Well, guys... had quite a day yesterday and last evening. Took the day off of work to help a younger friend of mine ( a minister ) buy a new Solstice. He had wanted one for some time to replace his old and tired Mercury Sable. I discussed a number of options with him, including the Miata, which I felt had higher quality, and a proven track record, and was generally free of dealer markups, and the Solstice's sister car...the Saturn Sky, which offered similiar quality, no-haggle list pricing ( plus dealer accessories ), Saturn's famous customer service, a wider color choice than the Solstice, and more standard equipment and trim ( with a higher but no-haggle price ). The Solstice starts out at only 20K but unlike the Sky, you have to get packages and options for A/C, ABS, power windows / doors, etc.... and upgraded stereos and equipment. The Miata also had a far easier top to operate... it can be done from the driver's seat with one hand. But the Miata, despite its quality, is cramped, relatively unrefined, and harsh-riding.....the Solstice proved much more civilized on the road, as we will shortly see, but it is still too small a car for someone my size ( John-Paul, my friend, is about 5" shorter than me and about 60 lbs. lighter )

But even with a car, a man in love is a man in love ( boy, do I know that feeling ), and in the end it had to be a Solstice. However, not just any Solstice. He wanted a gray one, with a tan top and the two-tone gray / tan interior, non-supercharged ( gas is expensive enough as it is without having to use Premium ) and an automatic for the horrendous traffic around here. ( Yes, in many places the car is probably more fun with a stick, but if you had to drive everyday in this area you would see what I mean ).

Well... keep in mind what I said about him having a ministry. When you work for the man upstairs sometimes He goes to bat for you when you need it. You guys all know what a HARD car this is to find...the waiting lists, markups, long order times., etc..... I don't have to go into that. I contacted dozens of dealerships in the VA-MD-DC area either by phone or by website looking for something at least close to what he wanted... I did not expect him to find one just sitting on the lot exactly the way he wanted it... I told him his best bet was to get in line, order one, and just wait a few months. He was just about ready to do that.

Well... lo and behold, a Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealership about 30 miles south of DC turned out to have one sitting in the showroom, UNSOLD and UNSPOKEN for...only 10 miles on it. Color, options, EVERYTHING John-Paul wanted, minus an LSD ( limited-slip differential ), which in a car like this you really don't need anyway unless you corner like a madman. Turns out that this car had been special-ordered for a guy who couldn't pick it up at the agreed-upon time....so they RE-Ordered him another car just like it for an October delivery, which of course left this car on the market.....with John's name all over it. So Jon couldn't get off work yesterday.....I had already gotten the day off work to rest up with a slight back injury, but I didn't want to let this car slip out of his grasp...it was there for the taking......so I hopped in my Outback, drove on down to the dealership, asked if the car was still on the market, and wrote them a $1000 deposit out of my own pocket to hold the car for John Paul. ( Refundable...I'll get it back ) He was delighted to hear it, made plans to come on up to the place after work, and we bought it at 6 PM. In the meantime I, of course, checked it thoroughly for defects and proper assembly inside and out ( remember, this is a GM product, not a Toyota or Honda ). I learned a lot about the car yesterday... enough to do a mini review, which is the purpose of this thread. I could not really do a full review because I only drove the car enough to check for defects and get a quick overall feel for it... about 4 or 5 miles.

As the car was in the showroom, they really did a nice job preparing it.....even the tire pressures were right on, which is unusual. Everything worked the way it was supposed to, and I couldn't find any problems on the road on the test-drive either.
As I said, I learned enough about the car for at least a partial review, so here goes:

GM introduced the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky earlier this year as entry-level ( the Solstice more than the Sky ) competitors to the ever-popular Mazda MX-5 Miata ( the car I originally had recommended for John ). Both compete roughly with the Miata in price....the Pontiac starts out a few thousand dollars cheaper and the Saturn a few thousand more expensive. Both come standard with a 177 HP Ecotec four, although a supercharged version of both cars will be shortly available. ( We both felt he would be better off with the normally-aspirated car for several reasons ) and a 5-speed manual. The Pontiac's standard equipment, as befits its lower base price, is much lower than ther Saturn's, along with fewer color choices ( John, of course, already knew what color he wanted ). However, the actual selling price of the Pontiac is often higher because you not only have to get option packages to get many of the things many buyers take for granted but the big demand, waiting lists, and short supply for the Solstice pretty much guarantee dealer mark-ups. ( John paid a small mark-up over list, which I didn't like, but was much lower than at many competing dealerships even though the car was right there for the taking ). So the Saturn, selling for list plus a few dealer " accessories " may end up, out the door, costing about what the Pontiac does but giving you more car. But like I said...a man in love is in love, and a Solstice it was.

