Comments on: Soltice unseats Miata as top roadster

By: Critical

Critical — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:18:50 +0000

The above statement by Lucifer is truly from a halfwit American! As a Canadian we have as many plants close to me from Japan as from the USA. It is up to you yanks to build a decent car to get all of us back into them. I would concentrate on QUALITY, QUALITY,QUALITY . Consumer Reports, a nonprofit, unbiased consumer organization still recommends the Miata, IT DOES NOT RECOMMEND the Solstice which I too think is a good looking car. I am in the market to replace my 1980 Fiat Spider this year. I am considering the Miata and the Honda S2000 and unfortunately I am not seriously considering the Sky or the Solstice because I keep my cars for a very long time. Again, it is a nice looking car and I truly don’t care whose dash is nicer so long as they don’t rattle or squeak.

By: bluesplayer4758

bluesplayer4758 — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:18:08 +0000

RE: i don’t care how crap this car is, i’m just glad that an american built, american branded car is selling better then a japanese one.

god bless america

Comment by Lucifer, posted on December15 at 12:55 am

Oh we’re really blessed all right – with a great presidential administration, highly successful (not to mention economically-sound) war on terrorism and last but not least, a world-class automotive industry. Any more blessings and we’d be living in caves.

By: GMrules

GMrules — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 04:09:12 +0000

Goes to show that everyone would rather have a GM than some lame import from Commie land. Buyers are finally smartening up for once. Burn your Miata and buy a real car like the Solstice.

By: WEKS

WEKS — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:53:33 +0000

Is this US sales or worldwide? If it’s the US sales figures, I’m not surprised, if it’s world wide, I’m impressed.

By: GarbageMotorsCo

GarbageMotorsCo — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:02:20 +0000

Go for the X5! I have a 4.6i and it is an awesome SUV that handles like a sports sedan. Take the 18,5 man cause the depreciation on those drop like a rock, and fast.

Come join the growing ranks of disgruntled GM owners, the grass is a lot greener on this side of the fence

By: Fatstrat

Fatstrat — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 15:33:20 +0000

Right….

By: BrokenCadillac...

BrokenCadillac... — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 15:23:10 +0000

I know for a fact that GM would have handled any of those squawks as warranty/good faith deals unless the car was abused, that close to warranty expiration.

Um, GM did fix the problems with my SRX under warranty numbnuts.

And my lemon Cadillac is in my driveway. I’m not making this up dumbass. Doesn’t matter, it’ll be gone soon, A Chrysler store just offered me the best trade in yet, 18,500 for my POS on a Magnum SRT-8. I’ll probably jump on it by Friday.

Goodbye and good riddance to this miserable GM experience!

By: GarbageMotorsCo

GarbageMotorsCo — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:54:33 +0000

I would hope there would be no problems in 1 year…

I have had a few bad GM’s in the past too. And as a loyal buyer, I was appalled that I ended up with so many bad ones. Unacceptable.

BrokenCaddie got a bad SRX. Dependability ratings for it have been poor and the model has pretty much bombed in the market to begin with. No surprises.

Broken, you need to dump that pile of garbage and get yourself a real SUV like an X5 or an Audi Q7. You don’t know what you are missing!

By: 90Z

90Z — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:11:21 +0000

@Fatstrat: I hear ya. I’ve had a 99 1500, an 03 1500HD & now have an 04 2500HD D’Max. All of them have been great…not one single problem. Not sure where they’re getting their b.s., but it’s a lousy source.

By: Fatstrat

Fatstrat — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 01:24:40 +0000

sorry Lamboz, that is not a fact about Silverado. Many cars, including some models from GM resemble that remark, but not all of them, and not the Silverado, which has a high level of repeat buyers.
Which BC experience are you talking about, todays, or the problems he said he had 2 months ago?

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:07:42 +0000

The reality is, Fastrat, that the Silverado and many GM cars in general have been complained about for being squeaky/rattley/problematic, that’s no rumor, and no bull**** gossip, it’s based on facts and owner’s experiences, like BrokenCadillac’s.

By: Fatstrat

Fatstrat — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:09:57 +0000

What ever BC. Read deantj’s rant about rattling chevys thats the context. But I know you couldnt resist another drawn out post about ‘your’ SRX. I swear that your gremlin list is different each of the past 40 times you have posted it.
I know for a fact that GM would have handled any of those squawks as warranty/good faith deals unless the car was abused, that close to warranty expiration.

Anyway, its the internet, someone could say they own a bugatti if they want, we just really dont know.

