I've been the owner of a new fully loaded 2007 envious solstice with automatic transmission for just over one day. I'm really pleased and impresed with it.

I love the growly grumbly sound of the exhaust and the general feel of the car. The motor is a little weak below about 2300 RPM, but once it wakes up it does a geat job and the car launches quickly. The steering is precise and the handling is easy and predictable. Pontiac did a good job on this little car.

The automatic transmission took some time to get used to, and learning to use it's several modes of operation to properly upshift and downshift takes a little time.

I've not been very excited about any car since the 70's, but this car really has rekindled my interest.

Glen

Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll have many miles of smiles, and it sounds like even after just one day, your already on your way to having a perma grin.

Thanks for sharing your first day experiences with us.

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President, West Coast Kappa Car Club

I'm grinning from ear to ear. I've put about 200 miles on it since I took it home Friday afternoon. All of it is "fun" mileage.

This morning I walked by my solstice on the way home from a nearby cafe (which I always walk to in order to have a cup of coffee in the morning) and as I walked by my little car I found myself thinking "why don't I just get in it and drive around fo a while?", so I did, and I took it about 30 miles down a nice winding back road..... fun, fun, fun!

Glen

I purchased a 2006 Demo with 2400 miles on it last week. First of, I love the lines and overall performance. The vechicle is very impressive. I've always wanted a roadster convertible. So, when I saw these I had to have one. It handles quite well especially on turns. The 18 inch wheels give it an advantage over most other competitors. I have the 5 speed manual and its a blast to drive. However, First and Second gear seem a bit short sided if you will. Out on the Highway it runs smooth and I was surprised with the lack of noise coming from outside. The interior is slick and very useful. The sound system is nice and conveinent. I love the fact that the CD player plays MP3's. This cuts down on CD storage. Overall, I'm really glad I made the decison to purcahse one of these. Just in time for the summer. Has anyone drove theirs in the snow? I wonder how they handle in the snow??? Take care all.. ZOOOMMMM !

I just test drove one. I also teste a mustang gt, a fine ,fine car; but fo rpure fun, the solstice gets it. woweeeee what fun!!!!!!!

I have been checking out the Solstice since the car first hit the market, but was discouraged when I discovered it only came in a 4-cylinder. I must say that I fell in love with the car the second I saw one in an advertisement somewhere (probably a beauty shop). I toyed with the idea of actually buying one and spoke with several dealers, went online and "built" my very own Solstice, but never submitted that order. Then, on March 17, 2007, I found and bought a 2007 Solstice in brilliant yellow with black top and interior - it was on the showroom floor of a local dealer. Of course, she has that heavenly body, thus, her name is Celeste. My husband and I have been into Vettes for several years, and we built a 1980 from the ground up. My all time favorite car was a 1996 Vette that I dearly loved, so I was searching for a new toy. Celeste is a beautiful car, so much fun to drive, quite the head turner and just everything I've always wanted in a car. True, she doesn't have the raw power of the V-8 in my Vette, but she has enough pep for any car enthusiast. I love taking her on the windy, curvy roads in Tennessee. She truly is my dream car.

Man I have a 07 sly solstice, I went to buy a Mustang GT, till my wife pointed across the lot to the solstice I had to get a closer look, and then drove it!! and fell in love!! I have had it now for 2 weeks and only be allowed to drive it 2 times thats including the orginial test drive, and I stole it once last saturday,which I had to listen to gruff from the wife about not getting her permission!! Dam Iam thinking of buying another for meeee!!!

I love my car and enjoy driving it. The only thing I wish mine had was an automatic door lock/unlock on the door. Fumbling around with my key fob in the dark has had me hit the trunk by mistake instead of unlocking the door to let in a passenger.

just picked up my new ride monday april 23 sooooooo excited

Oct 6th makes two years with the Solstice, and I just hit 7,000 miles.

Brought her home 10/06/2005, after a 6 month wait.

The Solstice was meant to replace my Bike, got totaled by a blue hair back in 2004.

I never owned a 2 Seater or Convertible, and I never felt the need to own one.

At 49 years old I needed something to do, As my fear of riding again was over.

I found this place right around Christmas 2004, and couldn't beleive all the information you Guys and Gals had on a Car that was yet to be built.

With all your help I did the earlly order thing, watched the Apprentice on April 2005, jumped through all the hoops, found a Dealer, and was told that I couldn't get a car. The Computers didn't recognize my zip code up here in Maine.

Now I know Maine is close to like living on the North Pole, but I was ripped, that I couldn't get a car.

I posted on here and told my dealer to tell G.M. where they could stick their Car. And told them of the only new G.M. car I had ever owned, A brand new 1977 Monte Carlo. The worst pile of junk metal I had ever drivin'.

Never did I want to go through driving another G.M. product after owning that piece of junk.

The very next day after the ordering fiasco, G.M. called to appologize, and I was told that I couldn't get in on the very first 1,000 but it would be close.

