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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  Micks Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By MICKEY WHITEAKER - July 29 - 3:03 am

  I love the drive, very fun. It looks much more expensive than it is. I get asked all the time how much it was. Also asked what it is, which is disappointing because I have worked for GM for 33 yrs & GM has not advertised this car at all, no one knows what it is. The body design is beautiful, GM has done a Good Thing with the design of this. The ride is excellent for the small size, I attribute to the large 18 In. wheels on it.

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  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.

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  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.

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  my baby - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By convertible nut - July 4 - 2:23 am

  Ive been driving my car daily for 2 years and am beginning to have problems with it; more problems than I expected for a relatively new car. This is my 5th convertible to drive - one Corvette, a Cabriolet, and 2 Miatas, and this is by far the least reliable car Ive ever owned in my life. Yes, it looks great. Yes, driving a roadster is fun. Yes, its a guy magnet. But Im even debating to keep my car.

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  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!

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  Perfect for a weekend for 2 - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Carl - May 18 - 12:40 pm

  My wife and I where looking for a little mid-life crisis fun - we are both in our early 50s. I had previously owned a 1974 Fiat Spider in my youth, so we looked at used re-conditioned Spiders - while from a nostalgia stand point it seemed fun, it wasnt practical - too many modern bells and whistles missing. We came across the Solstice on at a used sports car dealer with a good reputation - in really well kept shape and low mileage for a 2008 (30k) and attractive price. Very happy with it - we didnt need top end performance , but it is sporty, turns heads and a fun weekend play toy. Stowage for gear isnt the greatest, but we can get what we need in it for an extended weekend get-away - a small duffle bag, camera and a couple of lens. Well worth the price we paid, decent gas mileage and alot of fun.

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  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.

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  Outstanding! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Bert - May 8 - 12:50 pm

  I have been following this car since it was first introduced by pontiac. They are very difficult to find and I was lucky enough to find a vehicle that was ordered by someone who decided not to take delivery because he was not comfortable in it. I originally thought I would use the vehicle as a weekend driver but its so fun to drive I cannot leave it at home. If you are looking for a fun affordable car this is the one.

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  I love my Solstice - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Pamke526 - May 3 - 8:20 am

  I just traded my 2007 Solstice for a 2007 Solstice GXP and I am in heaven!!The regular Solstice is a great little car, but the GXP is really fantastic! I got the 5-speed manual transmission with the GXP and boy is it awesome! I am already getting 30 miles a gallon in the city!

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  Hot Car But Needs a Chrome Grill - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Lisa - April 26 - 7:43 pm

  My previous car was BMW Z4 3.0. So far, I really like the GXPs performance. The exterior is hot! My only beef with the exterior is the black grill -- it looks cheap! Why not keep the same chrome grill as the Solstice? The interior is sleek -- the seats hug you. However, there is no storage space. I cant even find any place to keep my garage door opener. Ive noticed that the window controls are in an awkward place -- inevitably, my elbow triggers the windows. The biggest pain is the manual top -- miss the Z4s automatic top. There is no trunk space with the top down. Wish they offered navigation system as option. But cant beat the price and bravo to Pontiac for its cool design!