Toyota Solara

cliffy1 · July 2001

The $455 is the destination fee. It can also be called freight, handling or anything else. As to the $407, I suspect that is the advertising fee that was discussed at this topic last week. Scroll back 20 to 40 posts for more details on that.

jrays · July 2001

If anyone has the 2 wood dash kit pieces that fit the triangular vents on the top of the Solara dash, please let me know, if you would like to sell them. I purchased a wood dash kit last year and these pieces were not produced at that time. Those are the only pieces I'm looking for.

10,000 miles and still loving my Red/Silver 2000 SLE

Raymond

(jrsfl@aol.com)

har1bush · July 2001

sounds like the dealer's messing around... Check out carsdirect.com for prices and see if the dealer is making the same/better deal then them. I found, for the most part, carsdirect.com to give prices similar or same as the Edmunds.com TMVs.

beantownyankee · July 2001

Hmmm...there are actually lots of Solaras on the road in the Queens area. They have been popping up left and right since I purchased mine back in mid June. I was also looking at the CL as well, but decided against it because I read that there are some build quality issues here and I also don't want a "name brand" car at this point. So far so good with my Solara. It looks better than the CL in my opinion, but the CL definitely has more features. (Although I probably wouldn't let anyone get into my backseat if Solara had a powered passenger-side front seat...takes too damn long.) Lots of Silver (mine) and Diamond Pearl Solaras here in Queens. A few Red's...haven't seen a green or black one. Hopefully there won't be as many Solaras when I go back to Boston, which is filled with European cars (especially Saab's.) Bunch of stuck up Red Sox fans...

cooldude1755 · July 2001

airride: I dont' know where you are but Florida has the same law about it being illegal to drive with the top up...except during the daily afternoon thunderstorms.

trd81: pose that question on http://www.camryman.org

Cliff1: good to see you are still active on the board. What happened to your "sister from California" known as Dianne? I'll bet Edmunds ran her off!

beantownyankee: You have one less Solara Convertible SLE Red/Camel/Ivory in New York. I purchased mine USED from a dealer, sdubin1212@aol.com, on ebay. This car is great!

airride · July 2001

I remember seeing a post on this discussion thread a while back on "training the top" to collapse (close) in the correct place.

I noticed in closely looking at the top while it was closed, that the driver side did not fit behind the weather stripping, but was sitting on top. So, this allowed the wind noise in, but still kept it dry (my car has already been washed more than my previous 4 Runner!).

So, when I close and fasten the top, I grab the outside of the top by the front windshield frame, pull down just a bit while pulling down on the center portion of the top, and presto, slips right into place.

After doing this just twice over the last few days, the top slides into this spot more easily.

To: cooldude1755, I'm outside of Sacramento, CA.. so we don't see much rain past April until November! We had a freak rainstorm at the end of June, but that is a rare occurrence!

Cruising the highways in my Red/Black Ragtop!

eclipsegs · July 2001

Has anyone seen that TV commercial with the guy being chased by the cops through skinny European streets banging off of every car and then he spots the Solara. He then slows down to look at it and speeds right up again after so not to hit the Solara.

Well, I have the commercial downloaded to my machine and have seen it many times and then I noticed something last night when that same commercial was played. It's now a different Solara! I work in the design world and pay very close attention to auto commercials, and it would seem that Toyota has put in place the 2002 or so Solara model.

When watching TV, see if you can spot the new commercial.

kamau · July 2001

does anyone other than convertible owners have a problem with wind noise? i've noticed it while driving on the freeway, moreso during windy days. i also noticed that the weather stripping 'folds' behind the windows top edge. could the window angle require adjusting? i've had the stripping replaced twice already.

thanks,
kamau '99 5sp V6 Twilight Blue 40K+ miles

radracer · July 2001

kamau, have you noticed your color is hard to take care of or shows scratches easily? i was thinking of having my car repainted this color.

westsolara · July 2001

Those who have a Silver Solara (and maybe others?) might
want to consider adding a 5/8" gold accent stripe to the trim
on the sides of the car. I did on mine and it make a noticeable
difference and just for about $5.00!!!

kamau · July 2001

I've been using zaino and am very happy with the results. I do have a couple of small chips on the front end, due mostly to the fact that I share the same daily route as an industrial park, but its really not more than any other color. I've not noticed any other scratches. hope this helps.

mmccloskey · July 2001

Howdy all:

You might want to check out the 'freshened' 2002 Solara at the Toyota site. They modified the front to look a bit like the Acura CL, and the tail lights have been revised (a very cluttered look IMHO). The interior receives a different woodtone hue with additional applications around the shifter and the steering wheel center is embelished with a silver Toyota emblem.

It also lists heated seats as an option but I don't see them in any package or as a seperate item.

