2004 Toyota Solara

cooldad24 · October 2003

As I know, the Solara was designed and built in US. I don't know why the rep said that. Leave a room for the dealer markup?

webguyster · October 2003

If a Toyota rep told you that you could buy a Solara made in Japsn, he knows somehting nobody else does. Th Solara is designed in the USA for American production and manufactured in the USA "only" for the USA market. I know of no other country that would spend $25,000 for a 2 door Toyota. Especiallly if you were speaking of a V6! HA!

matthewh · October 2003

"I know of no other country that would spend $25,000 for a 2 door Toyota. Especiallly if you were speaking of a V6! HA!"

The last production of the Toyota Supra was in 1995. The Supra had 2 doors and a V6 and people all over the globe were buying them. They were around $35,000 to $42,000 back then. You can't buy them used because no body is selling.

mackabee · October 2003

Last model year sold in the US was the 1998.
: )
Mackabee

s852 · October 2003

I read the reviews, so I already know it is quiet, but how quiet?
Is it as quiet, more or less quiet than a Lexus ES330?

webguyster · October 2003

Are you speaking of Euros??? I was buying a Mini in Paris, loaded for $14,000 euros. Get the currency str8! If anyone paid that much for a car in dollars, a 2 door, they were connected, or drug dealers. Take a vacation! No 2 door luxery cars, except Germany, and they are rare!

cooldad24 · October 2003

I didn't drive them side by side or in the same day. The impression is very close. So close to tell actually. The Solara maybe has a litlle more road noise on rough surface may due to lower profile stiffer tires. But compare to G35 or Accord Coup, it surpass these two in this category.

snakerbill · October 2003

I bet you know the answers to several questions that I have been trying to get answered. Does the SE V 6 Solara have a top speed electronic limiter? What is the top speed of this car? What is the invoice on a base V6 with no adds of any kind from a MSRP of 21975? If you do not know these answers, please direct me to someone who does. I have been waiting for some magazine to test this car but so far all I have seen is a short take, or first drive. Do you know of any magazine that has done a complete road test on the Solara? I do not mean Motor Trend as that book does not do top speeds. What a bunch of chickens. That is the reason I dropped my sub.
To my knowledge only Car & Driver and Road & Track do complete road tests.

snakerbill · October 2003

I forgot to ask, does the standard V6 base car have a strut bar? I know the SE sport does, but I just wondered if that was exclusive to the Sport model?

pzev · October 2003

Base SE V6 invoice is $19,304

$19,304 + $515 (destination charge) = $19,819

And C&D has a review of some sort of the Solara online. Haven't had time to read through it yet though so not sure if it'll help you any.

icangelat03 · October 2003

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=16&article- _id=7084&page_number=1

mackabee · October 2003

I'll get back to you with concrete answers on the Solara. Got back a week ago from Frankfurt after 2 week absence I got lots of catching up to do at work. My "relief" was only here "part time".
: )
Mackabee

matthewh · October 2003

Should I change oil on my 04 Solara at 1000 miles or wait until 5000 as recommended by the dealer?
Thanks

pzev · October 2003

You went to the Frankfurt autoshow? How did you like it? Did you get to see the Mazda3? I might be getting one of those, if you saw it was wondering what your impressions of it were.

pzev · October 2003

I'm no expert on this, but after everything I've read over time I would change the oil at 1,000 miles. Supposedly it "cleans" out the engine and leaving the original oil in for 5,000 miles won't necessarily hurt it, but most people seem to recommend changing the oil early on.

s852 · October 2003

Some cars it doesn't matter and some cars should NOT have the factory oil changed before the period recommended.
In the olden days, engines were poorly machined and metal on metal parts would grind together on the new engines causing metal "shavings" to float around in the engine that could cause damage during break-in.
Modern cars do not have this problem and some car's engines are partially "broken-in" before they are installed at the factory.
Some cars even have special oil from the factory that is supposed to remain in the car for some minimum mileage to help the break-in go smoothly.
You would need to talk to the service department at your dealership and read your manual to see which applies to your vehicle.
Dealerships are usually quite happy to do more service than required so they can make more money, so if they are not recommending changing the oil at 1000 miles, there is a reason.

