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Pontiac Solstice vs 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata

376 messages,  Last post on Jan 17, 2008 at 3:20 PM

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What is this discussion about? Pontiac Solstice, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Coupe, Convertible

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#193 of 376 Re: Just bought it! [zonads] by pao Mar 28, 2006 (4:39 am)
Replying to: zonads (Mar 28, 2006 2:35 am) hey all good personal reasons..for the choice...I have a solstice....older I admit....(50)...and love the car...the Miata was too small for us....as the cockpit is bigger in the solstice...wasnt looking for power or to put a turbo on it later......the solstice GXP will solve that for the folks who want it......   we personally didnt like sitting higher in the MX-5....we wanted that roadster feel..and got it in the solstice...having the car wrap around you.....and cruising with the top down is a great feeling......   as your only car...yes..trunk space is important..for us...this is a third car.....with a Ford Bronco..and Chevy Maxx in the stable..for the other cars.....but we seem to be spending a awful amount of time in the solstice these days...   reliablity....a proven point in the miata....for Pontiac..and GM as a whole..they are trying to break a mold from the past....and seem to be making progress..but only time will tell.....   tuner....well...again not really into that..but realize that mazda has been on the market for over 10 years now...and the market as had time to provide plenty of aftermarket items...in time you will see the same for teh solstice....the ecotec engine is highly tuneable..if you want to go that route...springs sway bars..cai..exhausts etc..are already on the market for the solstice...and a turbo kick is in the working..again.....in time there will be plenty....   enjoy the new ride......glad you are enjoying it....as we are ours...cheers Replies to this message: zonads (Mar 28, 2006 5:13 am) pao (Mar 28, 2006 11:42 am) zonads (Mar 28, 2006 5:32 am)
#194 of 376 Re: Just bought it! [pao] by zonads Mar 28, 2006 (5:13 am)
Replying to: pao (Mar 28, 2006 4:39 am) thx man   from what I have seen the Solstice is a great car, and I would love to have one some day. I guess the proven long-term reliability of the Miata was the clincher for me. I hope the Solstice proves reliability in 5 years from now, then for sure I would pick one up. For now, I'm thinking a good question is this: What was the mind-set of the employees at the time they built the Pontiac? If they were mostly upset over the impending loss of benefits/pay/etc they were sure to see..... the car may prove to have a poor build quality in a few years time, however, if they were aware of and understood the doomed collapse of GM and used this to motivate them to do an extra great job (like us Americans are capable of), then the Pontiac Solstice could prove to be a very reliable car. The cool thing is this- we are both happy with our rides! Obviously, GM and Mazda did two things right here! cheers Replies to this message: pao (Mar 28, 2006 11:42 am)
#195 of 376 Re: Just bought it! [pao] by zonads Mar 28, 2006 (5:32 am)
Replying to: pao (Mar 28, 2006 4:39 am) Yeah, about sitting in the Miata higher up... it seems as though Mazda made sure the Miata was upgradable to 18" rims and upgradable suspension... from reviews, it seems as though the Solstice pushed the limits a bit further with the stock cars as far as handling goes... with the 18" wheels and wider rubber... this makes me believe that the MX-5 is more capable of larger upgrades than the Solstice, albeit it will be costly   Without having actually drove the Solstice, this is probably an accurate poll-   The Solstice is better looking, more spacious on the inside, less spacious in the trunk, has bigger wheels and tires, is "easier to drive fast", has no build quality reputation, has cheap plastic interior, turbo option soon. The Miata is smaller, quicker, has a bigger trunk, more cup holders, proven reliability, it's easier to get head, it's easier to come by, and it has a covered 2" hole on the right side of the front bumper haha   ok I just waisted too much time posting here so it's time to sell my computer...adios
#196 of 376 Re: Just bought it! [zonads] by logic1 Mar 28, 2006 (6:21 am)
Replying to: zonads (Mar 28, 2006 2:35 am) 4: some tuners managed to get over 320 horses (to the wheels!) in a 2nd gen. Miata with a turbo (flyingmiata I believe)... can't wait to see what they can do with the new, bigger engine.. And because I plan on owning this car for 5-10 years or more, reliability issues will come into play when it's time to throw a turbo on the car... and I have a feeling this Mazda will be more reliable than a Pontiac come then. Sure that Corvette-powered Solstice would be VERY COOL, especially since they managed to get 50/50 weight distribution with such a big engine... and there will surely be turbos available for the Pontiac at some point... but there seems to be so many hard-core Miata tuners out there that I bet the options for upgrading parts will be much better than the Pontiac's in the future.   Having owned two Miatas, I cannot fault you for selecting one. The reason stated above is not valid, however.   The ecotec in the Solstice and Sky is also used by Opel, Holden, Saab, and Chevy. It is a popular tuner. Some 2.0 ecotecs have been tuned to well over the stated 320 horses. Ecotec tuner parts are readily available. The ecotec tuner community is in fact much larger than that for Mazda. Replies to this message: zonads (Mar 30, 2006 4:31 am)
