SOLSTICE IS A HIT!

Automotive News - June 19, 2006

The MX-5 Miata and GM's two new roadsters are selling fast as the segment for two-passenger sports cars priced under $30,000 has expanded. Only four cars are in that category: the MX-5, Nissan 350Z, and the Solstice and Sky.

Pontiac sold 9,700 Solstices from January through May, but it wooed relatively few MX-5 owners. The Mazda accounted for only 3.0 percent of all Solstice trade-ins, according to the Power Information Network.

The Jeep Wrangler was the vehicle most often traded in for the Solstice, accounting for 3.3 percent.

Of all buyers who traded in a Miata for a new vehicle from January through May, 29.4 percent bought another Miata. The No. 2 choice of those trading in the Mazda roadster was the Mazda3 (4.3 percent) followed by the Ford Mustang (4.2 percent) and the Solstice (2.1 percent.)

The days supply of cars as of June 1 showed that both roadsters remain popular: Solstice, 21 days; MX-5 Miata, 43.But if the past is any guide, the market for most two-passenger sports cars likely will cool off, and only the strong will survive.