I wasn't impressed with the dealership in general, but the guy who dealt with us was a real gentleman... he was marvelous, the complete opposite of the stereotype B.S' ing double-talking salesman... a real pleasure to deal with. If only all salespeople could be like this.

OK... I know you guys don't just want to hear about US... so let's get to the car itself:


Model Reviewed: 2007 Pontiac Solstice

Base Price: $20,490

Major Options:
Automatic transmission
Air Conditioning
4-Wheel anti-lock Brakes
Convienence Package
Carpeted Floormats
On-Star
Power Package
Premium Package
18" Chromed Aluminum wheels
Monsoon Premium Stereo

List Price: ( freight included ) $27,345
Actual selling price ( Market Demand ) $28,500 ( annoying, yes, but reasonable, IMO, compared to the $4000 extra many Pontiac shops want, even for an order)

Drivetrain: Front-engine, RWD, 2.4L DOHC in-line Ecotec 4, 177 HP @ 6600 RPM, 166 ft.-lbs. torque @ 4800 RPM. 5-speed automatic transmission ( curiously, no auto-manual shift-gate in a sporty car like this )

Exterior Color ( Exactly what John wanted ): Sly ( Shadow ) Gray metallic
Interior ( also exactly what he wanted ): Two-tone gray/sand leather.



PLUSSES:

Fun and pleasant to drive despite the automatic.

Well-done hardware and controls, especially by the typical EL Cheapo GM standards

Well-done power steering with plenty of road feel and a minimum of boost ( just the way I like it )

Well-Refined nature for a sports car.

Relatively smooth ride for a car this size and weight with sporty tires and chassis

Body structure commendably free of but but not totally free of cowl shake.

Slick-feeling and operating controls.

Well-shaped steering wheel.

Attractive, clearly marked gauges

Snug-fitting top.

Slightly more room inside than Miata.


MINUSES:


Poor roll-over protection; no roll-bars behind the seats or spring-up mechanisms.

Automatic saps noticeable power from the engine.

Cheap-feeling plastic interior door panels.

GM warranty only 3/36, even for the drivetrain, unless you buy an extended warranty.

Forward-hinged hood awkward to open and close....difficult to access front of engine.

Top raising / lowering is a 3-4 step feature instead of one simple one like the Miata.

Awkward, rear-hinged trunk limits access and convienence.

Seat belts difficult to reach.

On-Star is only free for the first year...then you pay.

Inefficient top-in-trunk space efficiency...with the top lowered, there is much less room than in Miata's trunk.

Base model car lacks too much equipment.


