Noob thinkinging about buying a Solstice, requesting advice

[RandomIn707]

Hello everyone,

This looks like an informative and friendly forum. This is my first post. I am thinking about buying a Solstice. So, here I am.

I absolutely love the look of the Solstice. But, I have a few practical questions...

1.) What is their reliability like? I have owned a Miata and a Del Sol, both of which of on the highly reliable side. How frequently does a Solstice need repair and what are the costs like (relative to other cars)?

2.) The particular Solstice I am thinking of has 46K miles. It's a 2006 in grey and I can get it for $12K. How's that sound?

3.) Does a 2006 have any particular issues I should know about? Is 46K miles still relatively low for this vehicle?

4.) Might a Solstice be good for 200,000 miles or more with preventative maintenance?

I would plan to drive this vehicle frequently. Thus all my questions about reliability and maintenance costs. I live in California, so it's usually convertible friendly. I realize this isn't a Honda Civic, but I am just curious about where on the spectrum maintenance costs and reliability fall. I am not looking for a money pit.

Thanks

[mbfesta2009]

Welcome and I will try my best to answer your questions.

Originally Posted by RandomIn707 1.) What is their reliability like? I have owned a Miata and a Del Sol, both of which of on the highly reliable side. How frequently does a Solstice need repair and what are the costs like (relative to other cars)?

I have owned quite a few cars myself and this is my third ECOTEC motor. I can tell you I have had no problems with any of mine, and the entire car itself has been wonderful to me. With that said I know people have had issues in the past with the cars but over all beleive they are very reliable. There are a few recalls out that affect the 2006 model just make sure they have all been taken care of.

Originally Posted by RandomIn707 2.) The particular Solstice I am thinking of has 46K miles. It's a 2006 in grey and I can get it for $12K. How's that sound?

I don't know any other details about the car since you only state California, 46K, Grey, and 2006. But based on those details the average value for that car is as follows:

Poor Trade-In: $13,100
Average Trade-In: $14,400
Clean Trade-In: $15,450
Average Retail: $18,000

So I would say yes $12,000 is an excellent deal. Since it is a 2006 if you found this at a dealer make sure you get it CPO so you can carry the remainder of the 5 year/100,000 mile warranty.

Originally Posted by RandomIn707 3.) Does a 2006 have any particular issues I should knowe about? Is 46K miles still relatively low for this vehicle?

No particular issues i am aware of but make sure the get a carfax on the car to ensure it is a clean title. Don't end up with one of the lemons people are getting rid of.

Originally Posted by RandomIn707 4.) Might a Solstice be good for 200,000 miles or more with preventative maintenance?

I don't know who has the most miles on the car but again with the ECOTEC motor I took my first 2002 ECOTEC up to 280,000 miles before selling the car to my brother. I'm sure the current models are much improved and I have no doubt to be able to acheive similar mileage.

Originally Posted by RandomIn707 I would plan to drive this vehicle frequently. Thus all my questions about reliability and maintenance costs. I live in California, so it's usually convertible friendly. I realize this isn't a Honda Civic, but I am just curious about where on the spectrum maintenance costs and reliability fall. I am not looking for a money pit.

With that said I change my oil when the light comes on, about every 6,500 miles are so. I drive my car hard have had it since 2007 and love it every day. It is a daily driver. I do have 25,000 miles on it. And my maintenance is just putting in fuel and changing the oil.

[RandomIn707]

Thanks for the response. It's very much appreciated.

The car is being sold by a private party. She's the original owner. She says she has had no issues other than the rear differential (which she says was replaced under warranty).

Are there other issues for a 2006 that I should ask about?

Also, she says the warranty on the car is 5 years/72K miles. I keep reading here that it's 100K miles. Were there different warranties available?

Thanks

[RandomIn707]

Here are some details...


She says it was her commute car and reason for selling is she needs a bigger car to take her son and his gear to sporting events. The commute would explain the higher miles.

2006
mileage 49.5K (I thought mistakenly said 46)
VIN : 1G2MB33B76Y107135
Stock # : nfp53
Color : Sly (grey)
Trans : Manual

All dealer service, records available; garaged.
Transferrable extended GM Major Guard warranty (72 month/72000 miles).
XM satellite radio, AM/FM/CD changer/MP3 audio with premium sound.
Features/Equipment:
Air Conditioning
Leather Seats
Power Windows
Alloy Wheels
Passenger Air Bag
Rear Window Defroster
Anti-Lock Brakes
Power Door Locks
Power Mirrors
Cruise Control
Tilt Wheel
Driver Air Bag
Power Steering
Premium Wheels
Multi Disk Changer
Premium Sound
Stability Control
Traction Control

[Aspenrose]

'06s were 3 years/36,000, sounds like she bought an extended, so make sure that it's transferable. 100k standard warranties didn't start till 07.

[bradyb]

46,000 miles is plenty of time for all the bugs to get worked out.
Did the interior hold up well? I would only be worrying about the interior wear, the door handles come off occasionally and the driver seat sags sometimes.

I love mine, first year has come and gone with no problems.

Make sure you park away from other cars, the hydraformed body panels do not take dings well.

[dallas32822]

I have a 2006 Sly base model (manual trans) with 14k miles (bought it this year @ 7k, & put 7k on it since). The only problem i've had with mine is the differential, and most recently, actually today for the first time, the radio control buttons on the steering wheel started acting erratic, when i push volume up, the presets would change, etc.

Other than that, ive had no problems. However, i recently got the chance to drive a GXP, and there is a world of difference in power. So if you dont mind the lack of power, its a good reliable car. So far!

[cooler2442]

Make sure its not salvage title because even for california 12k seems pretty low. Lowest iv seen on craigslist is 15k for an 06 and even that one had a small dent on the front. So run a carfax.

