Here's my review of VIN 000030, black exterior, sand/steel interior, most every option (no XM and only single CD). There are 700 miles on the car.
I'm 5'7" tall, 160lbs for reference. Mine is a 2nd car and not primary driver.
Exterior:
Paint quality was excellent. I see no orange peel at all and only a couple of very small water spots which probably will come out in next spring's polish. Body panels fit well.
What can I say that hasn't been said about the style of the exterior. Seems like there are curves everywhere on this car that really don't come out in pictures! The road stance is set very wide, that surprised me the first time I saw one on the road. Looks wider than S2000, Miata etc.
I think we've all heard the stories of how people are reacting to this car on the street. Every trip I get a yell from another car, a wave from someone on the street or see someone in my rearview mirror trying to read the label on the back of the car. Kudos to the designers
Interior:
Clean and simple is the theme of the interior and I like it but it has some downsides. For the price point of this car the interior is wonderful. No clutter, dials are very simple to operate, the radio also easy to work with. Gauges are deep motorcycle style and I have no problem reading them from by seating position. Some part of the interior are plastic but they did a pretty good job of adding a textured look to the plastic surfaces to make them look better from a few feet away. The lines of everything inside mimic the curves of the exterior, a very nice look!
The interior feels very roomy for small car. Arms fall right to the center console and side panel of the door. Seat is very comfortable, I've been on couple 2.5 hour trips with no problem.
There are few negatives inside the cabin that seem to bother some people but really aren't too bad in the grand scheme of things considering the price point again. The seat belt is hard to get to when door is shut, it kind of gets trapped behind the seat a bit. It can be pulled out, just needs a little bit of feeling around to get to. Seat back adjustment knob is impossible to get to with door closed so adjust your seat back before you shut the door.
The power window buttons are set little too far back for left hand use but actually work well if you use your right hand instead (across your body, under your other arm). Does make some sense that left hand should stay on wheel and use right hand while not shifting...ok maybe I'm reaching here
In cabin storage is almost non-existent. That's the flip side of a clean minimalist interior I guess. Tough to find any cubby-like storage for sunglasses, cell phone, wallet, garage door opener etc. Be creative, I use the slot between the seat and center console for wallet, sun glasses, cell phone. There is a small pocket along front of seat. I bought a key chain garage door opener which took care of that problem
Driving:
Steering is the BEST! Not so sensitive that a sneeze will make you cross a lane but just enough to react to driver inputs and goes where you point it. Acceleration is fine for normal driving. I'm not a racer but certainly its enough to have fun with. As others have said, gears are nice short throws. Clutch engages at the high end of the range which is fine for me, I learned to put the seat way back and have my leg almost straight out which works great. I agree with those who have said ride feels very solid, doesn't get knocked around with every bump. On the highway again feels real nice and solid.
Exhuast note is great. It's just right for this car. Sometimes I just like to listen to the sound of the engine instead of the radio!
I think Pontiac out did themselves on the performance side of the equation. Kudos to the engineers
Top:
The first week you are a little puzzled but after a week you are pro. Order of operations and few tricks is all you need (see owners tips & tricks thread). 20-30 seconds, kind of fun to do. Love popping the buttresses with the keyfob..very James Bond! Inside it's an unlined top so you do hear some wind noise but heck it's a convertible not a Cadillac.
Trunk:
What can I say that hasn't been said. It's the flip side of the clean look you get with the top down. Trade-offs I guess. I'm really glad they carved out that space in the back under the folded top. It's an extra bonus space that's not accounted for in the specs. Golf bag does fit which is good.
Summary:
Style + Performance + Price = Home Run
Drawbacks = storage
Discussion this review at:
Owner Review - MCEB - VIN #0030