Yes, if I had 20k to spend on a car it would be a used s2k...after all, that is what I did. But if I had $20k to spend on a new 2006 car it would be a Solstice.

I still have not driven one myself, but I want to. I can only go by what I have read and I believe the car is getting a bad rap. To me the car looks good, to others it may not, that is subjective. But the handling tests GRM did are objective tests and the Solstice held its own, even beating the MX-5 that people think is the greatest car ever.

For all I know I may absolutely hate the car after I drive it, who knows. Or they all may fall apart after 50k miles. I don't think the Solstice is the greatest car in the world, but from what I have read it appears to be pretty good for the price. I guess it irritates me when people have a negative perception of a car only because it is domestic.

And as far as riding in a boat, some dimensions are below. It is very close is size to the MX-5, S2k and 350Z. But it may still feel like a boat when driving it, but the handling numbers suggest it may not. When they start having more at the dealer maybe we can take a trip over and try to test drive one and see how it drives. I went to drive one this past weekend and they said they didn't expect to get another one for 60 days...


Solstice:
L - 157.2
W - 71.3
H - 50.1
wheelbase - 95.1
track, f - 60.7
track, r - 61.4

S2000:
L - 162.2
W - 68.9
H - 50
wheelbase - 94.5
track, f - 57.9
track, r - 59.4

350Z
L - 169.8
W - 71.5
H - 52.1
wheelbase - 104.3
track, f - 60.5
track, r - 60.6

MX-5
L - 157.3
W - 67.7
H - 49
wheelbase - 91.7
track, f - 58.7
track, r - 58.9

 

I was talking about new, base price. Base price for the Solstice is $20,490. Base for the S2k is $34,050. Even the $24k or $25k car you saw is $10k cheaper than the cheapest new s2k.

 

that doesn't sound too bad. I'll have to go by and check it out. You live in Kansas or in Oklahoma? I didn't know it was that small. It just seemed kinda of bubbly to me. Those number are very close to the S2k but I never know if a 157 and a 160 could be a huge difference. I'll definately have to drop by and give one a drive and bring my second car so that I dont get hasseled when they see my S. I've heard dealers think they can outhandle us when they are speaking out their asses to sell the car. I look forward to it.

 

Shape is nice but...

 

OK... I have to chime in...

No comment on the Solstice other than I like the tail... hate the front. Thats it.

Now as far as pontiac and domestic is concerned... In 86 I got a Fiero SE(6 Cyl) - Drove it until 2001. Look it wasn't the best speedster... it wasn't the best handler either. At the time it was a helufacar. To this day I love my fiero. Not because it was it was the best of anything... but because I trusted it. Even in 2ft of snow... I knew exactly how she would behave... more so than the S (course I don't drive my S nearly as often... and only once in the rain-hahahahahhaha).

The fiero was on the forefront IMO on the two seater affordable sportscar. It was better than the MR2 at the time. Miata did not exist yet.

I think the Solstice (however you spell it) is a good attempt at making an american two seater that is affordable. Unfortunately for GM the market has changed... now you must compete with the HZ, the Miata, the S, the new MR2, the Mustang, even the new Saturn....etc... yes I know not all cars are in the same class... but times have changed since the 80'SA and todays sports cars are a difficult market to win. I give props to pontiac to have the balls to try something to compete.

Me... I prefer my S too... but I love all cars... and would love the opportunity to have a 2000 car garage to own every model...

BTW... Honda builds one KA sprorts car! -

 

I live in Tulsa (actually Sand Springs). When I went to look at the Solstice my wife went with me and we took her Corolla. I figured if I showed up in my s2k they might not let me drive the Solstice. The plan was to tell them my wife wanted a sportier car so we were looking at the Solstice. But as I mentioned earlier they didn't have one so we didn't even get to sit in one.

As soon as the dealerships have them sitting around I definitely want to take one for a spin. Right now they are selling them before they arrive and are getting above sticker price, so the chances of driving one right now are small.

 

My first car was also an '86 GT and I feel the ABSOLUTE same way!

Power was alright, 150bhp (but they're light). Handling, I think is a different story. Sure they may not be any comparison to modern cars (S2000, STi, EVO, Boxster, etc) but for 1986 it Handled DAMN well! There also may be a noticeable different between the SE and GT suspensions...

If I had the money I'd have three Fieros...one bone stock '88 GT, one '88 GT with a V8, and one '85 GT with a 3800 SeriesII S/C

 

For those who don't know, the Mallett Solstice has an LS2 with 400bhp

 

god if they put a new body kit on that front i think it would look pretty good. and the rims are nice too, i'll give them that. Makes you wonder...someone out there will probably have one and bring it to one of our auto-x's this year to compete. That means we have to do our best .

 

Yeah there are always those people who want a car that has just came out so they can look cool. Then you will always find someone that wants to race theres. And then when they find out its not the car that fits them they go and trade it in and that car becomes the test drive solstice of the city. Then all of us go test drive it, we beat the hell out of it to see what it can do, it develops problems from all the wear and tear and then the next person who actuatlly buys it has so many problems with it, they have to take it in so many times to get it repaired that it develops a bad name....or maybe they just are the unlucky one to get one thats been abused. It won't be long before one gets traded to be test driven.