For all the ways in which the Miata slaughters the Solstice -- steering, handling, balance, acceleration, fuel economy, shift quality, clutch feel, exhaust note, seat comfort, storage space, cupholders, top operation, reliability (just to name thirteen) -- the Pontiac trumps Mazda in at least one department: sound quality. Even with the top dropped, a Solstice shod with that 225-watt Monsoon option seems to pack enough punch to blow the tops off the cars around you. By contrast, the system in the Miata, Bose or otherwise (ours was otherwise), lacks the will to win the war with the outside world. After 50 MPH, notes just kind of get lost in the shuffle and fade away. While we're on it, it's a little repulsive of Mazda to require buying the 6-disc changer to get MP3 playback, and those looking for an iPod plug are completely SOL.
Call it one small but sure victory in Pontiac's favor. Aside from that 17% annual sales lead, of course.
Brian Sy, Automotive Editor, 21,150 miles
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