I have had my Solstice for only one week but thought it may be good to get my thoughts here. My model is 2006 Base, Manual stick, vehicle had 14,000 miles on it when delivered.
A couple of things I like:
1. Driver position - I am a big man, 6'2 and leg room is great.
2. Third gear - You can wind it out pretty good before shifting to 4th.
3. Braking - Outstanding
4. Cup holders - At least there are some, unlike the Lotus.
5. Handling - THis car handles a corner better than my BMW 325i with mods.
Now the dislikes or let's just say needs improvement:
1. Gauges seem to disappear in any light what so ever. Even dim sunlight makes it impossible to see radio display or computer readings.
2. Flimsy pockets in trunk lost all the cemented molding fastening inserts.
3. A cut away shelf buid into console or dash for putting a pair of sunglasses or maps would have been nice.
4. The Air Conditioning setting from highest setting to the next lower setting is too much decrease in cool temperature. Would be nice to see improvement in a more gratulated adjustment control.
That is it so far. Love it, mean it.
2006 Solstice Deep Manual all the bells and whistles brought home from hospital er dealer 8/25/06 My baby was only 5 minutes old er miles.
Exterior Likes-This vehicle has great lines, definitely a headturner. The chrome rims really make the car. Looks more expensive then it really is. Dislikes- Small trunk space, antennae should be much shorter. Where are the wheel locks? Power/Handling- Likes-177 hp is all you need since this car is light. Well balanced handles great. Smooth ride for a convertible. Dislikes-If you want more power see the GXP. Clunck sound in shifting into 1st. Interior Likes- Comfortable seats, easy to reach stereo, Great sound on the Monsoon system. Nice to see it has 3 cupholders * Dislikes-Interior looks too plastic. Much better look on Sky. Difficult to reach buttons on door, also you must be a contorionist to use rear cupholders* Lack of storage space, i.e. place for cell phone or change. Overall Likes Great looking car and at a great price. Pontiac has got a winner. Disikes Increase trunk space, more user friendly buttons/cupholders throw in a few compartments for misc. and everything else I can live with.
In November it will be 2 years that I have had my Solstice. I love everything about it. I haven't had any problems with it (knock on wood) Still to this day people compliment it. I love that. I tell people, just joking of course, that I love my car more then my husband. LOL well he isn't into cars and I love cars so he thinks I am nuts. I didn't get the monsoon stero and now I wish I did but oh well I can always add to it. I took off the antennae because it was ugly. I don't listen to the radio anyway so I really didn't need it but that was it.
This is the car for me. I hope everyone else enjoys theirs as much as I do
After waiting a whole year (bad dealer), finally got my '08 Sol (Envious, stick shift) three weeks ago and already have almost 1,000 miles on her. Can't believe how many people have told me how much they love the color and the classic sports car lines. Does anyone else feel that the steering is really stiff? Other than that, it's the coolest car I've ever owned (and that includes a '48 MG TC, a '58 Chevy convertible, a '75 Chevy convertible, a '69 Firebird, etc.). Makes driving to and from work so much FUN! Am going to hate to see winter come.
Ordered my Sol in July of '06; just got her in July of '07. Good news is I got an '08 instead of an '07 so OnStar, XM radio, LSD and acoustic top are standard. She has stick shift, power package, convenience package, a/c. All my friends are "Envious". My only concern is the steering which, compared to my Vibe, seems really really really stiff. I took her back to the dealer and they said the power steering fluid is fine. Am I just an old wimp or does anyone else feel the steering could be easier?
Had my Solstice now for 3 weeks and' I LOVE IT!!!! My first car was a
'67 Firebird convertable and it's taken me 35 years to find a car that was that much fun. The Solstice is nothing but fun! We went to a car show last weekend and people were standing in the parking lot looking at our car and ask us questions! My wife wasn't in favor of us gettting this car, but once she got behind the wheel there was no question that she fell in love with it to.
Year - '08
Color - Brazen (Orange. New color for '08s)
5 speed Auto.
Coupe
All power
Tan Top
Interior - Sand/Ebony
XM Radio and Onstar are now standard equipment. Saved us about a $1000 on the sticker.
Live in central Illinois not sure about winter time driving?
Location: Still BellaVerde, But Now In Clayton, NC
I've had Bella for one year now, and have firmed up my impressions.
Good Stuff:
1) The styling is not only beautiful, in my opinion, it is timeless. The car has been sold for 2+ model years now, and they are still a rare sight on the road and an attention getter in the parking lots.
2) I never tire of the handling, even with the stock tires, which I will wear out before I replace. It is more capable than I am, which I know is not saying much, but it is WAY more capable. That's neat.
3) 18,300 miles when I got to the Red Robin in Huntersville, and I have updated the differential and had the dealer put dents in lower bodywork, as well as tried to wrap it around a tree, and she is still my favorite car, ever.
4) I still love the cheap plastice steel/sand interior. AM thrilled to see it is no longer an option!
5) I am still getting unsought input verifying green was the right choice of color for the car, from perfect strangers yet.