Michael J.

ejy · July 2001

How do you keep your engine compartment so clean?

scsolara · July 2001

Everytime I wash my car, I also wash the inside of the door jams, the inside of the hood, and the engine bay. This way all the dirt and grime does not have time to build up! I just use a damp rag to wipe everything off. The black color helps hide a lot of the dirt. A little silicone on the hoses every so often helps the look also.

http://users.ev1.net/~gunpilot/intake

har1bush · July 2001

Looks like Toyota isn't being shy to introduced the new Solaras as they are with the new Camry... Other than the new engine, it doesn't look like Toyota did much... The new front and rear-end treatments look ok, but nothing to go raving about. Plus, they did not take care of the car's slightly odd profile from the side -- the rear quarter of the car seen from the side simply looks weird. At this time of the year though, unless you are looking for a 4-cylinder model, it would be much better to go for the '01 models and take advantage of that rebate!

black00 · July 2001

Based on the photos at toyota.com, the Solara looks almost the same!
The changes in the grille and front and back lights are very minor. Other cars normally receive a more significant face-lift after their first 3 years (e.g. the Passat).
I'm curious to see the 02 Solara on the street to confirm, but I'm actually happy, because based on those photos I don't feel my 2000 is now outdated...
I noticed the better 4 cyl engine, and that the V6 is still the same, i.e. no VVT-i for the V6.

cunnr · July 2001

My theory regarding the unexpected wind noise in the Solara is that the wind noise comes from the trim above each door window. You will see that there is a gap between the roof and the trim intended to catch water runoff (not always successfully) and I think the air flow through that gap causes the noise. Just my opinion.
Rob

gpolt · July 2001

I agree with the comments of blackOO. In fact, I feel the integrated front fog lights are more attractive on the older version. Certainly no reason for a 2002 if a V6 is what one wants.

phatnastycat · July 2001

While I like the minor cosmetic changes, I don't know why Toyota didn't add a little more HP under the hood. At least bump it up to 225.
I would assume the the "new" Camry will also stay at 198-200. Interesting?

decon · July 2001

I agree with black00. The 1999/2000/2001 look much better than the 2002.

The 2002 looks really weird. It almost looks like a Dodge Stratus.

How come MSRP gets less and less each year?

har1bush · July 2001

It's no surprise that Toyota gave the Solara a minor facelift and nothing else, for a new Solara is due for '03... I hear that the new Camry has the same 192hp so the Solara still will have a slight edge over its sedan counterpart. As far as the decreasing MSRP, I dont think it's anything other than a sales tactic... no one really buys a car based on an MSRP, but it is somehow the first thing people look at -- through ads/commercials. There is no reason for the dealers to sell the Solara for less than they've sold it with the higher MSRP from the past (but maybe prices will be slightly lower at the dealers b/c it is this generation's last year). Toyota probably just threw in the lower price to improve sales... or maybe it's an indication of a lowered prices of the new Camry?

kamau · July 2001

rob, thanks for your opinion. I never thought about that... got hung up on the weather stripping and it closed my mind to any other possibility. unfortunately, if you are correct, there's very little we can do to correct what I consider to be a problem.

alpha01 · August 2001

I'm a fan of the new grille, but the new taillights induce Vertigo. The 2.4 4clyinder with 21 more hp, 13lb ft. more torque an a manual tranny seems like it'd be alot more fun than last year's 2.2 though, making the 4 a viable option for more people (seems to me that in this region, alot of Solaras are V6 models....NJ)
~alpha

automophile · August 2001

Well, there is hardly enough difference to discuss, is there? I agree the taillights are ugly. I can't understand why the Japanese car makers think that people want to be aware of every separate item inside a tailight! Also, the busy lens distracts from the smooth lines of the car. I predict that many 2002 owners will consider retrofitting with the older lenses.

Also- In the interior, I see a one additional piece of wood around the shifter. This is very frustrating for me - I had to pop for the FULL add-on wood kit to get this one piece that was not included in the partial kit from exoticwooddash.com. Oh well- it was worth it - the interior looks really great with the added wood.

har1bush · August 2001

just think of it this way... those who will buy the '02 models will have to deal with those ugly tailights and may want to get the older model's ones, but they'll have that extra wood tone trim... but you already have the nicer tailights but you had to buy the entire wood kit... life goes on~

jia1 · August 2001

OK, finally decided to get rid of my 99 SLE, anything wrong with it? Nothing, it's smooth, it's fast, reliable, during 2 years of ownership, not a single problem, well.. battery ran down once, wife didn't drive it for 3 month.

But this car is soooooo.. boring to drive, it handles terrible, its suspensions are so soft that it leans too much in hard turn, and very unpredictable in high speed turns, The weight distribution is no good , when I drive slow, I feel the front end very heavy, strange enough, at high speed, the front end becomes so light that I feel it wants to fly.