By: BrokenCadillac...

BrokenCadillac... — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:59:08 +0000

And a Chevy pickup has what to do with the Solstice?

I have a 2004 SRX that has spent 50% of its time in the service bay for electrical gremlins, tranny reflashes, cracking skyroof, leaky skyroof, 4 brake jobs and semi-siezed rear axle all within 40k miles.

Yet it has nothing to do with the Solstice……… But, if this is the best that GM can do, then I’m jumping ship and a Toyota dealership will be one of the first places I run to.

By: Fatstrat

Fatstrat — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:15:39 +0000

Uh, deantj
Knew you couldnt get through a post without resorting to the ‘11 year old, mom and dad arent looking so I can use the grown up naughty words’ routine.

I own a 2003 Z71 Silverado with over 60k miles I regularly tow a 7000lb trailer with it and also use it frequently off road. I am very hard on it and frankly didnt expect it to last. But… it has zero rattles and squeeks, there are no problems whatsoever with any of the ‘plastic’ and it has been more dependable than any of my previous Toyotas.

By: Sharif

Sharif — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 05:02:25 +0000

^^^^^ I know I made it sound like the SL 600 was my car but its not that was a mistake. I have an A4. Sorry, please don’t start calling me a liar.

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:22:51 +0000

Deantj got it, they do whatever it takes to cost cut, they cut corners, and cheapen all of their products so that yeah, while the Solstice is an inexpensive car to begin with, you GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. The MX-5 however, while starting at a similar MSRP, is NOT a case of “you get what you pay for”, it’s made with such higher quality materials, the engineering that went into it is of such a higher caliber, Mazda has been using this formula since 1989, and it has worked PERFECTLY since 1989, as the Miata has been an incredible benchmark of the no frills, pure driving experience roadster, so this is not their virgin effort. GM however knows little about what they’re doing, the Solstice is an ok first try, but it PALES in comparison to the MX-5, and everyone knows that, even the GM faithful.

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 21:54:50 +0000

However Ricardo Head, to judge how good a car is on how it sells is ignorance at its finest. If that was the case, the Cavelier would be a good car because it sold a lot….but it’s not…it’s a terrible excuse for a car, and is one of the worst cars I’ve ever had the chance to drive. While you make a valid point, its naive to base a car’s quality on its sales numbers.

By: chevy490

chevy490 — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:48:21 +0000

s-60 how are u better than me u should come to my house and we should fight, ohh wait no u have more money than me right? or could it be that ur stronger and have a better car? maybe ur better because ur older? maybe in your eyes ur better beacuse ur gay and im not well what ever it is no offence to ford id take a chevy over a ford anyday i stand on strong morrals and i am a christain and ford donated 250 gs to the gay community i mean what is that they could have done so much more like given it to the poor!

By: Ricardo Head

Ricardo Head — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:49:02 +0000

Nothing happens until something is sold, Lambo. If enthusiasts want something to be enthusiastic about, it has to sell. You can call that bean-counting all you want, but it’s basically a fact of life and the rest of the world calls it normal business. GM has an import-beating niche market hit on their hands – what we need to see now is the effort on their part to improve its shortcomings to be an absolute class leader, and not pull a Fiero-fiasco. I think they are working to do this going by the future Solstice Coupe concept they are laying out. http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/12/06/pontiac-solstice-coupe-still-on-the-table/

By: LamborghiniZ

LamborghiniZ — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:17:28 +0000

Oldsmobile: Look at your name on here, if that is what you’re supporting on an enthusiast site, then actually you should be the one leaving. Now. Please.

RicardoHead: sales don’t mean **** man, sales are for the bean counters, not the enthusiasts

By: Ricardo Head

Ricardo Head — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:15:42 +0000

Similarly, what you are saying, Stuart, is that since GM sells more cars worldwide than anyone else, GM is the best.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 11:54:00 +0000

WOW Weeeeeeeeeeeeee. So the Solstice/Sky is selling better then the Miata/MX5 IN AMERICA. What do you expect they are both demestic. In worldwide terms I wouldn’t be surprised if the Miata/MX5 sells double, hell even triple both the solstice/sky put together.

P.S. The Sky wasn’t even a american design. GM’s british arm (Vauxhall) designed the car a couple of years ago as the Vauxhall VX concept a few years ago. But GM gave the design to Opel and then also sold it under the Saturn banner.

By: WonbyOne

WonbyOne — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 07:42:19 +0000

By the way, love the car.

