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Claudia Hommel
Cabaret Singer
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Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
2007 Pontiac Solstice and BMW 328i Convertible by Cordell Koland With summer just around the corner, now¹s the time to think about top-down driving. With this in mind, we¹ve lined up two very different alternatives for fun in the sun, the Pontiac Solstice roadster and the BMW 3-Series convertible. By way of definition, a convertible is ostensibly a four seater, while a two-seat open car such as the Mazda Miata is a roadster. So park your SUV till winter and prove you¹re more hip than anybody realizes. The Pontiac Solstice is one good reason to have some hope that General Motors just may pull itself out of its perpetual funk and get competitive again. Here¹s why. Let¹s say that the Solstice pulls off a real hat trick (hockey talk for scoring three goals in a single game for those of you who did not grow up in the snow belt). The winning scores are styling, performance and price. The Pontiac Solstice and the very closely related Saturn Sky represent a brilliant design, maybe the best styling from General Motors in decades. The little red roadster is just stunning with the top down. It looks good from all angles. The lines, design balance and proportions are deftly drawn. I particularly like the twin integrated fairings that begin behind the seat headrests and then merge seamlessly into the rear deck. While this is not a new design element, it is still quite rare and really adds a final touch of elegance to the roadster¹s outline. The Solstice GXP model is new for 2007 and puts the Pontiac roadster solidly in the sports car club. The GXP model is equipped with a turbocharged engine pumping out 260 horsepower and lots of torque. This means the Solstice finally has the power to go with its handling potential. With a list price of $25,305, the Solstice is affordable. Our test car came with some options, such as leather seats, air condition and upgraded audio. The only option I really recommend would be the air conditioning, unless you live in chilly San Francisco or the Seattle area. While the Solstice is a sweet little ride, there are drawbacks. The cloth top is a manual operation that requires you to get out of the car and go through a bunch of steps to stow it securely in its compartment. I¹d also like to see a six-speed manual transmission as standard equipment. The BMW 3-Series Convertible is back in the lineup this year and is built on the new chassis that was introduced in 2006. To qualify for a new BMW 3-Series Convertible, you¹ll need loads of cash or great credit. Our test 328i is the entry-level drop-top in the new BMW line with a base MSRP of $43,200. The more powerful 330i Convertible¹s list price is about $6,000 more. Whatever you want in luxury convertible, the BMW delivers. It is remarkably refined at all speeds. The new metal top provides extra protection from noise and the elements. It folds down in a matter of seconds when the sun comes out. Although not a powerhouse, the convertible¹s engine has that sweet BMW turbine-like smoothness that can be addictive. Still it will dash from zero to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, and that¹s plenty fast for its intended market. Likewise, gas mileage is respectable. The six-speed manual transmission shifts so seamlessly, you will look forward to putting it through its paces. For my money, the new 3-Series Convertible is the best looking car within the whole BMW lineup. The lines are clean and elegant. The interior eschews the complexity that defines so many German luxury cars. The controls are laid out in two contiguous areas on the dashboard and are pretty easy to access and use. And the look is certainly simple and refined. But what really blew me away was the driving experience. Give BWM engineers an A grade for chassis development. The 3-Series Convertible is as solid as a rock. The ride is exceptionally quiet and comfortable and there is no suggestion of chassis shake, the bane of open-car architecture. The handling also reveals the superior chassis and ideal 50/50 weight balance, front to rear. The result is highly controled instant responsiveness. There¹s only one downside to new BMW Convertible, and that¹s trunk space. The mechanism involved with operating and housing the medal top takes up the central part of the trunk. So golfers beware. Vehicle:
BMW 328i Convertible
Price as tested: $49,075 Engine: Type: 3.0-liter inline 6 Horsepower: 230 @ 6,500 rpm Torque: 200 lbs.-ft. @ 2,750 rpm Fuel economy, manual transmission City 20 mpg Highway 29 mpg Curb Weight: 3,792 lbs. Vehicle: Pontiac Solstice GXP Price as tested: $29,389 Engine: Type: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline 4 Horsepower: 260 @ 5,300 rpm Torque: 260 lbs.-ft. @ 2,500 rpm Fuel economy, manual transmission City 21 mpg Highway 29 mpg Curb Weight: lbs. 2,990  Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
