I have had my 88GT now for about 6 weeks after an 8 year absence, and may be coming to the reality that my wifes and my old bodies just cannot handle a Fiero anymore. I do know for sure, what used to take me 1 hour to do on the GT, now takes 3, and the extra 2 hours is just getting up and down.
Getting in and out is taking a lot of effort, and my wife (who used to love our Fiero's) does not have the strength she had back then, is almost refusing to ride in it. Last year she was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through some very nasty surgery and chemo treatments that have left her with neuropathy in her hands and feet. Thankfully she is testing negative for cancer every time, but her strength and the feeling in her hands and feet may never return.
Yes, I am contemplating selling my 88 GT, and getting a Solstice or Sky.
Having never been in one, or driven one, I was wondering how they compare to a Fiero for getting in and out of, and ride quality etc. I have always liked the looks of the Solstice, and the interiors look fairly comfortable.
Before I even go to look at one, I would love some real world feedback.
I find the Solstice/Sky to be considerably tighter inside than the Fiero and harder to get in and out of, but not as difficult as, say, a C4 Corvette which I find really awkward due to the high side sills on it.
But otherwise, the Solstice is one car I'll probably someday be kicking myself for not buying when I had a chance. All that's stopping me is lack of garage space.
My wife and I talked, and she said I should keep the GT for myself to do what I intended to do originally. It was, and now is, a retirement project, so who cares if it takes me 2 extra hours getting up and down.... I will have nothing but time in 1.5 years, so.....
I am still considering getting a Solstice or Sky, and judging by the getting in and out issues posted above by css9450, I better hurry and "try one on". LOL.
There is another thread somewhere around here with this exact discussion.
I had a Solstice GXP for a while, and maybe interestingly got rid of it shortly after getting the Fiero.
I think both of the Kappa cars are pretty darned good looking, and the turbos are pretty quick in a straight line. The LNF has a lot to offer, for sure. I was attracted to the GXP primarily for those reasons - nice to look at, great motor.
After a few years of ownership, I lost interest. It's not a very engaging drive. The cabin isn't particularly comfortable. The cargo space is far worse than the Fiero. The equipment level is a little lackluster. The materials aren't that nice.
If all you care about is a nice looking car and highway cruising, it's a solid car. If all you car about is fast in a straight line the turbo delivers. Beyond that? I think there are better options. I was looking for an S2000 with a better drivetrain, but while the GXP is definitely more responsive and less buzzy on the freeway than an S2000, it not even in the same ballpark in terms of the driving experience. I was never mad at the car, but it was a disappointing ownership experience. Its probably the only car I've ever owned that I absolutely in no way miss. It's best attribute was how it looked in the driveway, but from the driver's seat it was a big blah.
[This message has been edited by thesameguy (edited 07-01-2016).]
There is another thread somewhere around here with this exact discussion.
I had a Solstice GXP for a while, and maybe interestingly got rid of it shortly after getting the Fiero.
I think both of the Kappa cars are pretty darned good looking, and the turbos are pretty quick in a straight line. The LNF has a lot to offer, for sure. I was attracted to the GXP primarily for those reasons - nice to look at, great motor.
After a few years of ownership, I lost interest. It's not a very engaging drive. The cabin isn't particularly comfortable. The cargo space is far worse than the Fiero. The equipment level is a little lackluster. The materials aren't that nice.
If all you care about is a nice looking car and highway cruising, it's a solid car. If all you car about is fast in a straight line the turbo delivers. Beyond that? I think there are better options. I was looking for an S2000 with a better drivetrain, but while the GXP is definitely more responsive and less buzzy on the freeway than an S2000, it not even in the same ballpark in terms of the driving experience. I was never mad at the car, but it was a disappointing ownership experience. Its probably the only car I've ever owned that I absolutely in no way miss. It's best attribute was how it looked in the driveway, but from the driver's seat it was a big blah.
OK, you guys are slowly convincing me to stick with the GT. I have always found the Fiero to be a fine vehicle, and much more than people give it credit for.
I would definitely recommend driving one or two. I think everything you need to know is apparent after about 30 minutes. The first few minutes you're thinking that it's nicely quiet, then you're thinking the power (even on the non-turbos) and the transmission (at least, the manuals) is pretty solid. It feels really nice at this point, and if you admired them from afar like I did you're happy to be in the pilot seat. Once you feel comfortable, go find some curves and get into the drive a little and you'll start to see how it breaks down. If you never get to that point you'll never be disappointed, but the better you know the car and the harder you push it the more lackluster it feels. :|
I bought my Fiero on a lark - I wanted one as a kid, as I saw it on Craigslist and decided to live the dream. After about three months with the Fiero I was done with the Solstice. It's not as nice and not as competent, but it's a much more engaging drive.
