Before I get started here, let me just say that of all the GM brands, at least for the last decade, Pontiac has made me feel quite alienated! I mean, it's been at least 10 good years since I've found anything really "exciting" going on at Pontiac, yet they've been telling me they've been "building excitement" all along!!!

Happily, it appears that Pontiac is really starting to walk the talk here! The 2006 Solstice arrives just in time -- in fact, it's almost scary how many resemblances I see between Pontiac's and Nissan Motor Company's rebirth, or "Rennaisance" as I called it back when I reviewed Nissan's 350Z roadster about 3 years ago!

http://www.epinions.com/content_77601148548

Prior to the Z's arrival, Nissan had made tremendous improvements to the Altima platform-- deciding to finally take that affordably priced sedan category and make it look really quite attractive. Next came the Z in a huge marketing blitz, and BINGO -- suddenly all those asking "What Happened to Nissan" changed their tune to "Uh-Oh... They're Back!!!"

Happily, Nissan's near-demise seemed a bit more serious back then than Pontiac's current situation seems now... Regardless, You can bet that Pontiac is ferociously looking to scoop up market share in places where they really haven't competed in the last few years due to (ironically) a devout lack of excitement!!!

On To The Review:

The First in-person look I had of the Solstice (barring the auto-show) was at a street fair back in February. NY had a string of gorgeous weather, and during one of my band's performances at a large NYC outdoor festival, Pontiac decided to try to stir up some fire in anticipation of the Solstice's release. There, parked on one of NY's busiest streets (closed completely for on-foot participants of the festival) stood a brand new Solstice in Envious with Steel/Sand color (basically Brit Rallye Green with Grey/Beige interior) GORGEOUS!!! Virtually every single passer-by turned head, gasped and said "WOW - THAT is a sports car!!!" only to walk a few steps further, see the hood or tail emblem and then stop dead in tracks and exclaim "HOLY SMOKES!!! THAT's a Pontiac?!?!?!?!" It was really a stunning reaction to see take place, and especially enjoyable for me, because I finally feel like a normal person - after all, it was the first time in years that something Pontiac created (that was MORE than just a concept) actually EXCITED me!!!

There's way too much to say about the my personal experience with this car, so before I say any of it, let's start with the facts and later I'll discuss my driving experience with the car and share my thoughts.

Before I do that however, I felt it was quite important to mention that as this is Pontiac's first real venture in the roadster arena, I should give you something to compare too - a benchmark so to speak... Mazda's MX5 Miata is absolutely a corner-stone in this category. Aside from being marketed in the US for about as long as Pontiac has been on the decline, the Miata is hands-down the most prominent vehicle in this class. The Miata is a great basis for comparison, so throughout this review you'll find lots of little bits comparing a feature of one vehicle's to the other's.

2006 Pontiac Solstice Features and Spec's are reasonably impressive- rather than cutting-and-pasting, you can easily go to pontiac's website and view those, but I'll recap the bullet points below:

* Longitudinally Mounted 2.4 liter EcoTech DOHC VVT inline 4 w/ 177hp.
* Aisin 5-spd manual short-shift Transmission Available, otherwise Pontiac's smooth 5-spd auto transmission
* 4 wheel disc brakes, RWD platform, manual-convertible top, 18" alloys standard on all models (higher price only means different finish- even standard model comes with 18" alloys- NICE!

*** My Test Vehicle was Fitted with Pontiac's "Club Sport Package" which includes upgraded 4 wheels ABS, a sport-tuned 4 wheel independent suspension, Limited-Slip rear w/ a manual 5-spd. For the record, I did later go back to test drive the non-sport iteration (with Manual - HARD to find!!!!) to compare and see how much the limited slip really adds to the car's overall performance on the road.

Engine: Pontiac's EcoTech is affixed with Pontiac's EFI system now featuring ETC or Electric Throttle Control. This is hardly a new technology, but semi-new to Pontiac, and yet another sign that they're changing with the times. Pontiac's intuitive powerplant features Variable Valve Timing (VVT) which adjusts valve-timing intervals based on a combination of Engine RPM, ambient conditions and a slick collection of algorithms dedicated to achieving a combination of maximum power/efficiency at any given operatig speed. VVT is something many American auto manufacturers (among others) have been playing with -- Cadillac was probably the earliest promiment one to do so, on the NorthStar VVT platform.

Transmission/Clutch: Pontiac offers a 5-spd Aisin manual on the Solstice. They also offer a short-throw configuration as standard equipment. This is a real nice add-on, as even just sitting in the vehicle on a showroom floor can demonstrate how quick and low-movement a shift is. Nevertheless, this is CLEARLY no 6-speed... you may find that there's no "close-ratio" feel once driving -- so despite the p;resence of that short-throw shifter, one drawback may be the absence of a 6th gear. I know this was a dissapointment to me, but we'll talk about that more once I start talking about actually driving...

Suspension/Chassis: While the shifter may leave a little to be desired, the Solstice's chassis is perhaps the most impressive part of the car (other than its dynamite looks). The Solstices base suspension is reasonably tight and appropriate for such a little roadster -- yet clearly it's softer than the Miata MX-5s and results in a very different ride -- same idea, different nuances. And ALOT of different nuances, though most are quite chassis-related.

