Saw and sat in a Solstice today
09-21-2005, 08:01 PM
#51
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Originally Posted by rollerbldes
My friend got a special edition Grand Prix, the last year in production. The car looks sweet, feels awsome. However after 1000 miles the transmission blew up. He got it fixed, but then after about 500 more miles, it blew up again!... He then sold it for a WV Tourag.
09-21-2005, 08:04 PM
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FYI, to the doubters, there have already reportedly been 17k Solstices presold, Mazda didn't even manage to break 1k in sales for August with the Miata...
09-22-2005, 09:06 AM
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American car magazines have a bad habit of gushing over a car when it is brand new then backpedaling later. Until I drive the Solstice myself I have a hard time believing that anything from GM has the sort of steering and shifter that makes it enjoyable for me personally to drive. More likely the Solstice will feel far heavier and less agile than the MX-5.
But I'd love to be proven wrong.
I'm not detecting anywhere near a MINI-level buzz for the Solstice. The waiting lists are there because production was delayed and production numbers will be very low at first. By design?
Frankly, this thread is the most enthusiasm I've seen anywhere for the Solstice.
On the other hand, I saw the new MX-5 in person for the first time yesterday, a silver one with large multi-spoked wheels. At least in this combo the car looked needlessly trendy, especially the RX-8 style fender flares, and not at all attractive. I would have asked for a test drive but my two-year-old was with me.
Someone earlier in the thread criticized the MX-5 for having a 6-speed and the Solstice for optional A/C. FWIW, the lower trim levels of the MX-5 have a 5-speed, and the lowest has A/C as an option.
GM likely made A/C optional for two reasons:
1. Some autocrossers will want the lightest car possible.
2. They promised that the price would start below 20.
Especially #2.
But I'd love to be proven wrong.
I'm not detecting anywhere near a MINI-level buzz for the Solstice. The waiting lists are there because production was delayed and production numbers will be very low at first. By design?
Frankly, this thread is the most enthusiasm I've seen anywhere for the Solstice.
On the other hand, I saw the new MX-5 in person for the first time yesterday, a silver one with large multi-spoked wheels. At least in this combo the car looked needlessly trendy, especially the RX-8 style fender flares, and not at all attractive. I would have asked for a test drive but my two-year-old was with me.
Someone earlier in the thread criticized the MX-5 for having a 6-speed and the Solstice for optional A/C. FWIW, the lower trim levels of the MX-5 have a 5-speed, and the lowest has A/C as an option.
GM likely made A/C optional for two reasons:
1. Some autocrossers will want the lightest car possible.
2. They promised that the price would start below 20.
Especially #2.
09-22-2005, 09:14 AM
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Originally Posted by mkaresh
The waiting lists are there because production was delayed and production numbers will be very low at first. By design?
Frankly, this thread is the most enthusiasm I've seen anywhere for the Solstice.
Frankly, this thread is the most enthusiasm I've seen anywhere for the Solstice.
The waiting list is not totally because production was delayed. did you know that the first 1000 solstices were sold in 40 mins!!!! and that same day they put over 5000 people on a waiting list!! there is a HUGE following with this car, you just havent see it because you wernt looking for it. go to www.solsticeforum.com and you will see a ton of buzz!!
09-22-2005, 10:51 AM
#56
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Originally Posted by IkeWRX
FYI, to the doubters, there have already reportedly been 17k Solstices presold, Mazda didn't even manage to break 1k in sales for August with the Miata...
09-22-2005, 11:44 AM
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I must say that the new Miata's interior is much better than the Solstice's
After that...this is what they come up with? I mean come on...it's nice, but not sexy enough like the MX-5 or our RX8.
Again, I like this car and if I didn't need back seats and wanted to save more money I would have gotten one of these...or better yet the Saturn. I'm very happy they made it RWD and they had the guts of bringing it out.
Honestly...I think it probably will outsell the MX-5, while the MX-5 is a great car on it's own also.
We are living in some happy times people (for sports cars)!!! Get yours while you can...if gas keeps going up we might see the death of not only SUV's but some sports cars also.
09-22-2005, 12:36 PM
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Solsticeforum has 2779 members. By this measure you can find "buzz" for all sorts of stuff on the Internet.
GM sold well over 100,000 Fieros in that car's first year. And it was still dead six years later.
"Presold" just means a small refundable deposit was placed on the car. Not all of these people will end up buying cars.
August Miata sales were low because everyone knew the new one was just around the corner and a plant fire restricted 2005 production. Few sports cars sell well in their third or fourth year; for 2005 the Miata was essentially in its, what, 16th year?
But the basic reason I say there's a limited amount of buzz for the Solstice is that the general population, people like my wife and mother, barely knows the Solstice exists, much less talks all the time about it the way they did the Miata, PT Cruiser, VW New Beetle, MINI, Chrysler 300C, etc. The Mustang and 350Z also evoked more buzz than the Solstice has. Heck, the latest Thunderbird was drowning in the stuff when it was introduced.