6) Very few, very mild mods: debadged the rear, painted the grills to tone them down, had PCM do the ECM, added Robert's windscreen with green backlight. May add wheel guards in body color.
Bad Stuff:
0)
Looking forward to the next year.
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Envious, Lightsidetop, N/A, VIN # 1G2MB35B97Y114344
Omitted XM, manual locks and windows, no Onstar. Oh yeah, Steel/Sand interior. Added K&N filter. Vent tube r/r @ 2850 mi. WindRestrictor added 12/12/06. Added high-tone horn. Painted engine cover. ECM retune 6/8/07. Painted front grilles dk. gray w/green back. Added Vandesign B/U lite covers 12/07. Re-replaced seal due to recall 27570 mi. DDMProBeam added 7/2/08. Envious Emblem overlays.
I just picked up my 08' 2.4 last week and I'm coming from a 91' Miata so I'm fairly happy with the car so far-
Some things that I'm not happy about-
The Trunk
First Gear (either stalls, or spins the tires)
Reverse (what a PITA)
Window Roller-Downers (I'm going to have my left arm shortened and maybe this will help)
The weight
Things that are good IMO-
The suspension (coming from a fully sorted miata suspension the Sol is not bad)
The XM radio- especially here in Dallas where all radio is talk radio
The soft top is miles better than what I had in the miata
The leather seats are vurry comfy
I'm about 50 miles away from the 500 mark so I'll see what I can do with it once it's clear to bang on it a bit. The extra 600 pounds that the Sol carries is definately noticeable and while it's not a deal breaker for me, I do miss the miata in some respects. Being a gearhead I'd really like to see a company come out with a turbo kit that could rival a FMII kit from Flyin Miata in terms of performance, drivabillity, and reliabillity. Those guys put a ton of time and work into making miatas really fast. Everything that I've read about FI kits for the Sol so far has been hit and miss. No offense to anyone, but it just seems like there are too many loose ends to be spending the $5K and not getting the car setup close from the supplier.
All-in-all, I do love the car-so far. I've previously owned some GM vehicles and I'm waiting for the gremlins to pop-up on me. I'll check back at about 1000 miles and we'll see where I'm at then!
The two major complaints I have are;
1) I make the payments and my Wife will not let me drive it. Only joking, she will, sometimes, and when Baby is due for oil, I get to take her to the "Baby Doc" in the mountains for her checkup.
2) "Womwn" HATE my wife in this car in this town. I mean down right hatefull! NO joke, and very rude in parking lots. When women see me, they act like they aren't looking and it's you " ", I should be driving that wahtever it is, not YOU!
No real complaints or problems, just a really neat roadster and fun to drive.
Mine is a 2006, N/A, 5-speed. It was my 48th birthday present to myself on May 26, 2006. For me, it's the Triumph Spitfire I wanted when I was 16 in 1974, but never got.
It is my daily driver, with about 13,000 miles on it. The only problem it has ever had was the diff seal replacement at 2,000 miles. No problems since.
When I first got the car, I planned on doing the usual mods to the ECU, the intake, and exhaust. Long story short, after 18 months, I still haven't done a thing to it. It was never about money; I just kept putting it off... until, one day, I suddenly realized I had gotten used to the throttle response. (!) As someone else said, the engine seems to get smoother and more responsive with the passage of time. I probably won't do anything to it; I'm happy.
Even after a year and a half, the Solstice continues to grow on me day by day. I really do love the car... Yes, it does have enough power, once you know where to find it... You simply have to go looking for it up high in the rpm range... which is fine, since I love shifting and keeping it on the boil, anyway. My only real objection was the lack of throttle response, but now that I'm used to it, I really don't notice it any more. In fact, the throttle response is there, you just have to get used to putting your foot in it... I simply had to learn how to drive the car the way it wants to be driven.
And the sound... I love the sound. Some magazines called the engine's sound "thrashy and unrefined", and they're right, it is... but that's what I like about it. To me, it sounds like sports cars used to sound - assertive; mechanical. You never forget there's an engine under there. And the exhaust bark is just right... kind of Englishy. No, it's no Lotus or Triumph, but close enough for my faded 49-year-old memories of those cars...
I love the handling. Under acceleration in low gear out of tight corners, the rear end steps out just a tiny bit, the car rotates, then it takes a set and digs in... my 350Z didn't do that. It feels great. Mario Junior, here... The steering wheel is just the right size. The shifter is a tad notchy, but it is the right length, and falls to hand just right.
The typical list of magazine complaints don't bother me. The legroom is fine for my 6'4" frame, although if it was two inches less I'd have a problem. Headroom is fine, too; I have an inch of space above my head, even when sitting bolt upright. Trunk space is not a problem; I travel light anyway. Drove it to the beach three times last summer - about six hours - and enjoyed it immensely. The location of the window buttons were another source of magazine complaints; but my hand goes right to them, no problem. Interior storage for small items? Ditto. Got it figured out. Cupholders? They work just fine, even the center ones, which really got a lot of complaints... They don't bother me a bit.