This car is a great car for some drivers, but just not the type for me, I would even drive my 96 Explorer as my daily drive, I am afraid of falling into sleep when I drive this Solara.

I have had it for 2 years, it only has 19K km on it, what a waste of money! I can sell it for 26.5K cnd$, lost 1/3 of the investment.

I am going to buy 89 BMW 325IC, it's a fun car to drive.

har1bush · August 2001

well too bad it didn't work out with your Solara... but what could you expect? This car's been touted by reviewers for being "Lexus-like" on one end, while also being criticised for being too soft and the suspension going crazy when the road gets rough. If you were to ask everyone of these folks following up on the board, you'll get both end of the spectrum of opinions. Maybe a way to remedy your problem is putting in Toyota performance parts to improve handling and aerodynamics (which, btw, might be better than getting an 89 Bimmer).

automophile · August 2001

har1bush - gotta agree fully with you. The Solara is not supposed to be a performance car, and it drives EXACTLY like my ES300.

jia1 -the suggestion to upgrade your suspension is a good one. You will probably spend a LOT less on the TRD parts than you will in a single year's maintenance on a used BMW. This is a bad step backwards, IMHO. Upgrade the suspension, and you can have handling AND reliability, ABS brakes, and the quiet ride you are now used to. The parts are available at your dealer and other places. Most are just bolt-on.

jia1 · August 2001

Thanks for your suggestions, but even with TRD suspensions and aggressive 225/45/17 tires, it can barely pass 0.8 G literal acceleration, my previous Volvo 850 could do that without any modifications, and Solara was born to be a comfort cruiser.

Actually early E30 Bimmers are not bad in reliability, the cost to buy a 89 Bimmer is only twice or three times as much the cost of just a TRD package.

I don't mean to offense Solara owners by comparing a Solara with a beat-up 89 Bimmer, but I have to admit I made a huge mistake buying this Solara, during the test drive I was totally attracted by it's smoothness, and forgot about the handling factors.

It's just getting a little bit embarrassing, we use it now as a backup car, and seldom drive it, so we expect it to be fun to drive and reliability is not my concern since we drive it less than 5000km a year now.

I think an earlier model BMW 325 convertible suits my need the best, that's why I am selling my Solara.

automophile · August 2001

I can empathize with your need for sportiness, however for me, that is something for a once-in-a-while car, since I'd rather be comfortable. Maybe one of the new BMW Minis when they bring out the performance model? A V-8 into Miata conversion? Hmmm.

Good luck!

radracer · August 2001

that .82g is for continous, not instantaneous...that's how many g's you could pull when going in a circle until it starts to slide. for instantaneous it should be pulling over .90g...this is when you do a sharp 90 degree turn. my trd equipped solara would destroy your volvo on the track.

but there's no need for TRD...you can go with tokico if you want comfort along with good handling. that setup is very comfortable with the stock springs and a little stiff with the trd springs.

and as for the comparison with the es300...those have bilstein struts...my mom's 97 es300 handles better than my solara did when it was stock for non-spirited driving...when you drove it hard, obviously the weight of the es300 made it plow.

har1bush · August 2001

I seriously think you should upgrade the Solara if it bothers you that much to get rid of it. Plus, how reliable can a 12-13 year old car be? No matter what or who made the car, it wont last more than 4 or 5 years until you'll start having to do some major repairs. That and the money u'll lose on your investment on the Solara would practically buy a brand new car. As far as the skidpad numbers go, I dont think it's a very acurate measure of a car's dynamics and how it drives. For all I know, a car's skidpad number could get dramatically changed by the type of tires on the car. What really matters is the feel of the car (the steering accuracy and weight especially). It's your call, but I think you'll be doing yourself a favor (at least financially) by saving your Solara.

automophile · August 2001

0.8 isn't enough? Is this for driving on the street?

Also - the '89 BMW will not only be of doubtful reliability (lotsa miles by now), but you said it is a convertible, yes? The extra weight and less ridgid chassis of a convertible will destroy any potential handling of the series.

I dont think it's the handling - I think it the image you are looking for. Too bad. Most people I know want to avoid that image!

wree7777 · August 2001

Does anyone know if TMV is adjusted through the year to account for things like end-of-model-year discounts? Also, I've heard that invoice plus $300 or so is usually a fair price, but if it's the end of the year and it's a stick shift, should I be able to get them lower? I'm not trying to create a zero profit deal, just a fair one. I'd be getting my financing through them too (Toyota's 4.9%/60 month deal) and I know they get profit from that too. I'm looking at a Solara SE 4cyl 5sp; no trade. Thanks for any guidance you can give me!!

ral2167 · August 2001

pay invoice on a 5 speed solara-- when it comes to trade it back in a few years, they'll dock you like heck for having a manual... my opinion only.

