I have a Solstice GXP, I love my car. I even have a complete drop in spare engine from a Cobalt SS just waiting for its turn under the hood. It turns a lot of heads and is super fun to drive.
New tires, a tunnel brace, and an aftermarket tune- will change the car drastically for you. IT will stick way better than the factory tires, it will be stiffer through the twisty sections, and the turbo will wake up from the preset factory settings. For a one generation only model- the Kappa platform is way underrated in the fun & affordable factor imo. It is unique in its looks, relatively easy to repair, good on gas mileage, and it is not that expensive to insure. Some factory parts can still be had. Aftermarket options offer many choices & price ranges for mechanical/cosmetic improvements. Is it practical? Nope. Can you fit luggage in it? Sorta- if you're creative. Is it fun to drive? Oh, hell yeah. I should know- been an owner of a RL for many years now. Want to add even more fun to your day? Find a Mallet version of the Kappa with an LS2 V-8 in it. Kappa-the anti-Corvette. The Premagrin smile matters.
I fully agree a few aftermarket parts and this thing would be on rails! I really wish there had been a 2nd generation of it with some improvements from the factory it would have been one of the best for sure!
Great car and nice review… I like the style of the videos and the story you’re angling for! Bravo 👌🏾💎🐰😎💥 Bought my daughter an 07’ and love it so far and I hope we will enjoy it for many years to come!
The steering wheel is from a 2013 C6 Corvette ZR1… looks better with better grip, we have the C6 in my daughters car too, the oem steering wheel is round…
Nope they’re basically the same size, the oem diameter for the Sky steering wheel is 14.5 inches and the C6 Vette is 14.6. I’ve never heard anyone say that Corvette steering wheel is too big in the C6 or the Sky / Solstice…The C6 steering wheel offers better grip, control and much better style. Maybe you’re looking at the thickness of the thumb and palm area of the diameter ..
Ok wait, started watching. I LOVE my car. But it’s neither roomy nor “cadillac” like. It takes bumps like a labor cramp, like a sports car. 30 seconds in this is straight up wrong.
FWIW, GM did offer a factory tune. The GM tune took the 260HP to 290HP, and took the TQ to 340 for manuals, and 325 for autos. However, the GM tune is considered a mild tune because it was covered by the factory warranty (when they had them). Now, aftermarket tunes are closer to 340HP. Between the SolsticeForum, and the SkyRoadster forum, plus around 10 different Sol/Sky Facebook groups, the cars continue to be very popular. Plus there is a yearly annual nationals (NASSAM) that is held in different parts of the country every year.
That extra torque has to make this car so much fun! Its really cool that companies offered factory options with warranty wish they still did for more models
All of your complaints can be solved with aftermarket coilovers and chassis stiffening. The steering wheel is pretty normal sized, it's the same wheel GM was using in a lot of their cars including the Corvette.
True it would be a great car with a few aftermarket parts! As for the steering wheel it just feels weird to have such a big steering wheel on such a small car it feels like it slows down the steering too much for my taste.
Owner of a 2007 solstice gxp. Lot of things to watch out on this car. HPFP, water pump, timing chains, cooling fan and fan ecu, solenoids. Huge plus is a lot of things on this car are cheap to repair or pretty easy to do. Water pump? Not easy. Can change the oil without lifting the car. Another huge thing to know is the 2007 solstice gxp are weaker than 2008 and 2009 with a weaker power map so they make 240hp. Partly due to spark plugs which people say to get updated 08 or 09 spark plugs. Watch out on coolant temps, air is hard to get out of system and raises temps. If in proper shape, this car will destroy any miata that isn't heavily tuned.
My 2008 turbo avoids many of those expensive 2007 problems, but it still took many hours to change the water pump, they all leak, and we had to pull the turbo to get access, no way around it for 2008. Upgrading the turbo, I hear, allows you to pull hard all the way to redline (stock runs out of blow near the top)
Thanks for watching! I kinda want one too after driving it haha. As for reliability I asked the owner and he said he's had the car for about 5 month now and so far its been solid. The engine on these is a Ecotec 2.0l and while it is a cast aluminum block it does have iron sleeves for the cylinders so it should hold up to tuning pretty well. Its also shared with most of GMs lineup so finding parts should fairly easy and cheap.
The only BIG gotcha is the water pump... they are prone to fail and more costly to repair due to the sideways mounting of the engine. Also the AC pump will ALWAYS leak, even when new, so if you don't keep it topped up, it will burn up the compressor. I've had mine for about 8 years, was my daily for 6 of those years. Excellent car, so fun. I will NEVER get rid of it!