For me, what it boils down to, is that like any tightly focused car, once you get used to its foibles and eccentricities, you just don't notice them any more. You just have to live with the car for awhile, that's all...
Did I mention I just can't stop looking at this thing? I keep getting further and further seduced by her curves... I think my wife is getting jealous... The other night, it was dinner time, and she couldn't find me. Finally she looked in the garage, and there I was, beer in hand, staring blankly at the car...
People walk through our office parking lot all the time, especially during lunch. They glance at my brother's '07 Z06... but they stop and stare at the Solstice...
I know looks don't mean a thing on the racetrack or the autocross course, but as a confirmed aesthete - a lover of beauty - it matters to me very much...
I think my location has a lot to do with why the car's performance works for me. I live in the foothills in the mid-western part of North Carolina. Most of the roads around here are twisty, hilly, 45-mph two-laners, including my commute to work. If you love to shift, as I do, these roads are perfect. Like the MGB, this car is about using its handling and agility to maintain momentum. Any fool can point and squirt a big V8, know what I mean?
But... If I lived somewhere open and flat, like Arizona, Texas, or Montana, I don't think the car would be nearly as satisfying.
To start I have an '06 N/A Mysterious vin. # 372. it's loaded with monsoon and every package, but no XM. I'm 6'-2" about 215 lbs. I'm 45 years. The only mods at this point are: My son painted the calipers red and I swapped out the stock muffler with a flowmaster 40. Planned mods include, adding turbo, changing wheels and tires, adding splash guards, and painting the front/rear facia to match the car (black).
I regularly change my own oil (4,500 miles) with Mobile 1 synthetic. I have had all the recall notices done. I've had the top replaced once (this was in my opinion not necessary, but the dealership said it was the only way to fix the issue: A few inches of seam was unravelling.)
The dealer farmed the top job out, and whoever replaced the top left two dimples at the bottom of each door panel using the wrong lift!!!!
About three months ago, my windshield was totally smashed when my son and I were on the interstate doing about 75 mph, when a hawk took flight right in front of us ... So, I also have an aftermarket windshield.
The latest ... we've had torrential rain here lately and I noticed there were a few drops coming in near the front of each window (driver and passenger) at the same location. Near the front a tower.
Long story short, I took it in to a different dealer, they replaced the window seals with new ones ... no leak. But, and this is an aside, the mechanism they use to determine leaks fell on my car ... and left two very big scratches along the driver side door. (they admitted it, and the car looks new again. Just pissed me off.)
Now for the review:
I've owned MGs, Miatas, and yes even a Fiero, and I've got to say the Soltice is the most exciting of the bunch to drive. I don't mind the tall gear pattern, you get used to it.
I don't drive my solistice like it's a diamond, I drive it everyday, winter, summer, fall, spring... It has handled extremely well in the snow and doesn't seem to hydroplane too bad. (NOTE: I am going to swap out the wheels and tires, just not sure which, yet.)
Like I said, I'm 6'-2'' and I don't have any issues regarding comfort. Plenty of room on the sides, and head and legroom. Besides with the top down, there's plenty of headroom.
If there is an issue, I would probably lump it into the category of no place to set my phone. Oh well.
The shifting is good. A little noise from the diff, but nothing that will drive me nuts. As far as wind noise, hell it's a convertible. That's why I bought the car.
Both kids fight over it as to who gets to drive it to prom. My wife loves to drive it, too. Just wishes it was an automatic. But that's good for me.
The stance is great. The car sits very low to the ground, but doesn't feel or drive like a small car inside. Handling is great. Braking is also very good. Acutally, I think it handles very much like a vette. Not the get up and go, but the steering and overall feel.
The miata felt very much like a go-cart. Not good for any drives longer than a few hours. We've taken this car on all-day trips and we're not fatigued afterwards.
Interior is great. Plasitic yes, but it's a 20K car. Cup holders ... what the hell, if you want to drink, stop somewhere, get out and enjoy the scenery with your diet Pepsi. This car is made for driving.
Leather seats are nice. Actually I like the entire layout of the interior. ONLY ONE complaint: I would like to be able to change the shift knob.
Gas mileage is pretty good. We still get about 28 - 30 miles per on the highway, in town is drops to 22- 24 which is still damn good.
Would I buy this car again? Absolutely. The only caveat would probably be we'd get another color. I wash this car weekly and black does show the dirt.
This is from a 2 solstice owner.Basic and GXP If they could fix there rear end whinning issue they might have a car,but after 3 diff. replacement GM solstice is starting to eat at me that and no resale value at all, a honda civic holds there price better.But the gxp is fast and thats why i bought it ,it just a shame that they all will start whinnig on you before you get 30000 miles on it
To me, it sounds like sports cars used to sound - assertive; mechanical. You never forget there's an engine under there. And the exhaust bark is just right... kind of Englishy. No, it's no Lotus or Triumph, but close enough for my faded 49-year-old memories of those cars... 
using the wrong lift!!!!
My wife loves to drive it, too. Just wishes it was an automatic. But that's good for me.