[SCISOLSTICE]

12K is a very good price with those miles. Have it checked out by your mechanic. By the way you enjoy it. Remember it's a toy not a family car.

[PubliusE]

Originally Posted by Filipp Make sure its not salvage title because even for california 12k seems pretty low. Lowest iv seen on craigslist is 15k for an 06 and even that one had a small dent on the front. So run a carfax.

I just traded my 2006 with less than 7500 miles on it.

[King-Oka]

I have a 2006. Seems to me the mileage is pretty high on the car in question. I've got about half that on mine, but don't drive it in the winter.

The 12,000 dollar sticker is pretty god pricing, and probably accurately reflects the higher mileage, and recent downturn in the economy. If you can afford it, I would say go for it. If it's a stretch, don't make a move until the stock market stuff is resolved. You may regret it.

[bigblau]

Test drive it. If you like it then go for it. You can't go wrong for $12K. Leaves you plenty of room for spending on mods. You'll have a blast!

[chuckdoc]

I would spend a little more and buy a 2007 for the 100,000 mile warranty. It sounds like money is an issue for you so my advice would be "do not do it"

Do not get me wrong. I use my for a daily commuter and have really not had many problems but money is not an object for me.

If I am correct. Buy a Toyota or a Honda, the cheapest low mileage with a warranty you can find. You will not be able to afford repairs after the extended warranty goes out.

For me, this is a fun car. A toy that is a blast to own but not a car for someone with a financial squeeze or the only car that you own. Just waiting for parts even if you have a warranty can wreck your plans.

Good luck either way

Chuck

[rob the elder]

12k is an excellent price for a good car

06s being first year cars had some teething problems. Check the top for wear at the hinge in the middle over the windows. They had some with problems with alignment of the top and wear through tearing problems.

Check to see that the differential was recalled and is not making noise.

Not knowing your driving style or needs, I personally would recommend a GXP every time over an N/A. The GXP gets you a ton more HP for basically the same cost of ownership and will have a higher resale value. We run a lot of turbo cars in our club and have to wait constantly for the NAs to catch up. But we are in Colorado and running at 6k feet and up.

With proper maintenance there is no reason that the platform should not last forever. The motor is built like a tank. The transmission comes from a pickup truck and is designed for twice the shock loading and usually carries around twice the mass. The rear end had some challenges, mostly related to the venting and maintenance but it appears that those problems have been taken care of well by GM. The early tops had some problems if not properly aligned with wear at the windows, plastic parts failing that are replaced with metal parts, and the hinge points slicing through the top. However if you look at the top on the car you are thinking of buying and it has no sign of excesive wear then it would be safe to assume that the top is ok as most were.

The bottom seat foam material has a tendency to break down rather quickly so if the drivers seat bottom is saggy ask if she has had the seat foam replacement done or not.

The front inner fender pastic material on most 06 & 07 cars is buckled and cracked. The dealer will replace them under warranty if asked.

There is a known instance of clunk or chattering sound that sounds like its coming from behind the driver on the left over your sholder. On some cars (like mine) the two plastic parts that form the rear of the cockpit are not properly aligned at the seat belt exit guide and this can result in the above sound when hitting bumps on the road. Its annoying at first but is easily fixed by the dealer.

The front cup holders are very problematic. If you ALWAYS open it from the front with the little finger tab they work OK most of the time but generally if you use it a lot it will break. I have two Kappas and both have failed. My GXP no longer has one because the black ring that holds in the cup fell off on the floor. I have read that there is a redesigned part and the dealers will replace it for you.

The side windows are adjustable for tilt and height so if you get excessive wind noise (whisteling) from either side window you can get this adjusted by the dealer.

On some cars the trunk lid does not like to open more than about a quarter inch because of the torsion rods being less than stellar. People with this problem generally learn to live with it or install "helper" springs from Costco. I have done the latter and no longer have trunk envy with my wife's Sky.

There is a nice list of tech orders on the forum that would be worth scanning that covers most of the problems that have been identified.

Also, you need to be prepared for all the attention you will get. I get stopped all the time by people wanting to know what kind of car it is. When I go to the store, before I can get out of the car, two people walking into the store have to say "wow I like your car". Old guys (like me) will drive up next to me at a stop light and ask "what kind of car is that? and where can I get one?"

Its a whole new experience

[RandomIn707]

Thanks. I'm not in a situation where I am financially stretched. I do have two other vehicles (without payments).

However, I am not rich either and I am used to reliable vehicles. So, I just wanted a general sense of what I am getting into.

Right or wrong, the general perception is that American car quality is poor compared to Japanese vehicles (my other vehicles are a Toyota truck and a sporty/commuter Honda). Now, this perception may be flawed, but it is a general pereception most people have.

I would be paying cash for a Solstice. But, that doesn't mean I want something that becomes a money pit or has 3 times the maintenance demands and half the reliability of a Miata.

I also am practical.

If I bought a Solstice I would see myself driving it 15-20K miles a year and want to know if it's up to the challenge. I live in California and there are many fair weather days here that make driving a convertible inviting.

Originally Posted by chuckdoc I would spend a little more and buy a 2007 for the 100,000 mile warranty. It sounds like money is an issue for you so my advice would be "do not do it" Do not get me wrong. I use my for a daily commuter and have really not had many problems but money is not an object for me. If I am correct. Buy a Toyota or a Honda, the cheapest low mileage with a warranty you can find. You will not be able to afford repairs after the extended warranty goes out. For me, this is a fun car. A toy that is a blast to own but not a car for someone with a financial squeeze or the only car that you own. Just waiting for parts even if you have a warranty can wreck your plans. Good luck either way Chuck