I went for it. 6 months later my Aggressive Sol was delivered.

The Dealer was Awesome, The buying experiance had completely changed compared to 1977. I think G.M. learned over the years how to be nice to customers.

The open air of the Solstice was wierd at first, But now I had a 4 wheel bike with a heater.

The Solstice braking was unreal, the handling was perfect. The fit and finish was very nice for a first year G.M. car.

I was impressed. I never owned a car that turned heads like the Solstice. Just yesterday a lady was taking a picture of Christine when I came out of a store. She told me she thought it was a Ferrari

So far I have not had the Clunk, But I did get a small rear leak that G.M. fixed by installing a rubber hose that came off the rear end vent. It is tie wrapped to the gas tank, no more leak.

With 7,000 miles on Her, another problem I have had is the hood rubbing underneath on the paint. I fixed that with a strip of duct tape with a Black electrical tape on top of that.

The shifting is like butter, the clutch is better than a Toyota I used to own. The ride can be a little busy on secondary roads, But for a $21,000 it is no problem. And the Private Party Sale Value is 600 bucks higher 2 years later than what I paid for it Kelly Blue Book)

No water leaks so far, I drove home last Summer in a torrent of hard rain coming home from Bar Harbor. I usually never take the Sol out if it's raining, But I had to get home.

With the top up, no wind noise either. So far so good. Didn't put the top up even once this summer

Got the 3m stick-on hooks for behind the bucket seats, one for each side.
Boy, you can store alot of clothes on those hooks going on a trip!

Got the Wal Mart $9.88 duffle bags to put in the trunk, one for me and one for my wife. They fit perfectly in the rear of the trunk.

For a Trip this car has plenty of room for clothes if you get the 3m hooks and duffle bags.

Installed a Serius Satellite radio in the glove box. Ran the antenna up and under the dash and stuck the little round disc inside on the top of the dash just under the window.
NOTE: sound quality is better through the radio antenna then through the little female plug in the front of the radio? wierd?.

The Air Conditioner works great when it's hot outside top down. Nice to be able to keep cool even in Maine during the Summer, this time of year the Heater is nice top down also.

As many of you know, My Gas Mileage is unreal. Shifting at 2,000 each time provides me with 32-36.7 MPG. But lately I have been having fun at the 4-5,000 rpms. Mileage drops to 26 MPG's but it's alot of fun.

44 Miles Per Hour in 5th gear is my cars SWEET SPOT. I use 93 octane gas now all the time.

Put synthetic Mobil 1 oil at 750 miles, and again at 3,719 miles. I really think it helps with the revs.

The best wax so far has been Black Magic, and Turtle wax Ice.

NOTE: I THINK THE CLEAR COAT ON OUR CARS MAY BE A LITTLE THIN.

I have developed very fine swirl marks over the last 2 years. By Hand, I tried Turtle wax clay bar, and Mothers scratch and swirl remover. Neither did much to remove the swirls.

THE FIX FOR removing the swirl marks: I bought an electric buffer from Wally World, (VERY SLOW SPEED RPM'S,) Then I went to this site for a Video of how to: It has videos for both fine and moderate swirls. http://www.autogeek.net/dual-action-polisher.html

I used Turtle wax Ice Clay first, and followed up with Mothers scratch and swirl mark remover. WOW less work and what a nice job a slow speed buffer can do. Followed up all this with Turtle Ice. I was a little worried if I could ever get the light swirls out, This did the trick!

Black Magic clear wet look for plastic and rubber, works great on the cloth black top also. Just pour it on and saturate the top with a lint free rag. Did the roof one year ago, still looks new.

The Kappasphere Floor mats with the Solstice logo are nice and plush and clean easily. Good supporting vendor with a nice product. Got the Black with Silver lettering.

I can't burn rubber with this car, I tried a couple of times, and I just can't get them to scream, But with the price of tires it's probably best.

I like the cloth seats, very comfortable, and never too hot or too cold when getting into the car.

I use NuFinish on the windshield, Bugs just slide right off.

Regrets: I wish I had gotton the the Monsoon radio, And I will get the chrome wheels someday, they weren't offered when I ordered the car.

Other than that, the car is perfect. It is as much fun today as it was a 2 years ago. I get large Ice Cream Cones for the price of a small, when I drive up with the Solstice.

People still love to admire it, and it's fun to drive.

As fun as a Bike? NOPE! a bike has got it beat for the Adventure of riding.

But with all the Medicated Zombies riding around up here, I think I have a better chance for survival in a car.

Thinking back to early 2005 I could have owned a new Harley Classic Soft Tail for $21,500 But what good is owning a Bike that everytime you ride it your'e in fear?

The Solstice provides an open air ride, with heat and cooling. And to me there just isn't a better looking car out there to be had for $21,400 or even $50,000!

