![]() ![]() First gear feels too high, which I suspect will lead to undue clutch wear because you have to allow a good amount of slippage to fully engage it from a standing start. In some cars, a sixth gear is nice to have, but the Sky really needs it, in part because of the scarce torque at low revs. Beyond that, I experienced the same disappointments that I did in the Solstice. I tested the five-speed manual, and the short gearshift is one of its better features. Despite all this, the manual Red Line gets better gas mileage. Saturn estimates a 0 – 60 mph time of 5.5 seconds, compared to the base Sky’s 7.2 seconds. As shown, the Sky Red Line should alleviate this problem with a huge bump in horsepower and torque, both available at significantly lower engine speeds. You have to get the engine revving pretty high to get appreciable power out of it, and as my colleague Mike Hanley put it, it’s not very enjoyable getting there. As the table below reveals, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder’s torque is modest and, more important, it peaks at 4,800 rpm - pretty high for an engine with a 7,000 rpm redline. The Sky’s weakest aspect - also true for the Solstice - is its drivetrain. When it comes out this fall, the turbocharged Sky Red Line will have firmer springs and the like. ![]() Gearheads might want to know that the independent front and rear suspensions are short-and-long-arm designs, a type of double-wishbone with control arms of significantly different lengths.Īnyone who’s interested in a sportier ride can look for the Performance Suspension Kit, a $1,577 dealer-installed option that includes firmer shock absorbers, bushings and stabilizer bars. Electric power assist is now proliferating in the market, but I haven’t been impressed by GM’s attempts. This is a conventional, hydraulic rack-and-pinion system. My test car’s steering wheel, a leather and chrome-appointed option, had a satisfying feel, and there’s just enough steering feedback when you want it. I have some issues with the drivetrain, but overall you can control the car’s dynamics with judicious use of the accelerator. Saturn cites the rear-wheel-drive car’s weight distribution as 52/48 (front/rear), which gives it just enough of an understeer bias to keep it predictable and safe. The most affordable alternatives cost $148 each. Replacing them directly costs $226 per tire, according to. They’re good tires - and they’d better be. My test Sky had the standard, and currently only, tires, Goodyear RS-A all-seasons rated P245/45R18. The structure is nice and rigid, and roadholding is very good. It rides a bit softer than the Solstice, but there’s not a dramatic difference. In terms of overall performance, the Sky’s ride and handling are where it shines the brightest. The Sky’s styling is more gender neutral. The MX-5 is perceived more frequently as a woman’s car, which, empirically, hamstrings any model in the market. The Sky has a couple of clear advantages over the exquisitely refined Mazda MX-5 (formerly known as the Miata), its toughest competitor. ![]() At half the price, it inspires disbelief. More appealing than the Solstice, the Sky often brings to mind a smaller Chevy Corvette. The only ones to speak of are chromed versions of the 18-inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler that is so superfluous it appears in almost none of Saturn’s marketing photos. In terms of exterior styling, the Sky comes complete, with few optional adornments. The thumb-ometer reading was about as high as I’ve measured. A car’s appeal can be measured in thumbs, and I got so many thumbs-up during my week in the Sky that I felt like I’d been transformed into a freakish alternate universe populated by Roger Ebert clones. Many cars evoke strong reactions when seen for the first time, but I’ve become adept at discerning the “Oh, look, something new” reaction from the “Great googly-moogly!” response. The car’s daring, more angular design inspires frequent rubber-necking and mouth-breathing. The Solstice might have started this fire, but my experience driving a Sky suggests that it burns twice as hot. Like the Solstice, the Sky has plenty of room for improvement, but this head-turner looks like a steal for under $24,000. GM needs more hits, and Saturn needed a kick in its showrooms. Since the Solstice went on sale last spring, it has been too hot to remain a Pontiac alone. Saturn has been begging parent General Motors for more - and more exciting - models since it was founded, and GM has finally responded with the first sister of the Pontiac Solstice. If a racy two-seat convertible doesn’t fit within your concept of Saturn, you’ve figured out why the company introduced the 2007 Sky.
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