[skyfan]

I just received the May 22nd edition of AutoWeek magazine. Since I'm not sure how to patch a copy with a post, I will attempt to give some excerps from the article. Perhaps some else can.

Drivers log by "Wilson": He discusses the difficult process of putting the top in the trunk of the Solstice (Sky) and compares it to the ease of a Miata, a BMW Z4, and Porche Boxter. He said, " No one wants to deal with that much crap just to make some designer happy and/or save weight and money. "Fine, if you want a hard tonneau, you need to motorize the top."

Then the second tester, "Raynal" didn't like the automatic tranny. He said, "This car is a slug with the automatic transmission." Then he ends the article to say, "And over the first three months of the year, Pontiac moved 6068 units to Mazda's 4362. As I said, Pontiac seems to have no trouble selling these things."

"These things" are more fun to drive than a Miata or a Z4. I know since I just sold my Miata and my Z4 is setting in the garage. These magazine writers obviously don't know a great roadster when they drive one. Just today as I approached my Sky parked in a shopping center parking lot, two guys were checking it out. One said, " This has got to cost $40,000 at least. Then the other guy looked at the nameplate and exclaimed, "This is a Saturn? I'm sure Saturn doesn't make a car for $40,000. I just smiled, got in and drove away.

 

[SkyMan 08]

It's Autoweek.... I guess it is run by a bunch of lazy people.... think of the Sky and the Solstice as Exercize equipment... hmmm maybe we can get a health insurance discount for owning one....:thumbs: :thumbs:

 

[jimbo]

They didn't seem to say anything that wasn't true.

Most of the blurb was about the top. No doubt it is the most awkward top on a 2-seater sold today. If there is another more awkward, I'd like to know what it is.

FWIW, "RAYNAL" did say...

"The Solstice still feels nimble and light on its feet, despite the autobix, and teh chassis stiffness is impressive. I am a huge fan of this Kappa platform. Any other complaints we might have (the chore that is adjusting the seatback angle, for example) are pretty moot."


I do think spending 1/2 the article griping about the top is a waste of space. If I am writing about a new car, I won't devote 6-inches of an 8-inch article writing about the folding top, one inch to the "sluggish" new auto, and the remaining inch of how much you love the car.

How lead off about the top, get into the new auto, and spend the 2nd-half SHOWING us how and why you love the handling of the car.

But hey, I'm a nobody, not a god-like elite moto-journalist from AutoWeek.

Anybody know how I can get their job. I'm pretty sure I can write better than they can.

Like just about every job in life, it's not what you know, it's who you know. Look at Hollywood today. EVERYBODY is just somebody's kid. If your parents were not in the Hollywood industry, you can't even get looked at.

By the way, he NEVER compared driving the Solstice to driving a Miata, Boxster or Z4. He only cited them as examples of ragtops that were easy to raise and lower.

 

[GodWhomIsMike]

I was surprised at how much the article sucked. I got absolutely no information on how the car was to drive. Isn't that what it's all about - a sunny day, a nice curvy road, and great handling from the roadster? All I got was they were not happy about the top and went on endlessly because the author didn't like that he had to get his fat lazy out of the car to fold the top.

 

[skyorscooter]

AutoWeek, Sounds like a French Mag. to me. Read Road & Track those people have PHD. Gearheads for writers. The Sky article is Nobel Prize material.

 

[REDSKY]

We all knew the top of the Sky was going to be manual...yeah it happens to be the only retarded part of this car but so what...it's worth the few mins to put it up or down...whats the big deal...

No one said this car was practical....just a HELL OF A LOT OF FUN!

 

[SunneySky]

Its all about the fun

I think the top is a breeze to put up and down. I think the Sky is all about fun. I think I am happy I have one no matter what any magazine says! :cheers:

 

[JohnD]

Let's see if I can do this from memory...

Process of Lowering the top on a 2007 Saturn Sky...

1. Press button on Fob (or in glovebox) to pop rear deck
2. Move center latch to left
3. Exit car
4. Grasp side of top, lower into trunk
5. Push down on center of top to make sure it is seated fully
6. Slam shut rear deck
7. Hop in and go

Process of Lowering the top on a 1979 Triumph Spitfire...

