Pontiac Solstice - ! ??

buster · Apr 5, 2005

As many of you probably have read, GM is in trouble. $2,000 on every sticker of every GM car goes to healthcare costs.

The new Pontiac Solstice - $19,995 177hp 2.4L, 18 inch wheels. Question I have is, is it quality or typical GM? Great bargain IMO.

rjundi · Apr 5, 2005

And some believe that centralized healthcare is a bad thing.

JHZR2 · Apr 5, 2005

gm quality - say what you like. Itll be as relaible as a cavalier at least (I know plenty of folks who commute in them daily), and as fun as any convertible short of a BMW.

The only bad thing that GM could do to it would be only sell it with an automatic transmission.

The 2.4L might be a little heavy for the front end - the car doesnt look big. Havent driven it though to tell.

JMH

san123chez · Apr 5, 2005

If you go to the pontiac website, they have some info on it which includes a picture of one with a manual, so no worries there. My question, how does that convertable top work? They have pictures of it up and down, but I can't imagine how it gets from the one to the other, unless its an old style snap on tarp.

buster · Nov 12, 2005

Anyone have this car yet? This car is a great buy IMO. I still can't get over it. Nice looking too!

LTVibe · Nov 12, 2005

Looks like underhood access should be good:

denny2w · Nov 12, 2005

I read where the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky (SAME CAR little different look) are comming off the lines slow. They really want to get these cars right! Avoiding a change for bad PR.

pscholte · Nov 12, 2005

I am glad to see Pontiac pursue this course...now, if they would just, given that they have the grill(s) for it, try to become the American BMW..ja?

Cutehumor · Nov 13, 2005

too bad it only has a 2.4 4 cylinder in it! 177 hp? Car looks sharp! Check out ebay motors, people are selling their spots to buy the car. I heard it was limited production so I don't know how many they are making. 5000 units/yr?

buster · Nov 13, 2005

The Ecotech I think was heavily tested in racing. I'll have to look it up. The power to weight ratio is what makes a car fast. It's not just HP.

Tosh · Nov 13, 2005

So being a couple of hundred pounds heavier than a Miata is not a good start. It does look sharp, though, so I think they'll sell well. Hope they remember their lessons from the Fiero.
Speaking of GM and $2000 per car, I remember when SAAB was spending what worked out to $2000 per car in just advertising.

brianl703 · Nov 13, 2005

The only Ecotec problem I've heard of, when I did extensive Google research on it, is one or two reported cases of timing chain failure.

They were on J-body Cavaliers, which are cars that are more likely to be abused than maintained, IMHO.

Mach5 · Nov 13, 2005

240HP turbo version Solstice GT is coming in 2007.

rpn453 · Nov 13, 2005

It's been getting good reviews. Motor Trend and Car & Driver both picked the Miata over it in comparisons, but just barely.

merlin64 · Nov 13, 2005

I'm not sure finishing second out of two cars in two different mainline reviews is what we can call "good".

Sure, the good news is that it was in second place. The bad news? Second place in both reviews is LAST place!

Oh well, sadly it probably is typical GM until proven otherwise. I would say the jury is still out but the early press is somewhat troubling.

Off topic, but why can't this country produce a world-class 4cyl? Honda, Toyota, and apparantly Mazda have done it for decades.

Sigh.

Win · Nov 13, 2005

-----------

It's been getting good reviews. Motor Trend and Car & Driver both picked the Miata over it in comparisons, but just barely.

------------

My copy of the October 2005 Car and Driver picked the Solstice over the Miata.

Have they since changed their mind?

jtantare · Nov 13, 2005

Do you really want to own a first year GM product?

merlin64 · Nov 13, 2005

"My copy of the October 2005 Car and Driver picked the Solstice over the Miata.

Have they since changed their mind? "

Apparantly they have, my latest issue (recieved Friday) has the Miata solidly over the solstice. This is the issue with the Viper/z06 comparison on the cover. I think it is the December issue?

The "Ecotec" (bad name for a sports car engine BTW) gets slammed for being unrefined and buzzy.

ccs2k1 · Nov 13, 2005

Here's the solution to the Ecotec:

http://www.mallettcars.com/solstice-conversion.htm

brianl703 · Nov 13, 2005

I believe the Ford Duratec 2.5L was referred to as "unrefined" and "buzzy", too.

One of the automotive journalists even referred to it as a "dog that would never stop growling" when it was pushed.

I mean, whatever--you're taking an engine at WOT to redline and you're complaining that it sounds like an engine at WOT at redline?

Is it supposed to hum like a microwave oven under those conditions? (I like the sound that it makes at WOT at redline, and apparently other people do too).

Of course, they neglected to mention that you needn't push it to get any acceleration since it actually has some low-end torque.

So I've come to the conclusion that automotive journalism (if not journalism in general) is a sea of idiotic blather with occasional floating nuggets of wisdom.

Pontiac Solstice - ! ??

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