Traded in to us, inspected, certified, serviced and detailed. How to choose between a Pontiac Solstice and a Saturn Sky? 

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 redline 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. The Sky has other differences. The 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 bumpers.

Features on the Sky include 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with a five-speed manual transmission, 18-inch aluminum wheels with performance tires, power seat height adjuster, windows, locks, and trunk release with remote, Ebony cloth top with glass rear window and electric defogger, variable intermittent wipers, air conditioning, floor mats, cruise control, CD player with auxiliary input jack, automatic headlamps and OnStar, leather seats, six-disc CD/MP3 stereo, and XM Satellite Radio.

Saturn used hydroforming to create some of the Sky’s metal panels, which allow for the sharp creases and smooth curves that add to the Sky’s beautiful styling. The chassis’ tube structure is also hydroformed, creating a strong and rigid platform that holds together well even without a roof, with almost no body flexing or cowl shake. The undercarriage includes short-long arm suspension with forged aluminum control arms, Bilstein monotube shocks and hollow stabilizer bars; steering is hydraulic rack-and-pinion, and brakes are four-wheel discs with ABS.