russklass · October 2003

s852 is right on!
Go by the owners manual, and have all services performed at the specified service intervals to meet the warranty requirements.
The dealer will try to sell unneeded services which can be very costly ... don't fall for it!
Our '04 Solara will get it's first oil change at 5,000 miles.

mackabee · October 2003

I did see it. Both the 4 door hatchback and the sedan. Very impressive. Hopefully we'll get the same versions here. I took over 200 pictures at the show but my son put them on a DVD video disc so I can't e-mail any of them until he sends me a cd-r with them on it. I left that one behind. Mazda also had a very cool concept car called the Kazubi I believe. Very edgy looking. Reminded me of a Stealth fighter. I had a great time at the show. The magnitude of this auto show is unbelievable. It was held at the Frankfurt Messe which is kind of a mini Olympic complex. Only got to go one day as my son had an itinerary planned for my vacation, so I just went to the buildings where cars we don't get to see here were being shown. I was three feet away from the Porsche GT and the Enzo Ferrari. Just imagine a kid in a candy store!
: )
Mackabee

funpilot · October 2003

Well, the dealer has affirmed that there is a problem with both the dome light and the tire sensor. If I understand my 18 yr old daughter correctly (note the source), the tire pressure sensor problem has to do with something with a sensor in the brakes and they have ordered the part. The dome light they say is just simply defective and they ordered another dome light. Should know by the end of next week.

webguyster · October 2003

Good luck! My neighbor dumped her Camry 'cuz of the dome light! I kept my Solara cuz I paid vcash for it, and most things were replaced by 36,000 miles anyway!

pzev · October 2003

Glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like a lot of fun!

pzev · October 2003

s852 makes a lot of sense. He's right. Just ignore my previous post about the oil change.

snakerbill · October 2003

Got another question for you. Do the DRL's have an off switch? I seem to remember that the Camry has such a switch, but do not know if the switch is on the Solara. If no switch, how would one disable these idiot lights? I really do have enough sense to turn on the lights when necessary, and I can think of a lot of reasons why I would not want such lights to be automatic. Help, Help. P.S. I know I am imposing on you a LOT, but it seems that you would know these things, and I cannot find another source. Thanks in advance.

cooldad24 · October 2003

Yes, there is switch to turn it off. The light switch has 4 settings: off, auto, park light and on. The DRL can be turned off by set to off.

mackabee · October 2003

No imposition at all. I'm happy to help. I'm still looking for an answer to your speed limiter question. All the other questions have been answered by our fellow town hall members. I've talked to a couple of our master techs and they all agree we probably have to call Toyota Technical center in Torrance or Michigan to get the answer. There is a rev limiter in the car which cuts the gas off to the engine if you exceed a certain speed, we just can't find what that speed is. How fast are you planning on going?
: )
Mackabee

snakerbill · October 2003

Many thanks for the info, I am sure glad that the DRL's can go away that easy. I also am glad to get the answers to all of my questions, and in regard to how fast I want to go, out in the vast western part of Texas, as fast as I can. I have been passed by the cops when I was doing l00 MPH, and a LOT of drivers average triple numbers out here. However, in the city, I drive the speed limit, and sometimes less. If you are not doing anything crazy the cops let you alone. Straight line speed when one can see 20 miles ahead is not out of line. Also, I just do not like the idea of an electronic nanny even if I were never to exceed the speed limit. Just knowing what the car will do is good enough. Thanks in advance for going to the trouble to find the answer to the top speed question.

mackabee · October 2003

How 'bout them Cowboys!
: )
Mackabee

s852 · October 2003

I test drove a 2004 Solara SLE V6 and a 2004 Lexus ES330 recently.
The interior of the ES330 was quite a bit nicer. The leather and wood in the Lexus ES330 were very high quality.
The leather in the Solara was fine, but not as nice as the thicker Lexus leather and the Solara has fake wood trim that looks ok, but not luxurious like the genuine wood in the Lexus.
However, I liked the glass trim around the shifter in the Solara and the Solara drove and rode about as smoothly and quietly as the Lexus.
The JBL stereo in the Solara was disappointing, but so was the stock Lexus radio. You would have to get the optional Mark Levinson stereo in the Lexus if you really care about high quality audio.
I think I prefer the look of the Solara's exterior and the price was much cheaper.