#197 of 376 Re: Just bought it! [zonads] by pao Mar 28, 2006 (11:42 am)
Replying to: zonads (Mar 28, 2006 5:13 am) the solstice had executive GM oversight..and from what I heard the plant employees were excited and determined to produce a quality car.....there is always issues with a car..but when they have been discovered....the factory seemed to do an excellent job..there were some water leak issues with the first production models....the QC caught it..they shipped hundreds to a test facility in baltimore for seal replacement and additional testing before they shipped the cars.......   lessons learned where incorporated in the production line for later models......   message boards always bring out the nay sayers...and hardly ever the good comments....you will hear comments on the solstice about no trunk, cheap plastic, a clunk in the gears, hard to operate top, and a pinion seal leak.....over the forums....   again...all what you make of them....we have managed to utilize all the "trunk space" and can pack for a long weekend....much like all roadster owners do over time...learn to maxmize the space.....cheap plastic.....all cars have plastic in the interior today..even japanese models..all perspective......clunk, well learn to shift the car as it is meant to be...and there isnt a clunk....pinion seal leak..a contamination issue from the factory that has been corrected..and dealerships taking the necessary actions to repair those that have it.....   what were the problems of the first miatas?...no one probably remembers because it was 10-12 years ago now..and the car has matured and improved over that time frame....   I think the Solstice will hold its own over time.... and as you said...we are both happy with our respective automobiles.....enjoy!
#198 of 376 Re: Just bought it! [logic1] by zonads Mar 30, 2006 (4:31 am)
Replying to: logic1 (Mar 28, 2006 6:21 am) Cool, didn't know that!
#199 of 376 Miata top by zonads Mar 30, 2006 (4:35 am)
One annoyance I've discovered about my Miata is that the top is difficult to put down so far... I have to get out of the car and press down pretty darn hard... of course thats in 30-60 degree weather so I'm hoping it will get easier with a break-in and warmer weather Replies to this message: logic1 (Mar 30, 2006 6:27 am) bfl497 (Apr 02, 2006 3:08 pm) pao (Apr 03, 2006 5:47 am)
#200 of 376 Re: Miata top [zonads] by logic1 Mar 30, 2006 (6:27 am)
Replying to: zonads (Mar 30, 2006 4:35 am) It could be the temps keeping the fabric stiff.   I don't have the new Miata. With my prior two generation Miatas, the top was always easy to get up and down.   If it keeps up, you may want to talk to the dealer. Maybe a bolt on the frame is placed wrong or something.
#201 of 376 Finally test drove a Sostice. by ttbuyer Apr 01, 2006 (8:41 am)
Thanks to Pao's information regarding the trunk (and the helpful link to the pictures) I decided to re-investigate the Solstice.   As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are plenty of Solstices sitting around on local dealer lots now (more than two dozen available in the LA area per the search tool on the Pontiac website).   After my visit to the Cerritos Auto Square I came to a couple of conclusions.   1) The Solstice is a great-looking car that looks particularly good in silver (IMHO)and;   2) The Solstice drives more like a Mustang than a Miata.   The second conclusion got me curious and I started a little research (very little) and it turns out that the 2 seat, 4 cylinder Solstice gets exactly the same estimated mileage (actually 1MPG more in city driving) as the 4 seat, 6 cylinder Mustang Convertible (with the 5 speed manual).   Of the three, the Miata is by far the best to drive.(gotta agree with Edmunds here that the Solstice cannot touch the MX-5 for driving pleasure).   The Solstice easily the best looking of the three. The Mustang is handsome, but looks better as a coupe (but I want a droptop).   I am now considering the Mustang because I have a couple of young sons that I need to carry around sometimes. Plus, the V6 Mustang droptop costs about what the Solstice or the MX-5 costs (give or take a grand or two).   Maybe I'll need to get an MX-5 and a Honda Fit! Replies to this message: pao (Apr 03, 2006 6:13 am)
#202 of 376 Re: Miata top [zonads] by bfl497 Apr 02, 2006 (3:08 pm)
Replying to: zonads (Mar 30, 2006 4:35 am) I had the same trouble, until I realized that you have to put the windows down a bit first.   Bobby L.

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