1. Lower left sunvisor
2. Move left lever to right
3. Lower right sunvisor
4. Move right level to left
5. Push up on center of top to pop loose latches
6. Restore left sunvisor
7. Restore right sunvisor
8. Exit car
9. Unsnap four snaps attaching top to left body
10. Walk around to right of car, unsnap four more snaps attaching top to right body
11. Guide top into space behind front seat
12. Fumble in pocket for keys; retrieve keys; unlock trunk latch
13. Turn trunk latch to right 1/4 turn
14. Open trunk lid
15. Retrieve boot from trunk
16. While holding boot in left hand, close trunk with right hand
17. Guide left wing of boot over left top hinge area
18. Walk around car, guide right wing of boot over right top hinge area
19. Snap about a zabillion snaps to attach boot to body
20. Swear at least twice as snaps on boot are not properly aligned to snaps on body
21. Move driver's seat forward
22. Attach interior snaps of boot to inside of rear firewall
23. If you can't lean over far enough, repeat from other side of car
24. Restore seatback(s) to original position
25. Hop in, pray that car actually starts this time, and go

(Skip steps 1-25 if Spitfire is in the shop - AGAIN)

I think that's it, but I tend to omit unpleasant things like this from my memory.

All I can say is, "They don't make Roadsters like they used to..."

YAY!:thumbs:

 

[Way2Fast]

That lazy writer from Auto Week should not be required to leave his desk, donuts and coffee behind to go test ride a new car. Some people are too spoiled by "power everything" and the thought of having to pull a lever to adjust a seat or "God forbid" having to get outof the vehicle to unlatch the trunk and manually fold down the top gets them winded ! I'll take the extra steps to lower and stow the top anyday over the ugly, cluttered look of a top that just folds down and remains visible. I just decided that I will not renew my Auto Week subscription. I'm not interested in hearing about how great $200,000+ Foreign Sports cars are...even though I havn't seen ONE that looks as stylish as my Sky !!!

 

[tolaiz]

Process of Lowering the top on a 2007 Saturn Sky...

1. Press button on Fob (or in glovebox) to pop rear deck
2. Move center latch to left
3. Exit car
4. Grasp side of top, lower into trunk
5. Push down on center of top to make sure it is seated fully
6. Slam shut rear deck
7. Hop in and go

Process of Lowering the top on a 1979 Triumph Spitfire...

1. Lower left sunvisor
2. Move left lever to right
3. Lower right sunvisor
4. Move right level to left
5. Push up on center of top to pop loose latches
6. Restore left sunvisor
7. Restore right sunvisor
8. Exit car
9. Unsnap four snaps attaching top to left body
10. Walk around to right of car, unsnap four more snaps attaching top to right body
11. Guide top into space behind front seat
12. Fumble in pocket for keys; retrieve keys; unlock trunk latch
13. Turn trunk latch to right 1/4 turn
14. Open trunk lid
15. Retrieve boot from trunk
16. While holding boot in left hand, close trunk with right hand
17. Guide left wing of boot over left top hinge area
18. Walk around car, guide right wing of boot over right top hinge area
19. Snap about a zabillion snaps to attach boot to body
20. Swear at least twice as snaps on boot are not properly aligned to snaps on body
21. Move driver's seat forward
22. Attach interior snaps of boot to inside of rear firewall
23. If you can't lean over far enough, repeat from other side of car
24. Restore seatback(s) to original position
25. Hop in, pray that car actually starts this time, and go

(Skip steps 1-25 if Spitfire is in the shop - AGAIN)

I think that's it, but I tend to omit unpleasant things like this from my memory.

All I can say is, "They don't make Roadsters like they used to..."

YAY!:thumbs:

$%*T that was Awesome!! Funniest thing I've read ALL DAY!!!
Thanks for the laugh!!!

 

[GMguy]

Most of the blurb was about the top. No doubt it is the most awkward top on a 2-seater sold today. If there is another more awkward, I'd like to know what it is.
They didn't seem to say anything that wasn't true.

Your missing her point completely - the review made it sound as though no mortal could operate the top and that the operation of the top was a very
important consideration, both of which are a long way from being true.
I drove an MGB. Do you know how that top was errected/taken down?
Now that was an operation. The Solstice/Sky top operation is a piece of cake
compared to that one.

 

[GMguy]

Then the second tester, "Raynal" didn't like the automatic tranny. He said, "This car is a slug with the automatic transmission."

It's rather unlikely the the manual/auto versions are that different. What were the times? I'll be they weren't more than a second apart.

 

[skyorscooter]

I had bought a 1964 Triumph TR4 roadster from a junk yard as a teen. The manual top was compairable to todays Sky, I just can't remember ever having the top up, EVER! Ahhh..The good old days, Sure wish i had that car today.

 

[SkyMan 08]

lowering the top is fun, raising it is not

I love lowering the top on my Sky, It means I am gonna have some fun... I hate raising the top, means the fun is over for now...
Seriously, it takes little effort and time to do it once you get a rythm and habit of doing it the same every time... of course sometime i change the order of things or do it from the opposite side.

