some comparisons i'm interested in
 

a big one i've seen mentioned around here is how it compares to the rx8? seems to have a lot in common.

today i drove by a pontiac solstice and started wondering about that (as well as the saturn sky) they're both small, real wheel drive cars. how do they stack up against the frs?

Was it the redline/gxp model?

no i don't believe so, forgot there were the sportier models of it. it seems like this set of "twins" kind of fell off the map quickly

I recently read an old review of the Solstice and it said that the handling was not nearly as good as the Miata. I have actually never heard anything positive about the handling of the Solstice. The Solstice is not a sports car.

You must have been reading 1 or 2 reviews. I have seen plenty reviews about the Solstice GXP/ Saturn Sky Redline saying it handles great. And what makes you say these cars are not sports cars? They weigh 2,955 lbs/RWD/2seater/FrontMidShip platform/near 50/50 weight distribution/ Low Cog. Sounds like a recipe for a sports car to me.

The Solstice sucks ass compared to a Miata. That is one reason why it is not made anymore, even though it was a good car for a GM. Nobody wants RX8's anymore too. If you are going to buy a used roadster, you go with a S2000 or a Miata.

FR-S\BRZ is where its at for new! It's the hot sports car right now. There is nothing else to look at under $30K. Nobody considering these cars are looking at Mustangs and Cameros. We are talking $25Kish, lightweight, 2+2 RWD coupe. There is only two cars that fit this mold, and they are called FR-S and BRZ.

I agree! I had some seat time in a solstice, while it was not a GXP I was still able to get a feel for the vehicle. It does seem rather bulky and heavy for what looks like a small package.

I also did not appreciate the interior, and felt way more comfortable in my Miata. They were a neat idea, and i can say the Ecotec engine has gotten fantastic reviews from what I hear.

I have a FRS and my girlfriend has a Saturn Sky. I hate driving the Sky because the seat won't go back far enough and I'm too cramped in it. I'm 5'11", I should be able to fit, its an American freaking car built for small people. I have taken both to the mountains for some cornering exercise and the FRS out corners it hands down. The FRS is a go cart I can live with.

I wonder if anybody has ever driven the redline/gxp models? I could care less about the base model.

I know a friend who had it and he hated it. He constantly says the Solstice in general was a car made in the peak of GM's worst years and the car shows that A LOT. Though he could have just been sore that he got rear-ended right after GM went out of business and Pontiac went poof.

Detailed thread about the RX8 in the vs sub-forum:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2239

I wasn't impressed when I drove a (non-GXP) Solstice. Steering was OK, not great. It had lots of grip and the chassis was planted, but it felt portly compared to every generation MX5. The shifter was meh. The engine hated revving and wasn't especially responsive.

On the non-dynamics side of things, calling the operation of its top inconvenient is an understatement, and its tiny trunk made my Miata look like a station wagon (never mind the significantly more practical FT86).

In short, the Solstice is beautiful looking car that I wouldn't want to drive or live with.

Anyone who knows about The Ronin knows he gave kudos to the Solstice. One of the few vehicles to ever "almost" keep up with him.

It is not a bad platform. Give an excellent platform (FRS) to to a bad driver = wrecked car. Give a Solstice to an excellent driver = :word:IN!

Well, it didn't help that both Pontiac and Saturn have ceased to exist.

Its a recipe, a very good one, but have you ever tried baking? Its a bitch, it almost never comes out right. The Solstice just didn't come out right, and that is why they are not coveted at all in any way by real car enthusiasts. They are decent, sporty cars, but they are not classic sports cars. They are like BMW roadsters, good, but not great in terms of a sports car. From the same era, get an MR2, s2000, Porche (if you like repair bills) or a Miata. Those are sports cars, the solstice is a really engaging sunday drive convertible coupe. It had a lot of hype when it came out and a lot of journalists succumb to that but time and hindsight are better judges.