- Seller: Charlie S (Contact)
- Location: Sacramento, California
- Mileage: 183,400 Shown
- Chassis #: 1G8MG35X28Y129298
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 2.0-Liter Turbo DOHC 4-Cylinder
- Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
While the Pontiac Solstice vs. Saturn Sky debate doesn’t infiltrate popular consciousness to the same extent as the Coke vs. Pepsi debate, it was definitely a thing back in the mid-to-late 2000s, but why can’t you like them both? I’ve always said that I’m a 55 percent Coke/45 percent Pepsi guy, so we don’t always have to definitively pick a side, and so it is with these pretty roadsters from General Motors. The American answer to the Miata, the Solstice/Sky twins were capable little sports cars with just-right styling and fierce performance in the turbocharged models, such as this 2008 Saturn Sky Red Line, which is being offered as a Barn Finds Auction. Located in Sacramento, California, this car isn’t exactly the first thing to come to mind when you think of the brand Saturn, but it’s arguably the best.
Like the Solstice, the Sky got a lot better with the introduction of GM’s 260-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder. Backed by a five-speed manual, the Sky Red Line could accelerate from zero-to-sixty in 5.5 seconds and cover the quarter-mile in 13.9, which was significantly faster than the aforementioned Miata, the car’s closest non-GM competitor. This Sky has covered 183,400 miles in its lifetime, but it’s recently had a set of timing chains and a new water pump and passes California’s smog test every year.
Being 17 years old, the Saturn is not perfect; it has a scuff mark on the front fender and near the headlight, “the usual scrapes on the front lower bumper cover,” and a couple stitching issues on the driver’s seat. Also, the radio will no longer play CDs and the instrument cluster lights work inconsistently.
Saturn’s sales materials made the most of the Sky’s limited storage room, saying that “maybe it’s time for impracticality to make a comeback” and urging you to take a two-hour lunch rather than a fifteen-minute lunch at your desk. It’s a fun way to explain that with 5.4 cubic feet of trunk space (2.0 with the top down), you and a friend should pack light, but heavy travel is not what the Sky was built for.
It was built for having fun, looking good, and going fast. And both the Solstice and the Sky looked (and still look) great. They’re also good bargains for fun, little sports cars that have aged very well. The seller of this Sky has owned it for about five years and says that you can expect about 30 miles per gallon on the highway, so it’s also a practical commuter. If you want to live a little more spontaneously, make a bid!
Bid On This Auction
Jon bid $2,100.00 2025-06-16 11:43:33
Orphancars bid $1,500.00 2025-06-15 11:29:45- Jon bid $1,100.00 2025-06-14 00:41:29
Snowbird bid $1,000.00 2025-06-10 09:04:01
I had one of the Pontiac Sky’s and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not the turbo, but the engine was fine for the car’s weight and stance. Driving down a curvy, tree encased country road one morning, top down, after a good wash and wax, a tree limb fell, bounced from hood to windshield frame, to the back deck. It was a WTF moment. Actually, did some decent damage, my wife wasn’t as crazy about it after that. Try telling insurance a tree limb just fell out of the sky at random… Other than the leaking trunk/roof junction the car was really good. GM could not figure out how to seal this area.
Brain fart – Meant to say Saturn.
Quick cars w the Turbo. Can add a chip to give them more zip 🏁
While they are a relatively decent little GM car, they were at least 20 years too late to the market and introduced when people were starting to heavily buy larger SUVs. So, to GM, thanks for playing the game, but no cigar.
GM is always either too early or two late.. too early meaning they’ve released models which weren’t developed properly (see X-body cars, Fiero and and many others) and too late.. they’ve yet to build a really good 4-cylinder car.
Working at a Pontiac store with a sister Saturn store next door. I got to see many of these. I side take a “boosted” one home one night and considered buying one after the drive. But finances in the middle of a divorce are sketchy. I drove into work one day and noticed a neighbors Sky sitting on the road behind 2 dead horses. She had hit them both and ducted as they went over the top. The windshield frame required repair (as did the front of car) but stood up remarkably well. Cars and horses can be very bad for ALL concerned. And we see it fairly often here with all the wild Mustangs running around. I was very concerned for her, but she came through it just fine.
I think the Saturn front end looks much better that that dual grill Solstice.
First, Saturn vs Solstice is like Ginger vs Mary Ann, except guys always pick Mary Ann. In the case of the first pair, however, the choice isn’t as one way. I’ve always thought of the Sky as Madonna. The Pontiac is more cashmere sweater, and that gets my choice.
But five cubic feet trunk? On what planet’s cubic feet? My Miata NA (1990) has five cubic feet of trunk and I can use it grocery shopping. The Sky/Solstice has really nothing useable.
And that’s why for me the Solstice was a nonstarter.
Apparently a couple going away for the weekend would have to keep the top up, as the folded top took up the little trunk space there was. My NC Miata retractable hardtop uses none of the (pretty large for a small car) trunk space when retracted. GM didn’t think that part out very well.
GM doesn’t think any small cars well. The Mercedes SLK , with the roof retracted , offers little trunk space as well. I have one.
These are cute cars. I had a 2004 Saturn Vue SUV. I was going to trade it in on a 2009 Sky but then came to my senses. It’s a great weekend car or second car but certainly not a daily driver.
Especially the way I move around. I’ve already decided my next vehicle will be a Ram pick up or a Ford Expedition. I need room but as I said this would be a great second car.
The CD player quit working in my Vue as well. As did the a/c and a few other things. It was definitely falling apart by 2017 when my husband totalled it.
@John
Awwwww John, that’s the only way to live.
ROADTRIP!
Says the kind of girl that gets us guys in trouble!!
Ya’ll know the emoji with the character laughing hysterically with tears coming out of both eyes, that me right now. Thanks, John.
Looks like our comments were deleted..it was fun!
The only drawback to these cars was the “trunk”. Just good enough for day trips, maybe (forget a set of golf clubs!), but definitely not for a weekend.
How about a trunk .mounted luggage rack? Ala, MGB?
Based on our European Vauxhall/Opel Astra.
I don’t think so. These are Kappa platform cars and the Astra did not use that platform, which was developed specifically for a 2-seat, rear-wheel-drive roadster.
GM had a nice idea, give them that. But only offering it with a 4 cylinder was strike 1. Making it bigger than a Miata was strike 2. And building both the Solstice and Sky when both makes Pontiac and Saturn were dead men walking was strike 3.They’re out!.
Appreciate the details on the little things wrong with the car… can you comment on oil usage/leaks? 185K is a lot of miles…