Christine will be going into storage for the long Winter up here in a couple of weeks. Hook up the Shumacher battery tender I got a WalMart for 20 bucks, and cover the rear pipe, and put all four tires on rubber mats. Fill her with 93 octane, stabil, and put dryer sheets all over the engine, inside the car, and trunk.

Being in my garage, I will sit in her with an Oldies C.D. now and then just so she won't get lonely. Every 3-4 weeks I will start her and bring her up to temp. Last winter I skipped starting her for 2 months and she gave me a 5 second rap sound, will start for sure this year.

I hope in 29 years when I'm 80, maybe one of my 2 son's will appreciate taking Christine home with them as much as I did October 6th 2005

I can't praise this car enough! Thanks G.M. and all of you Guys and Gals of the Forum!

Mitch
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Sing along with Mitch Daddyo!

Took delivery Oct, 6th 2005
Presently 9,006 miles. Finally out of storage" See you in Mooseport"
"Note: I do not necessarally agree with every statement made by another author, other than myself, posted for your entertainment.

Same here!

Where can I buy a Hardtop like that ?
Good Luck and God Bless, Bill Ivins

Picked up Shadow (Mysterious N/A) on 5/25/07 and drove her for over two hours. No serious complaints. Just a few observations:

Pros:

1. This much fun is probably illegal somewhere. This car handles great.
2. Plenty of pep - never had a 4-banger with this much gusto.
3. Monsoon system is awesome. I don't want to upgrade a single thing regarding the audio.
4. Power seats are a definite plus and very comfortable for such a low-to-the-ground car.
5. Top is wayyy easy to drop and put up (great for sudden thunderstorms).
6. First time I've ahd OnStar - I love it. No more fumbling for the phone plus emergency help if needed.


Cons:
1. Some fit and finish issues but nothing major (cover behind steering wheel a little off).
2. I wish the front license plate holder was a little lower; it covers up the sweet grille.
3. The Center console could have a change holder or some other little storage area.
4. The display of the radio is hard to see when the sun is shining and the top down.

I've wanted this car since I first saw it online back in '05. Everyone has a car that speaks to them. For some, it's a Mustang, a Chevelle, Charger, 911, Lotus, whatever. For me, it was the Solstice. My wife says that I will be buried in this car! When I'm not driving her, I'm out on the porch looking at her. I get paranoid when I have to park close to other cars. Is this obsessive? Maybe; but what a great obsession to have!

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Computers Rock. My Solstice Rolls! She's called Shadow. Mysterious with Premium package, smoker's, 6 CD & mp3, Monsoon, ONStar, XM, etc.

Since the first day I saw the picture of the Solstice as a concept car, it was love at first sight. I suspected that as with all concept cars, the Solstice would never see the light of day. I was amazed when it arrived.. I thought, “okay okay.. it can’t be that good so I will give it a year”. I did see some bad reviews from “experts” but the customer reviews were all extremely positive. The only complaints? No trunk space and it took a “minute” to put down the top.. WTF? Who cares? The desire deepened. Then I hit the middle-age trifecta, i.e. youngest son graduating from college, about to become a grandfather and just had a birthday. When the body begins to feel a bit older and slower, the desire to wrap it in pretty metal and go fast is overwhelming.

I awoke to a beautiful day Saturday (four days ago) and considered it a sign from God (I live in Michigan and a sunny day on a weekend is a rare event). Who am I to not listen to God? I jumped on the internet, located all of the dealers within a 100 mile radius and scanned the available Solstice’s with the color and features I wanted). One hour later I was on a dealer’s lot looking at a "sly" that seemed to be whispering my name. Okay.. okay.. A test drive won’t hurt.. Just a small test. I was certain I would realize it was a silly fantasy and things would just not be the same as I recalled driving my 76 MGB in my youth.

The dealer throws me the keys and jumps in the passenger side. I start the car.. I feel a tingling in my loins.. I ease out the clutch and cautiously head to the main road. I turn and slowly accelerate.. I shift to 2nd gear. My face distorts into a grin resembling the Joker from Batman. 3rd, 4th and 5th gears come in rapid succession now as the gas pedal repeatedly nears the floor. The salesman is now clutching the armrest tightly. The rest is a blur. I do remember the salesman groaning during a sharp left hand curve. I do remember me groaning when I saw the monthly payments. Devil be damned, she was to be mine.

With the help of Google earth and my trusty TomTom, I succeeded in finding and conquering every winding road within 100 miles of my home over the next three days (for some reason, I had a serious attack of the flu and was unable to go to work on Monday. If my boss is reading this, “trust me, I was home in bed all day.)

Today I am back at work. Tired, sore, sunburned and scalp aching from the hour it took to get the tangles out of my hair this morning; however, I still have the Joker-grin. The car is everything one could hope for and more! The Solstice basically is all of the fun of the MGB of my youth, with absolutely none of the negatives! More to come.