2008 Saturn Sky By:  ALAN GELL www.CarColumns.Net Recently, I drove the new Saturn Sky.  This is a sharp looking little roadster.  The convertible grabs your attention.  Heads will turn.  Journalists I know almost all say that the Saturn Sky has an exterior that calls out to you.  It makes you want to jump behind the wheel and drive around just to show it off.

The Sky was introduced a couple of years ago as a copycat to the Pontiac Solstice.  It uses the same basic 2.4 liter four cylinder engine.  This small engine produces 177 horsepower, which is not much more than a revved-up lawnmower.  There is a Red Line version that steps up the power with a turbo-charged, 260 horsepower engine.  That is a lot more power, but will cost a few more dollars.  The engine is matched with either a five-speed manual or an automatic transmission.  The manual shift allows the driver to feel like more of a sports car racer, especially when the top is down and there is some open space to stretch it out a little.  A few weeks ago, I briefly took a Sky around the track for a few laps at the Texas Motor Speedway.   This brief encounter did not provide sufficient time to fully experience the engine, but it did drive well and handle well during my drive. 

The looks have been often been described as a baby Corvette and there definitely is a resemblance.  The Saturn Sky is part of the same General Motors family as the Corvette and the Pontiac Solstice.  Inside, there is plenty of legroom.  The two-tone leather seats are very attractive and feel quite comfortable.  The trunk is extremely small by almost any standard.  It barely holds a couple of medium sized bags.  For the 2008 model, Saturn has made a few modifications over last year's model.  It makes the interior a bit more user friendly.  Cupholders are still inconveniently located and the window switches are not intuitive without having to search for them.

What makes this such an attractive vehicle?  Two things – the great exterior looks and the low price.  It ranges in the $25,000 range and upwards from there.  The low price for such a great looking little roadster has a few offsets, though. One of them is obviously the engine that gets the driver around, but does not have that racing feel.  Another downside is that convertible top.  It is manually operated and the driver has to get out of the vehicle and jockey with the folding and pushing and the hard tonneau cover.  Once that is all done, then the looks take back over.

In general, journalists have not been too kind toward the Saturn Sky in their reviews.  One called it “all show and no go.”  Most praise the Sky for the great looks, but give it fairly low marks for its performance.   My own analysis is that the low price and the eye-catching appearance are a good balance.  If I needed a little more power under the hood, I would opt for the Red Line model that gives more horsepower with the turbo-charged engine.

Bottom line – I like the Saturn Sky.  Sure, I wish it had a roaring, racing engine that would be the envy of other drivers.  But the striking good looks with the lower price also catch my attention.  Check out the new Saturn Sky yourself.  It might just be what you are looking for to get heads to turn in your neighborhood.