Cramped - sure, but I'm 6'3" and it's fine. There is nothing like dropping the top (which cannot really be done from inside … the vehicle, unfortunately, although, if you're nimble you can raise the top from inside the vehicle, you still have to get out to close the backward-hinged trunk) and hitting the road. The 5-speed (from the Chevy Colorado) works much better in the Turbo. Handling is just amazing - immediate and precise. However, my 2009 Saturn Sky Red Line (2.0 Turbo) is a monster! We had a 2006 Pontiac Solstice with the 2.4 naturally aspirated engine - fun to drive, and we never felt it lacked go-power. The Sky's trunk doesn't help its cause either, providing just 5.4 cubic feet of space with the top up and practically none with it down, along with an awkward lid that opens rearward. Graceful it's not - especially when compared to the Miata's one-arm operation from the comfort of the driver seat. Dropping the top requires the driver to unlatch it at the windshield, push a button in the glovebox and fold the whole thing down into the rear deck before forcibly slamming it shut. The Sky is also let down by a poorly designed top and a small trunk. Nor will passengers find much to like about the quality of the interior plastics - or lack thereof. Seating is comfortable, with adequate side bolsters for spirited driving, although the transmission tunnel is unusually wide, which eliminates any possibility of center storage space and puts the squeeze on larger drivers. The base model's instrument panel is attractive and legible the Red Line-specific dash is even more so. Such is not the case with the Sky, as the cabin is surprisingly roomy, even for larger occupants. Like many roadsters, the 2009 Saturn Sky's diminutive exterior leads many to assume that the interior must be as inviting as a phone booth. The reliability issues looming overhead, however, should make potential roadster buyers pause to consider the nearly bulletproof and well-established Mazda Miata. For those left wanting more performance, a laundry list of dealer-installed performance upgrades, from suspension to exhaust, should appease. Another concern for the daily use of a Saturn Sky would be the model's poor reputation for reliability.Īssuming style is indeed the main factor driving sales of the Sky, many of the aforementioned faults could easily be overlooked. Accessing the trunk is similarly inconvenient, since the stowed convertible top occupies a sizable space under the rear deck lid. While manual tops are not a huge price to pay for al fresco driving, the Sky's top is unduly complicated. The manually operated convertible top and trunk form a long dark cloud over what is otherwise a generally successful execution. As with the previous year, the mild base model is offered alongside the extra-spicy Sky Red Line.Īll is not sunny and clear in this Sky, however. When you consider that the Sky is also a competent and sporty ride at a reasonable price, it emerges as a viable alternative to the convertible Mini and Miata. For the majority of potential owners, that alone is worth the price of admission. Even as the model enters its third year of production, the Sky still manages to turn heads. The 2009 Saturn Sky is, first and foremost, a good-looking car.
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