 

[GMguy]

" No one wants to deal with that much crap just to make some designer happy and/or save weight and money. "Fine, if you want a hard tonneau, you need to motorize the top."

Here's a real smart guy. He thinks the reason fot the top design is to save weight and money. Sorry, but a top system without a hard tonneau would
be neither lighter nor cheaper. The main reason for the design is that the
car looks great with the top down. You can't say that about many of the others our there, particularly the Miata. If given a choice between the two systems how many folks does this guy really believe would choose the Miata style? Case
closed. Autoworld reviewers are ignorant jerks, and that's being kind.

 

[skyorscooter]

Wewe, Ahtoe wick, je ta lamure pupu auto vu fufu articall see vu play jourlalist! Mair cee boo cuu.

 

[qwack]

I love lowering the top on my Sky, It means I am gonna have some fun... I hate raising the top, means the fun is over for now...

:agree: Oh yes! Driving the car home at the end of the day and having to put the top up is my least favorite time!

 

[chris67]

my california 78 spitfire

Process of Lowering the top on a 2007 Saturn Sky...

1. Press button on Fob (or in glovebox) to pop rear deck
2. Move center latch to left
3. Exit car
4. Grasp side of top, lower into trunk
5. Push down on center of top to make sure it is seated fully
6. Slam shut rear deck
7. Hop in and go

Process of Lowering the top on a 1979 Triumph Spitfire...

1. Lower left sunvisor
2. Move left lever to right
3. Lower right sunvisor
4. Move right level to left
5. Push up on center of top to pop loose latches
6. Restore left sunvisor
7. Restore right sunvisor
8. Exit car
9. Unsnap four snaps attaching top to left body
10. Walk around to right of car, unsnap four more snaps attaching top to right body
11. Guide top into space behind front seat
12. Fumble in pocket for keys; retrieve keys; unlock trunk latch
13. Turn trunk latch to right 1/4 turn
14. Open trunk lid
15. Retrieve boot from trunk
16. While holding boot in left hand, close trunk with right hand
17. Guide left wing of boot over left top hinge area
18. Walk around car, guide right wing of boot over right top hinge area
19. Snap about a zabillion snaps to attach boot to body
20. Swear at least twice as snaps on boot are not properly aligned to snaps on body
21. Move driver's seat forward
22. Attach interior snaps of boot to inside of rear firewall
23. If you can't lean over far enough, repeat from other side of car
24. Restore seatback(s) to original position
25. Hop in, pray that car actually starts this time, and go

(Skip steps 1-25 if Spitfire is in the shop - AGAIN)

I think that's it, but I tend to omit unpleasant things like this from my memory.

All I can say is, "They don't make Roadsters like they used to..."

YAY!:thumbs:

man that takes me back....and after all that work fire it up.... drive a mile or so and have various electrical systems turn on or off or fail completely brits just couldnt wire a car...but I missed that car and the sky is the first roadster Ive bought since...the ease of lowering the top is the last thing on my mind

 

[TexSon]

This top is easier to put and down than the top on my '71 Vette, and I never heard of anyone complaining about that top. Some folks just have to find something to complain about....

 

[rick112]

It's nice to hear that the problems listed by the auto mag's. are minor things. They are correct that there are some interior parts that are easy to break or poorly positioned. They are correct that the roof on the Miata is easier to lower. There is little storage space in the car. They are also correct that the Sky has less power than a car two or three times its value.

But as you start to change things you increase the price of the car or change the look of the car. I still agree that's a crap excuse for some of the issues like easily broken cup holders or poorly placed switch gear. The switch gear could have been put on the centre console. But imagine the Sky with a Miata like roof. You loose that sleek sexy look. Want more storage space? Sure they could have done a better job with the placement of the gas tank but would it have raised the cost of the car? And of course if you want to haul the wife and kiddies and a couple of weeks worth of crap around then a mini-van is in order. More power? Well the Redline is on the way and You will pay for that!

The car was designed to be similar to the Miata in spec's. Has it done that? How does it compare to that car? I think the Sky lacks a little on its goals there but it did good for a first try. Mazda had how many years to perfect it's design?

I think the some of the review writers have missed the focus of the story. And perhaps the Sky is a victom of its own good looks. The car looks like a $60-80K car and everyone thinks that should equate to a car with those kinda qualities.

If you want a Corvette buy one.

If you need a mini-van this car won't do it.

Bad news BTW the car probably won't do will on the 4x4 track either...:lol: