2008 Pontiac Solstice Exterior Review [ 2007 ]
Based on analysis of 44 Solstice reviews and test drives.
Exterior - What the Auto Press Says
Reviewers praise the Solstice exterior as eye-catching, well-proportioned and curvaceous. Automobile Magazine says: "If this were a beauty contest, the Solstice would pocket all the marbles. Top down, it gushes charisma by the drum."
Auto critics at New Car Test Drive call the Solstice an "eye-pleasing, delightfully proportioned, almost sensuous package." Edmunds reports that the Solstice is "downright sexy. If you don't believe us, ask the half-dozen people who flagged us down just to look at the car," adding that "curves and flowing lines give the Solstice a fluid, futuristic look." Road & Travel Magazine adds, "The sensual, curvy look highlights Solstice's curb appeal. The car we test drove was red in color, further accentuating the Italian, sporty feel." Auto writers from CNET particularly liked the GXP trim, calling it a "real looker. With its flared wheel arches and front fenders, gleaming 18-inch alloy wheels, and curvaceous sheet metal, the two-seater is one of the most eye-catching cars ever to leave a GM production line."
Both trim levels of the Pontiac Solstice come with a manual folding convertible top, which auto reviewers love for its open-aired feel but hate for its difficult operation. The Auto Channel says the "top system needs a bit of work yet to match its competitors in sophistication." Edmunds reports that putting the top down "requires the driver to turn a latch on the windshield, pop the rear deck lid with a button in the glovebox, then get out of the car and manually fold the top down into its well before slamming the rear deck closed," and putting the top back up requires a "similar process," which auto writers declare is "not difficult, but is a bit tedious." New Car Test Drive adds that this is "not conducive to opening the roof at a stoplight if the urge strikes, or closing it quickly when the rain starts." Car and Driver points out that "the top isn't the simplest thing to raise and lower -- and it can't be operated from the driver's seat as in the MX-5 -- but it does get easier with practice and at least it has a handsome headliner and a glass rear window with a defrosting element."
