I agree, but I doubt the Vauxhall would pass our safety standards. It ruins it for a lot of neat cars we could have.
By the way, at least from pictures, I like the Sky better than the Solstice. I really don't like the Solstice's front end, while the sky seems okay to me. I like the rest of the car much better than the front
but I am not so sure about one in red or even medium blue. Or, I think the Pontiac Solstice's lines are better looking overall, choose the color you like and dig it immensely, but the Sky needs certain colors painted on it to really shine.
The Saturn Sky in the picture above looks great, though.
I like the Vauxhall VX220 a lot more than the Sky. It has a more agressive look and looks better in the front with just the headlights and the grille. The Vauxhall even has a turbocharger although it does have the same price as an Elise.
The Sky is slated to begin production in mid January. The first vehicles are due to arrive at dealers in late February to early March. Customers that currently have deposits down on the Sky will be contacted by their dealer in late December to finalize their order.
"My original hope had been that the Saturn Kappa car would be a coupe. More a cousin than a sibling to the Solstice, if you will."
Me too. From what I have read, the Sky will start around $23K and will come fairly well-equipped in base trim. OTOH, the Solstice will come in very basic base form, but will be optionable to the same equipment level and spec as the Sky, in fact they have even said it is likely that the pair will have identical suspension settings. Which kinda makes this like the Vibe/Matrix project: a rebadging with some minor cosmetic changes, and a more basic version available at the Toyota dealer than is available at Pontiac.
As for me, I like wind-up windows but prefer the looks of the Sky, which will have power accessories standard. All of which misses the point, that I do not like roadsters very much but would LOVE to see a coupe version of the Sky/Solstice. Would that the coupe were not limited to Opel in Europe and Saab over here.
Sky is a good name for it, btw. The car allows you to see the sky, and the name sounds simple, airy, fun. Saturn and Pontiac are the right companies to have these cars too. I really really hope no other GM division is given a rebadged version of this car. For all that the Aura's looks are new, for instance, there is virtually nothing (except the expected optional 3.6 OHC engine from the top of the line LaCrosse) to make it stand apart from the Malibu and G6, even as it further deluxifies the 9-3.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
No surprise, it comes with a lot more standard content than the Solistice. And it's not like Pontiac dealer have any sitting on the lot for "under $20k" as was once promised.
Would the fact that it has sharper lines mean that it weighs less? The Solstice is fairly porky.
I do not think so. The curvey Solstice comes from hydroforming sheet metal. The Solstice and Sky probably use the same amount of sheet metal.*
The extra weight in the Kappa cars comes from the extra rigid frame and larger tires. The only way either would lose weight would be if GM replaced frame steel with aluminum alloys. That would mean a much pricier car, however.
* It should probably be cheaper to make the Sky with its traditional stamped body panels as opposed to the Solstice's hydroformed panels. The Saturn may be the money maker of the two.
According to the Saturn website and other articles I've been reading, both the Solstice and Sky's body panels are hydroformed. I'd bet that, comparably equipped, weight is within 100 lbs. of each other.
What *I* have not been able to find anywhere is EPA or projected MPG figures. Given the four-banger and under 1.5-ton weight, though, I'd guess 22-23 city, 27-30 highway or thereabouts. Any other guesses?
The Solstice is 20/28. I expect the manny will be around 18/26.
Not sure, but I think epa figures are with the top up. I never did better than 20 mpgs with my Miatas. For the most part, I was driving top down, reasonably open roads, but of course going crazy with the downshifts.
Roadsters are really not the ideal economy cars if you are at all into driving hard.
(But check out autoweek for the tiny, ultralight but street legal vehicle. Just over 1,000 pounds and it even comes with an ecotec! I bet that gets pretty good mpgs, no matter how nuts you get.)
A dealer in Rhode Island that i talked to said that they will probably asking 9-10% over sticker. I asked about the one price no haggle and they saidthat this will be different cuz of the demand. Needless to say i wasn't a happy camper
Forgot about that top-down part! Wind resistance and all that. How silly of me, since I drive an Audi A6 Avant with a 0.28 coefficient of drag that helps it get 25 mpg freeway despite weighing about 4000 lbs. and powered by a 200 hp, 2.8 liter V6.
We used to own a Z3 with the 2.5-liter inline 6 with 184 horsepower and if memory serves, we averaged probably 20 MPG or so. We were in San Diego at the time and so the top was down probably 90% of the time.
Now that we live in Northern California, I'd bet that figure will go down to 70-75%. My wife (the daily commuter; I work from home) has been lusting for another convertible ever since the arrival of our first child took the Z3 from us. (Sniff!) Since this one is a) gorgeous, b) fairly easy on the gas and c) relatively affordable, it just might fit the bill. Her drive is about 50% freeway and 50% city streets, crosses the SF Bay @ the Dumbarton Bridge, and totals 29 miles round-trip per day. This car would be perfect for our NorCal conditions.
It is amazing what a top does to mpgs. When I still had the Miata, I had friends come in for the weekend, so I rented a Mazda6 Sedan with the auto and V6. The four of us drove all over town, on many of the same roads I hit with the Miata. I still wound up averaging about 6 mpgs better than in the Miata.
As you and your wife appear to be all to well aware, driving top down can be pretty addictive. In NorCal, where you get a lot of sun but not so much hot, top down is especially compelling.
Everytime I look at the Sky, I hear the siren call of top down driving.
n.b.: In my 2/23 post, I said manny when I meant to say auto where I speculated 18/26 mpgs.
You're not kidding. We live in Fremont on the east side of the bay where the weather is pretty temperate. My wife loves her black-on-black, loaded and (thanks to me) relatively tweaked A4 -- 17" wheels and tires, chipped, upgraded Euro-spec headlights, debadged, etc. -- but she keeps telling people, "There's something wrong with the roof."
When they answer, "What's wrong with the roof?" she replies, "It HAS one!"
She's the main breadwinner, works hard for the family and has some stock options we hope are worth something some day, so we'll probably pull the trigger later this year. In fact, her 40th birthday is in August .... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........
They're advertising pretty prominently in Project Runway on Bravo, I noticed. I guess the Solistice spot on The Apprentice worked so they stuck with a similar format, just lower budget.
I know is not my money. But why someone will put a deposit on a car that was not test drived? What if the car is not comfortable or what you actually were expecting. Also, what about the first 6 months of the first edition when all the recalls and problem finding happens?
I believe it will be better to seat back and wait a bit.....unless of course you have money to spare.
Actually i was able to drive the car this past Sunday.
The car handled very well Cornering during acceleration was very tight and held the road great.
Only took the car up to 65 but at that there was no noticeable wind noise (top was up). And the dealer said that when my car comes in if i don't like it ot i change my mind then my deposit will be refunded.
I drove by a dealer today and they had "Sky is here" on the sign out front. I presume they'd be available for a test drive, given that's how they are trying to draw attention.
The 260 hp Sky GXP will be available in the fall when they start shipping the Opel version to Germany. I am guessing Oct,/Nov as all new cars in germany arrive in Nov.
Does anyone know if Saturn dealers are marking up the price over sticker or are they being good saturn dealers? The pontiac dealers here where I live in FL., are thieves and they wonder why Pontiac sales are down, they have one good car and 5 lousy ones and they try to make all the profits they can on the Solstice.
Does anyone find that big piece of white trim in the center around the shift knob of the Sky Annoying? I think the interrior is light years ahead of any competition, including its own pontiac, but this big fat trim piece looks out of place.
It seems as if the designers wanted to incorporate that with the metalic door trim pieces, and it does not work b/c the center piece is too fat.
look...
its more evident on the black/red scheme (WHICH OTHERWISE IS AWESOME!)
Last weekend I attended a local "auto show" and got my first hands on intro to the Sky. Several weeks back, I took out a Cadillac XLR for a test ride. This will sound like jumping from A to Z with no explanation, but why is it that only the relatively expensive sports cars have enough room for tall, large people? The Sky, the Mazda Miata, etc., are cramped compared to Corvettes, Vipers, etc. I'd love to own a Sky, but it seems too little.
Comments
By the way, at least from pictures, I like the Sky better than the Solstice. I really don't like the Solstice's front end, while the sky seems okay to me. I like the rest of the car much better than the front
Good Day
Tom Kernich
-juice
The VX220 is essential a Lotus Elise and they brought it to the states...
-juice
The Elise got a waiver from U.S. safety regs.
check the link for the new 2007 Saturn Sky
New Saturn
Almost.........
DrFill
The Saturn Sky in the picture above looks great, though.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Without a doubt this is the most exciting and best looking vehicle that Saturn has ever built in it's rather dull history.
Can't wait for the Aura and future VUE.
Now, on to make a Saturn Sky based Saab Sonett!
Me too. From what I have read, the Sky will start around $23K and will come fairly well-equipped in base trim. OTOH, the Solstice will come in very basic base form, but will be optionable to the same equipment level and spec as the Sky, in fact they have even said it is likely that the pair will have identical suspension settings. Which kinda makes this like the Vibe/Matrix project: a rebadging with some minor cosmetic changes, and a more basic version available at the Toyota dealer than is available at Pontiac.
As for me, I like wind-up windows but prefer the looks of the Sky, which will have power accessories standard. All of which misses the point, that I do not like roadsters very much but would LOVE to see a coupe version of the Sky/Solstice. Would that the coupe were not limited to Opel in Europe and Saab over here.
Sky is a good name for it, btw. The car allows you to see the sky, and the name sounds simple, airy, fun. Saturn and Pontiac are the right companies to have these cars too. I really really hope no other GM division is given a rebadged version of this car. For all that the Aura's looks are new, for instance, there is virtually nothing (except the expected optional 3.6 OHC engine from the top of the line LaCrosse) to make it stand apart from the Malibu and G6, even as it further deluxifies the 9-3.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
pictures
Wonder if we'll see a supercharged version of the Sky soon.
-juice
Would the fact that it has sharper lines mean that it weighs less? The Solstice is fairly porky.
I do not think so. The curvey Solstice comes from hydroforming sheet metal. The Solstice and Sky probably use the same amount of sheet metal.*
The extra weight in the Kappa cars comes from the extra rigid frame and larger tires. The only way either would lose weight would be if GM replaced frame steel with aluminum alloys. That would mean a much pricier car, however.
* It should probably be cheaper to make the Sky with its traditional stamped body panels as opposed to the Solstice's hydroformed panels. The Saturn may be the money maker of the two.
-juice
http://www.huntsvillecarscene.com/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=670&day=2006-2-1&c=1-
It'll handle a front license plate a lot better than the Solistice will.
-juice
What *I* have not been able to find anywhere is EPA or projected MPG figures. Given the four-banger and under 1.5-ton weight, though, I'd guess 22-23 city, 27-30 highway or thereabouts. Any other guesses?
Not sure, but I think epa figures are with the top up. I never did better than 20 mpgs with my Miatas. For the most part, I was driving top down, reasonably open roads, but of course going crazy with the downshifts.
Roadsters are really not the ideal economy cars if you are at all into driving hard.
(But check out autoweek for the tiny, ultralight but street legal vehicle. Just over 1,000 pounds and it even comes with an ecotec! I bet that gets pretty good mpgs, no matter how nuts you get.)
We used to own a Z3 with the 2.5-liter inline 6 with 184 horsepower and if memory serves, we averaged probably 20 MPG or so. We were in San Diego at the time and so the top was down probably 90% of the time.
Now that we live in Northern California, I'd bet that figure will go down to 70-75%. My wife (the daily commuter; I work from home) has been lusting for another convertible ever since the arrival of our first child took the Z3 from us. (Sniff!) Since this one is a) gorgeous, b) fairly easy on the gas and c) relatively affordable, it just might fit the bill. Her drive is about 50% freeway and 50% city streets, crosses the SF Bay @ the Dumbarton Bridge, and totals 29 miles round-trip per day. This car would be perfect for our NorCal conditions.
As you and your wife appear to be all to well aware, driving top down can be pretty addictive. In NorCal, where you get a lot of sun but not so much hot, top down is especially compelling.
Everytime I look at the Sky, I hear the siren call of top down driving.
n.b.: In my 2/23 post, I said manny when I meant to say auto where I speculated 18/26 mpgs.
You're not kidding. We live in Fremont on the east side of the bay where the weather is pretty temperate. My wife loves her black-on-black, loaded and (thanks to me) relatively tweaked A4 -- 17" wheels and tires, chipped, upgraded Euro-spec headlights, debadged, etc. -- but she keeps telling people, "There's something wrong with the roof."
When they answer, "What's wrong with the roof?" she replies, "It HAS one!"
She's the main breadwinner, works hard for the family and has some stock options we hope are worth something some day, so we'll probably pull the trigger later this year. In fact, her 40th birthday is in August .... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........
When they answer, "What's wrong with the roof?" she replies, "It HAS one!"
In fact, her 40th birthday is in August ....
Sounds like a plan.
They use one in the show, even.
-juice
I believe it will be better to seat back and wait a bit.....unless of course you have money to spare.
Is that deposit returnable?
The car handled very well Cornering during acceleration was very tight and held the road great.
Only took the car up to 65 but at that there was no noticeable wind noise (top was up). And the dealer said that when my car comes in if i don't like it ot i change my mind then my deposit will be refunded.
-juice
Saturn get's its own version of the Pontiac Solstice GXP.
MazdaSpeed was first with combining DI and turbos, but they have some issues with heat soak. Let's see if GM gets it right out of the starting gate.
-juice
DrFill
Also to anyone who is already driving there brand new car How long did it take for you're car to come in after thr dealer sent in you're paperwork?
Thanks
Does anyone find that big piece of white trim in the center around the shift knob of the Sky Annoying? I think the interrior is light years ahead of any competition, including its own pontiac, but this big fat trim piece looks out of place.
It seems as if the designers wanted to incorporate that with the metalic door trim pieces, and it does not work b/c the center piece is too fat.
look...
its more evident on the black/red scheme (WHICH OTHERWISE IS AWESOME!)
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