C&D Reviews SKY

[pow]

"Not so much a maxi Miata as a Corvette junior petite."

Overall, they liked it more than the Solstice. Some notable quotes:

"... the Sky's base price of $23,690 is $3200 higher than the stripper Solstice's. The extra nip gets you air conditioning, ABS, cruise, power everything (except the top, which is manual in all Kappas), keyless entry, floor mats, an alarm, and OnStar for a year. Taken together these options cost $3355 on the Solstice..."

"The [sky] exhaust is slightly quieter, the top insulated with another layer of acoustic material. A more Stay-Puft ride results from a longer suspension travel and shorter jounce dampers. The refinement is turned up a notch over the Solstice, and it's noticeable. Over pavement holes the Sky's suspension lets the body down with softer landings. Lumps aren't as obtrusive. Dig into the throttle, and the burring from the DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter four is more muted, its 6900-rpm less of a raspy thrash than in the Solstice. GM's Ecotec swings a big stroke and will never be confused with a zingy sports-car engine. In the Sky, the harshness is hidden."

"Steering feel, critical to a roadster's street credentials, proved worthy of tight roads with fast-chaning cambers and pitching pavement. The large wheel jigs and tugs just enough to keep drivers on the tires' wavelength. The Sky turns with commitment and holds a tight line through corners with no squealing or sloppy body motions."

"The interior has tidy forms but ergonomics on par with a game of Twister. The window buttons and mirror control reside closer to your elbow than your fingers and require an uncomfortable wrist wrench to operate. The cup holders are almost useless, the gauges too small and dark in the bottom of their tubes."

"... the Sky's top never stacked neatly, having to be pushed down against its will in order to get the lid closed. Because waterproofing the Sky depends on the interference fit of miles of thick rubber seals, multiple slammings were required of the trunk and doors before anything would latch. At times the Sky feels less like car than an overstuffed suitcase."

0-60: 7.3

5-60: 7.7

1/4 mile: 15.9 @ 88

300-ft skidpad: 0.86g

observed MPG: 16

In footnotes, they said "the Sky couldn't be tested for sound [levels] because the rear glass shattered after we lowered the top and overpacked the trunk."

[hyperv6]

Auto week had a short story on it.

They seemed to like it over all but were not pleased with the steering feel. They said they could not feel what the front tires were doing. Minor personel pic on their part.

Over all they loved the car and the improved ride.