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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  07 Envious - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Mark Elsner - November 25 - 6:00 pm

  Im glad I waited for the second model year as GM has fixed some issues with the first model. My car has the new torque arm between the manual trans and the rear differential. Hopefully Ill never have the clunk that some 06 owners have. The manual trans ratios have also been revised. 800 miles so far and no problems. Mileage is 26-28 so far in mixed driving. The styling is stunning. It gets comments from everyone. Dont drive this car if you dont want to be noticed. The car is far more comfortable than I was expecting. It is not cramped at all. Seats are very nice. Also dont believe all the negatives about storage space. I hauled a 50lb bag of dog food home in the trunk. Great Car!

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  pontisol - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By solstice - November 19 - 12:13 am

  transmission makes "clunking" sound when shifting to 2nd and third. Sounds like housing may be loose????

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  Solstice GXP love affair. - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By edgar robertson - October 9 - 5:33 am

  This car is very well received at any local show and shines, and parades, that I have entered it in. I have never found that lowering the top is a problem. And, I routinely complete the task, in 15 seconds. Raising it is only slightly more time consuming, requiring 28-30 seconds. The power window switches could have been better placed. I would have preferred wind up windows, and side pockets. The cup holders, I really could care less. A bigger trunk, would be a great help for weekend touring. But with some creative packing, two can go on a weekend cruise. I also, do not require A/C in a roadster, and would have appreciated the weight savings, and possible extra horse power. Stereo 1st class!

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  love it - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By dennisc - October 8 - 12:13 am

  Orderd this car in may, received it in november, well worth the wait. Car is beautiful, very comfortable, drives great, corners great

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  excellent - 2008 Pontiac Solstice
  By Wanda - October 6 - 8:00 am

  I have never had any problems. Always get the oil changed and car maintained at the given times. Fun car and I am sorry the car wont be made now in the following years. Good buy with fun results.

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  Too much fun - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By GM guy - September 27 - 6:40 pm

  The Solstice GXP is a great small run around have fun ride. The handling is superb gas mileage if you drive with care will reach close to 35 MPG around town a good 28 in mixed commuter traffic if you are on it 25 is what I get. My wife who has not been a sporty car fan loves it! She likes the ride ease of handling and loves the stick tranny. Body is tight no squeaks. The negatives are seat belt is hard to find and it has hard to reach cup holders. On the hole GM finally got it right on fun and price.

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  Eye catcher/fun ride - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By K BETZ - August 24 - 7:20 pm

  Took me 7 months to get my solstice but it was worth it. Great ride, eye catching, easy on the wallet.

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  Too much fun - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Onefunponcho - August 24 - 2:30 pm

  Pros: The car is the best bang for the buck!! Grips the road like its on rails. Flashes right to whatever speed you need. the small turbo engine makes great power yet still great on gas. The best of everything. The auto tranny shifts like clock work.The premium sound upgrade is dandy with tune you can feel! Cons: A bit less hard plastic in the interior would be great. The exhaust is just way to quiet. And the trunk space it tiny. Hints: Two soft sided plain 24 inch duffels are ideal for the storage compartment. You must pack thrifty on long trips.

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  I love my Solstice......a great machine! - 2006 Pontiac Solstice
  By Kent M. Sherry - August 16 - 7:20 am

  There are dozens of sport cars on the market, but none come close to offering the most bang for the buck that a Solstice does. GMC has a real winner in the Solstice. Every place that I go, people want to take a closer look at this stylish engineering marval. Having driven a Triumph (TR3) as a young man, the Solstice brings back old memories. The sound of the exhaust, the increase in Gs with every shift of the gears, and best of all the 30.7 mpg that I averaged on my last 200 mile road trip. This car is going to be a classic. While some might stash it away as an investment for the future, I bought my Solstice for fun!

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  Great Roadster with power to spare - 2007 Pontiac Solstice
  By Nate - August 4 - 6:53 pm

  I just want to drive this car all of the time. Sadly, I will store it for the long Michigan winter soon. I have owned quite a few sports cars and this one takes the cake. This is a roadster in the purist form of the word. I do not care if the top takes me 2 minutes to put up or down. I dont care that it has little storage or some of the swithes are a little hard to get to. I understand and appreciate the car for what it is. And quite frankly, I feel Pontiac and GM nailed it with the GXP. I have owned a BMW M-3 and I think the cars manual 5 speed transmissions feel the same. I wonder if the writers for car mags just dont like to admit GM did it better than anyone else. I love this car.