har1bush · August 2001

you should pay less than invoice i think... they have rebates and dealers need to get rid of these cars as the '02 model is making their way.

wree7777 · August 2001

Thanks ral2167 and har1bush. How much below invoice do you think I can reasonably expect to go?

gpolt · August 2001

The small increase in the price of a 2002 may be more than offset by your enjoyment of twenty-some more horsepower and the increase in torque. Just something to consider

leorph · August 2001

I recently purchased a left over 2000 Solara V-6 with the security system (chip in key). When I purchased the vehicle I requsted the Toyota alarm and keyless entry as an addition, but now the dealer says that it is not compatible with the existing security system on the car and cannot be installed. Is the dealer being straight with me? I have a hard time believing that they are not compatible. Does anyone out there have thes two systems on their car? I would appreciate any info. Thanks.

hud116222 · August 2001

Welcome to the wonderful world of Toyota engineering! I ordered the V.I.P. with my 2001 Solara, and it came in without it. ONLY THEN, did the dealership explain to me that it has to be added because the computer chips are incompatible. They subtracted the cost of the system and had it added (by a different security company) with no charge.

Tell me this. Why can a person upgrade to a 6 disc cd in dash in a Toyota Corrolla, and can't in a "luxury" coupe like the Solara?

Having vented the above (including not being able to put a 5-speed in a SLE), I LOVE this car! I gave up some of the amentities to have the 5-speed, and while there is some regret, I have never driven or ridden in a smoother, nicer car. It is a joy every time I get in it!

2001 SE V-6 Red Flame Metallic 2400 SMOOTH miles so far

http://members9.clubphoto.com/mark392223

leorph · August 2001

Thanks for the reply, at least now I know the dealership was being honest.

har1bush · August 2001

wow, this post is going down the drain.... Anyone with interesting comments about their Solaras? Or how about comparing the Solara versus some other coupes (Acura CL, Honda Accord, Prelude, etc etc).

rsblaski · August 2001

When going over a sharp bump like a pothole or small raised asphalt patch, I hear a squeak that is hard to pinpoint. My wife and I _think_ it might be coming from the right rear.
We had it at the dealership all day yesterday and they tightened up the left front wheel well liner. When I drove it home, the noise was still there. I will be taking it back next week but wonder if anyone has had this problem so I can advise the service guys as to what the cause might be.
Thanks to anyone who can help.

silversolara · August 2001

Har1 - the last time I bragged about my car - 5spd SE V6 - I said: 'It drives like a Lexus.' The fellow to whom I was bragging happened to (unbeknownst to me at the time) drive a Lexus SC 430. We actually traded a few good points about our respective cars, but boy did I feel embarassed...

rsblaski - I hear a leathery squeak from mine occasionally, but nothing from the wheel well area. Do you hear a thumping sound at all when going over bumps?

har1bush · August 2001

ah you shouldn't be embarrased... the guy's SC is probably a great car, but is it worth that price tag? I'd much rather get a BMW or a Mercedes for that price and give up the hosh-posh hardtop convertible. Besides, for the money, the Solara is every bit as good as any Lexus.

rsblaski · August 2001

After further drives over bumps, we think we have narrowed down the squeak to the right rear area of the car. Sounds to me like a suspension problem but really can't be certain due to the short duration of the noise.
Has anyone else had this type of problem?
Thanks.

har1bush · August 2001

I think you will continue to have minor noise coming from the convertible because of the weaker chassis rigidity... Of course the noise could be coming from merely a loose interior trim or something of that nature, but the Solara drop-top has been known to shake and rattle heavily over bumps. So, you might be more or less stuck with these types of problems.

citadel2 · August 2001

I have a 2001 Black/ivory convert SLE and have the same sound. It doesn't sound fixable to me, like maybe it's just the way the right rear is hooked together. Having read that, that doesn't sound good. The regular ride is really smooth and quiet (my former convertible was a '66 mustang in '76), except when I slowly go over speed bumps and hear the creak. Took a trip (not in the convertible) to So.Cal (I'm in No.Cal) and only saw one conv. red/camel. I looked at the silver, but that black interior on sunny days scared me away to the ivory interior...but, I really wanted blue. Could not give Chrysler another $, having had a dodge caravan and spending much money and time on repairs, but I do like the looks of the Sebring.

automophile · August 2001

Don't be embarrased! I had a very nice Lexus ES300 when I bought the Solara. I DOES drive almost exactly the same, and the seats in the Solara are better than ANY Lexus - much longer bottoms and better thigh support. It IS a great buy for the money.

It's been 2-1/2 years for me, with not a single repair.

har1bush · August 2001

what the heck are you talking about? I don't even have a Solara! How about reading correctly next time?

Toyota Solara

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