Saturn Sky – Ron Perry's Opinion:
Having just gotten out of the Pontiac Solstice and into the Saturn Sky, the difference between the two is amazing. Simple touches that designers put into the Sky's interior really give the Saturn an upscale feel compared to the Pontiac, such as the painted surface around the shifter, the pod over the gauges and the glossy black plastic accents used throughout the interior. It isn't perfect though. The fake embossed stitching on the rubber gauge pod looks really bad and some quality issues remain like the loose fitting console plastic and wiggling parts such as the emergency brake's black plastic end cap surround that slid off into my hand. Also, the radio display washes out in sunlight, creating a safety hazard due to the difficulty of finding the presets or stations. The Sky also lacks a vanity mirror for the passenger for primping after a ride with the top down.

The Saturn Sky is a fun car to throw around but keeping the revs high is the secret to making the car peppy. The engine runs out of steam quickly, but then again, performance is what the turbocharged Sky Red Line is for. Another observation: the top's pillars clip down better than they did on the Solstice and actually look like they fit correctly. The Sky's design differences from the Solstice add greater appeal and give the Saturn a more serious yet upscale look. It's really great to see Saturn turn out a car with so much appeal.

Photos by Ron Perry