5 Of The Cheapest Reliable Pontiacs You Can Still Get Today
General Motors introduced Pontiac cars in the 1920s as an affordable alternative to the company's Oakland brand. Despite being launched as a lower-cost option, Pontiac's impressive cars quickly overtook Oakland models in popularity. Pontiac soon became a household name, and the brand developed several models over the years that left a lasting impact on American automotive culture. For instance, the Pontiac Gran Turismo Omologato, aka GTO, which was introduced in 1964 and discontinued in 2006, is considered the first all-American muscle car. The legendary Firebird 400, which was introduced in 1967, was another car that further cemented the brand's legacy in the automotive world, thanks to all the performance upgrades it was designed with.
While the brand had multiple successes with its automotive offerings over the decades, Pontiac began losing its footing in the early aughts. The 2008 financial crisis caused parent company General Motors to make difficult decisions on the business front, and one of these was to discontinue the Pontiac brand. Although Pontiac cars were discontinued in 2009, the brand's legacy continues to draw automobile enthusiasts to the more reliable models out there. While Pontiac cars like the Aztek were a failure from the get-go, the brand produced numerous quality cars that are still available in the used car market at a reasonable price. If you're looking to buy one of these vehicles, here are some of the most affordable yet reliable Pontiac models available today.
2009 Pontiac Vibe
If you're in the market for a sporty wagon-like car, the Pontiac Vibe, which was redesigned for the 2009 model year, is worth considering. It shares its mechanical components and interiors with the Toyota Matrix, ensuring a certain level of quality and reliability that is associated with the brand. Other changes to its appearance include a new front-end styling, a headlight design, and a restyled bumper. The SUV is available in three trims — base, GT, and AWD.
All trims except the base variant get a new engine — a high-torque 2.4-liter four-cylinder that produces 158 hp and offers enough power for both highway cruising and city driving. The base trim retains the 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, which produces 132 hp. While not as powerful, the smaller engine is likely to offer more fuel efficiency. Except for the AWD, the trims get a five-speed manual transmission as standard. The AWD has a four-speed automatic.
The interior is well-designed, but the GT trim comes with a more comfortable and plush interior compared to the other trims. The controls are intuitive and easy to use, and you get a good amount of cargo space with this model. The best part is that you can fold down the rear and front passenger seats to make more room. While this car does not break new ground in terms of what it offers, it "offers sensible transportation and enough room to pack a substantial amount of stuff without breaking your budget," as a Cars.com review puts it. If you're interested in purchasing this model, expect to pay anywhere between $4,000 and $6,000 in the used car market.
2008 Pontiac G6
Introduced in 2005, the mid-size Pontiac G6 received a new trim, the GXP, for this model year. The model comes in three body style variants – a sedan, a coupe, and a convertible. The base trims of the sedan are fitted with a standard four-cylinder engine that offers excellent fuel economy, while the GT trim has a 3.5-liter V-6 that offers sufficient pulling power. The GXP comes with a DOHC 3.6-liter V-6 engine, which offers the best performance. The coupe is offered in just the GT and GXP trims, while the GXP is the only trim option available for the convertible.
The G6 is a good-looking car with a clean design. Many even consider the GXP to be among the coolest-looking Pontiacs ever made. The interior is comfortable, but the standout feature is the ample legroom and the larger-than-average rear doors, both thanks to the long wheelbase. The model features automatic transmission across all variants, with the GXP trim boasting a six-speed automatic transmission.
Save for the convertible styles, safety features include six standard airbags, anti-lock brakes, and traction control. One of the limitations of the model, however, is its ride and handling, which a Car and Driver review notes are "only average." That said, the review highlights that "the GXP models offer a lot of bang for the buck, and the convertible is one of the cheapest and most elegant four-place convertibles on the market." 2008 G6 models are available in the used car market for upwards of $3,500, but be prepared to shell out more money for the GXP trim.
[Featured image by MercurySable99 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED]
2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
The mid-size Pontiac Grand Prix sedan underwent a redesign in 2004. As a result, the 2006 model boasts a better cockpit design, easier handling, and more sophisticated engine choices. The base trim comes with a 3.8-liter V-6 engine as standard, while the GT variant has a supercharged engine that produces 260 hp. The GXP trim is fitted with a huge 5.3-liter V-8 that produces 303 hp. Given this, if performance is your concern, you're best off opting for the GXP trim. All trims come with a four-speed automatic transmission.
While the exterior offers nothing to complain about, the interior can seem lackluster in comparison to competitor models. An Edmunds review notes that the interior materials and build quality are mediocre at best, and the foldable backseat can feel a little cramped. Despite this, the ride quality is comfortable, and the big trunk and easy-to-use controls make this car a decent choice. While prices can vary widely based on the trim, you can expect to pay upwards of $3,000 for this model. The GXP trim around this price, in particular, offers excellent value.
2009 Pontiac Torrent
The Pontiac Torrent is a solid choice if cabin space is a priority for you. Although it's a larger vehicle, keep in mind that the Torrent is best suited to city driving conditions, given its minimal ground clearance. It's available in two trims — the base variant and the GXP. The base trim is fitted with a 3.4-liter V-6 that produces 185 horsepower, while the GXP produces more power with its 3.6-liter V-6 that makes 264 hp.
The interior is smartly designed with a foldable front passenger seat and an adjustable rear seat that can provide more legroom when moved backward and more cargo space when moved forward. The quality of the materials used in the interior, however, is underwhelming. The SUV has a 3,500-pound towing capacity, which makes it versatile enough to be used for more than just daily commuting.
A number of safety features, including traction control, side curtain airbags, and antilock disc brakes, come as standard with this model. Although the Torrent offers smooth ride quality, one thing you'll need to be mindful of is that it offers lower fuel economy than comparable models on the market. Still, if you're considering purchasing this SUV for its impressive design and high crash-test scores, be prepared to shell out between $3,500 and $5,500.
2005 Pontiac Bonneville
Pontiac has used the Bonneville name since the '50s, and the 1957 Pontiac Bonneville was one of the most iconic cars ever produced by the brand. The last Bonneville was launched in 2005, after which the line was permanently discontinued by Pontiac.
The 2005 model comes in three trims — the SE and the SLE, which are fitted with a 3.8-liter V-6 that produces 205 hp, and the GXP, which is fitted with a 4.6-liter V-8 that produces 275 hp. The car offers a pretty powerful ride quality and feel. A Cars.com review even notes that the Bonneville's "V-6 delivers such strong performance, there's little need for a larger engine." All three trims come with a four-speed automatic transmission system.
Being a larger sedan, the Bonneville offers plenty of interior space, which is one of the highlights of this model. The build quality and the interior materials, however, could have been better. The car has a stylish exterior, with cat-eye headlights and a sporty twin-port grille. All trims from this model year have antilock brakes as standard. The side-impact airbags are standard in the GXP trim but optional with the others. A limitation with new Bonnevilles was their poor resale value, but that isn't a concern when you're buying this model used because you might, in fact, come across cars that offer excellent value. If you're considering purchasing this car, expect to pay anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000.