CAR GAZING
Saturn Sky is a keeper
Sports car the best part of brand's lineup
By Derek Price
It's no secret that Saturn cars won't be around much longer.
This General Motors company started with a great idea: ditch the baggage that comes with other GM brands and build cars to compete head-to-head with the imports.
It worked at first. But, as time went on and the brand never developed the same cachet as Honda or Toyota, Saturn's vehicles became more similar to the other GM brands. In other words, Saturn's cars just weren't all that memorable.
This is the exception.
Called the Saturn Sky, this two-seat sports car is a great example of GM's resurgence in recent years. It's a car that makes you lust for it, one that looks stunning at any angle and moves with the kind of panache that makes you want to drive it from sunrise to sunset on winding mountain roads. It's a beautiful car, in every sense of the word.
It's the kind of car that, just a few years ago, people said GM couldn't build.
But here it sits, a testament to the talented engineers and designers at the oft-criticized General Motors. It's real, tangible proof that GM's troubles don't come from being incapable of building cars that people want – after all, who wouldn't want to drive this Saturn? – but from decisions made in the executive suites.
This is a car lover's car, the kind you want to caress with microfiber mittens and drizzle in expensive wax every weekend, the kind you drive just for the sake of driving. It's not a practical car, especially since the top takes up almost the entire trunk when it's folded away, but it's comfortable enough for a daily commute and is surprisingly quiet with the top up.
From the driver's seat, few cars are as perfectly tuned as this one.
Based on the Pontiac Solstice, the Sky has a rock-solid chassis and firm suspension that work together to transmit crystal-clear messages to the driver. Power is sent to the rear wheels, exactly as it should be in a proper sports car.
And the way it looks? Unbelievable.
The Sky has classic proportions with contemporary lines, from its dramatic hood vents to its sleek rear. It looks good with the top up, but when the top is folded away under the bulging hard cover, it's even better. It has timeless good looks that people will likely still find attractive 50 years from now.
It also has just the right amount of power. Its base engine, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, makes 173 horsepower, which is plenty in such a small, lightweight car. But the Red Line edition, with its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, makes a pavement-ripping 260 horses to add even more fun. Even better, the Red Line has the best gas mileage rating in its class at 28 mpg.
That's not to say it's perfect. The Sky suffers from inferior ergonomics when you compare it to cars like the Mazda Miata.
Unlike the Miata, which has a soft top that can be raised and lowered with one hand from inside the cockpit, the Sky's top requires more steps, including getting out of the car. Granted, it looks better than the Mazda's top – especially stowed away under the hard cover – but ease of use is something to consider.
Its manual transmission likewise doesn't feel as perfect as in the Miata and Honda S2000, but its five-speed automatic is superb. It's one of the few sports cars I might actually prefer with the automatic, based more on the weakness of the stick than on the strength of the auto gearbox.
That said, the Sky is an amazing car overall. From its sexy looks to its true sports-car performance, it shows that GM can build cars that make people drool.
It's reason enough to want Saturn to stay alive.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.)
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