[Hugh]

Has anyone seen anything on interior dimensions. The Mazda is a really small car that I DO NOT fit in. I'm wondering if Pontiac is aware of the demographics of the American public? People are not getting smaller just because the cars are!

 

[mceb]

Don't think they've released that yet. I'm guessing this time next year the full specs will be out.

 

[Duane]

Will It Fit?

G.M. is making a big mistake if they do not provide sufficient legroom (and hip & shoulder room) for us NORMAL size men of 6'2" or so. I would have purchased a Miata long ago if not for this shortcoming (pun). There are a LOT of us big people that do not want to always be relegated to a sedan. Please Pontiac, accommodate us.

 

[padgett]

Hopefully GM learned from the mistakes on the Reatta. Part of the cost cutting was to use the seats/platforms directly from the Riviera. The result was that even at 5'10" and a preferred reclining position I had to modify the seats in mine (which has a sunroof) to keep my hair from brushing the headliner.

 

[AeroDave]

I agree, when I travel I often rent Miatas and even at 5'11" I find myself ducking to look under the windshield frame. Reclining the seat back doesn't really work for me either. I hope they can work that out.

 

[Hugh]

Good input from all.. I'm 6'-2" and the Miata is a waste of my time, and the newer Mustangs, they were designed for a women 5'-9" or less. However the old MGB-GT had plenty of leg, and head room especially if you "moved" the seat relative to it's tracks. Why can't the auto makers realze that there missing the boat if we tall people can't fit in their product. :confused

 

[Kael]

tootall sent me this priovate message:
<begin>
Hey Kael, tell me more about the interior of the Solstice. I think this is a beautiful car. I have always wanted a small covertable, but I'm also 6'3" and can't find one to fit. My knees are always pressed against the steering wheel, or my size 16 feet wont allow me to work the pedals, and I love a good manual...how did the shifter feel? I had a BMw with a 5 speed and it was the greatest I've ever had the pleasure of driving. Anything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated!
<end>
since I actually got to sit in it.
okay, I am 6 foot 3, a pretty big american guy, bench press a volkswagen yadda yadda. okay, so in another post i mentioned that I got to have a little bit of a sit through a friend of a friend type of deal, that and the place was not yet open to the public.
okay, the look and feel. at 6'3 I was able to touch the back wall of course if I stretch out, but the feel was not cramped, much bigger than say a bmw Z3. the seats are side bolstered and pretty comfy, they are not bolted to the back wall like it seems, so there is some room to move and recline. the shifter is very precise from what I could tell, the clutch was firm but not stiff. this was of course on the turn table and not a test drive so my opinions on those are limited. the interior is layed out very well, everything within easy reach, the accents are very nice also. odd thing was that the windows were hand cranked, something I actually enjoy a bit more since I have had more than one pontiac window motor go out on me. (an aftermarket power window upgrade is relatively cheap and easy).
everything feels like it was thought out. the shifter is in good reach, not too close, not too distant. the controls for environment and radio are not blocked by the stick. the guages are easily readable around the steering wheel. I cant rememeber if it had steering wheel controls or not but i hope it will.
overall it felt very solid. comfortable but understandable not incredibly roomy.
think a z3 with 5 inches wider leg area, abotu anouther foot and a half deep and more than enough room for long feet.

-Kael
(sorry for misspellings, I wrote this rather quickly)

 

[Solstice]

That is quite a bit of room. I keep hearing all of this talk about competing with the Miata. The Solstice is almost in a different class. The room and the weight will make for a comfortable ride. The power/wheels/suspension in the s/c will make for a competitive ride.

 

[Kael]

well its made by pontiac, aka GM. wanna get a feel of how the car is? go sit in a corvette, same kind of lay out.

 

[solsticeluvr]

bigger than Miata

I read that it is 5" wider and several inches longer, also taller than a Miata, but still snug.
We'll see!
JW :thumbs

 

[DreamerDave]

I'm also just under 6'-4" and that wide, square transmission tunnel worries me. I know it's a structural piece, but I wish it were round on top. A rounded triangle section is about as strong as a square.

I'd be driving a Miata if my right knee didn't hit the emergency brake handle. At least GM didn't stick that on the driver's side of the tunnel like Mazda did.

 

[einberliner]

People aren't getting smaller just because the cars are getting smaller -- cars in America are shrinking? Don't I wish! -- but actually for a variety of reasons including junk food and our baffling refusal to create a civilized health-care system like every other rich country has, the average American is getting smaller, while Japanese and Europeans are raising their ceilings. The average American male and the average Japanese male are now the same height, and the average Dutchman is now about 6'1". By contrast, four decades ago the average American male towered over the the average man from any other country.

See here: http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040405fa_fact

Admittedly, along with the vertical shrinkage, Americans are also ballooning at the waist. So perhaps Pontiac is wise to make the Solstice as wide as a bus.

Peace.

 

[padgett]

You are a small pastry ? No wonder you need a wide seat. :smile

 

[mstorace]

Solstice's larger size was welcomed when getting behind the wheel. At a bit more than six feet tall, we had no problem finding a comfortable driving position with decent legroom and great shoulder room. At no time did we feel cramped or uncomfortable.

DONT YOU GUYS REMEMBER THE AUTOWEEK ARTICLE...THEY SAID THEIR WAS PLENTY OF ROOM DURING THE ROAD TEST IN ENGLAND