GM...got your head in the clouds with the Sky?

I promised a Saturn Sky review. After reading my take on the Sky, check out the MX-5 (Miata) and Sky reviews from Edmunds. I've also tossed in a nice video discussing the cars BEFORE they were released.

First, understand the Saturn Sky is the twin to the Pontiac Solstice. I drove the turbo charged model of the Sky or the Sky Red Line. The car was bright yellow, definitely an eye-catcher. Walking up, you couldn't help but notice the panel fitment and soft top. Large gaps, mismatched alignment and a crinkled (go look at one) soft top took me by surprise. The side door sills are positioned too high, so you can't rest your elbow while cruising. That, and the low seating position, made the cockpit feel a little cramped. The modern, curvy dash is attractive, but the over-abundance of cheap feeling plastic is not. In fact, my 9 year old son commented that the interior felt flimsy. Lowering the top is an arduous task...not cool! You can't drop it at a stop light. The sales experience, as always at Saturn, was pleasant enough and soon we were mashing the go pedal on the first on ramp and quickly accelerating to speed. And speedy this car is! The turbo pulls hard, with little "lag" and before we knew it, we were topping the limit. So we backed off and settled into the posted "60". Wind noise and buffeting is really noticeable...too much of it. We found a nice twisty side road and exited the freeway to toss it about. Not good. The car's stiff ride did not allow for much spirited driving. The steering lack communication to the driver and the brakes are a little mushy feeling. Another painfully obvious sign of bean-counter influenced car making was the sub par tires. They squealed at every sharp turn - begging me to let off and just cruise around slowly. Which, I think, is what this car is better suited for. It's all about sporty looks - which it has - but fails to deliver on them. Some people say the Sky looks like a "baby Vette". I say, for the $30,735.00 starting price, go find a nice used Vette and keep about $5,000 in the bank! Sorry, but it's cloudy skies.....for Saturn.

GM should have done their homework by studying the roadster market. Which should have been real easy. Just go buy a few Miatas (or MX5s) and tear them apart. You can surf the web and find literally thousands of Miata sites. For crying out loud, Miata has its own Spec Racing series in motorsports. Plus it's the number one selling sports car of ALL time. Just a few internet clicks and you've got a verifiable "Miata for Dummies" best seller on your hands.

Hello GM???

Who dropped that ball? Who didn't rip one of these top selling Miata roadsters apart and study it? Probably the same engineer hack who designed the superfluous and annoying soft top!

Come on GM, put some passion and focus in your products. Today's American car buyer is educated and discriminating. 19" chrome rims, flashy paint, and some curves will not cut it anymore. We want a REAL American roadster. We want to buy American!

Hmmmm, the Sky sounds like another failed car in GM's recent portfolio....but that's for tomorrow!