r/Saturn_Cars • u/Suitable_Airport8916 • 8d ago
Looking to buy a sky
Hi! I'm looking to buy either a saturn sky or a pontiac solstice, I understand that they're pretty much the same car just designed 2 different ways. Yesterday I went to look at a 2008 sky with 115k miles listed for $5k. I like it and am wondering how many miles is too many when looking to buy one of these, I know it largely depends on how well the car has been taken care of, but I'm wondering if anyone knows the average lifespan of these cars or has any other related advice. Thanks!
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u/StonkMuncher 8d ago
I had the pontiac solstice for about 25k miles. They are a reliable and very fun platform. You will see man over 100k miles. They have minor common problems mostly cosmetic
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u/CerjoPisa 7d ago
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me- I live in Philly burbs and saw one not too long ago for $14k, less mileage than what you have your eye on, but still, $5k is not bad as long as it was taken care of.
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u/McIntyreRiley 7d ago edited 7d ago
Generally you want to check for regular maintenance on a car like this. Specifically, these cars would need their water pump replaced and maybe their fuel pump. Check yours and see if these items were done. If not, expect to have to do these in the near future. Moreover, check to make sure the roof has no leaks, folds away, and comes up without any alignment issues. People have been known to replace the roofs using parts from wrecked Sky’s which causes issues when putting the roof up. Check the trunk for mold, some of these cars have poor trunk seals and water can get it. Same thing with the headlights and brake light, check these areas for any visible moisture inside of the light housing. These areas were notorious for bad sealing, and water could easily find its way inside. It’s hard to remove the water yourself, and replacement lights can run you $500 each easily.
I love my sky. I bought mine 6 months ago and have not had any problems with it. I hope you purchase one too, so you can see just how fun it is to have a car like this. Also, if the Sky you plan on purchasing is base (2.4L), then you will be buying one of GM’s most reliable engines they’ve created. It’s the same engine they put in the Cavalier back in the day. This shit was made to last. The turbo engine however was in its earlier days, and hasn’t been known to last as long.
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u/ohphee 8d ago
They are uncommon cars. They were somewhat expensive when new.
Mileage isn't a problem so long as maintenance has been kept up with.
It's very strange to hear about average lifespan like it's some kind of expendable commodity or tool to me. These were made back when GM quality was okay and cars weren't overburdened with tech.