Index of Owner Reviews - Base/NA Solstice

[66cat389]

I purchased my 07 Solstice on 5/16/07 and have had the chance to drive it around for a little over a week, and have so far clocked over 600 miles on it. I love this car, it is the first new car I've ever owned and I could not be happier with my choice. The fact that this car was affordable and a Pontiac makes it all the better in my opinion. I happen to be a die hard Pontiac fan and also own several classic Pontiac's, so I have been waiting for a car like this for quite some time.

After what Pontiac did to the new GTO I had almost given up hope that they could produce something that would draw me to it the way my old Pontiac's do.

How wrong I was.

This car screams style and begs you to drive it, so what else could I do? I had to buy it. And, I happened to get it on the same day I turned 28. Which probably made it the best birthday ever.

Even better than when I finally turned 21 and could legally drink.

But that's a whole other story.

The Good:

The looks: This car is a work of art, the sheet metal on it is perfectly executed and incredibly smooth. I can find no fault at all with the lines on this car.

The seats: They are surprisingly comfortable and just seem to wrap around your body. They feel almost like the car is trying to hug you.
I really like that I can just cruise in around in comfort and enjoy the ride.

The steering wheel: It feels really good in your hands once you get used to it's size.
After driving my classics around for all of these years I've gotten used to their massive steering wheels so going to a smaller one was a slight adjustment for me.
But it feels good and there isn't much to get in the way.

Rear wheel drive: I love rear wheel drive.
I don't have a ton of experience with front wheel drive, but every time I've driven a FWD car it just didn't feel right to me.
So, having the opportunity to own a new RWD car is a huge plus in my eyes.

The top: I never thought I'd hear myself say it.
But I love going topless.... I mean, I love putting the top down, sorry.
The sunburns I've gotten so far have been totally worth it.
But it might be a good idea for Pontiac to include a tube of sunscreen with every Solstice purchase.
Trust me, you'll use every excuse in the book to drive around with the top down.

The handling: anyone that drives a classic car can tell you that unless you make major changes to the suspension you'll always feel a good amount of body roll on fast turns.
The Solstice, on the other hand can carve through corners like they are nothing.
Not even my wife's Buick Regal GS feels as good around the corners, and it's a luxury car. The suspension on the Solstice is perfect for the road and feels like you are literally glued to the pavement.
I had no fear taking an almost 90 degree turn at 60mph the other day.
Although, I wouldn't advise anyone do that on a regular basis.
It's still nice to know that I can if I want to.

Dash lights: The red dash lights are great and fit with the overall style of the car.
I find them really easy to read and are easy on my eyes.
It's nice to see something other than the standard green lights shining back at you from the dash.

Personal Audio Link: All I can say is that it's about damn time that manufactures started including this in cars.
This has been needed feature for cars since the Walkman.
My Zune MP3 player sounds nice and crisp through the audio link.
Who needs XM when you have 5000 songs at your finger tips?

The Dash and Stereo: The controls are really easy to navigate and understand and for the most part can be reached without leaning forward in your seat.

Space: The interior is roomier than you would expect from a roadster, but I also happen to be only 5'8 so I am probably the wrong person to ask.
Please, no short jokes.

Storage: I like the cubby hole between the seats, I usually keep my mints and other miscellaneous but frequently used items there.
And it's nice not to have to reach for the glove box for everything.

The Drive Train: I didn't expect much from 177HP, but the car has some get up and go for what it has.
And the automatic transmission shifts smoothly enough to the point that it isn't a distraction. It climbs the hill on the road from my house pretty quickly and is up to 65 before I hit the top.

The Bad

The Tires: I had the misfortune of driving through rain the other day, and I was not impressed.
The tires do not handle the rain very well at all even at 55mph and I would really hate to think what would happen if I decided to drive it on ice during the winter with this kind of rubber. But the Eagle RS-A's that I had on my wife's Buick weren't that great either so I guess I can't expect much from them.

The Transmission (automatic): The amber light that shows what gear you are in is really hard to see on a sunny day with the top down.
It could be potentially dangerous if your eyes aren't that great and aren't paying attention. I have to get close and squint to see it.


The Trunk release: I wish they would have put the trunk release button somewhere on the drivers side.
Pressing the button in the glove box is a pain if you have a passenger and don't want to smack the glove box door on their knees.

The Trunk: I'm not going to complain about the small amount of space in the trunk.
It's a roadster, not a station wagon.
But, I will make an observation.
Why the hell did they put a emergency trunk release in a trunk almost no normal sized human being could even consider fitting into?

The Antenna: It seems to detract from the overall style of the car, I plan on getting a stubby antenna one of these days.
But it seems like an odd setup for such a smooth looking car.

The Addiction: This car should be classified as a narcotic by the government.
If I'm not driving it. I'm staring at it, and if I'm not staring at it, I'm thinking about it.
And if this continues I might have to get some help for my addiction.

I know allot of people complain about the top, but if you pay attention to what you are doing it is a breeze to put down. The reviews I've read on the web have all complained about this, and it seems like they are making it out to be harder than it actually is.

This is a great car at a good price, and I am happy that Pontiac has finally produced what John Delorean originally tried to achieve with the Banshee in the 60's.

A great roadster worthy of the Pontiac heritage.