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:

• 

  SOLOVE - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By LindaD - September 24 - 3:30 pm

  This is the best mid-life crisis I could have ever asked for! I dont have to struggle now to maintain my youth, I drive it! What an eye- catcher! Thats how I fell in love at first sight. Chased this vehicle down the highway just to see what it was. Then, I couldnt leave it alone until I got one of my own! I love this car! Too bad I couldnt have had this car twenty years ago!

• 

  why i didnt buy a new Porsche - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By henry schwartz - September 12 - 10:20 am

  Detroit, you are back! This car is fun fun fun pontiac i am 60 years old but when in my gxp all i can think about is zero to 60. dont let your corvette owners drive this one- you will never be able to produce enough

• 

  The Solstice Rocks - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By kevin - September 1 - 7:10 am

  Overall I love the car, however GM should have worked on expanding the leg room for the driver and the passenger. The seven speaker sound system is great to listen to and even though its a four cyclinder, it still has some pickup to it.

• 

  Fun Car - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Jack - August 30 - 9:26 pm

  It is a great car to drive. People ask questions about it all the time. They are always saying how good looking the car is. It has plenty of power, and it handles very nicely.

• 

  Whoa! Pontiac hit a home run with this! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Jeff - August 8 - 10:30 pm

  Im not one that likes to attract attention with the car I drive, so its a little tough answering all the questions and turning down the offers people make to buy my car in the grocery store parking lot! Fun car, Im looking forward to the summer!

• 

  Great for the Price - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Gene - July 31 - 7:23 pm

  I previously owned a Miata and I feel the Solstice out preforms the Miata I had (2000 model). Complaints about acceleration are unwarranted. If you read the owners manual, it recommends premium gas. It definitely is a different car with regular gas. What the heck with premium you get better mileage, great acceleration and what the heck is an additional $2.60 more per tank vs. using regular considering all that is gained. Drive it right, treat it right and youve got one great car.

• 

  Vroom Vroom - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By GRNNSXE n Cali - July 6 - 2:43 am

  I got my Solstice in January 06, just after my daughter turned 21 years old. Now, its just me and the Chihuahuas. Such a fun, fun car to drive. Heads turn all over the place, especially with the top down. Love the sound that she makes. A neighbor once asked if I had made modifications. Nope I told him, she just purrs like that. Vroom, vroom.

• 

  Love the Solstice - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Bob Dow - July 5 - 7:03 pm

  I grew up with British sports cars and was always hoping to see a design I liked as well. We fell in love with the Solstice. We use it to go out for fun, as a second car, and for day trips, etc. The handling has been great, it is fairly quiet when driving. The audio is good. We took a 3 yr lease so we could turn it in if we did not like it. We are buying out the lease and keeping. Eventually we will keep it in the family and leave it for the kids. We had not bought a U.S car for 20 years but the build quality has been very good. No rattles or other problems.

• 

  Long range thoughts - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Larry - May 27 - 10:50 pm

  I may have been the first to take one of these beauties on a long distance road trip. No matter what anyone says, this is NOT a vehicle for such an excursion. MI-FL-MI was the selected loop. While in FL, it was the perfect ride. Top down, high sun, friendly girls....it was all good. Exiting the car at rest areas & having my legs spaz around like I was having a seizure might have been amusing to onlookers, but not to me. Am I glad I bought this "Child of Lutz"? You bet I am! Will I ever ask it to do something it wasnt designed to do again? No way!

• 

  My 2007 Solstice - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Brian P - May 14 - 11:06 am

  I have only owned the Solstice for a couple of weeks but it has been an exciting time. The car is a blast to drive, a real head-turner. There is nothing like the feeling of a top-down ride on a back country road during the summer time.