-going issues with the computer system and sensors going bad. Had to replace the wheel bearings early on. AC is now going bad. Transmission leaves much to be desired - does not perform well at highway speeds. This car works for 2 kids, but 3 car seats will not fit in the back.

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  Pontiac Vibe w/ 148,000 miles - 2003 Pontiac Vibe
  By David Crump - March 8 - 3:43 pm

  The car has worked great for 148,000 miles. I totaled it out 2 weeks ago. I wanted the car to go 250,000 miles. I have had no MAJOR issues with the car. Normally I would see a clutch around 100,000 and new CVC joints around then from other cars I have owned. But no issues with the Vibe. Great Gas mileage, for the price and the cost it is better than the VW jetta TDI. I have had 3 problems with the car: 1. Three of the four door handles broke around 110,000 miles. 2. The transmission bearings went out at 38,000 miles. It would have been covered under there new 100,000 protection plan. 3. The back seat cup holders broke around 50,000 they are just made from cheap plastic.

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  great little car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By rgebo5150 - March 8 - 7:54 am

  Just got my G6 and so far its a good car. Only problems I have so far is my stereo cuts out alot and its just the front speakers that do this and the other is that if Im going 55 mph my rpms are at 3000. Is anyone else seeing this or is it just my little 4 cylinder? That seems high and would get better gas mileage if it was lower. Would love to hear if yours is the same way.