It shares the torque tube design, a stiff chassis, the corporate steering wheel and the brakes have a similar feel as well. I was surprised at how much this car felt like a baby Corvette (although, you are spending less money, so you do get less car). I've driven both the Sky and the Sky Red Line. Criticism was also leveled at the poor steering feel, awkward controls and lack of storage. The convertible top in particular was a big disappointment: More than one tester ended up taking an extra five or 10 minutes trying to completely stow the top under the boot, only to give up and drive with the warning bell reminding them of their failure. Power delivery was smooth and linear, which might make this combination a good choice if you’re going bracket racing at your local dragstrip.Įrgonomics drew less praise. (More and more cars have them lately, but few are any good.) The engine felt very strong, sounding off with all of the compulsory turbo pops and whistles as we got into the boost. We were surprised, but not disappointed, to find that the automatic didn’t feature some sort of paddle shifting feature. Still, we couldn’t help but notice that the automatic snapped off its shifts quickly and smoothly, leaving very little for us to complain about other than the fact that we couldn’t choose our own gears. We generally prefer to do the shifting ourselves, particularly with a sporting car like this. Our test car came with the 260 horsepower engine and optional five-speed automatic transmission. Not only that, but Sky and Solstice are also available with a direct-injection turbocharged motor that pushes 260 horsepower, more than any factory Miata can claim. A market that was once all but sewn up by Mazda has been cut open again by The General’s duo of entry-level roadsters. The Sky's trunk doesn't help its cause either, providing just 5.4 cubic feet of space with the top up and practically none with it down, along with an awkward lid that opens rearward.But not as good as: a Sky with a turbocharger and a clutch pedal.įor a car that’s only been in production a few years, the Saturn Sky (and its kissing cousin the Solstice) has infiltrated the sports car market with surprising efficiency. Graceful it's not - especially when compared to the Miata's one-arm operation from the comfort of the driver seat. Dropping the top requires the driver to unlatch it at the windshield, push a button in the glovebox and fold the whole thing down into the rear deck before forcibly slamming it shut. The Sky is also let down by a poorly designed top and a small trunk. Nor will passengers find much to like about the quality of the interior plastics - or lack thereof. Seating is comfortable, with adequate side bolsters for spirited driving, although the transmission tunnel is unusually wide, which eliminates any possibility of center storage space and puts the squeeze on larger drivers. The base model's instrument panel is attractive and legible the Red Line-specific dash is even more so. Such is not the case with the Sky, as the cabin is surprisingly roomy, even for larger occupants. Like many roadsters, the 2009 Saturn Sky's diminutive exterior leads many to assume that the interior must be as inviting as a phone booth. The reliability issues looming overhead, however, should make potential roadster buyers pause to consider the nearly bulletproof and well-established Mazda Miata. For those left wanting more performance, a laundry list of dealer-installed performance upgrades, from suspension to exhaust, should appease. Another concern for the daily use of a Saturn Sky would be the model's poor reputation for reliability.Īssuming style is indeed the main factor driving sales of the Sky, many of the aforementioned faults could easily be overlooked. Accessing the trunk is similarly inconvenient, since the stowed convertible top occupies a sizable space under the rear deck lid. While manual tops are not a huge price to pay for al fresco driving, the Sky's top is unduly complicated. The manually operated convertible top and trunk form a long dark cloud over what is otherwise a generally successful execution. As with the previous year, the mild base model is offered alongside the extra-spicy Sky Red Line.Īll is not sunny and clear in this Sky, however. When you consider that the Sky is also a competent and sporty ride at a reasonable price, it emerges as a viable alternative to the convertible Mini and Miata. For the majority of potential owners, that alone is worth the price of admission. Even as the model enters its third year of production, the Sky still manages to turn heads. The 2009 Saturn Sky is, first and foremost, a good-looking car.
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