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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  Reliability needs to be #1 for USA!! - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Hauss - January 17 - 3:40 am

  Well weve had this car for 17 months and the darn thing has visited the dealership 22 times. Weve had the window seals replaced, ring and pinion seal replaced, axle seals replaced, steering wheel controls replaced, top worked on countless times, and now the transmission is making noise. This is ONE fun car to drive, get many comments on it. People are always asking what is this? Do you like it? I have a hard time telling them. This is the last American made car I will purchase. We had 3 Infinitis prior to this, never had a problem. Now this, due to me wife just had to have it. I wish they would take it back and put it where the sun doesnt shine. Its just not worth the hassle.

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  Solstice Rocks! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Joey - January 14 - 7:06 am

  I get more looks in this car than I ever did with my 2 vettes that Ive owned. Love the car! Looks great, handles great and is a roadster size vehicle that is fabulous to drive.

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  Pontiac Solstice - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Car Lover - January 3 - 11:26 am

  The Pontiac Solstice is a well desined high porformance car. I think that the new Mazda MX-5 coudnt beat it if it tried.

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  best car ever - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By sherri - January 3 - 4:56 am

  I love my new solstice...I have only one regret and that is that I live in MI and I bought my car in Sept. instead of April...Pontiac did everything right with this car my car is loaded so the stereo and leather put me in a wonderful state of mind..I like to call it my therapy- would recommend to all!!! I only buy GM and have a Bravada for winter so I am all set.

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  This car is hot - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By ELIZABETH STUART - January 2 - 9:36 am

  This vehicle is hot. It looks great and takes corners very well. The 2006 solstice drives very well also.

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  A great 2 seater roadster! - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By MY SOLSTICE - December 21 - 9:53 pm

  I just got the solstice, and i just love it!! It is good on gas, and very comfortable driving, even though it is a small car. Grabs turns smoothly, and drives very smooth for a small roadster!

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  Almost there! - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By AJ - December 12 - 7:23 am

  I purchased a red 2008 GXP last weekend. This car has a lot of potential with a few changes. Interior materials are ok but not up to the same standards as the MX-5. Trunk space with the top down is non-existent. The manual gearbox should be improved to minimize the effort required to move between gears. The best way to describe it is clunky. Despite these drawbacks, the car is a lot of fun to drive, gets a lot of attention from admirers and is fast.

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  Lot of car!! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By erbo - December 4 - 9:46 am

  Great fun car to drive. Attracts tons of attention. Handles the corners with ease. Looking forward to the new GXP version in 2007.

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  Standard Solstice still Fund to Drive - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mike G. - December 3 - 4:50 pm

  I picked up my standard Solstice even though the GXP has now arrived. At first drive I felt the acceleration was a little less than what I wanted, but it does actually have good thrust when you need it and step on the pedal to tell it you mean business. I also owned a GTO, so it is not in that league, but after a few hundred miles in traffic, as this is my daily commuter, I am more than satisfied with the cars performance. The styling also has created a lot of whiplash around it with craning necks to see what just went by. Nice ego boost. I will keep it.

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  Kansas - 2009 Pontiac Solstice
  By Gene - November 28 - 11:16 am

  The car is more than I exspected. Fun to drive has the power and the sound of a true sports car and its American made. Driving it gives you a relaxed mind set. I dont know about the car turning heads as you go by Im enjoying it to much!