Seats have good lateral and lower-back support, but the padding feels skimpy. Low seats won’t suit some shorter drivers–and impede entry and exit for all. Tighter for six-footers here than in the Mazda MX-5, but there’s OK leg space and good top-up headroom. One and Out: The 2009 Pontiac G3 Saturn Sky Specs Comfort Several test models suffered from numerous interior squeaks and rattles. Like the Solstice, however, the cabin is awash in cheap-looking hard plastic. Sky’s brightwork and piano-black finishes look upscale vs. Most controls are simple and well marked but can be hard to reach in the tight confines of the cabin, particularly the ill-placed cupholders. The gauges are set in deep tunnels and can be hard to read even by day. Top-down wind buffeting is tolerable up to 75 mph with the windows raised. Several test Skys and Solstices had ill-fitting tops that allowed annoying wind rush even at moderate speeds. The engines are buzzy or boomy depending on rpm and are loud enough to mask most tire noise. The sport suspension used on Red Line and Solstice GXP is tauter, so impact harshness is more noticeable. The ride is supple enough for sports cars, but turns jiggly and thumpy on wrinkled pavement at highway speeds. Sky’s suspension is slightly softer than Solstice’s, but differences are hard to detect. Red Line/GXP can hop and skip over large bumps but quickly regain composure. Fine straightline stability and crosswind resistance too. Predictably agile and balanced with little cornering lean, good smooth-surface grip, and great steering feel and response. Premium-grade gas is recommended for both engines. Test manual-transmission Red Line averaged 20.1 mpg in mostly city driving. In Consumer Guide testing, base Sky and Solstice models with manual transmission averaged 20.8 mpg in mixed driving, 23.0-25.2 in mostly highway driving. the manual, which some testers say has notchy shift action. The automatic transmission has no real penalty vs. GM says the Red Line does 0-60 in 5.5 seconds or less, which seems credible. Turbocharged Red Lines are punchy at any speed, though with notable turbo lag. Still, its performance supports GM’s 0-60-mph claim of about 7.2 seconds with either transmission. The base engine is slow to rev and has little power reserve for quick highway passing. One and Out: The 2008 Saturn Astra Saturn Sky Engine Specs Acceleration Newly available on the 2009 Sky is the Ruby Red model, which has leather upholstery and specific interior and exterior trim. Both models come with air conditioning, cruise control, and power windows and locks. Available safety features include ABS, an antiskid system, and traction control. Both offer 5-speed manual transmission and an optional 5-speed automatic. The high-performance Red Line has a turbocharged 260-hp 2.0-liter engine. The base Sky has a 173-hp 2.4-liter engine. Like Solstice, Sky has rear-wheel drive, 4-cylinder engines, and a manual-folding soft top with a heated-glass rear window. This two-seat convertible shares its basic design with the Pontiac Solstice, but differs in styling, features, and price. The 2009 Saturn Sky lineup gains a new trim level. More Review Flashback! fun 2009 Saturn Sky Red Line Review Overview Presented here is Consumer Guide’s original review of the 2009 Saturn Sky. Of course, there are 8 Skys that were built in 2010, though none of those are reported to be Red Lines. Of the 34,407 Skys built between 20, just 11,132 were Red Lines. It is the Red Line that car collectors of the future will be seeking out. The Red Line also boasted unique-though not larger-wheels than the base Sky, as well as a sport suspension and unique trim elements. Both the GT and G2X were virtual clones of the Sky, save for grille inserts and minor fascia-trim tweaks.Īn analog for the sporty Pontiac Solstice GXP, the Sky Red Line swapped its mild 2.4-liter 4-cylinder (GM code LE5) for a turbocharged 2.0-liter four (LNF) that was good for 260 horsepower-a solid 87-horse bump over the 2.4. The Sky was a mechanical twin to the Pontiac Solstice, though it enjoyed unique bodywork and cabin appointments. Both of these two-seat convertible sports cars were built on GM’s purpose-built Kappa rear-drive small-car architecture, which also underpinned the European-market Opel GT and Asian-market Daewoo G2X. One car that probably deserved a little more mourning time than it got was the Saturn Sky, especially the performance-oriented Saturn Sky Red Line. GM’s Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, and Saturn nameplates were all mostly ghosts by the 2010 model year. The General Motors bankruptcy that came-at least in part-as a result of the 2007-2009 Great Recession wiped out a slew of established car brands, and all of the models those brands retailed.
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