![]() ![]() Standard features include air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors, power door locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a stereo with six speakers and a CD player. Additionally, the Saturn comes better equipped than its sibling, the Solstice, right out of the box. ![]() And here's a little known fact: Saturn offers a 30-day/1,500-mile exchange program, so if the Sky doesn't work for you just swap it for a new Aura sedan. If you're still falling in love at first sight, take comfort in the fact that the Saturn Sky we drove stickered for less than $25,000 (prices have been jacked a grand and a half since our test car was built), and that the powertrain is covered by GM's new five-year/100,000-mile warranty program. Brake pedal feel could be improved, allowing the driver to take better advantage of the four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, and though the steering is a hydraulically-assisted rack-and-pinion system with quick response, it filters too much road feel. Power is driven to the rear wheels, and a five-speed automatic is optional. A 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing works up a sweat moving the Sky's near 3,000-pound curb weight despite Saturn's claim of 7.2 seconds to 60 mph, and though the manual transmission is massaged to add refinement and isolation from the mechanicals this powertrain is about as graceful as Homer Simpson. Equipped with 18-inch wheels wearing 45-series rubber mounted to a four-wheel-independent, double-wishbone suspension with Bilstein shocks, the Sky manages to couple a compliant ride with capable grip. The chassis is stiff, lending the roadster a solid, planted feel on the road. Under the Sky's lovely body work is a fundamentally sound foundation. ![]() Nevertheless, Saturn needs something approximating an image vehicle upon which to build its renaissance as an alternative to the Honda, Nissan, and Toyota status quo, and the flashy Sky should do the trick, which is to drive traffic to dealer showrooms. In standard format, however, the Sky amounts to little more than a terrific styling exercise that sticks in a turn. And though it suffers many of the same problems as the standard model, the turbocharged Sky Red Line variant's extra power goes a long way toward making the Sky a worthy competitor against the likes of the Honda S2000 and Mazda MX-5 Miata. ![]() In the Saturn Sky, however, a priority on form over function and an obvious emphasis on cost reduction results in an ultimately dissatisfying wind-in-the-hair experience. Roadsters demand to be driven rapidly on beautiful roads, allowing occupants to revel in speed and scenery. Based as it is on the same platform as the gorgeous but dynamically stunted Pontiac Solstice, the Saturn Sky is all looks, no action. Too bad brains didn't arrive with this beauty. Think of the Sky as an ultra-hot nurse arriving with a defibrillator. The debut of the 2007 Sky roadster sends a clear message from the emergency room in Detroit: save the patient. More than a decade of product development starvation and design by committee has left the once shining brand weak and gasping for breath, and the time is now for its parent, General Motors, to resuscitate the brand or Kevork it like Oldsmobile. Saturn Sky – Driving Impressions: Now that Americans have forgotten all about no-haggle prices, dent-resistant body panels, and feel-good homecomings in the heart of Dixie, Saturn needs CPR. ![]()
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