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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  Solstice Advantage - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Happy camper - March 2 - 8:13 pm

  I have always been a lover of the Old Vets but have never been able to buy one. The solstice gives me the ability to afford a fun car to drive with out costing me a fortune. I love driving this car and enjoy the looks the people give me when I drive by. There is nothing practicle about this car but that is the reason I bought it. It looks great and is a lot of fun to drive!

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  2008 Great Car - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By KAR - February 2 - 3:00 pm

  The 2008 Solstice is a great car and fun to drive. This year the acoustic headliner, 1 year of OnStar, XM radio, input jacks, are all standard. The handling is also great with the Stabilitrac system. The exterior design is second to none.

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  Oustanding, fun car - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By chuckford4 - January 27 - 7:40 pm

  Very solid vehicle from Pontiac. Lack of storage space is the only major setback. Performs well once in 2nd gear. Had a miserable buying experience with the dealer in Atlanta, but has been a pleasure to own. Better on gas than advertised, about 22-24 around town and over 30 on the hwy. Very good handling and styling, premium stereo is solid even with the top down at hwy speeds.

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  Really New - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mike - January 22 - 6:20 pm

  Everyone loves the styling. It is not a blow your head off performance, but it is really fun to drive. I am sure the newer twin turbo would be a barn burner, but I do not need that any more.

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  AWESOME - 2009 Pontiac Solstice
  By Tari - December 25 - 3:20 pm

  After a summer of not enough time to drive this incredible machine I am sad to say I am taking it to the dealership to have it buffed out, oil changed and tuck it in for the salty months in WI. This car is what you want it to be.. pedal to the boards and 10mpg or out on the interstate getting 40 mpg. I had the power up pkg added and will never regret it. The GXP model is def worth the little extra. My other half just got the 2010 Camaro he ordered so now were a transforming couple! LOL He got the 426 hp SS...it goes without saying an incredible car that doesnt disappoint, accept finding a place to really open it up!

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  Bless my SOL - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By 1 Bad nanr - December 23 - 3:26 pm

  I have looked at this car for some time and finally bought one. It is my mid life crisis car. The 2.0l turbo is a kick in the pants. There have been many posting on the interior and use of to much plastic which does cheapen the apperance. The manual trasmission seems very smooth within the first 3,000 miles on the car. I have owned a few sports cars over the years, but this by far, is the funnest car to dive that I have owned.

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  Loved my Lincoln Town Car but this car rocks! - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By LimoBarbie - December 22 - 1:20 pm

  I love our new Solstice--wish it wasnt winter in Illinois but we wouldnt have gotten this kind of deal in the summer! Got the car for less than sticker and traded on of my Lincoln Town Cars for it. It handles and corners on freakin rails and makes this 49 year old feel young again and the car has a huge "Hey Baby" factor! Hubby got it for me for my 49th birthday and I love it to pieces, I still have my stretch limo and my other TC for when I need a bigger car, but I love buzzing around in this one. Will be taking it to FL in January for the fun of it--soft luggage fits in the trunk with the top up but nothing with the top down. Its ungodly fast--the cops are hating me!

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  Solstice so fun! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Frank - December 14 - 3:06 am

  After 1 year and 12,000 miles car runs, feels and looks great. Not one Problem to date. Still as much fun to drive as the first time. Great handling and driveablity.

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  My Wifes Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Thomas Meyer - November 9 - 2:40 pm

  My wife wanted the Solstice. However, she likes me to drive. Quite frankly, it is a lot more fun to drive than I had anticipated. Im a longtime motorcycle rider and didnt think a car could be so much fun until now. Its a beautiful car! Its so much fun to drive and it works well. As we had to wait two months longer than expected for delivery, we were becoming impatient and were seriously thinking of the much more expensive BMW Z4. Were sure glad that we waited for the Solstice. The power is enough to be fun but a little more grunt (e.g., a V6) would draw even more excitement for this vehicle. Fuel mileage (29 hwy, 22- 23 town). Its an American company making a great car!

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  puts the fun back in driving - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By nick stratso - October 29 - 3:03 pm

  The US auto industry has finally designed and manufactured an automobile that is fun to drive and is affordable. I cut my teeth on TR3’s and this has the same feel with reliability. I can slide around corners again.