Overview & Reviews

For decades, the affordable roadster segment consisted solely of cars hailing from England or Japan. General Motors changed that overnight with the Pontiac Solstice (and its Saturn Sky twin), which was built right here in America. The Solstice brought some genuine excitement to the Pontiac brand with its gorgeous styling and available turbocharged power. It was briefly available as a targa-topped coupe, too.

The Pontiac Solstice began its life as a concept vehicle at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. After it received rave reviews and plenty of public interest, Pontiac decided to fast-track the creation of a production model. When the Solstice debuted for the 2006 model year, the concept's styling was nearly intact, with big alloy wheels, fluid lines and a smooth, retro-style front end that gave the car a very distinctive look.

But GM's financial woes in 2009 required the elimination of Pontiac, and with that the Solstice was relegated to the past. That's a shame, because with another generation of refinement, the Solstice could have really been something. A used Solstice is a mixed bag, equal parts seductive sheet metal, hit-or-miss driving dynamics and disappointing reliability and quality.

Most Recent Pontiac Solstice

Produced from 2006-'09, the Pontiac Solstice convertible stuck with the classic roadster formula, featuring a front-mounted four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive, a four-wheel independent suspension, a near 50/50 front/rear weight balance and a manually operated convertible soft top. The coupe, which was produced for 2009 only, was identical save for its targa roof -- think T-tops without the bar in the middle.

Underneath the hood of base models was a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. Although the engine featured an aluminum block, dual overhead camshafts and variable valve timing, it didn't feel much like a sports car engine. Tall transmission gearing and a lack of responsiveness resulted in a slow-to-rev nature, and the soundtrack near redline was far from the glorious wail roadster aficionados expect.

A better choice, resources permitting, was the Pontiac Solstice GXP (sold from 2007-'09). This version provided dramatically improved acceleration thanks to a powerful turbocharged direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The GXP also had a sport-tuned suspension, stronger brakes and high-performance tires.

In reviews, we found that while both versions were entertaining in terms of handling, they couldn't match the precision of the benchmark Mazda Miata (or, for the GXP, the Honda S2000). Inside, Pontiac chose to go with markedly cheap materials, and the ownership experience was further dampened by three other unfortunate qualities: a fussy multistep top operation process for convertibles (complemented by awful rearward visibility for coupes), a dearth of interior storage space for things like cell phones and wallets, and a small trunk that was unusable in either model.

The Pontiac Solstice received some notable tweaks during its run. For 2008, OnStar, an acoustic headliner for the soft top and a trip computer became standard equipment for both the base and GXP versions. Also for '08, a Club Sport package with firmer suspension tuning and silver-painted wheels became available. In addition to the arrival of the coupe, 2009 marked the advent of the soft-top Solstice Street Edition, which included upgraded standard features and a sport suspension. Also in '09, ABS, stability control and a limited-slip rear differential were made standard across the board, and Bluetooth connectivity was newly available.

User Reviews:

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  A wonderful car - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Rojo-GXP - February 6 - 3:50 pm

  Im proud to say that I have had my red GXP for almost 2 years and have had 29000 trouble free miles. I have the GMPP 290HP tune, a cold air intake, and Solo Performance catback exhaust and it makes for a VERY quick car (0-60 in 4.9sec) and its a very sexy ride. Parked beside BMW, Porshe or Mercedes cars and it will ALWAYS generate more nice comments and turned- heads. Sad that 2010 ends the run of this little car. GM got it right at the end. Maybe someone else will continue the line. If you want a great- looking fun-to-drive car with the most bang for the buck, this is it.

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  Excellent Roadster!! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By My Baby, 4 Weeks old - January 31 - 12:26 pm

  I have had my Solstice for 4 weeks, my first manual car and I love it. The car completely wraps around you when you are in it. Completely comfortable, the suspension is unbeatable. After test driving Minis and other small cars this one definatly passed the test for comfortable driving. I love the looks I get driving down the freeway, people slow down so you can pass them and then speed up so they can see what your driving!! Excellent roadster, I cant wait till summer so I can put the top down and really test her out!

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  GM has Nailed the Market -SOLSTICE - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Lisa Jeffcoat - January 17 - 10:10 pm

  This car outshines anything Ive driven or even seen on the market,GM really went above, and why to even compare to the others is silly. It handles as close and my 1981 corvette,easier to park than a vette, and the gas hand seems to never move. The innovative features are so easy to operate and storage is just enough for a road trip. This car is Blows away any other car in my book! The seats are so comfty and plenty of leg room and head room, its just a stylish beauty and I predict it will hold its value,we will look back on it like people look at Corvettes now in 10 to 20 yrs--and WHAT a GREAT price--I just LOVE mine.

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  MY SOL - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By solsticeSJA - January 14 - 8:23 pm

  This is the prettiest vehicle i have ever owned. It turns heads and gets smiles all the time. It handles better than anything Ive ever driven (and Ive rented some nice cars in Vegas) It has NO trunk space but if this is its only flaw at that price....you gotta have it.

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  Love the Car - 2009 Pontiac Solstice
  By Victor Gonzalez - January 5 - 12:26 am

  I love this car a lot. Everyday I drive it, I love it even more. Really fun to drive, and is a pretty fast car. The car looks great. I am constantly turning heads when I drive. The interior is really comfortable, I have driven for hours and have felt great right after. It is actually very roomy for a two seater. Interior does have some hard plastics, but it looks pretty good. Storage is a bit of a lack in this car. Overall this car feels good on the road, is quick, and looks spectacular. Manual top is really easy to handle, but would enjoy an automatic one. Many people complain about the five speed, but i have no complaints about it.

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  PS review - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By pa - December 31 - 8:36 pm

  Fun to drive. Easy handling. Fairly quiet. Sleek design. Good gas mileage. Able to manuever in traffic easily. Some blind spots need getting used to.

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  Heroin with Wheels - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By John Bruning - November 14 - 11:40 pm

  The 260 HP Solstice is the most addictive driving experience Ive ever had. This car is like mainlining heroin to an auto enthusiast. Quick and agile, but packing plenty of power and kick, the Solstice GXP offers a visceral thrill unseen since the era of the mid-Sixties Corvette roadster. With XM radio, On-Star and enough room in the trunk for an overnight bag, the Solstice is the quintessential date car. Im courting my wife all over again, and were having a blast rolling around the back county roads with the top down and a picnic lunch in the trunk. You cant miss with this Pontiac. Test drive it at your peril. Youll find yourself taking one home with no regrets.

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  Two years and love my Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mafasa - October 24 - 11:03 pm

  Great car to drive. Most reviews Ive read are on manual transmissions. I ordered an Automatic, hey! Im getting on in years and manuals are just to difficult for these tired broken limbs. Anyway, I had to wait almost six months for it to come into the dealers. Well worth the wait. I love the sports car feel, its like you can feel the weather lines that run horizontally across the pavement or the lines where the concrete pieces in the road come together.

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  This is what Ive wanted a along - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Paul - October 21 - 1:50 am

  Magazine reviewers have lost the perspective of being an actual owner of the car. This car makes me feel 25 years younger and, for the first time, strangers actually look at what Im driving. Even had a couple take a picture of it! It handles like better than any car Ive EVER driven, accelerates on a touch, and stops evenly and when I want it to. For a big guy like me, its comfortable and reasonably roomy (for a roadster, that is).

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  Vs. MIata - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Doc - October 12 - 2:36 am

  As a Miata owner for the last 15 years, I can say this is more car for the money, however there are some quality issues with some of part fitting, although minor and probably hard to notice, I was used to the perfection in the fit of the Miata. The good news is this rides like a much bigger car, and is more fun to drive than the Miata.