Why isn't there more buzz around the Solstice? Likely because the Solstice brings nothing terribly new to the table. People will see it and think, "GM has copied the Miata, and it only took them sixteen years to do it." For people like us there are substantial differences between the cars, but the general population only notices huge differences. If GM wanted major buzz they needed to launch it with either huge horsepower or some novel feature.
We're well past the day and age when GM got credit for copying other people's innovative concepts. These days that mantle has fallen to Honda and Toyota. How can you tell? Because they can come out with something like a competitive minivan years after the innovators and people go all crazy about it. The 2004 Toyota Sienna didn't even have any novel features.
Timing is bad for both roadsters. With gas prices so high, the press mostly wants to talk about how great hybrids are and how awful SUVs are. Toyota did a great job creating buzz around hybrids in general and the Prius in particular.
Now the RX-8, Mazda managed to launch it without creating even a hint of buzz. Given the unique combination of strengths of the car, that's a pretty amazing feat.
GM sold well over 100,000 Fieros in that car's first year. And it was still dead six years later.
"Presold" just means a small refundable deposit was placed on the car. Not all of these people will end up buying cars.
August Miata sales were low because everyone knew the new one was just around the corner and a plant fire restricted 2005 production. Few sports cars sell well in their third or fourth year; for 2005 the Miata was essentially in its, what, 16th year?
But the basic reason I say there's a limited amount of buzz for the Solstice is that the general population, people like my wife and mother, barely knows the Solstice exists, much less talks all the time about it the way they did the Miata, PT Cruiser, VW New Beetle, MINI, Chrysler 300C, etc. The Mustang and 350Z also evoked more buzz than the Solstice has. Heck, the latest Thunderbird was drowning in the stuff when it was introduced.
Why isn't there more buzz around the Solstice? Likely because the Solstice brings nothing terribly new to the table. People will see it and think, "GM has copied the Miata, and it only took them sixteen years to do it." For people like us there are substantial differences between the cars, but the general population only notices huge differences. If GM wanted major buzz they needed to launch it with either huge horsepower or some novel feature.
We're well past the day and age when GM got credit for copying other people's innovative concepts. These days that mantle has fallen to Honda and Toyota. How can you tell? Because they can come out with something like a competitive minivan years after the innovators and people go all crazy about it. The 2004 Toyota Sienna didn't even have any novel features.
Timing is bad for both roadsters. With gas prices so high, the press mostly wants to talk about how great hybrids are and how awful SUVs are. Toyota did a great job creating buzz around hybrids in general and the Prius in particular.
Now the RX-8, Mazda managed to launch it without creating even a hint of buzz. Given the unique combination of strengths of the car, that's a pretty amazing feat.
Last edited by mkaresh; 09-22-2005 at 12:44 PM.
09-22-2005, 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by mkaresh
Solsticeforum has 2779 members. By this measure you can find "buzz" for all sorts of stuff on the Internet.
[/QUOTE]
GM sold well over 100,000 Fieros in that car's first year. And it was still dead six years later.
This was two decades ago and had a lot to do with bad press, this has nothing to do with the Solstice.
"Presold" just means a small refundable deposit was placed on the car. Not all of these people will end up buying cars.
True, but try to buy a Solstice any time in the next few months, even the ones that people back out on will be snapped up in a flash. However I can wander into a Mazda dealer right now and get a Miata.
August Miata sales were low because everyone knew the new one was just around the corner and a plant fire restricted 2005 production. Few sports cars sell well in their third or fourth year; for 2005 the Miata was essentially in its, what, 16th year?
But the basic reason I say there's a limited amount of buzz for the Solstice is that the general population, people like my wife and mother, barely knows the Solstice exists, much less talks all the time about it the way they did the Miata, PT Cruiser, VW New Beetle, MINI, Chrysler 300C, etc. The Mustang and 350Z also evoked more buzz than the Solstice has. Heck, the latest Thunderbird was drowning in the stuff when it was introduced.
Why isn't there more buzz around the Solstice? Likely because the Solstice brings nothing terribly new to the table. People will see it and think, "GM has copied the Miata, and it only took them sixteen years to do it." For people like us there are substantial differences between the cars, but the general population only notices huge differences. If GM wanted major buzz they needed to launch it with either huge horsepower or some novel feature.
We're well past the day and age when GM got credit for copying other people's innovative concepts. These days that mantle has fallen to Honda and Toyota. How can you tell? Because they can come out with something like a competitive minivan years after the innovators and people go all crazy about it. The 2004 Toyota Sienna didn't even have any novel features.
