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2008 Pontiac Solstice Quality Review

August 19, 2008

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 6 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

hard plastic that looks extremely cheap
ConsumerGuide

bargain-value concept car
Road & Track

terribly imprudently packaged
Car and Driver

fussy multistep top operation process
Edmunds

even optioned up…unlikely to break the $30,000 barrier
Automobile

The 2008 Pontiac Solstice offers lots of goodies, packaged with lots of compromises.

Luckily, the driver and passenger chairs prove comfortable and supportive and are surrounded by more than sufficient space to stretch with reviewers, including those from TheCarConnection.com. The Solstice’s “seats have good lateral and lower-back support,” ConsumerGuide contends. “Unlike some small roadsters,” comments Kelley Blue Book, “it has generous shoulder room and sufficient legroom for taller drivers.” Car and Driver gripes, though, that the Solstice is “terribly imprudently packaged.”

Cargo space is the Solstice’s worst failing. “An appalling shortage of interior and cargo space,” rails Car and Driver. Kelley Blue Book spells it out: “a mere 5.4 cubic feet of trunk space with the top up—and almost none at all with the top down.” The inclusion of an auxiliary port for iPods and MP3 players–-with a distinct lack of anywhere to place such a device–-is symptomatic of the Solstice’s attention to detail. Automobile looks at the bright side of a storage-starved interior, referring to the Solstice’s “handy storage compartment” that “resides between the seatbacks…three cup holders, storage pockets sewn to the forward edges of the seat cushions, and slots molded into the threshold trim for pens and coins.”

The top raises its own concerns. “Raising and lowering the ragtop takes a minute or two with the car stopped and consists of half a dozen” steps, says Automobile, commenting that it compares poorly with the Miata’s single-step operation. Edmunds bemoans the “fussy multistep top operation process.”

“New ‘premium acoustic headliner’ does little to mask engine drone,” notes ConsumerGuide, who also find “The engines are buzzy or boomy depending on rpm.” But apparently in this segment, good looks go a long way, as “Kelley Blue Book expects the Solstice to retain a high resale value, on par with the BMW Z4 and Audi TT and better than the Mazda MX-5.” As for the quality of materials inside, ConsumerGuide points out lots of “hard plastic that looks extremely cheap.”

Conclusion

The Excitement Division hopes you’ll be so dazzled you look right past the details when taking the 2008 Pontiac Solstice for a drive.

COMFORT AND QUALITY | 6 out of 10Expert Quotes:hard plastic that looks extremely cheapConsumerGuidebargain-value concept carRoad & Trackterribly imprudently packagedCar and Driverfussy multistep top operation processEdmundseven optioned up…unlikely to break the $30,000 barrierAutomobile The 2008 Pontiac Solstice offers lots of goodies, packaged with lots of compromises. Luckily, the driver and passenger chairs prove comfortable and supportive and are surrounded by more than sufficient space to stretch with reviewers, including those from TheCarConnection.com. The Solstice’s “seats have good lateral and lower-back support,” ConsumerGuide contends. “Unlike some small roadsters,” comments Kelley Blue Book, “it has generous shoulder room and sufficient legroom for taller drivers.” Car and Driver gripes, though, that the Solstice is “terribly imprudently packaged.” Cargo space is the Solstice’s worst failing. “An appalling shortage of interior and cargo space,” rails Car and Driver. Kelley Blue Book spells it out: “a mere 5.4 cubic feet of trunk space with the top up—and almost none at all with the top down.” The inclusion of an auxiliary port for iPods and MP3 players–-with a distinct lack of anywhere to place such a device–-is symptomatic of the Solstice’s attention to detail. Automobile looks at the bright side of a storage-starved interior, referring to the Solstice’s “handy storage compartment” that “resides between the seatbacks…three cup holders, storage pockets sewn to the forward edges of the seat cushions, and slots molded into the threshold trim for pens and coins.” The top raises its own concerns. “Raising and lowering the ragtop takes a minute or two with the car stopped and consists of half a dozen” steps, says Automobile, commenting that it compares poorly with the Miata’s single-step operation. Edmunds bemoans the “fussy multistep top operation process.” “New ‘premium acoustic headliner’ does little to mask engine drone,” notes ConsumerGuide, who also find “The engines are buzzy or boomy depending on rpm.” But apparently in this segment, good looks go a long way, as “Kelley Blue Book expects the Solstice to retain a high resale value, on par with the BMW Z4 and Audi TT and better than the Mazda MX-5.” As for the quality of materials inside, ConsumerGuide points out lots of “hard plastic that looks extremely cheap.” ConclusionThe Excitement Division hopes you’ll be so dazzled you look right past the details when taking the 2008 Pontiac Solstice for a drive.  2008 PONTIAC SOLSTICE STYLING | [8 out of 10] Road & Track: “a 21st-century American concept car brought to life” Kelley Blue Book: “exotic good looks” Edmunds: “turns heads just about everywhere it goes” Road & Track: “a cockpit defined — and constricted — by its sweeping ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Saturn Sky is very closely related to the 2008 Pontiac Solstice but includes much more standard equipment, albeit for a base price that’s several thousand dollars higher, although many consider the Saturn’s interior design to be superior to that of the Solstice. The Honda S2000 may be the closest competitor to the Solstice GXP; it brings an incredibly rev-happy 237-horsepower, 2.2-liter VTEC four-cylinder and six-speed manual. Though it doesn’t match the Red Line for straight-line performance, it beats it for the tactile experience. The Miata covers the basics with a certain tactile charm that the Solstice lacks; the shift action, very direct steering feel, and sound of the modest engine powering the balanced, lightweight roadster is still unbeatable. The torquey Nissan 350Z Roadster is also worth a look for those who seek V-6 grunt above all else.

Next Steps:

Check Insurance Rates

for the 2008 Pontiac Solstice

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for a 2008 Pontiac Solstice near you

See the Pontiac Solstice in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

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