By: WonbyOne

WonbyOne — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 07:40:12 +0000

Amen to that psiclone and americanrevolution.
I am sure that there are plenty here that wish their opinions were taken seriously, but they havent lived long enough yet to learn how to communicate in a way that gets you in the boardroom rather than flipping burgers or washing cars. That is not meant to be a flame. It is just a fact. I dont care what business you are in or want to be in. If you want to advance and be thought of as credible.
If any of my employees used an expletive in my office they would immediatly be reprimanded and if it happened again they would be looking for work, probably from my competetion, which is exacly where I would want them to be.

By: americanrevolution

americanrevolution — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 06:47:03 +0000

amen, psiclone. I wish we had more participants like bradford so that we could engage in a more collegial and mature type of discussion.

By: psiclone

psiclone — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 04:55:41 +0000

First Veda states that America isn’t a democracy because we enforce speed limits, then S60 once again demonstrates why no one wants him on here… both are nuts, just different varieties.
bradford made the best point yet and would be most qualified to talk about the cars. One thing’s for sure… every time I see one of either I go out of my way to look a little longer; not one single angle of the car(s) disappoint.

By: S-60-driver

S-60-driver — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 04:45:05 +0000

Don’t you JUST LOVE bashing about cars and the dumbest people on this post and other posts??!!! I LOVE LLN!!!! You dont even know me! Bash me all you want!

By: S-60-driver

S-60-driver — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 04:43:18 +0000

You are gay Chevy490, Im better than you! You dumb little prick redneck driving a CHEVY!!!! LOL LOL CHEVY!!!!!! GM SUCK!!

The plastic gray dash in Soltice mustve come off of BASE chevy Equinox’s front gray bumper!!

Only good from GM is Corvette. Thats it. Rest are CCCRRRRAAAAPPPPPPPP!!!! GGAAAYYYY!!!

By: chevy490

chevy490 — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 04:26:40 +0000

hide ur ass everybody JIMBO-G MILL$ has a boner!

By: Veda

Veda — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 02:21:58 +0000

psiclone, as long as there are speed limits in US, your talk about freedom and democracy is all pure BS.

By: A4

A4 — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 00:57:46 +0000

S60 is a hack, he hasnt been back since he realized the kappas piss on fords.

By: hUcKiECA

hUcKiECA — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 19:47:50 +0000

While the Solstice and Sky are pretty, the biggest non-starter with both is the fact that you need to stop and get out of the vehicle to put the top down. The folks at GM have obviously never owned or driven a convertible before. With luck, now that they have one in their lineup, this will be fixed in the next revision or so. The new hardtop MX-5, on the other hand, is pretty sweet. Though, having had a 2nd Gen Miata for several years as a daily driver in bad traffic, I’m ready to give up the roadster for something with a bit more comfort, probably a VW Eos.

By: Huck

Huck — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 19:04:07 +0000

Actually Solstice beside the good looks, it handles quite well. See this Japanese review of the car, that compares the MX-5 to Solstice (driven by K. Tsuchiya):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_d5-K109DQ

By: Ricardo Head

Ricardo Head — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:10:57 +0000

I’ll tell you what’s really cool about this. At maybe 20,000 units a year, plus say 12,000 Sky’s, GM is moving 32k units, which means niche market on a lower-priced car. That is territory the domestics don’t generally play in, so if GM is doing this, and doing it profitably, they they are learning something very powerful and helpful for their future – especially the way the market is fragmenting all over. Good for them, and good for all car buyers and car lovers.

By: BrokenCadillac...

BrokenCadillac... — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 17:48:53 +0000

Rearward visibility is impossible unless you prop yourself up out of the seat (Not so safe while driving), the gearbox is notchy, clunky and imprecise but coming from a pickup truck, that is to be expected. While the profile is attractive, the ones I have seen have ill-fitting panel gaps and the doors slam with a not-so-solid ping!. The top up looks ruffled and ill-fitting as well.

Rear diffs and Automatic trannies appear to be the weakest link, thus the much less than stellar reliability ratings.

There. These are the complaints and criticisms that I have with the Kappa cars. Take it or leave it but in my opinion, the Mazda certainly makes up for it’s not-so-flashy looks by sweating the details which GM is SOOOOOO not known to do.

The Kappas are a success, congrats to GM for building a good looking roadster but from an owners prespective, I can see a bunch of things that I WOULD NOT accept if I were buying these cars. These are the econobox class of roadster and that what Bob Putz set out to create so it appears he hit the mark.