The first impression you get of this car is exactly what it was meant to be....a no-nonense, low-to-the-ground, classic two-seater for fun in the sun. While John loves the styling, the big, buck-tooth beaver-looking twin grilles are definitely not my cup of tea... I would take the Saturn, style-wise, over the Pontiac in a heartbeat. But as I said earlier, love is love. Other than the grille, the exterior is well-done... just a hair larger than the Miata, with noticeably larger tires and wheels. The exterior paint job was MUCH better than average for a GM product... better than some Cadillacs I have seen. Nice smooth texture, evenness of color, no orange peel, plenty of gloss... almost to Lexus standards ( but remember this was a showroom car on display, and obviously had gotten some TLC ). The top appeared to be made of durable fabric and well-crafted. It had, like most convertibles today, a glass rear window with electric defroster....so none of that ugly, annoying, plastic window cracking, yellowing, and crazing. The top does not go up and down as easily as the Miata's... you must open the glove box, pull the trunk release which pops the rear-hinged trunk open, then get out, lift the trunk the rest of the way by hand, pull the top up and over, snap each the double-fairings in place on the rear deck-lid, then get back inside the car and secure the front of the top. This car, unlike the Miata, cries out for a power-top mechanism, even if it adds a few thousand more to the price, but GM has no plans that I know of to add one.
Inside, there is a little more room than in the Miata for tall people, but the top of the windshield header is still too short... my entire neck and head was sticking ABOVE the top of the windshield, out in the breeze, even with the seatback raked a little. I had to bend my head down to see low in front of the car. Except for the cheap-feeling plastic interior door panels and flip-down door behind the seats, though, the interior was WELL-done.....again, much better than most GM products. The gauges were a nice red-on-silver and clearly marked, the stereo, climate controls, and switches all had a slick, refined, Acura-Lexus quality feel to them. As, per John's request, most of our test-drive was done with the top down, I could not really get a good ear for how the stereo would sound with a quiet, top-up interior... but this is a top-line unit with 7 speakers.

The test-drive itself, on my part, produced a few surprises, although, of course, I was more interested in checking out the car for defects than just a casual review or my own entertainment... John's money, of course, was at stake here, and he was depending on me to give the car a clean bill-of-health.

Well, it passed my road test, but at the same time I noticed some of its road manners. It had pleasant, low-effort power steering almost as nice as some BMW's I've driven......a refreshing change from so many vehicles that have power-steering pumps shot full of novicaine. Steering response was precise and quick, but not as quick as the Miata. Ride quality was surprisingly supple and civilized despite the light weight, short wheelbase, and 18" 45-series tires. Having driven Miatas several times in the past, I expected a much harsher ride... I was pleasantly surprised....though you DO feel the bumps. I didn't push it hard enough to really test for body roll, but in normal driving it was quite flat and stable despite the relatively smooth ride. The body structure, for a convertible, is quite well-done... only a very small amount of cowl flex over bumps. Unless you spring some $90,000 for a anvil-like Mercedes SL convertible, you are going to get some cowl shake in any droptop... it is simply one of the penalties you pay for open-air driving without a roof support to the structure. The Solstice, to its credit, had almost none... only a very slight judder every now and then.

The engine and transmission were smooth and quiet...with the top down, of course, there was some exhaust noise, but not excessive. The automatic, of course, saps a noticeable amount of power out of the engine, and why no manual shift-gate in a low-slung, sporty roadster? In a car like this, having only one gate for the shift lever is the wrong place to cut costs.

OK... there you have it. This is not quite a full review because I didn't have the car out on the road long enough...just a couple of miles... but it gives you an idea of what the car is like for those of you who are interested in it.

In a Nutshell: Competitive price, well-done on the outside and chassis, not-so-well-done inside with many interior design shortcomings.

This age of $3 a gallon-plus for regular gas has naturally "fueled" interest in small, reliable, economical cars that stretch those hard-earned gas dollars for people who don't need a vehicle like a Suburban that will carry 9 people or tow a 10,000 lb. boat, or something like a Pontiac GTO that will do a quarter-mile rear-tire burnout with the traction control turned off. So.....auto manufacturers are widely responding wih new or redesigned sub-compacts that emphasize economy and low price rather than power, speed, status, or hauling capacity. Hybrids like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid have helped a lot at the gas pumps but require a lot of complexity ( too much, IMO ) and a high cost of production to achieve those super-mileage figures. Entry-level cars like the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Honda Fit, Chevrolet Aveo, Scion xA / xB, and Toyota Yaris offer almost the same gas mileage as the more-expensive and more-glamorized hybrids, but cost much less ( even after the IRS Hybrid tax credits ) both to buy and in some cases to insure. I have already reviewed the new Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Chevy ( Daewoo ) Aveo,( though I did not do a write-up on the Aveo ) and Honda Fit, and after the Honda Fit review a couple of weeks ago, it was natural that I got a few requests to do its arch-rival Toyota Yaris.....like the Fit, an overseas-nameplate car that was redesigned and brought to the American market to help satisfy the new demand for small cars, especially with the growing acceptance ( once again ) of small inexpensive hatchbacks with Americans. Toyota, a huge and still growing corporation ( it may soon overtake GM as the world's largest automaker) already had the cheap, economical Scion xA and xB hatchbacks, and these two vehicles simplified the buying process by selling at list-with-no-haggle like Saturns, which was desirable for first-time buyers or for those who did not want to price-argue like in a Middle Eastern bazzar, but with the demise of the Tercel several years ago ( a mistake, IMO ), and the clearly less-than-successful and geeky Echo that followed it, and especially the new competition from the Honda Fit as the Civic moved upscale, it was time for Toyota, like Honda, to dump the Echo and replace it with something that the company hoped would be more sucessful. Like Honda's conversion of the overseas-market Jazz into the U.S. market Fit as the Civic went upmarket, the Yaris, formerly sold overseas, was Americanized, given U. S. crash, safety, and pollution standards, and introduced into the U.S. this year to undercut the Corolla, give the Toyota Division a new sub-compact, and compete with the Korean entry-levels, Honda Fit, and the upcoming Nissan Versa. And unlike the Scions, it also give Toyota Division an entry-level 4-door sedan as well.

