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2006 Pontiac Solstice on stage for its Debut

Is the Pontiac Solstice a Good Car?

The Pontiac Solstice is one of the most underrated sports cars on the used car market. They are fun to drive, sporty, and surprisingly rare. In fact, they are all around great cars, and maybe not for all of the reasons you would expect. But, is a Pontiac Solstice actually worth buying? The Pontiac Solstice …

The Pontiac Solstice is one of the most underrated sports cars on the used car market. They are fun to drive, sporty, and surprisingly rare. In fact, they are all around great cars, and maybe not for all of the reasons you would expect. But, is a Pontiac Solstice actually worth buying?

The Pontiac Solstice is affordable

You can find most Pontiac Solstice cars on the used market for less than $10,000. While special edition versions of the car like GXP could range upwards of $15,000, they are still easy to find at lower prices. They aren’t just affordable to buy, they are also affordable to maintain. Even better, you can find them with a manual transmission, too.

Yellow Pontiac Solstice on display
A Solstice On Display As Detroit Area Economy Worsens And Big Three Automakers Face Dire Crisis | Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The biggest weakness and strength in one

The biggest weakness of owning a Pontiac Solstice is also one of the car’s biggest strengths: it’s pretty rare these days. Admittedly, while most people don’t find the car to be particularly cool, they are far from common. This gives you a little bit of an added edge if you like to stand out from the crowd. The downside of this? Finding body parts for the car in case of an accident is pretty tough. While it shares many mechanical components with other GM cars, the body is unique and almost impossible to find if you need to replace something — yes, I found this out the hard way after wrecking my 2006 Solstice last year.

A Pontiac Solstice GXP is displayed at the 36th Annual South Florida International Auto Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center |Victor Malafronte/Getty Images

It’s just a fun car

There’s isn’t much to say about the Pontiac Solstice. It doesn’t have any nifty safety features, and it doesn’t provide any impressive power. In the way of practicality, it still offers very little, with almost no cargo space — especially if the top is down — and a small cabin. Regardless of all of that, the car handles well, and it quite fun to drive. They are reliable and enjoyable cars, and for such a bubbly-looking sports car, there isn’t much more you can ask for.

Pontiac Solstice roadster at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit | David Cooper/Toronto Star, Getty Images

The Pontiac Solstice probably isn’t the car that comes to mind when you imagine buying a used sports car. With the availability of a manual transmission and the car’s uniqueness, it is a surprisingly good option.

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