I would say, what others have said, you need to test drive one. Also, test drive similar cars, like the BMW Z3/Z4.
I like the idea of the sky, but it I think it could be better. No storage, to lower/raise top, you need to get out of car. I believe you can get more bang for your buck with something from another manufacturer. HOWEVER, you may enjoy it, so test drive one!
I've never driven a Sky or Solstice. That said I have driven several z3s (1.9s and 2.8s), a z4, and many Miatas. It comes down to what you're after in the car.
The Z3 with the six is a very easy to drive comfortable car, I've done distance; BMW 6s have torque everywhere in the powerband. The Z4 is a lot like the Z3, just worse external styling IMO and more gadgety. Probably the best comparison to what's being talked about other then maybe a Merc SL (which I haven't driven).
The Miata is incredibly fun but not good over distance, it's 100% a reliable English roadster. I had one for a couple years and loved backroads with it but it was hard to live with daily.
[This message has been edited by Pancake (edited 07-08-2016).]
I have a 2008 Sky RL and an 88 GT (3.4 L). I love driving both of them (which I don't do often enough). I would say they are comparable as far as entry and exit is concerned; so, I doubt that your wife would like the Solstice or Sky any better. I've driven my Sky on many long trips; the ride is good (for a sports car), but if you like to spread out it isn't for you.
Today my wife and I were out and about, sadly not in the GT because it is in the shop to have the a/c finally done, and I saw a Solstice and pointed it out to her. She liked the looks of it a lot, and I think we may just be heading for a test drive soon.
I will keep the '88 GT (too much invested in it now to turn back), so I really hope she likes the ride and seating.
The first thing she asked me was "Is that a new Corvette?".
I chuckled and said no, "that is our new Fiero!". So, we are both now excited about it by it's looks, but who knows how she is going to react to an actual ride.
I don't think either of you will be disappointed by the ride - I drove mine back & forth to LA a couple times - 450 miles each way - and never became uncomfortable. As a "driver" there really isn't anything to be mad about. It's the lack of storage that keeps it from being practical and the lack of good dynamics that keep it from being a fun driving car. But to get on the freeway and go somewhere? Nothing to be mad at. We used to just FedEx our gear to wherever we were going and pick it up when we arrived, so the lack of storage never got in the way. We never had a problem having a hotel or whatever accept a shipment for us.
I'm 6'1 and cant get my knee past the steering wheel. Seat all the way back and still cant get in and out of one with the top up. I found the Fiero a lot easier to fall into, its the crawling out that is harder.
Still want one just don't know what to do about the seat and steering wheel. Hope it works out for you, going to look at a Fiero tonight
I have a buddy with a low mile GXP. I find it easier to get out of. It was no competition for my LQ1 and my L67 would have ate it alive. He likely would get rid of it if interested. Garage kept. Red.
Whoever called this a sports car, that's funny. Neither is a Fiero. I like the SLK if it were me. Been wanting one of those anyway though.
When the Solstice first came out I stopped in a dealership to looks at one. It was smaller than my 87 GT, both inside and outside. I loved the Solstice coupe and that at least had luggage space which the convertible did not. I was with my buddy Frank and at 6'4" could not fit. He can't even fit in the new Vettes. but fits into his 87 GT easily. The Solstice is a great looking car, but like my Fiero, not a daily driver any more.
They are fun but very poorly put together, my 2006 which I babied started falling apart by 60K miles, Lot of fun and all but there is a reason i went with a corvette this time around.
I purchased a 2007 Solstice in August, I really like the car, I always wanted one and I enjoy driving it. Unfortunately I can't really deal with the lack of storage space because I need to carry my gear around. So I'm thinking about selling it eventually and I'm looking into a first gen Boxster S. I'm a sucker for Porsches. Oh, and make sure that the passenger side airbag sensor is in working order. They tend to break and cost hundreds of dollars to fix. I made that mistake when I bought my car as it's broken.
I purchased a 2007 Solstice in August, I really like the car, I always wanted one and I enjoy driving it. Unfortunately I can't really deal with the lack of storage space because I need to carry my gear around. So I'm thinking about selling it eventually and I'm looking into a first gen Boxster S. I'm a sucker for Porsches. Oh, and make sure that the passenger side airbag sensor is in working order. They tend to break and cost hundreds of dollars to fix. I made that mistake when I bought my car as it's broken.
The Boxster S is a great car and the early ones are fully depreciated by now and are a great bargain. I've been toying with the idea of a Cayman S or Cayman R, but since winter is upon us I decided to wait until the spring.