Three versions of the Yaris are offered in the American market... a base 3-door liftback, a base sedan, and an upmarket S-model sedan. Unfortunately this car, while a good small car overall and with the promise of Toyota reliability, is well-designed and well-built on the outside but inside carries over too many of the Echo's notorious shortcomings...and adds a few of its own. However, to be fair, the sub-$11,000 price of the base liftback, with the promise of Toyota quality, to some extent forgives some of the interior goof-ups. A price like that is quite competitive with Hyundai and Kia, though Toyota cannot match their warranties. ( However, the dealership I visited today was offering free drivetrain warranties for the life of all new Toyota sold there... including the Yaris... that is a good selling point). In addition,unlike the grossly marked-up Honda Fits, Yarises do not seem to be selling over list even though the availability of 3-door models is currently a little tight. That, and the fact that the Accent, Aveo, Rio, and Fit that I previously tested were all 4-doors, was the reason... along with the greater availability of Yaris 4-door models, were the primary reasons why I reviewed a base 4-door sedan today instead of a 3-door Liftback. I will consider doing another review of a 3-door if there is enough interest in it and if more of them become available and are not pre-sold.

Unlike many other small cars, the Yaris has a substantially different grille, interior and dash on the 3-door than it does on the 4-door sedans, so keep in mind as you read further on that some of my comments about the shortcomings of the 4-door Yaris interior may or may not apply to the 3-door's.

OK... now to the car itself.

Model Reviewed: 2007 Toyota Yaris 4-door sedan, Base model 4-speed Automatic.

Base Price: $12,550
Major Options: Combination A $820
Freight / Handling / Processing $580
Sport Shift Handle $65

Price as Reviewed: $14,015 ( No second sticker like on the Honda Fit )

Exterior Color: Polar White
Interior: Dark Charcoal ( Black ) fabric

Drivetrain: 1.5L DOHC 16-valve VVT-i in-line 4 cylinder, 106 HP @ 6000 RPM, 103 ft.-lbs. torque at 4200 RPM, 4-speed ECT automatic overdrive transmission, FWD ( Front-wheel-Drive )


PLUSSES:

Much lower-priced and less-complex alternative to the Toyota Prius.

Excellent EPA mileage ratings even with automatic.

Like other entry-level Toyota / Scion products, a Lexus-quality paint job for less than $15,000.

Smooth-running, quiet in-line 4 engine.

Smooth-shifting automatic transmission.

Brake pedal nice and firm by non-sports-car standards.

Base models competitive in price with Korean entry-level cars.

Solid, well-done craftsmanship, hardware, and materials on the outside.

Fold-down, 60-40 rear seat with pull-down armrest/cupholder allows long objects to be carried in sedan.

Roomy, Well-finished trunk for the price.

Good chassis engineering, with good ride-handling combination despite the simple beam axle rear suspension.

Fairly good rear seat legroom.

Good sound insulation for a car in this class.

Some nice paint colors....but as usual, too many dull shades.