I really enjoy driving mine. I've had my 2008 NA since 2013 with well over 100K miles on it now. Drives like a champ. Hasn't been a maintenance hog at all. Only major repair I've had is replacing the oil-pan seal. It was a big ordeal. Went ahead and did a tune up while it was apart since I wouldn't have to pay any additional labor.
We have one and from all my research and having a friend who owned one for 7 year(he said it was his most reliable car he’s owned). As the previous commenter said the water pump replacement is a big job BUT most people tackle it themselves with patience and a long Saturday😂. But you’ll save yourself over $1000-1500 depends on where you live. The car cultured around the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice is huge, so there’s always a helping hand or the answer to ANY situation you’ll have.
At auto cross, there could be 150 cars, and my Redline. I have the only Saturn sky there, and people notice. Pop the hood, and 5x more people notice. Drop the top... they all notice
Wheels are small? 245 45 18 is huge for that car ! STEERING is tight, and fast response... along with Go cart like road handling on turns.. You, Sir are a hater of anything that doesn't burn rice ~
The chrome and fake vents shout 90s. Oddly though the cleaner looking Solstice is aging better. One can only imagine what if these cars were to live on with new iterations.
I absolutely love this car! I bought 2 of them 4 years ago, 1 Base model, one Redline. No regrets, both are fun to drive!
They definately are Inreally enjoyed this one a lot more than expected haha
Is redline less reliable than base model?
I have a Solstice GXP, I love my car. I even have a complete drop in spare engine from a Cobalt SS just waiting for its turn under the hood. It turns a lot of heads and is super fun to drive.
Nice! It would be pretty interesting to use the supercharged version of that engine in one of these
I've always like the look of these, it's a shame they didn't do better
Truly is I believe with a couple of tweaks it would have been a straight up banger
New tires, a tunnel brace, and an aftermarket tune- will change the car drastically for you.
IT will stick way better than the factory tires, it will be stiffer through the twisty sections, and the turbo will wake up from the preset factory settings.
For a one generation only model- the Kappa platform is way underrated in the fun & affordable factor imo.
It is unique in its looks, relatively easy to repair, good on gas mileage, and it is not that expensive to insure.
Some factory parts can still be had. Aftermarket options offer many choices & price ranges for mechanical/cosmetic improvements.
Is it practical? Nope. Can you fit luggage in it? Sorta- if you're creative. Is it fun to drive? Oh, hell yeah.
I should know- been an owner of a RL for many years now.
Want to add even more fun to your day? Find a Mallet version of the Kappa with an LS2 V-8 in it.
Kappa-the anti-Corvette. The Premagrin smile matters.
I fully agree a few aftermarket parts and this thing would be on rails! I really wish there had been a 2nd generation of it with some improvements from the factory it would have been one of the best for sure!
Your last line sums it all up. Thanks for the video. 👍👍👍
Thanks so much for watching, Glad you enjoyed!
Great car and nice review… I like the style of the videos and the story you’re angling for! Bravo 👌🏾💎🐰😎💥 Bought my daughter an 07’ and love it so far and I hope we will enjoy it for many years to come!
Much apreciated! Glad you enjoyed the video 💪
And im sure your daughter is loving it its such a good little car
@@Carstronaut you need to continue to make more videos… hopefully your channel will catch fire and grow.
@@thomasharris5151 thanks for your comment! Its been hard lately but I will def try my best 🙏
The steering wheel is from a 2013 C6 Corvette ZR1… looks better with better grip, we have the C6 in my daughters car too, the oem steering wheel is round…
Oo thats interesting it seems so huge in this car but maybe the oem is smaller
Nope they’re basically the same size, the oem diameter for the Sky steering wheel is 14.5 inches and the C6 Vette is 14.6. I’ve never heard anyone say that Corvette steering wheel is too big in the C6 or the Sky / Solstice…The C6 steering wheel offers better grip, control and much better style.
Maybe you’re looking at the thickness of the thumb and palm area of the diameter ..
I own the Pontiac twin. Love this car.
Ok wait, started watching. I LOVE my car. But it’s neither roomy nor “cadillac” like. It takes bumps like a labor cramp, like a sports car. 30 seconds in this is straight up wrong.
Sorry to see you disagree but thanks for watching!
I have a 20k mile 06 Solstice which has never been driven in rain. I will NEVER sell it.
Nice! These cars are so good!
FWIW, GM did offer a factory tune. The GM tune took the 260HP to 290HP, and took the TQ to 340 for manuals, and 325 for autos. However, the GM tune is considered a mild tune because it was covered by the factory warranty (when they had them). Now, aftermarket tunes are closer to 340HP. Between the SolsticeForum, and the SkyRoadster forum, plus around 10 different Sol/Sky Facebook groups, the cars continue to be very popular. Plus there is a yearly annual nationals (NASSAM) that is held in different parts of the country every year.
