'Scuse me while I kiss this Sky

"claramag, Mustaco Master" (claramag)
09/08/2014 at 21:33 • Filed to: None

Ever since Bozi T's Most recent !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! articles I've been nostalgiating back on my mother's '07 Saturn Sky. Let me tell you what Opponauts, pictures do it no justice.

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I mean, look at it!

(Not actually hers, but exact same color)

Saturn's take on the (hideous even without comparison) Solstice was designed by !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ,, who you may know now as lead designer for Tesla and responsible for Tesla's pretty cars. This car is pretty, cuz dude knew what he was doing.

Unfortunately it was also pretty awkward to live with. Ergonomics were complete crap crap, cup holder was situated right behind your right elbow so a hard shift to 2nd meant your interior was from then on slushy blue flavored. Operating the windows required a sort of Zoidberg claw motion, and operating the manual top was a two folk job. Lord help you if you're on an open country highway and it started raining.

Know what else kinda sucked? Build quality. Not a week after she sold it (WHY MOTHER, WHY DID YOU SELL IT RIGHT AS I NEEDED A NEW CAR) the passenger door handle broke right off. Glove box made a sort of scccrrt sound, and while all the body panels lined up off the lot the rear bumper alllllways seemed to be migrating south.

But ffs look at it!

Look at it!

LOOOOOOOOK

Uggh, come one 2 years of school, pass by so I can buy a new car dammit!

DISCUSSION (5)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > claramag, Mustaco Master
09/08/2014 at 21:39

Bad build quality you say?

Kinja'd!!!

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > claramag, Mustaco Master
09/08/2014 at 22:17

'Scuse me while I kiss this guy

Kinja'd!!!

claramag, Mustaco Master > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
09/08/2014 at 22:33

Poor build quality? From a late aughts GM? WHAAA?

Z (ND + Cancer Fighter) > claramag, Mustaco Master
09/09/2014 at 02:58

As a Sky owner, I feel the need to comment. How long has it been since you’ve been around a Sky? Kinda curious.

Unfortunately it was also pretty awkward to live with. Ergonomics were complete crap crap,

Ergonomics are kinda bad in some situations, but it’s livable. I’ve been in worse cars, I’ve seen just as awkward cars. It’s one of the sacrifices you make for owning a small, powerful, stylish 2 door convertible sports car. Don’t get me started on “luggage” space.

cup holder was situated right behind your right elbow so a hard shift to 2nd meant your interior was from then on slushy blue flavored.

There is a very convenient, larger and much more useful cup holder to the right of the shifter. This is for the driver’s drink. Any other drinks in the car should be held by the passenger, as those would be the passenger’s drink. Anything else can be secured on the passenger floor. The cup holders behind the shift make no sense and should have never made it over from the concept. Oh well.

Operating the windows required a sort of Zoidberg claw motion,

Eh, I’ve never had an issue with it. Even when all 6’ 2” of me is “squeezed” into the car. They are fine where they are. My ’14 Mustang feels more improperly placed and inconvenient.

and operating the manual top was a two folk job. Lord help you if you're on an open country highway and it started raining.

I may sound like an ass for saying this, but did your Mom actually own a Sky? I ask this to people who claim to have owned a Kappa car and say the top is hard. It is the simplest, easiest thing ever.

The top operation is very easy and it’s not at all heavy. There is no way it should ever require two people. My 80 year old Grandpa did it by himself, my girlfriend can do it, my Mom can do it, my 8-year-old sister can work it and my best friend figured it out by himself in less than a minute.

The top is idiot proof and simple. All Sky owners I talk with agree with me and are just as confused when people mention the top being hard and needing two people.

I find build quality was more than alright. Every car has issues. The door handle is well known and a easy fix (find one from one of the many GM parts bin cars 08+).

My friend’s E36 glove box won’t stay shut, and my Sky makes no noise or issue. Never heard of that before. Maybe you carried too much weight in it?

Body panels are eehhhh, I agree. Very minor variances, but my rear bumper is rising up to the rear panel and it’s bothering me. It’s a mid-to-late-00s GM car, what did you really expect? It’s far better than a Cobalt or Corvette, build quality wise.

Sorry, it's late, I'm tired and annoyed; and I've read too much crap hating on the Kappas the last week on the internet to take more. They’re much better than people give them credit for, even if they aren't perfect.

I still love my Redline none the less. It's gorgeous.

claramag, Mustaco Master > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
09/09/2014 at 07:18

Calling crap on the Sky? Oh no that was not the intention of this post, hence the "must buyyyyyyy!" ending of the article. She sold the sky '09-'10, so it's been almost 5 years or so since I operated it. I wasn't near as car savvy, and she...never has been
The cup holder thing was slightly anecdotal. Part of her interior did get a blue slushy flavoring. I completely forgot the side cupholder was a thing, can't recall her ever using it

The top....it's not that it was heavy. Au contraire , the issue of concern was it's flimsy feel. Maybe I'm remembering more of my mother's "Don't break it, it's the only new car I've ever bought!". 5 years ago, really. If you're saying it's that easy and she was just being paranoid I'll believe you (and let me say, good sized sigh of relief knowing it CAN be operated solo)

Build quality, yeah again late aughts GM. Father owned a Cobalt. Also fits up in the same 'fun car, poor build quality'. Compared to my then owned 88 Fox the Sky was a Lexus, but there were just these aesthetic little issues that quality control couldn't have picked up on. Me personally, I only care about major drivetrain components and the suspension's hoonability, but I consider it essential to know the flaws of what you love. Now scuse me while I go back to dreaming of a Toyota i6 mated to that Toyota sourced trans