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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  Aint about romm - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Angioman - April 4 - 9:20 am

  This car isnt about room it is about fun. i bought mine used and it had 4500 miles on it. Everybodys head turns when you go by them. The chrome wheels and exhaust give it a very good look. Fuel mileage is excellent averaging 27 city and highway combined.

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  Solstice - Great Design, Good Performnce - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Don R - March 7 - 7:06 pm

  This car is an excellent value. At about $23,000 loaded its got the looks, the performance and the styling that made GM great in the sixties and seventies. Its fun to drive. Excellent pick-up and acceleration. The steering is tight. Love the 18" wheels. At 63" tall, I was very comfortable in the drivers seat. Lots of room for a small car. Very little wind noise due to the aerodynamics of the hood, the higher door height, and the rear truck lid design. Top plus is the clamshell design of the rear trucklid. All controls are within easy reach with great visibility. Above average sound system with XM radio for the long trips.

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  Solstice ex - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Kokomo - February 15 - 3:56 pm

  I have driven the car since 06-06-06. I like the way it handles ice, cornering, passing, and the feel of the road. I was surprised at the power of the 4 banger, without the super-charger. For the price, it is a great buy. I like the way the top folds down and the cleanness of the design with the top down. I wish there was room for more misc. storage, but this is a small thing. I am planning on driving it to Florida in Dec. this will be a good test of the drivability and gas mileage.

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  Solstice, Wish I had gotten the auto. - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Captcrzy - February 14 - 3:13 pm

  Had several loose bolts on the plastic inner fenders. Carpet not tucked in the front passenger seat. Chip in exterior paint. Manual transmission is very noisy and hard to shift when cold. Other than that great first run for this car. I think its the best looking Pontiac ever. Get lots of stares and second takes.

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  What a beauty! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Shawn - December 18 - 3:30 pm

  My wife and I love the Solstice. It is a great looking car but NOT an everyday car. Great for weekends and nice days. Automatic transmisions are sorta rare--but we found one and it is nice to have. The car handles extremely well and like all the other reviews state--it gets TONS of looks and stares. Upgraded rims are well worth it becuase it makes it look even sportier. Indeed, they are hard to find, but orders for 2007 can be placed--and I have heard that will have an extra 60 horse. For the price--loaded and upgraded rims, I beleive the car is well worth it.

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  Fun, looks great, and very quirky - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mike W. - December 6 - 5:46 pm

  The Solstice is the latest two-seater convertible Ive owned; previous cars include the Honda del Sol (my all-time favorite car), the Toyota MR2 Spyder, the Audi TT, Mercedes SLK 230, Mazda MX-5 Miata, and the BMW Z3. Heres what I see as the good and bad after owning my vehicle for about a month: First, it looks great. I have gotten several compliments on it already. I love the lines and the way the convertible top completely disappears into the trunk. The car is a blast to drive, and it hugs the road. Theres no windscreen, but the heat blasts strong, keeping me toasty on a chilly day. The gas mileage overall has been just OK, but I did get about 33 MPG on a recent road trip. Now, for the not-so-good...this is the quirkiest car Ive ever had. I didnt notice until after I had bought the car that there are no power windows or locks. I thought that just about every car had power windows and locks; you have to roll the windows up and down with the old-fashioned hand crank. The cup holders are behind the driver in the center, making them pretty useless, especially when one has to use his right hand to shift the gears. The hood release takes a scavenger hunt to find. Its kind of a pain in the butt to put the top up or down, but I dont mind that too badly; Im spoiled because I had been driving convertibles with power tops; and with the Spyder and Miata it was simple to put the top up or down from inside the car. The build quality doesnt seem good; the leather on the seats seems like it will rip eventually, and theres plastic, plastic, plastic everywhere. With all that, I still love the car. I didnt buy it because I mistakenly thought it was a Z4; I bought it because it had low mileage, looked great, and the overall reviews from owners are very good. The bottom line is that if you can tolerate the quirks, this car is just plain FUN. I plan to keep this beauty for a long time; I bought a beater for run in the winter time.

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  Aching cheeks - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Houston - November 13 - 2:53 am

  Awesome just awesome, my cheeks are aching with smiling so much; power comes on stream when requested. Handling is so precise it compares to a Porsche I used to own. Practical, no, but who cares, looks, comments and questions from kids to grannies. Even in the traffic here in Houston I have been questioned while stopped. I read someone saying the seats were small, I am 250 and 6 ft. (and 56 years old) and slide in and out with no problem.

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  My first year - 2009 Pontiac Solstice
  By auto teacher - November 1 - 4:56 pm

  I am 59",165 lbs. male and find the car very comfortable. I have had no failures with the vehicle. I added an aftermarket wood, dash kit and shifter on my automatic trans. The power,window switches are just wrong and the top is a little difficult, but compared to my old MGs not that bad. I know some complain about the trunk, but it works for me. I love the car. I find some of the buff book reviews to be strangely biased towards the Miata, but my GXP is far ahead of that car. Too bad GM was mismanaged into eliminating the Kappa platform, but I got one and plan to keep it around for a while.

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  GM GOING DOWN HILL - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By DELGRECO - October 29 - 6:36 pm

  I received my new Solstice in Dec of 05. It does look good but thats the only thing good I must say. Ive sent it back to the dealer about 10 times with problems of water leaks and the rear end leaking oil they kept it for a month rebuilding the rear 3 times and decided that they couldnt fix it right that it would be better to change it. The other problem is the AM radio stations has static they tried to repair it but couldnt but instead for me to live with the problem. The only help GM customer service was willing to compensate is to pay for one month payment on the vehicle. What a smack in the face that was for that the car is paid for. Newer again buy GM .

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  gasser - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By z-man - October 28 - 9:13 pm

  This has been a great car to drive so far and turns a lot of heads. Handling is great & very tight, but gas mileage is worse than I expected. The convertible is easy to operate. The stick is not smooth to shift at times but OK otherwise (dont expect a Porsche feel). Im glad I bought it and Ive had a Corvette before. This is more fun and looks even better. Its got character. No spare tire :-( Trunk? What trunk? But then who cares? Bring on the summer!