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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  "Cool" Head Turner - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By tutle - May 12 - 8:00 pm

  We have had our Solstice for 6 months and it always turns heads. We love the 2 tone interior and the silver color is aptly named Cool. I put the top up last night for the first time since July 4 and plan on covering it for the winter when the weather breaks. Our daughter got married this year and we almost did not buy the car - boy are we glad we did! Everywhere we go it turns heads. We have had older Corvettes and it is so nice to have everything new and working. The car handles wonderfully and the fact that storage is very limited is no big deal as we got it for nice days and making memories. We love the car and plan on keeping it indefinitely!

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  Love my Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Kathy - May 7 - 7:16 am

  I love my car people stare and ask questions and even stop me in the street. When I saw my first one I followed the man to see what it was and five days later I traded my 2003 Celica for a Bright Red Solstice.

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  new Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By jj - April 11 - 1:53 am

  I have had many sports cars including three Vetts, MGs, Nissans and many more but this car I bought for my wife is a great and fun car to drive! Move over, wife, I want to drive and my other car is a Lexus which I also love. We both love this car and it handles like a dream with 19" eagle low wide profile tires-hugs on turns like no car (not even my Harley) I have owned. I feel like a kid again!

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  What a ride! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Troy - April 7 - 10:33 am

  I love this car. The ride is smooth, yet powerful. The lines are sexy. Every where I drive, heads turn. The wind isnt bad at all with the top down.

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  Fun in the Sun Solstice - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By darrell Lattanzio - March 21 - 3:53 pm

  Good bang for the buck, great styling, at lot of fun to drive.

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  Love my Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Its Showtime - March 15 - 8:43 am

  Turns heads, Sporty, Fun! A car for all ages, my wife, our daughter love to drive this car

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  Worse car I ever owned - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Omar Hossin - February 21 - 10:59 am

  It is poorly made. It is manufactured poorly. Body parts do not align properly, the convertible top is frayed due to the window rubbing against in when I open and close the door. It rattles. the hood, fenders, trunk bumpers dont line up. It has 8k miles on it makes a lot of rattling noise, body parts rub around the hood and back fenders. The rims are pitted and peeling on the inner side. GM will not repair or replace them. GM gave me a poor explanation saying that there is a percentage allowed for flaws. I hate driving it. Resale is poor

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  Hot Car! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By 2d- 2.4 liter - February 15 - 10:20 pm

  I love my Solstice. It looks better than my 99 Corvette hardtop. I have done several things to make it different than others. I am thinking about putting a Hahn Turbo and maybe a hardtop also. Mine has just about ever option. I have not had to take it back for anything up to this point. Very good quality and really fun to drive. The most fun car I have ever owned. Buy one youll love it!

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  First Car - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By swankytigers - February 12 - 1:13 pm

  I received this as my first car when I first started driving, and I can honestly say its been the best car I have ever driven. For 15k, you get an engine that feels just as powerful as a 911. It has very sexy angles that perfect it. Go pontiac!

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  The best bargain ever ... - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By julioga - January 23 - 2:23 am

  This car is one of the best looking caras on the street right now. Its that eye candy and WOW car that arises every 2 or 3 years, like the PT Cruiser, or the New Bettle or the Mini Cooper. This car is anything but flat. In South Beach at several valet parkings they park this car in front with the ferraris and lamborghinis. This is a bold move and not from ford, this time from GM/ Pontiac. Looks 3 or 4 times its actual price, girls love it and its fun to drive, under powered but the fuel economy is awesome. Lets see if the GXP turbo version later 2006 will handle the performance issues. This car is a solid 9.