That extra torque has to make this car so much fun! Its really cool that companies offered factory options with warranty wish they still did for more models
😍😍😍 my dream car
Thanks for watching!
That's not the standard steering wheel. Looks great. I have a base Sky and really enjoy it.
All of your complaints can be solved with aftermarket coilovers and chassis stiffening. The steering wheel is pretty normal sized, it's the same wheel GM was using in a lot of their cars including the Corvette.
True it would be a great car with a few aftermarket parts!
As for the steering wheel it just feels weird to have such a big steering wheel on such a small car it feels like it slows down the steering too much for my taste.
It's an aftermarket steering wheel
Owner of a 2007 solstice gxp. Lot of things to watch out on this car. HPFP, water pump, timing chains, cooling fan and fan ecu, solenoids. Huge plus is a lot of things on this car are cheap to repair or pretty easy to do. Water pump? Not easy. Can change the oil without lifting the car. Another huge thing to know is the 2007 solstice gxp are weaker than 2008 and 2009 with a weaker power map so they make 240hp. Partly due to spark plugs which people say to get updated 08 or 09 spark plugs. Watch out on coolant temps, air is hard to get out of system and raises temps. If in proper shape, this car will destroy any miata that isn't heavily tuned.
This is a good knowledge boost for anyone who is interested in one!
And yeah with a few mods it would 100% destroy any miata
My 2008 turbo avoids many of those expensive 2007 problems, but it still took many hours to change the water pump, they all leak, and we had to pull the turbo to get access, no way around it for 2008. Upgrading the turbo, I hear, allows you to pull hard all the way to redline (stock runs out of blow near the top)
Love the video man! I wanna get this car but I have a question about the maintenance cost and stuff?
Thanks for watching!
I kinda want one too after driving it haha.
As for reliability I asked the owner and he said he's had the car for about 5 month now and so far its been solid. The engine on these is a Ecotec 2.0l and while it is a cast aluminum block it does have iron sleeves for the cylinders so it should hold up to tuning pretty well. Its also shared with most of GMs lineup so finding parts should fairly easy and cheap.
The only BIG gotcha is the water pump... they are prone to fail and more costly to repair due to the sideways mounting of the engine. Also the AC pump will ALWAYS leak, even when new, so if you don't keep it topped up, it will burn up the compressor.
I've had mine for about 8 years, was my daily for 6 of those years. Excellent car, so fun. I will NEVER get rid of it!
@@ShaunChaudoin Thanks man! Always wanted one.
I really enjoy driving mine. I've had my 2008 NA since 2013 with well over 100K miles on it now. Drives like a champ. Hasn't been a maintenance hog at all. Only major repair I've had is replacing the oil-pan seal. It was a big ordeal. Went ahead and did a tune up while it was apart since I wouldn't have to pay any additional labor.
We have one and from all my research and having a friend who owned one for 7 year(he said it was his most reliable car he’s owned). As the previous commenter said the water pump replacement is a big job BUT most people tackle it themselves with patience and a long Saturday😂. But you’ll save yourself over $1000-1500 depends on where you live.
The car cultured around the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice is huge, so there’s always a helping hand or the answer to ANY situation you’ll have.
I have a black Redline...3520 miles...it's like new.
Awesome 💪💪
Wow, a car that's barely ever been enjoyed as intended.
*Nerd.*
At auto cross, there could be 150 cars, and my Redline. I have the only Saturn sky there, and people notice. Pop the hood, and 5x more people notice. Drop the top... they all notice
The hood and trunk are 100% one of the coolest things to see 😂
It's like a little corvette, but not a poor mans corvette, as it's not in any way cheap to buy !! @@Carstronaut
Wheels are small? 245 45 18 is huge for that car !
STEERING is tight, and fast response... along with Go cart like road handling on turns..
You, Sir are a hater of anything that doesn't burn rice ~
The ride is fine but far from “Cadillac like”.
Maybe cadillacs dont ride that well? 😂
@@Carstronaut Cadillac's very an excellent ride. Magneride is very good
@@john335i magnaride is decent 👍
The chrome and fake vents shout 90s. Oddly though the cleaner looking Solstice is aging better. One can only imagine what if these cars were to live on with new iterations.
Could definately do with a bit less chrome but I think the shape flows better in the sky
A Miata looks like a little piece of junk next to a Solstice or Sky!
I wouldnt go that far but the sky definately is a beast