‘Scuze me while I kiss the Sky

[91 s-10baja]

http://www.carbuzzard.com/review.php?id=15601

OK, we’re not so taken by the new 2006 Saturn Sky that we want to plant a Jimi Hendrix buss on a fender, but we are sufficiently moved by the Saturn Sky that were it a girl and we were a single guy, we wouldn’t be averse to a little smooch.

Which puts us on the “yay Saturn Sky” side of a raging debate rather than with the “boo Saturn Sky.”

The 2006 Saturn Sky, despite being a landmark car for the GM division and for GM overall, has polarized automotive journalism like few other cars. Sharing the platform and just about everything else but its body and trim packages with the Pontiac Solstice, the two-seater from the General’s generic car division has been called everything from “the real deal” to a car that “perform(s) so poorly on every front.”

Here’s the Saturn Sky primer: Based on GM’s new rear-drive Kappa platform, the Saturn Sky is powered by the corporate 2.4L, 177-horsepower DOHC Ecotec inline four. A five-speed Aisin manual gearbox, and for anyone so unfortunately inclined, a five-speed automatic transmission. Steering is hydraulically-boosted rack-and-pinion and suspension is fully independent. It’s available as a droptop only, and not as a thickly-lined cabriolet but a true roadster: A power top is not available.

Such equipment does not necessarily a sports car make, however, and not long ago, “sports car from Saturn” would have been more likely a planetary reference than corporate. Here’s what we found:

The eyes have it. No matter where we drove it, almost everyone knew what it was and those who didn’t were, in the truest sense of the word, astounded. Everyone gave it a thumbs up and everyone wanted to know more. In the parking lot at the Greenwich Concours, one of the premier such events in the country, the Saturn Sky received more attention than the Ferrari parked next to it. Of course, the Saturn Sky was a new model and the Ferrari not, but when would a Saturn have outdrawn a Ferrari?

[TuffG929]

fair enough

[bjk]

well it is overal poistive

[Greg Burr]

It got a good review in the LA Times today as well.

[camaro chris]

Still, compared to the edgy styling of the Saturn Sky—made possible by a new hydroforming panel press—we prefer the more rounded curves of the Pontiac Eclipse

i think thats a typo

[saturnsteve]

The SKY is like the Hot sister in High School that everyone wanted to date.

[cfch3399]

The engine is not the weak link, it's the atrocious Aisin transmission, which may work fine on the Colorado but ruins the Solstice/Sky experience with its ultra short first gear and super long second gear.

[Ming]

Nice review.

Regarding the "raging debate". I think its only raging because its a GM and a Saturn. Again, like the Solstices racking up wins in road racing, the ranks of automotive journalists who "boo" the Saturn/Solstice performance (though I haven't heard many boo the price) strike me as having an overriding negative view of GM from the start. Like the salt & pepper bearded, Irish flat-cap wearing Autoweek types in their British roadsters and convertible BMWs who would never stoop to drive a GM car on a daily basis.

Some of their collective criticism is valid. But much of it comes off as plain, simple Import-centric (or brand-specific) snobbery.

BMW could make a terrible car, but it would still be a BMW. Saturn can make a great car that caters to all of their needs and deals with most of their typical GM criticisms...but it would still be a Saturn. That kind of automotive bigotry.

[NationsKappatol]

shucks...a positive review for a car that doesn't exist.

I would like to test drive a 2006 Saturn Sky, too. Shame they are all 07s

Silly typos

[01cavalier]

It is pretty fair. I really do agree about the gap between second and third...holds the car back too much. Still, I'd definitely love to have one...

[paul3230]

Seems pretty fair. The powertrain issues are nothing new. Some people complain about the top. But overall, a great review. At least there wasn't anything about GM's current financial issues..

[jbernie]

I see one or two here at work, the red one with the LS7 decals etc was parked outside my windows yesterday and got some attention, many people suprised it was a saturn, all gave very positive reviews of the styling.

Some people don't car how fast the car is, or who makes it, they just want a stylish car...Saturn & Pontiac have done that.

[silverbugeye]

2007 SKY

[Gm786]

Nice review! Sounds like he loved the Saturn Sky.

[civilzues]

Originally Posted by saturnsteve

The SKY is like the Hot sister in High School that everyone wanted to date.

THAT IS THE BEST THING I HEARD ALL DAY LONG!!!!!!!!!