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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  TN Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By John Carrico - June 27 - 11:16 pm

  The Solstice is an outstanding investment that is REALLY fun to drive. The Solstice is a lot more than I expected and a far better car than the Miata, S200 or even the Z3. Everwhere we go we are stopped by people telling us how beautiful the car is, and its even more fun to drive!

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  Great car! - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Erik Gonzalez - June 13 - 7:15 pm

  This is an amazing car for two people but not for carrying anything out than the two people.

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  makes driving fun - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By B Hughes - June 12 - 12:53 am

  This is my first cont. I wish I had bought one much sooner. The style and fun factor are so high on the Solstice that the shortcomings are overlooked very easily. I love this car.

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  feel like a kid again - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By bill45005 - June 9 - 11:13 am

  Bought this car , a week ago and WOW!!!! I have had my fair share of great fun machines over the years , just to mention a few , 65 GTO convertable , a triumpth gt6, 69 firbird transam,a grifith (289 hi po with webbers etc it was a rocket ship)etc then I went into my big 4 wheel drive phase lol, the last of which was an avalanche 3/4 ton with 8.1 motor, so I have had experance with many hipo machine , but have never had any more fun than this car has given me . it is the scca model 2.4 5 m I bought it for a resonable cost and it only had 7,000 miles on it and gm certified car it is absolutly flawless . The fun I have already had is great ,top is not a big deal to put up or down

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  Phat Girl By Rob - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Rob Laughlin - June 8 - 1:23 pm

  This car is hot.... She turns heads everywhere she goes. She has better curves than alot of models. My wife took it to wash and a guy stopped to ask her what kind of car it was and said he had never seen one. She said it was his lucky day. While still trying to dry the car off a girl and guy apologized for staring and she that was ok because 3 fellas across the street were doing the same. Great Car!!!!

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  great vehicle - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By stephen t oakley - May 25 - 1:03 am

  vehicle is a solid great handling vehicle with 32 MPG hwy and zero to 60 in 7.2 seconds,,, overall quality of fit and finish is 10/10. great engine and give a feeling that your are totally in control. rides like a much bigger vehicle and other than limited interior storage, great buy at 23k...sto

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  Learning Experience - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By andldvor - May 4 - 6:43 am

  Owning the car was fun, obviously it is nice to look at and definitely attracts attention. Before this car I was use to smooth riding coupes or sedans so this was a change in road feel. I realized that I enjoyed driving a smoother ride much better, so am going to trade it in. i also purchased the manual transmission which has become a hassle now that i live in a city with endless red lights. I felt like the engine stuttered a little at times in third. It has never broken down on me or anything like that, but I definitely miss a bigger four door car with a smoother ride.

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  I feel 16 again- thanks Pontiac - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By louis chad - April 30 - 1:03 am

  I just bought the GXP on my 60th birthday and it has totally jump started my life. I live in northern Minnesota, but will use this care selectively all winter. You just cant store this one. It will, although be in a slab heated work shop with me. Ill visit the wife on weekends if time permits. Thanks again Pontiac.

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  Here is how I see my car - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By my soul - April 11 - 4:10 am

  OH MY GOD. In 2002 I was devastated when Pontiac stopped making the Trans Am, but HELLLLOOOO Solstice. Sure it doesnt have the muscle power of the TA but so what. There is not a better way to feel as one with your car and the road then this sporty little roadster. Im hooked.

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  Fun, Fun and YES Even Practical - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By 06-Sly-Fulload - February 9 - 11:23 am

  BMW, Mazda, Mercedes - you have a lot to learn...drove them first..BIGGEST disappointment-BMW...ugly & NO FUN.. buy one as a coffin maybe. Anyway..the Solstice is what a Roadster is supposed to be at a price that is right on. I got it loaded with the upgraded stereo - I like to say "I have a pair of driveable headphones" !! Just awesome stereo. Comfortable to drive, rips around any offramp - zoom zoom this...tried that with the Miata - almost wound up dead! Tonight I went to the post office picked up 3 boxes size of a briefcase cubed, went to the market - $140 groceries and I had room to store it all. Used front seat of course, but I never have problem putting stuff in the trunk. Its a HIT!