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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  Grand Am GT - 2001 Pontiac Grand AM
  By jdub85 - February 26 - 10:00 am

  I really enjoy my car. Its fun to drive and has a decent amount of power for your money. I did however have some problems with it in the beginning. Everytime I turned on my blinker it continued to click like 3 or 4 more times after it was off. I had the dealership do something with the wiring now its never made a sound since. My only other problem was the it had a little trouble turning over when I started the engine. Then I had the dealership upload a hard start program on to my cars computer and it now starts much better. The car is still on the plus side and fun to drive just a few things needed to be fixed.

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  A Minivan Im not embarrased by - 2002 Pontiac Montana
  By JohnB - February 25 - 12:33 am

  My wife and I always vowed we would never buy a minivan, however when our SUV was starting to die we couldnt deny the mileage advantages of a minivan. The Montana has been great, 2 tone black with leather, lots of options and fun to drive. Plus it has been rock solid reliable.

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  G6 GTP - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By dmo4cwo - February 20 - 11:33 pm

  Approx 3k miles as of Aug 2006. At 300 miles, had oil leak. Dealer replaced rear engine seal. Multiple paint issues. Black paint did not cover primer and was very transparent on deck lid. Paint is very thin on this vehicle. Being in the auto repair business, I know what to look for and honestly feel GM could have done a better refinishing job on this vehicle.

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  Great Economical SUV - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By Ttoro - February 18 - 2:00 am

  Low maintenance SUV, very confortable and very well thought.

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  Great car - 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By bigmatt87 - February 17 - 9:55 am

  so theres a lot of stuff that goes wrong with this car. coolant elbow under alternator goes bad, blower motor only works on 5, and some other little quirks. but thats not where i want to go with this review. This is a SOLID CAR. i beat the crap out of my car for 8 years. from 118k to 212k miles i drive it hard. always changed the oil. the only thing that happened is 3rd gear stopped working. and honestly im surprised it lasted as long as it did with all the burnouts and snow doughnuts i did.

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  Very good and fun car - 2005 Pontiac Sunfire
  By Max - February 11 - 9:33 pm

  This is my 3rd Sunbird/Sunfire, 1st bought new. Very satisfied! 25-28mpg. No mechanical problems at all at 27k miles. Only issue was with bodywork as trunklid twice would not close. Dealer fixed promptly. VG performance from 2.2L engine. Styling still attractive after 4 yrs, beats the G5 handsdown. Dropdown rear seatbacks have allowed me to carry much more than you may think! And yep, cupholders location stink! Kept car simple with base model, no power windows or locks so no problem there. Very good sound system. Normal maintenance. Oil and filters every 3000 miles. Original tires about halfway to replacement

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  Sharp car... good performance, handling - 2002 Pontiac Grand AM
  By skytech - February 8 - 11:53 pm

  Bought this car with 30K on it. Loved the styling better than previous model years. Generally I have been satsfied with the reliablity, performance and handling. I have driven 37K since I bought it. It has good acceleration (fuel economy has been 17 city to 26 highway MPG). It takes a bit of experience to get the most from the 3.4 V6 power band. The automatic shifts nicely but it is a basic style and leaves something to be desired. I wished I had looked for a 5 speed manual. Seats are comfortable but a bit wide to hug my slim build (Im 511", 168lbs.). Cornering is nice but a Corvette it is not. driver power window broke once (common so I hear). Cold engine ticks slightly but quiets.

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  Practicle - 2009 Pontiac Vibe
  By Sam H - February 8 - 6:33 pm

  This car does a little bit of every thing. I can haul a trailer, put the seats down, seat 4 adults 6 ft or taller and get good mileage. This car does it all. Pluses include room, ceiling height, get up and go, mileage and style. The biggest negative is road noise, just turn up the XM radio. 17,000 miles after a year and 2 months of ownership, just change the oil and rotate tires. MPG is 28-30 with mixed driving with quiet engine. The seats are comfortable and fit taller people well Iam 6.1 and can wear a hat.

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  My dream car - 2008 Pontiac G6
  By Ann - February 8 - 12:06 am

  Fell in love with this car from the day I saw it. I did hear many complaints regarding the sunroof and water leaking from it, so I decided to go for the 2008 Coupe GT model. Ive had it for 1 month and totally love the way it drives. It has an amazing power and its very appealing. Ive had people come to ask me what kind of car it is. Therere not too many G6 coupes here in FL, so its head- turner everywhere I go. It motivates me to go anywhere!

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  Dependable transportaion - 1998 Pontiac Grand AM
  By Mr. Jones - February 7 - 10:00 am

  Purchased new in May 98. delivered with zero defects. a couple of minor problems in first 5000 miles,(cruise control switch and a plugged injector) both fixed right the first time under warranty. No further problems until 40000 miles, fuel rail was leaking and replaced. Replaced front brake pads at 42000 miles (lot of city driving) but other than than no problems, a fun to drive car that give good fuel economy and good road handling. A strict maintenance schedule is adhered to and car is always kept in good mechanical condition.Nothing fancy but just good wife car.