Timing is bad for both roadsters. With gas prices so high, the press mostly wants to talk about how great hybrids are and how awful SUVs are. Toyota did a great job creating buzz around hybrids in general and the Prius in particular.
Timing is bad for both roadsters. With gas prices so high, the press mostly wants to talk about how great hybrids are and how awful SUVs are. Toyota did a great job creating buzz around hybrids in general and the Prius in particular.
Now the RX-8, Mazda managed to launch it without creating even a hint of buzz. Given the unique combination of strengths of the car, that's a pretty amazing feat.
09-22-2005, 10:17 PM
#60
Stuck in a love triangle
The turbo charged, 250hp "GXP" version of this car is already planned for a 2006 Fall release??
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=107291
'The hell would you want to buy the current one for, when the real beast is only one year away from the sales floor?
Looks like the Solstice is going to be one cheap *** used car in two years.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=107291
'The hell would you want to buy the current one for, when the real beast is only one year away from the sales floor?
Looks like the Solstice is going to be one cheap *** used car in two years.
Last edited by JeRKy 8 Owner; 09-22-2005 at 10:21 PM.
09-22-2005, 10:33 PM
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Originally Posted by JeRKy 8 Owner
The turbo charged, 250hp "GXP" version of this car is already planned for a 2006 Fall release??
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=107291
'The hell would you want to buy the current one for, when the real beast is only one year away from the sales floor?
Looks like the Solstice is going to be one cheap *** used car in two years.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=107291
'The hell would you want to buy the current one for, when the real beast is only one year away from the sales floor?
Looks like the Solstice is going to be one cheap *** used car in two years.
09-23-2005, 07:56 AM
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FROM EDMUNDS INSIDE LINE:
But this new Miata, or MX-5, or whatever Mazda is calling it, is really something. Its interior is better finished than the Pontiac's, its performance is a bit better and it's the better convertible, with superior wind protection for its passengers and a far superior top design.
But the biggest reason the Miata took this one is the simple fact that it's 10 billion times more fun to drive. It's more responsive. Its engine is livelier and its gearbox feels like it was plucked from a shifter kart. It also has more steering feel, and it stops better.
The Pontiac, although fast, just doesn't offer the same connection to the machine. It feels distant, more like a boulevard star than a true two-seat sports car.
Well, in our world, these roadsters are supposed to be true sports cars. And sports cars are supposed to be fun. The more fun the better. And cars just don't get any more fun than the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
But this new Miata, or MX-5, or whatever Mazda is calling it, is really something. Its interior is better finished than the Pontiac's, its performance is a bit better and it's the better convertible, with superior wind protection for its passengers and a far superior top design.
But the biggest reason the Miata took this one is the simple fact that it's 10 billion times more fun to drive. It's more responsive. Its engine is livelier and its gearbox feels like it was plucked from a shifter kart. It also has more steering feel, and it stops better.
The Pontiac, although fast, just doesn't offer the same connection to the machine. It feels distant, more like a boulevard star than a true two-seat sports car.
Well, in our world, these roadsters are supposed to be true sports cars. And sports cars are supposed to be fun. The more fun the better. And cars just don't get any more fun than the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
09-23-2005, 08:30 AM
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I was a Solstice in person for the first time yesteday, and it really is stunning. It looks much better in person than in pictures. The lines are excellent. I love everything about its looks except for the twin fairing humps behind the seats, and the corporate grill.
That being said, the NC Miata is 400 lbs lighter and has the same amount of power... But I agree with Ike that the Solstice is a serious competitor.
That being said, the NC Miata is 400 lbs lighter and has the same amount of power... But I agree with Ike that the Solstice is a serious competitor.
09-23-2005, 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by rotary crazy
FROM EDMUNDS INSIDE LINE:
But this new Miata, or MX-5, or whatever Mazda is calling it, is really something. Its interior is better finished than the Pontiac's, its performance is a bit better and it's the better convertible, with superior wind protection for its passengers and a far superior top design.
But the biggest reason the Miata took this one is the simple fact that it's 10 billion times more fun to drive. It's more responsive. Its engine is livelier and its gearbox feels like it was plucked from a shifter kart. It also has more steering feel, and it stops better.
The Pontiac, although fast, just doesn't offer the same connection to the machine. It feels distant, more like a boulevard star than a true two-seat sports car.
Well, in our world, these roadsters are supposed to be true sports cars. And sports cars are supposed to be fun. The more fun the better. And cars just don't get any more fun than the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
But this new Miata, or MX-5, or whatever Mazda is calling it, is really something. Its interior is better finished than the Pontiac's, its performance is a bit better and it's the better convertible, with superior wind protection for its passengers and a far superior top design.
But the biggest reason the Miata took this one is the simple fact that it's 10 billion times more fun to drive. It's more responsive. Its engine is livelier and its gearbox feels like it was plucked from a shifter kart. It also has more steering feel, and it stops better.