Essentially the Miata and the solstice attempt to do the same thing, but each accomplishes it a bit differently. Instead of splitting hairs here (you can read that later in this review) let's just summarize and say this: Both roadsters are a BLAST to drive. However the Solstice handles corner-entry quite differently. For brevity, let's say in corner-entry the Solstice (under powered entry) might feel like it pushes and slightly understeers into a corner -- at first drive, you may say it feels a little more predictable and a little less "edge-of-seat"... That is, in contrast to the Miata, which if anything has a remarkably good entry-bite and under agressive entry can feel a bit more tossed-around. Again, I love both these cars, BOTH are a blast to drive. I don't want to make the Solstice sound boring though -- it is NOT. We'll discuss the differences above in great detail later, but this should cover it now.

Cockpit and Interior Accomodations: Ironically, not to sound too Jeckyl and Hyde, but this was the one part of the car which had me both most pleased and least pleased..

I was most pleased firstly, to find that my own 6' 185 lb frame fit most perfectly in this car. The seating position in the cars chassis is extremely low to the ground- a la "Authentic" sports car. I really dug this about the Solstice, but please take note: If you're expecting to sit up a bit, like say one of the newer more luxury-oriented roadsters, you're going to at least be surprised when you go to get in... At 6 foot, I liked how the car sat me nice and low- it provided ample head room accordingly, which was a treat.. Especially since the Miata makes me a feel a little cramped. Regardless, I can see many people feeling too-low if they have the wrong expectations -- I can see alot of shorter people complaining about seeing over the wheel and dash, since you sit so low in the car. Also, remember this car has rather high lines -- which is to say that although the car actually DOES sit low to begin with, the high door lines might make you PERCEIVE that you're sitting even lower. You MUST decide for yourself -- Not that I'd assume ANYONE would buy a car sight-unseen... but let's just say be extra careful here -- posture and driver-situation COULD be a deal-breaker here... Nonetheless, I love this part of the car -- sitting nice and low gave me a very planted feel in this car- and while I noted that the cars steering may strike one as a bit more composed and predictable (as compared to a Miata) I think one would also note that because you sit so low and the car feels SOOO planted, both are equally exciting to drive, but again, FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.

On the Down-Side: The Solstice's cockpit looks and feels cheaper than the Mazda's. Don't fault my for being biased - I was more than willing to put aside my predisposition toward shoddy American interiors- hoping that Pontiac stepped up to the plate and actually made the Solstice's interior breathtaking. It's not. While it's not terrible, AND quite comfy, my distaste has to do with luxury and sexiness. let's addess that: The Solstice has nearly no luxury and interior wise, it's a little bit sexy. Period. Now let's be fair- I faulted BMW's Z4 once for being TOO much luxury.. so in fairness, I understand a sports-car shouldn't be judged on how luxurious the interior is! However, I expect a certain level of slickness, and in this regard I was let down. Buttons and switches feel "american" -- and that is all I need to say. The plantedness and great handling were completely A-typical of American design... I guess I just wish the interior would have exhibited the same.

Looks: Here's where to Pontiac kills the Miata: Humps behind the headrests, swoopy yet smooth clean (and high) lines equate to a sexy looking roadster with line's WAY beyond anything Pontiac has ever brought to market. Or, to sum it up like my favorite (overheard) remark from the NY auto show: "Damn, the Miata ain't got S*!^ on that" !!!

Overall: I didn't write this review to make it a shootout between a Miata and Solstice. 1) It would be hardly fair, especially since this is a brand new model and there's just no fair way to assess reliability at this point. That being said, there are probably more good points about the solstice that would lean me towards IT, rather than bad solstice points that would push me toward the Miata -- NOW, let's talk about my driving experience and qualify that statement...

My Drive(s): Once again, my first test drive of the Solstice was done in a ClubSport package vehicle. This adds on a more performance oriented 4wheel independent suyspension, limited slip ABS and a few more bells and whistles, but essentially the additional performance comes from the suspension and diff (perhaps a little bit for brakes but not notable).

Upon entering and starting the vehicle I made a few observations:

1) The exhaust note, while grumbly and a little throaty, is totally wrong. More of the angry-blender, and less "angry, bad-a $$ sports-car"



Shifting is a bit notchy - more similar to the tight (yet positive) feel of my Bimmer 330's 5 speed, rather than the silky smoothing of my (now) 12 year old Mustage GT. While the short-shifter does an awesome job of reducing travel (yeah, it's a nice shorty) it's the clutch which upset me and left me wanting different: I drive stick for my entire life and on almost every vehicle I have owned. Making smooth shifts is plenty easy- but the clutch does not have a very "racy" accurate feel - instead, it's a little vague and kinda gritty. Don't get to scared by this- the clutch is fine, but it just doesn't feel "appropriate" on this roadster -- I also would hope to see some kind of improvement of the forthcoming GXP...


A few Notes Though: Let's talk this out: This car is effectively IMPRACTICAL: Just to make this clear. The purchaser of this car is clearly looking for a toy- it's a STRICT 2-seater, with NO trunk space and in fact, with 2 people in the car you will not be able to fit golf clubs. The only chance of fitting a golf bag in this car is in the passenger seat, carefully, as you wouldn't want to risk damaging your leather or interior. It's a great little car, don't get me wrong- but there is absolutely nothing practical about this purchase.


Lastly Pontiac has announced that it will be importing its GXP iteration of this vehicle later in the fall. At 260hp, with a turbo-asperated 2.0 liter 4 cylinder (as opposed to the ecoTech 2.4 IL4). I'm also extremely excited to drive the new GXP once available, because I'm pretty sure it addresses so many of the points I criticized above (minus the 6 speed sadly) that on paper, Id take a GXP over a Miata hands down. Leaving the GXP out of it, it's a toss-up. Both cars have great (albeit different) attributes, and it's not an easy choice. Kudos Pontiac- the Solstice, despite its few grumbling-points, is a phenomenally fun little car to drive.