MINUSES:

Poorly-done interior, with a generally cheap and awkward look.

Poorly-done gauges and instruments.

Unusual Yellow turn-signal arrow indicators next to speedometer could cause confusion.

No engine temperature gauge on any Yaris model.

No tachometer on Liftback models.

Cheap, barren interior trim on base models....only slightly better on upmarket S models.

Second-rate materials on inside door panels.

Cheap-looking, dull fabric upholstery on the seats.

Seat position too high for tall drivers, even at full-bottom setting...impacts on headroom.

Somewhat flimsy, loose-feeling rotary climate controls hard to decipher at first glance.

Stereo OK but not a killer.

Overboosted power steering

Awkward-looking, Baby-Camry-look grille on sedan not quite my cup of tea.

Like the Honda Fit, otherwise pleasant, smooth-running VTEC 4-cylinder short on low-end torque.

Brake pedal too high and close to gas pedal... tends to snag big shoes like my 15's.

Weak A/C slow to cool down... and fan speeds too low even at highest speed.


The first impression you get of the 4-door sedan as you walk up to it, particularly if you approach from the front, is that of a baby Camry. The front grille and headlights are quite similar, and while of course beauty is a subjective thing, a grille like that is generally not my cup of tea. Otherwise there is little to complain about on the outside, particularly for the car's low price. All four doors open and shut with firm-felling, well-designed door handles, close with a solid thud, and feel like they will give you at least some protection in an accident.....often a weak point in small cars. As with other low-priced Toyota / Scion models, the paint is immaculately applied, and the overall paint job is worthy of cars three and four times the price.

The trunk is roomy for a car this size, fairly well-shaped, and is quite well-finished with carpeting on the floor, sides, and an insulation pad on the inside top of the trunk helping to keep out noise from the rear tires. All of the outside hardware feels superb as well....including the precise-fitting hood. ( And, no, I DIDN'T cut my finger on this hood latch plate like I did the Honda Fit's....that gash finally healed yesterday ).

Get inside, close the solid-feeling doors, and unfortunately, it is a completely different world from the well-done exterior. First off, you sit on cheap-looking, cheap-feeling seats that are almost as flat as a pancake, with little side support. The upholstery, while not the worst I've seen, has a distinctly cheap look to it. The inside of the blank, solid-color door panels looked and feel like Wal-Mart dime-store plastic... in the Base model sedan I drove you rolled up your own windows, locked your own doors, and adjusted mirrors... but in fairness, the window cranks felt well-made and operated very smoothly.

The seats are also set too high for tall drivers, even on the lowest setting. I had barely enough headroom in front, even with the car's fairly tall roofline, and in the back seat the top my head was at least two inches too tall. Because of the high seats, one must tilt the wheel full-up to get legs in. ( No telescoping, of course, at this price ).

Get seated and belted in, look behind the steering wheel, and you are treated to a nice panel of nothing but solid dark-gray blankness... the Yaris carries on the annoying center-gauge stack arrangement of the Echo, Scion xA, xB, and Saturn Ion. Not only is this idiotic arrangement way out of sight of the driver's line of vision, but the speedometer is an unattractive ( IMO ) upside-down semicircle as well. Want to know how warm is the engine is? Too bad. Keep guessing........no gauge is provided. Signal for a left or right-hand turn with the fairly solid-feeling stalk and you get a pair of yellow flashing arrows next to the speedometer instead of the almost-universal green ones. Yellow, of course, can be confusing.....in most cars that signifies caution or a Check Engine function.

The ribbed, ball-shaped brushed-metal shift lever ( a $65 option ), like the one in the Honda Fit, looked and felt nice ( although the metal got quite hot in the summer heat ) but otherwise there was little in the interior to be impressed with. In the back seat, as I previously mentioned, there was adequate foot and knee room, even with the front seat back a little, but headroom was woefully lacking by 4-door sedan standards...a result of the high-mounted seats. Fortunately, the 60 / 40 seat ( part of the Option group ) folded down and had a built-in fold-down center armrest / cupholder ( one of the car's few nice touches inside ), but had no hole in it for carrying things like skis... you had to fold either side of the seat down.