The Pontiac, although fast, just doesn't offer the same connection to the machine. It feels distant, more like a boulevard star than a true two-seat sports car.
Well, in our world, these roadsters are supposed to be true sports cars. And sports cars are supposed to be fun. The more fun the better. And cars just don't get any more fun than the 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
09-23-2005, 09:21 AM
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it is a close match and is a beutifull car, only time will tell, I think is goin to sell better than the mx-5 miata but i thoug the toyota mr2 was going to beat the mx-5 pants down, it was faster sexyer and more exotic (rear mid engine) and a TOYOTA.
09-23-2005, 12:49 PM
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Originally Posted by DARKMAZ8
It sounds like you got something against the miata in your post. I really doubt the miata will worry about the sky/soltice. The miata will always have a cult following while the sky/soltice is a nice new roadster that still has a lot to prove imo.
I dont know if it will sell better than the MX5, but it will surely put a significant dent in miata sales.
Last edited by playdoh43; 09-23-2005 at 12:55 PM.
09-23-2005, 12:53 PM
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i think it looks stunning, but unless they put a LS2 (which should fit) or super charger in it. its not going to offer a better driving experience than the Miata. Looks sells though, the targeted demographics in this segment dosnt necessarily put performance as a top priority. Some folks here bought the rx-8 for its looks over performance
09-23-2005, 01:04 PM
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I think the Solstice will sell well for the first year or sell and then slowly trail off in sale while the MX5 should retain it's sales as the past with it's loyal followings. Although the car looks aggressive, GM will add another competition over the same vehicle, Saturn Sky which will cut more into their own Solstice sales than Mx5 sales. In all, I think the lack of trunk space an utility will hurt the sales of the Solstice in the long run. You can have the Miata as a daily driver and only car but not with the Solstice.
10-10-2005, 06:45 PM
#69
Stuck in a love triangle
I finally saw one on the road today. It was Silver and looked great.
By the way...I went to Pontiac's site and looked up available Solstices in my area...of which 2 were located...and I found something amusing on the invoices I looked at...
AIR CONDITIONING---------------------$960.00
Hahahahaha :D
By the way...I went to Pontiac's site and looked up available Solstices in my area...of which 2 were located...and I found something amusing on the invoices I looked at...
AIR CONDITIONING---------------------$960.00
Hahahahaha :D
10-10-2005, 07:15 PM
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Originally Posted by JeRKy 8 Owner
I finally saw one on the road today. It was Silver and looked great.
By the way...I went to Pontiac's site and looked up available Solstices in my area...of which 2 were located...and I found something amusing on the invoices I looked at...
AIR CONDITIONING---------------------$960.00
Hahahahaha :D
By the way...I went to Pontiac's site and looked up available Solstices in my area...of which 2 were located...and I found something amusing on the invoices I looked at...
AIR CONDITIONING---------------------$960.00
Hahahahaha :D
Last edited by IkeWRX; 10-10-2005 at 07:32 PM.
10-10-2005, 09:03 PM
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Ike... that's because you don't live in someplace like Central Florida or Texas. Trust me... once that 98 F heat with 90-100% humidity hits... you'll be running for your A/C. Unless you're on the highway, open air ain't gunna cut it.
Didn't someone mention that the "club" version of the MX-5 which doesn't come with A/C either is the "base" price?
Didn't someone mention that the "club" version of the MX-5 which doesn't come with A/C either is the "base" price?
10-10-2005, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Japan8
Ike... that's because you don't live in someplace like Central Florida or Texas. Trust me... once that 98 F heat with 90-100% humidity hits... you'll be running for your A/C. Unless you're on the highway, open air ain't gunna cut it.
Didn't someone mention that the "club" version of the MX-5 which doesn't come with A/C either is the "base" price?
Didn't someone mention that the "club" version of the MX-5 which doesn't come with A/C either is the "base" price?
10-10-2005, 09:23 PM
#73
I must have missed it, why is A/C optional a problem. You want it, buy it. You don't, don't. Seems like a perfect situation to me. Better than having A/C shoved down your throat if you don't want it.
10-11-2005, 01:42 AM
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No argument from me. That was how it used to be... people have just gotten used to seeing it as "standard" equipment. This started because some said that the Solstice was only cheaper because it came "stripped" and when "equally" equipped it was the same or more.
10-11-2005, 01:50 AM
#75
Stuck in a love triangle
Down here, either it's as hot as hell, it's raining, or both. Clearly not the conditions for cars without air conditioning. Guess I forgot we weren't the only people in the world again. Oops. Plus I didn't think this was going to be optional on the Solstice but looking at the base price, now it makes sense.
At any rate I am glad to see that this car is finally starting to hit the streets.
At any rate I am glad to see that this car is finally starting to hit the streets.