Pontiac Solstice Amps Up the Wow! Factor
Seeing the Solstice on the show room floor, you’ll want to jump right in and take off. The Pontiac Solstice meshes together raw power, plenty of niceties, and breath-taking styles causing people to stare. It’s been over five decades, since the 1959 Bonneville, to find a split screen that caused so much excitement. This car is a worthy challenger to the BMW Z4 and Audi TT, with only half of the price tag.
Option-wise, the Solstice comes in two trims, the base package and the GXP. The basic package comes with a 173 horse power, 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine that’s still sips the gas. The power-packed GXP package places a whopping 260 hour power turbocharged engine into a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine. Both power engines are attaches onto a five speeder manual or auto transmission. The base model does include electronic traction and stability control, limited slip rear differential, anti-lock disc brakes all the way around the car, generous 18-inch alloy wheels, and crisp satellite radio. The GXP adds onto the base package, and then adds dual exhaust tips, a sport transmission, leather shift know and steering wheel, and upgraded floor mats.
There’s certainly a lot to enjoy about the Solstice, it’s certainly not a perfect car. The steering is not crisp. The Solstice is still a weighty car, at over 3000 pounds, so this car will never feel nimble on its feet. Also, coming out of corners, the Solstice tends to hang on. Taking off, the acceleration can be less than impressive. This car wouldn’t make a passing grade in ergonomics, with components illogically positioned and plastic components littering the interior. Trunk space storage is only adequate.
Despite the minor draw backs, the clear asset of the Solstice is its exterior style. Pontiac doesn’t have an impressive record for styling; in the Solstice, they break their bad luck streak. The Solstice has aggressive styling that’s a bit of a mash-up between a Jaguar and the Bat Mobile. Folks will not be bashful; they will approach you and ask about your sleek car. On the balance, the positives outweigh the negatives. Enthusiasts contemplating a sports car should jump into this car and not look back.
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When the author isn’t driving her Pontiac Solstice, she’s a fan of best psychics, the Seattle HCG Diet, and the Pontiac Solstice windscreen windblocker wind deflector.