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[fresh oil and pipes]

Thinking about a small two seat sports car. I am poor. Should I go for the Mazda Miata or the Pontiac Soltice?
Prob going to replace the Jeep Wrangler with it.

[muddypaws]

Mazda

[GregKhougaz]

This would be a no brainer for me but I'm prejudiced against Japanese cars and pro American because of Japan's trade policies with the US.  That's another can of worms.  What are you looking for in a car?  Here's a great review of the Pontiac from The Truth About Cars:  Pontiac Solstice GXP Review  This part is telling though:

Performance? Rest to 60mph happens in well under six seconds. A MX-5 Miata takes about seven flat. That's a big difference. In strict, straight-line terms, it’s worth the few thousand extra for the Pontiac. If the truncated (and rather brutal) Corvette driveline was massaged a bit more by the boffins, 60mph would live in the low 5s, if not less. But what about when the road, you know, bends?

Here's the truth. At or below 8/10ths, few cars are as entertaining to fling around bent backroads as the Solstice GXP. Turn in: sharp. Chassis: flat. Attitude: neutral. Brakes: faultless. Push a little harder and the car utterly fails. The steering goes from vague to dangerous. The suspension moans and stops thinking straight. The transmission backfires. You are suddenly overcome by the sensation that you are a driving a mutant machine made of cast-off pieces from other vehicles. Which, of course, you are.

[Twolanerider]

Never driven a Miata so can't offer a comparison of the two.  Have driven the Pontiac though.  Parts availability wouldn't worry me.  Not for awhile anyway.  USG has already proved GM isn't going away.

The car was fun to drive when all you're doing is easy playing.  Push it hard and it was dangerous though.  

There were times I had no clue what that car had just done or why.  When pushed to limits that shouldn't have been too much it at times lost its mind.  Good tires, solidly maintained and prepared suspension and still the car was just nuts when you played too hard for it's unfortunately minimal limits.  Got rid of it after a couple months.  If I'd kept playing with it the car would have killed someone, something, itself or all the above.

It wasn't stiff enough, it couldn't account for camber force and it somehow managed to go tail happy and fight bad understeer at the same time.  All of that could be in ways compensated for if the car was at least predictable.  Oh man it wasn't though.  Scary little car.

[kiwihog]

went thru a similar thing years back Solsice Sky Miata.. ended up going with Eclipse Spyder GT auto roof takes about 20 seconds to fold up and dissappears totally tip tronic type trans rockford fosgate stereo with sub all leather 3.8l V6 pretty quick and after all that I still have a trunk that carries enough for 2 of us to spend a few days out of town even with the roof off it goes into a seperate compartment

[BigLew]

I can tell you that body parts for the Madza arein line with the high dollar Euro cars. Its a ripoff!

Mike

[lilcoot]

This is a no brainer. 

Keep the Jeep!  (or get a new one with the better motor)

[bubtrauma]

Are you SURE you want my opinion.

[grayghost731]

PONTIAC   

[bubtrauma]

Buy a new CVO but not GREEN   

[2k]

Keep the Jeep.......its a convertible

[ultrarider123]

Thinking about a small two seat sports car. I am poor. Should I go for the Mazda Miata or the Pontiac Soltice?
Prob going to replace the Jeep Wrangler with it.

Soltice....That's a quick rub product here in East Tennessee....

Seriously, driven both the Solstice (GXP) and a Mazda MX5.  Liked them both but the Solstice has NO trunk space for any type of trip.  Found a good, used MINI convertible and have been happy ever since....

[Doubletap]

We just went through this same thing a couple of months ago. My wife wanted a convertible sports car and those were the primary two that came to mind. A friend owns the Pontiac so we had that for comparison. We drove several Mazda's and a couple of Pontiac's. Our conclusion was the Pontiac was more fun to drive but, with the fold back top, zero trunk space. Power was decent but not overly impressive. Handling was good for what it is. The Mazda was a blast to drive. Plenty of space inside, handles like a go cart and power was maybe a little less than the Pontiac. I still liked the Pontiac better. Wife decided she didn't want a car just like her friends.....sheesh...

So, we decided to go with the Mazda but had a very difficult time finding one that wasn't ragged out. Way too many younger people buying them and playing Fast and Furious I guess. In the end we bought a Chrysler Crossfire. Yeah, I know, it wasn't on our radar either but let me tell you it is one hell of a good car. Blows away either of the other two hands down, every category. That being said, if I had to choose between the original two options, I would look for a very clean Mazda and definitely check the Car Fax on it.

Good luck and happy motoring!

[FLSTFI Dave]

Soltice....That's a quick rub product here in East Tennessee....

Seriously, driven both the Solstice (GXP) and a Mazda MX5.  Liked them both but the Solstice has NO trunk space for any type of trip.  Found a good, used MINI convertible and have been happy ever since....

Mini is what my wife wants.  They handle great, the S has plenty of power, a blast to drive, roomy up front.  And great MPG.

[ultrarider123]

GET THE MINI DAVE!  Did I say that well enough...

Sorry for highjacking the thread here but....

Dave, here's "Tiger".  Not an S model but still plenty peppy.  I average 34.5 around town and 38+ on a trip.  Only made the Hot Orange 2 years.  Orange and blue inside, too.  I'm a BIG Auburn fan and had to have this color combination.  Bought used from original owner that was more OCD than I am when it comes to vehicles....

OK, back to the original topic....but flash, ya need to look at the MINI's.....