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2009 Pontiac Solstice

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Overview

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2009 Pontiac Solstice Review

By KBB.com Editors

When Pontiac first showed the Solstice concept, the public and the press had just two words for the people at GM: Build it. And build it they did. Three years into production, the 2009 Pontiac Solstice roadster is an unqualified success, combining exotic good looks with a sturdy chassis and world-class handling. Despite the obvious use of in-house parts (the ventilation controls are borrowed from the Hummer H3 and the reverse lights from the GMC Envoy), and the less-than-user-friendly convertible-top mechanism, the Solstice comes off as fresh and original. Visually, the Solstice easily rivals such stylish competitors as the BMW Z4 and Audi TT, yet costs half as much.

You'll Like This Car If...

If you covet fine four-wheeled automotive art and your idea of driving is a small, responsive and affordable two-seat sports car on a challenging two-lane road, the 2009 Pontiac Solstice is your dream come true.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If you need ample interior storage and bring along more than a very, very small amount of luggage on the trip, you may be better off with a four-seat convertible like the BMW 3 Series or Audi A4. The Solstice Roadster provides precious little room for stuff in the cockpit and a mere 5.4 cubic feet of trunk space with the top up – and almost none at all with the top down.

What's New for 2009

A hard-top Coupe joins the Roadster. It features a liftback glass hatch and a removable roof panel. New standard equipment includes StabiliTrak stability control, anti-lock brakes (ABS) and a limited-slip differential.

Driving the Solstice

Driving Impressions The 2009 Pontiac Solstice's 2.4-liter engine has excellent low-end torque for strong launch and passing performance, yet it happily revs to its 6600-rpm redline when the driver's mood arises. The...

power rack-and-pinion steering is crisp and accurate, the large four-wheel power disc brakes are strong and linear and the short-throw shifter gives smooth, precise gear changes. Due to the combination of a stiff chassis, a wide track, near 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution, perfectly tuned four-wheel independent suspension and big, handling-biased tires, cornering balance and performance are simply outstanding, yet the ride doesn't beat you up on lumpy surfaces. We also enjoyed the seat support and comfort and the surprising lack of road noise with the top up.

Favorite Features

Styling
Just about everyone loves the looks of this car, and so do we.

Driving Dynamics
Despite its reasonable price, this is a truly outstanding sports car with an exceptional level of handling response and capabilities.

2009 Pontiac Solstice Details

Interior

The interior has a cockpit-style layout that angles the controls toward the driver and features motorcycle-inspired gauges. Unlike some small coupes, it has generous shoulder room and sufficient legroom for taller drivers. The "racing-inspired" bucket seats have small but useful storage pockets and ample bolsters for support during spirited cornering, and the thick, adjustable-rake steering wheel's diameter seems just right for serious driving. While some interior parts are borrowed from other GM products (Chevrolet Corvette, Opel Corsa, Hummer H3) to save time and investment cost, every component is carefully integrated to complement the whole.

Exterior

Pontiac calls it "a modern American update of the classic roadster...inspired by the romantic era of sports cars." We call it near-perfect, with taut lines, seductive curves, long hood, short rear deck, clean body sides, high beltline, dual-port Pontiac grille and wide 18-inch wheels and tires pushed to the corners for a low, aggressive stance. The trunk lid is rear-hinged to accept the folding top, integrated fairings behind the headrests recall racing sports cars of the past and the prominent headlamps and wrap-around taillamps have a premium, jewel-like appearance. Like most convertibles, the Roadster looks best with its manual top tucked away, but is also nearly as tasty with it up. On the Coupe, cargo space is greatly increased, while a contoured roof panel increases head room to 37.4 inches.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The comprehensive standard equipment list includes four-wheel independent short/long-arm suspension, Bilstein coil-over monotube shocks, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, fast-ratio rack-and-pinion steering, P245/45R18 all-season tires on alloy wheels, StabiliTrak stability control, limited-slip differential, rake-adjustable steering wheel, leather-wrapped manual shift knob, OnStar, XM Satellite Radio, two-way power driver's-seat adjuster, AM/FM/MP3-compatable CD six-speaker stereo, manual cloth convertible top with glass rear window defogger and dual-stage front airbags.

Optional Equipment

There are four logically-grouped packages: The Preferred Package includes power windows, locks and mirrors and remote keyless entry; the Convenience Package adds fog lamps, cruise control and enhanced Driver Information Center controls; the Premium Package includes leather seating and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls; and the Club Sport Package features a singe CD stereo and performance suspension while deleting OnStar, XM radio and all other options save for a rear spoiler. The Club Sport can be considered a basic version designed to keep weight to a minimum. Other available options include air conditioning, carpeted floor mats, premium Monsoon seven-speaker audio, GM's latest OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation system and a five-speed automatic transmission.

Under the Hood

Given the modest price, we were pleasantly surprised to see the 173-horsepower 2.4-liter variable valve timing (VVT) version of GM's all-aluminum DOHC 16-valve ECOTEC four-cylinder engine as standard in the Solstice,. Acceleration is strong up to about 60 miles per hour, but then drops off. If you're looking for more than just a comfortable touring car, the turbocharged GXP is the model you want.

2.4-liter in-line 4
173 horsepower @ 5800 rpm
167 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/25 (manual), 19/24 (automatic)

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2009 Pontiac Solstice Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.9

Out of 10

Based on 227 Ratings for the 2006 - 2009 models.

Review this car

Value

9.2/10

Quality

9.0/10
Reliability

9.2/10

Performance

9.2/10
Comfort

8.5/10

Styling

9.4/10

Best Roadster ever Made under $50K

By Fleaman (VA) on Wednesday, July 24, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 21,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: Not Rated
Reliability: Not Rated
Quality: Not Rated
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Fun, beautiful and sporty"

Cons: "Trunk space limited"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"The car handles like a roadster should. Even tall people fit in comfortably. The 50/50 ratio width to length makes the handling and performance, enjoyable and fun. Road and Driver named it one of the top ten most beautiful cars under $50,000. The only reason I marked it down was limited grocery space under the trunk."

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I have had great luck with my Solstice.

By Ronnie (IN) on Monday, July 15, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 41,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 8/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "Fair price, Fun to drive, handles great"

Cons: "Manually putting the top up and down."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"My Solstice has proven itself in being a fun car to drive. We took it on a two week trip out west; it was great. It did not overheat. Driving on the ice and heavy rain is not as nice. But we did not expect it to be. I do store this car in the winter."

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have this car 3 years ,not a problem .

By TONY P. (NC) on Friday, July 12, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 25,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "handling is superb, unltd. torque buy one ..."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"did the factory turbo up-grade added magna flow exhaust. now pushing 325 hp. Scary FAASTTT. the only problem is keeping it under 80 mph... the best sports car you can buy for under 20k."

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Great, inexpensive mid life fun car, even if you

By Georgia Boy (GA) on Saturday, July 06, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Easy, fun, and great looking car to drive"

Cons: "need a place to hold the cell phone"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I love the car! It is fun to drive a manual gear box again. This is a third car, so it does not get driven everyday, but when I do, I look forward to the weekends to take it out with the top down and enjoy the road. I was fortunate to find the car that was one of the first 1000 built; badged model. Don't know if that adds any value, but it only had 104 miles on it when I bought it almost two years ago. Great find."

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Great, inexpensive mid life fun car, even if you

By Georgia Boy (GA) on Saturday, July 06, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 5,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Easy, fun, and great looking car to drive"

Cons: "need a place to hold the cell phone"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

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love this car depite its lack of creature comforts

By MRB (FL) on Monday, June 10, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 61,000

10 7.0

overall rating 7 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 7/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 7/10
Quality: 7/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 5/10
Comfort: 3/10

Pros: "fuel efficient performance car"

Cons: "lack of storage"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"Fun, fun, fun!!! Use it as a daily commuter. There is NO trunk space, no storage bins inside, no spare tire. There really isn't even a practical place for a cell phone!! But it has the power, performance and handling that somehow make you forget all the negatives. I have really enjoyed this car and have no intention of letting it go any time soon."

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See all 227 reviews