The three basic climate-control knobs, while a simple circular pattern, were not well-designed, IMO, were difficult to decipher while you were trying to keep your eyes on the road, and had a loose, non-precise feel uncharacteristic of most Toyota products. Once you figured out the knobs and got the A/C working in the 95-degree summer heat and humidity, the A/C felt quite weak and took quite a while to get the car cool.....again, uncharacteristic for a Toyota product.

Now....I realize that when you buy a car in this class for some $11,000- $15,000, you can't expect Lexus Ls430-like interior quality and comfort. But considering what the competition is offering at the same price, and even what Toyota itself offered on the Tercel before the Echo came along, I think that even for the money, Toyota can do a little better. The Honda Fit absolutely blows this car away inside, in many areas. But, in all fairness, the upmarket S-model Yaris sedan interior, while retaining the same awkward layout, does look a little better cosmetically with some more brushed-metal trim. However, let's start her up now and take her for a spin......some of the interior's shortcomings will be forgiven. The car drives MUCH better then the interior looks.

Start her up with the key ( no starter button, of course, at this price ), and the well-designed VTEC 4-cylinder settles into a smooth, quiet idle that would have been unthinkable for a 4-cylinder a couple of decades ago. Shift into gear, and take off. The engine, like most small VTEC fours, is a little short on low-end torque, and the automatic and A/C saps some power, but there is enough power for normal stop-and-go driving. The engine is smooth, quiet, and almost vibration-free even as revs build ( as usual, I didn't take it over 4000 as it was a brand-new engine ). The smooth-shifting, quiet automatic ( typical of Toyota ) seemed well-designed, and the previously-mentioned optional shift lever made it even seem nicer.

The chassis and suspension, IMO was one of the car's best points. It was, by my standards, a good ride-handling combination... reasonable compression and bump absorption / suspension travel combined with reasonably good ( for this class ) steering response. With the standard 14" 65-series tires, the ride was neither too mushy nor too firm. Interior noise was quite low for a car in this price and size class, a result of the car's good soundproofing and things like the trunk insulation pad. Steering response was quick, positive, and without a lot of body roll as well, although the power-steering pump, again commonplace with Toyota, was too overboosted for my tastes, with a distinct lack of road feel. Even though a peek under the car will reveal a low-cost twist-beam axle in the rear instead of costlier independent rear suspension, the car rode and handled like it had IRS....a credit to the chassis engineers. Now, here's some news....Toyota Racing Development ( TRD ) offers an 18" Z-rated P215/35-series tire option for this car. Why TRD offers what are essentially wheels for a Supra on a 100 HP commuter car like this is beyond me... but they are there for those who want them.

The brakes, considering the small 14" wheels, felt and performed well. The pedal felt firm, by non-sports-car standards, and response was smooth, linear, and progressive. The only snag in the brakes ( another interior goof-up ) was the placemant of the brake pedal too close to the gas for big feet like mine.....my shoe was continually hanging up on the brake pedal ( fortunately not seriously ) when I wanted to lift my foot off the gas.

So... the verdict? A good job on the drivetrain ( even considering the low power level ), chassis, exterior quality, paint job, and fit-and-finish, and a couple of nice interior touches ( some optional ) like the shift handle and rear seat pull-down arm-rest. Otherwise, the interior needs a LOT of redesign and work. The price is competitive with the Koreans and promises Toyota reliability as well. The dealership I was at even promised to out-do the Korean 10 / 100 drivetrain warranty free of charge, but of course don't expect most Toyota shops to do this.

It is, IMO, like the Honda Fit, a good alternative to the Prius and Civic Hybrid, offering excellent ( 39 MPG ) highway ratings even with the automatic. Priuses and Civic hybrids routinely sell at well above $20,000, especially with dealer markups. You also have the markups, of course, on the Fit, but the Fit is much cheaper to start with, and that price difference will buy a LOT of gasoline, even at $3 a gallon. So far from what I have seen of this car it does not seem to be bringing the same markups the Fit is currently doing, perhaps a result of its poorly designed interior driving some people away, so if you can live with the interior on this car, it may be quite a bargain... and cheap to run as well )