My wife considered a Solstice before purchasing her 06 MCS. The Pontiac is a great looking car but could not match the MINI in any area. Also, first model year reliability factored into her decision, although minimally.

 

What about the Chrysler Crossfire Convertible? Dad has one (non-SRT-8) and loves it. Very well put together (Mercedes platform), the v-6 isn't too bad, but the SRT-8 would be a blast to drive!! That gets my vote over the Miata and Solstice...

 

Good point

As for the Solstice...nice car, I like it...but it does kinda feel cheap (fyi...the Saturn SKY feels a lot more substantial...completely different interior, etc)

The Miata...hmm, nice, but kinda boring. They dont look all that different than they did 15 years ago.

The S2000....eh, I think they're ugly, really ugly.

The Crossfire is a cool looking car that is a pretty good value (hefty discounting)...I'd take it over a Solstice, Miata, or S2000.

The ultimate winner here is the MCSC though...at about $26k for a stripper, it's a good value and a lot of fun...and you get two extra seats.

 

After having seen the Solstice on the Apprentice and several motoring shows and seen a few on the street I finally saw one at the local dealer so I stopped to check it out. The sales guys was new and he had to ask how to get the hood open. I sat in it and also found the dash to be too high. The hood was very long. The rear hatch opened to stow the roof, but didn't have room for anything but maybe a shaving kit. I am wondering what the lump is that takes up all the space. It is big enough to be a mid engine. He told me they move them fast. I glance at the sticker and they were asking $9,995 in dealer mark up. No thanks! My Mini is pretty fun and it has room for luggage.

http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/P...TrunkTopUp.jpg

 

I think I read somewhere that the lump is the fuel tank


I would go for a Saturn SKY based purely on looks because I couldn't fit in any of these anyway

 

agree, I would go for an Opel GT....I mean a Saturn Sky

 

A 400hp Solstice is like a small Corvette convertible without the high insurance bill: http://www.caranddriver.com/article....ticle_id=10496


Unlike the MCSC, that long hood and rear drive means 505hp is a viable option.

I liked the 4.9L Monster Miata too.

 

Yea...all for just $51,183! I don't think so! Go for the MCS!

-Cody

edit* Wow, that car's pretty quick.

 

My boss ordered a Solstice. They kept pushing back his delivery date because of multiple production issues. He cancelled his order because of all the jerking around he got. That would be enough to scare me away, too.

 

Yesterday 6 of us from my MINI club went to lunch. We left the restaurant and were standing in the parking lot chatting when a dude in a Solstice drives up, slows way down, and checks out all our MINIs. He stopped to talk to a few of us, and it looked like he had a case of MINI envy!

 

I was prepping a MINI run yesterday, and came behind a Solstice on some twisties. He saw me pull up, and started pushing a bit harder. I pushed right back, and we had a good run though some fun hills. It seemed to handle just fine. We weren't going all out mind you, but it seemed like that the Solstice wasn't sweating the twisties at all.

It looked to be a fun ride, and I personally like the look, too. (Wouldn't pay a $10K markup for any car, though.)

-Paul!

 

This is the trunk with the top up!


But what's even scarier is the trunk with the top down!


Yikes! My 75 Fiat Spyder has more room than that! And it's less than $20k (first $1k with a flatbed gets it!)

Matt

 

What a design disaster. How are you supposed to take your other on a weekender in that car?

 

Well, I guess if you had a solstice and needed to cart groceries with the top down, you could just do what kramer did and put them under the hood!

The car is a two seater - people know that going in; you want cargo space, buy something else.

mb

 

With a two seater, I'd think a minimum requirement is room for a sweet passenger, and room for a clothing change, or a nice picnick basket for a nice day out. Having to stuff that crap in the passenger footwell really hits the fun factor for overnight trips.

My Fiat does that (when it's road-worthy), Miatas do that, the Boxter does it, Corvettes do that. Why on earth they didn't do it with this car is really baffling!

Maybe you can get a bottle of wine and a corkscrew....

Another design success from GM!

Matt

 

I've often joked about wanting to take a vacation where all I pack is a bikini and a toothbrush. Perhaps the Solstice is just the vehicle to FORCE me to do it!

