Hard to say about the Solstice since no one has driven one yet, but I agree the S2000 is a great car. It is a Japan built Honda and has been around for a while now, so from a quality standpoint I think they are pretty well sorted. The S2000 will feel different than either the Elise or the Solstice, a good test drive will tell you if it's to your liking. The steering response and shifter of the S2000 are pretty hard to beat though. That you liked your Elise shows that you can probably live with the downsides of the S2000 (not the most spacious or cushiest roadster).

As for the stereo, it is a very simple upgrade because the S2000 has a standard DIN sized radio (less and less common these days). You can get a really nice Alpine headunit for $200 or less with MP3 capability as well as add-on devices for satellite radio and/or iPod connectivity. Installation is very simple and you can find threads on it in the Electronics forum here. And the nice thing is that the radio door covers it all up to keep things stealth.

Good luck!

Peter

 

American cars quality is scary...buy an S2k..

 

If you can wait 6-12 months, WAIT. but if you can't, get the s2000. Couple of points to consider

1. if solstice turns out to be a good car comparable to s2000, most likely dealers will jack up the prices.
2. if solstice turns out to be worst than s2000, then get s2000.

if i can wait, i'll wait and test drive, but i dunno how pontiac dealerships will act on that coz i remember when s2000 first came out, you can't test drive until you are buying the car.

 

I happen to see a green Solstice when I was pulling out of a plaza. It does have an attractive sharp and appealing spec. Of course, Amercian quality is a downer but I appreciate the effort the big 3 are makings on build, quality and design. I would check it out if I am shoping for a roadster.

Would I buy it over the S? No way! Not over the insane redline, quality and beatuiful shape. Keep in mind the S body curve is classy and will look good for many years.

If I was interested in a new Miata or used SLK (i find them ugly), Solstice would make a lot of sense.

 

find a used s2k and take it to redline. see if that sells you right away. otherwise wait 6+ months to make your comparison.

 

Buy a solstice because they are faster.










I'm sorry but I couldn't resist.

 

Honda has some of the best auto engineers in the world. I've had many of their products both 2 wheeled and 4 wheeled, the reliability and build quality is incredible.

 

Have one also and love it!

 

As to the iPod connectivity, a kit is available from "Marketplace" advertisers on this board for $90 which will allow you to swap the stock S2k radio for a better, iPod connective aftermarket model and still use the radio controls for the driver on the left side of the dashboard.

Regadless of what you are told, NOBODY can validly comment on the Solstice unless they have test driven one. As that's kind of hard to do as they aren't generally available. As far as I know, there hasn't even been a full road test on a production model by a car mag. As I understand, one car mag did a limited test on a pre-production Solstice and estimated 0 to 60 in 7.2 sec. If that holds true, that is 1.8 sec. slower than the same mag's test of the s2k. But pre-production models are often slower than production, and it was only an "estimate." And then, this doesn't account for the upcoming supercharged Solstice, to be introduced at some unspecified date.

So in comparing an s2k with a Solstice, you are comparing a known with an unknown. Actually, an impossible task! Nobody can validly advise you, as nobody knows first hand the qualities (or lack thereof) of the Solstice.

Good Luck!
Richard

 

As to the iPod connectivity, a kit is available from "Marketplace" advertisers on this board for $90 which will allow you to swap the stock S2k radio for a better, iPod connective aftermarket model and still use the radio controls for the driver on the left side of the dashboard.

Regadless of what you are told, NOBODY can validly comment on the Solstice unless they have test driven one. As that's kind of hard to do as they aren't generally available. As far as I know, there hasn't even been a full road test on a production model by a car mag. As I understand, one car mag did a limited test on a pre-production Solstice and estimated 0 to 60 in 7.2 sec. If that holds true, that is 1.8 sec. slower than the same mag's test of the s2k. But pre-production models are often slower than production, and it was only an "estimate." And then, this doesn't account for the upcoming supercharged Solstice, to be introduced at some unspecified date.

So in comparing an s2k with a Solstice, you are comparing a known with an unknown. Actually, an impossible task! Nobody can validly advise you, as nobody knows first hand the qualities (or lack thereof) of the Solstice.

Good Luck!
Richard