adidosc

Only one day after the summer solstice of 2005, I was able to partake in another solstice -- the Pontiac Solstice. This has nothing to do with the seasons, but one of the best American designed cars I’ve seen in a very, very long time. With this car, Pontiac and GM hope to win back those who have sought the comfort of another’s arms, otherwise known as the import car. A direct competitor to the Mazda (and when the turbo version comes out, Mazdaspeed) Miata, Pontiac looks to take names and show the world who’s boss. It isn’t me, so hey, might as well be them.

The production model of the Pontiac Solstice doesn’t come out until September at the earliest, but I was able to ride in a pre-production version of the Solstice only available to certain GM employees. One of the roommate’s I had in college has a Dad who is an Engineer for the Wilmington, Delaware plant owned by GM. He was given two weeks to test one of the many pre-production models to find problems and make suggestions to ensure the car meets and exceeds customer expectations. Not only has he tested it, he’s tested it to the limit. In fact, he has already made suggestions that Pontiac has taken into consideration and fixed. That level of dedication really shows me that they want this car to succeed, and for that, I applaud you Pontiac. However, as it was a pre-production model, only my roommate’s Dad was able to drive it, no one else. I was rather upset about this, but I was still very happy to be able to see the car and get a ride in it to see for myself what all the hype is about.

If I had to describe the Solstice in one word, I’d almost certainly have to sit down, ponder it for a while, and then declare it “Awesome!” To see pictures on the internet is one thing, to see it from a distance at a car show is another, but to see it right in front of you and be able to touch it with all ten of those fingers you have is quite another. The sleek design is well thought out, wheels at the extreme corners of the car, and an aerodynamic design you would kill for. During the highway portion of the drive, we had the top and windows down, you had no more air coming in than you would in a normal hard top car with the windows down. I never got tired of cruising around with the top down… that is until Mother Nature decided to stop in open the sky to release precipitation in some of the biggest droplets I’ve ever seen in my professional rain observing career. That meant a quick transformation to top-up mode and on with the drive. Later on after Mother Nature was finished leaking, the top went down and the second part of the drive commenced.

The Pontiac Solstice handles so well around the twists and turns of the road you’d forget you’re driving in an American convertible whose base model lists at $20,000. What’s that? A turn designated to be taken at 20 mph? Nah, we thought. 60 seems more like it. I was simply amazed at how well it cornered and handled! The lack of roof seems to make no difference – the car knows what it’s doing. Shut up, hit the gas and hold on tight, you’re going for a ride buddy.

The interior of the solstice was very nice as well. The pre-production model I was in was a loaded model, coming with almost every available feature such as leather seats and a six CD changer. All of this was laid out very nicely and in no way takes a book to understand it such as ‘Idiot’s Guide to Understanding iDrive’. I found it hard to see how fast we were going at any given time, however, due to the tucked in design of the gauges. This really isn’t an issue though, because that information is for the driver. The passenger is too busy utilizing both ‘oh crap’ bars to make sure they stay in their seats. The seats, while not Recaros like I saw in the Cobalt SS Sport, were very comfortable and firmly keep you where you need to be.

Of course, everything can’t be good… can it? Well, almost. If you were looking for a trunk to haul things around, keep on movin’ buddy. This car isn’t for you. With the top up the Solstice has a decent amount of room (the kind of room any SC owner should be familiar with). However, as soon as you put the top down, that room goes out the door. With a gas tank hump and a roof in your trunk, the most you can keep back there is a pen and possibly a pack of gum if you’re crafty. Sorry mobsters, no dead bodies in the back of this bad boy.

So who is this car for? If you’re a college graduate with a new job and no family to take care of, this car is for you. If you’re a middle-aged Engineer at GM watching your last child graduate from College and soon leave the nest Mr. Mid-life crisis, this car is for you. If you’re a father or soon-to-be father and looking to haul anything around or use the car for any practical purpose other than cruising or autocrossing, this car is not for you. However, if you’re looking for a great second car in addition to your more practical vehicle, then sure, buy this car. With a base price of UNDER $20,000 and a loaded as-tested price of $25,000 (give or take), you can’t beat the value. Expect the turbo version due later to add a few thousand to the base price. Of course, if all you’re trying to accomplish with a car is to turn heads, the Pontiac Solstice will do just that. Many occasions when we returned to the car in a parking lot or even at the house, there was a crowd around it in awe. That to me, is a great sign of things to come.

bizzy928

Thanks for another write-up! Didn't read it through yet just skimmed it. But like I said in another Solstice thread, this car is going to have quality issues.

My buddy works as supervisor in a stamping company that produces a crucial part for the Solstice. There are so many horror stories I hear. For instance, GM "lets" the part being produced have 7 bad welds. With that in mind the workers produce the part with no less than 7 bad welds because it is "allowed." Not your typical Kaizen/TQM approach...

Edit*** The plant has stopped producing the part at the moment because the it didn't meet certain safety regulations.

Gojirra99

That grille is ugly

UDel

I worked at the GM Wilmington Delaware plant a few years ago that is building the new Solstice for a summer job. We were making the Saturn L series sedan and I made a ton of money from working a bunch of overtime. That plant has been on the brink of closing several times and was about to be shut down before they decided to build the Solstice there. The plant has built the Chevy Berreta and Chevy Malibu. I hope it does well and keeps that plant open. A hardtop coupe version down the line would be nice. The test drive write up sounds pretty good.

TJW98LS

iTrader: (1)

That is because the people that run GM are idiots. I hope they go away forever!!