 

I'm not sure there's roomm for a full sized one! Small toothpaste tube too!



Matt

 

The hump is the fuel tank. The trunk space sucks, but I believe I could learn to deal with it.

I drove one for about 3 hours. It handled better than my Mini and it rode MUCH better than my Mini, it gobbled up MI freeways much better than the Mini. I attribute the better handling characteristics to RWD (less understeer at the limit and overall a better balanced car). I fit snugly in the car and am 6'2" and 180 lbs. It did feel claustrophobic with the top up. The high dash complaint is just personal preference, some like to feel like they're "in" a car, others would rather be "on" the car.

I thought the Mini got a lot of looks but this took the cake, people were hovering next to me on the freeway to get a look.

While the interior's finish is not as good as the S2000, it is a LOT cheaper than an S2000 and I don't think that it's fair to compare a 32,000 dollar car to a 21,000 dollar car. When the Turbo GXP comes out, it will be faster than an S2000 and still much cheaper (base near 25k).

My advice: Don't knock this car till you drive one, if you can get your hands on one.

 

I also had the high cowl/sitting in a bathtub feeling in the Audi TT roadster. It is not out of character because the old Porsche 356 was that way too even with no engine in front.

The original designer of the Celica said in the 70s that he styled the car with a high beltline because his wife told him it made women feel more safe with all that steel surrounding them. Does that mean these are all intended to be "chick cars?"

 

I agree with Dr Obnxs - I once owned a Fiat X1/9 that had way more trunk space than that. No excuse for not having room for a set of golf clubs or some luggage. I was leaning towards a Solstice for myself until:

 

I'm really really surprised nobody has beaten me to this, but....

I got another option for the original poster:

M Roadster (the Z3 315 HP version)

Runs like a scalded dog, handles well, looks good, well equipped, and it doesn't have to be revved to 7500 rpm just to make a run to the store (although it can if need be). We all have different priorities and tastes, but that's where I'd put my money if I intended to get a sporty convertible.

Rawhyde

 

I like it. It's definately the best effort from Pontiac since the Aztec.

Seriously, I'm just happy GM can build something besides another SUV.

 

Well, guys, I've had 5 Coopers and still have my 05 MCSC but decided I couldn't pass up an opportunity to purchase the Aggressive (Red) Solstice on Valentine's Day of all days. The only similarities between the Cooper and the Solstice is that they have 4 wheels Two totally different driving experiences; two totally different looks. I get about the same amount of looks wherever I go.

As for the twisties, the Solstice seems to take the curves effortlessly; you almost feel like car and driver are as one. I do have the LSD which I'm sure helps when pushing thru the curves. The car is very well balanced in weight distribution. However, the 4 banger is a little "weak" coming out of the box but we all know that can be taken care of With the mods that have been lined up, i.e., KappaSphere CAI, MagnaFlow Dual exit exhaust, Bilstein lowering springs and a Hahn's Turbo, the car will move up in the world of FAST/QUICK.

Cabin space is at a premium for storage but not for the passengers. You will be surpised how much stuff you can creatively fit in the boot with the top down. Sure, forget the large luggage bags but you can improvise for a long weekend for two.

Bottom line...for $26K it's a lot of fun. My MCSC at $32K is a lot of fun, too. So which one do I drive, today? I'm taking the Solstice to The Dragon today for a little workout...

 

My opinion is that the solstice is another fine example why GM is going under.

7 years after the PT they finally come to market with a retro coupe and it is not better than the competition in any notable way. And 15 years after the miata broke ground and became a hit...They finnaly manage to get a car to market and again it is not better than the miata in any category! The miata is faster, has more room gets better gas milage and you can count on a better resale value than a pontiac!

So my opinion of HHR or solstice owners intelligence is not high, I laugh at these GM die-hard who continue to ignore that GM's motto is .....We strive for mediocrity!"

 

Don't you think insulting the intelligence of someone who buys something you don't like is a bit extreme? I think the Solstice, and even more so, the Saturn Sky, are nice looking cars that GM, or any company, should be proud to produce and that I would be proud to own. If you think that makes me, "less intelligent", then I'd say you've got a problem.