snakerbill · October 2003

Hi, I got to thinking about what you said about the light switch, and I do not understand how it works. If you set the switch to off how do the regular headlights come on? Or does the off only apply to the DRL's? Please clear this up for me. Many Thanks.

snakerbill · October 2003

Hi, no one has answered the strut bar question yet so let me know about it. Thanks. Cowboys finally won a game???

cooldad24 · October 2003

There is 4 way twist switch for the light control so it could be one of the four selections:

1. OFF: everything is turned off. No light will comme up.

2. AUTO: DRL is on all the time and the light will be automatically tunred on when dark.

3. Doom or PARK: Only turn on the panel backlight and parking light.

4. ON: Manually turn on the head light and Panel backlight.

The Fog light twist switch is underneath the light swich at the same stalk. It only comes on when head light is on.

Hope this clear the confusion.

icangelat03 · October 2003

Just wondering if anyone knows about any pictures of the new convertible available anywhere on the web? Thanks in advance

rbleland · October 2003

I am curious why folks are so opposed to DRLs on vehicles. We have had them here in Canada for a while now and I rather like them from a safety viewpoint; particularily if you do a lot of higher speed driving (and passing) on 2 lane roads. You can see oncoming traffic so much better with DRLs. They use little juice to operate (are not the full illumination of the lights) and have caused me zero problems on my last 2 or 3 cars that had them. Just wondering??

Marty684 · October 2003

In my opinion most seasoned drivers here in the U.S. have not been raised driving cars with DRLs and which have only been introduced in the last 5 years (?) or so. To most Americans, headlights on in the daytime hours meant that you were part of a funeral procession. I am not going to dispute the safety they add, but I personally think they take away from the look. However, with all of the nuts out there you need all the protection you can get these days!

snakerbill · October 2003

Turning on headlights on a bright sunny day is as silly as, well turning on headlights on a bright sunny day.:) All kidding aside, the lights on GM cars especially are on high beam, and they are set too high, and cars are constantly flashing at you. Go to a drive in restaurant in the hot summer, and leave your car running for the A/C and your DRL's are in the opposite drivers face. He does not like that and you get his brights right back. Also, just suppose you want to sneak up on someone at night, can't be done with DRL's, that is why the cops disconnect them or the dealer renders them inoperative. Any way I am not in a funeral and the car looks stupid with the lights on in bright sun. Also, I dont like them coming on in my garage. When the weather is bad I turn on my headlights, and if necessary the fog lights also, so I do not need automatic lights, or DRL's.

snakerbill · October 2003

Many thanks for clearing up the way the switch works. I got it now, and I can't believe I did not understand it in the first place. I was having a bad day.

rbleland · October 2003

I forgot all about sneaking up on someone. How stupid of me - LOL :>)). On a serious note, I know this topic has strong opinions on both pro/con sides and I don't think either side is going to change their minds. I just feel (based on Canadian experience since model year 1990) that the benefits outweigh the negatives. And, yes, the early GMs were too bright (error in execution, not concept).

alpha01 · October 2003

have had DRLs, and I dont recall ever being "flashed" by other drivers who thought I was driving w/ high-beams. One time, I was happily "flashed" by ..ahem....a friend... but thats a different story.

~alpha

snakerbill · October 2003

OK you guys, I promise not to say another word about DRL's, but sneaking up on people is something one has to try to see how much fun it is. Of course, it depends on what the sneakees are doing/ :-)

cooldad24 · October 2003

I think it will be more appropriate to call it Auto mode than DRL. This auto mode will turn on and off the head light when you drive in and out of tunnel, parking building and garage. In the day time, it only turn on the parking light (amber one) as the DRL. Once getting dark, it will turn on the panel backlight and head light automatically. It's a nice feature for my wife who often absent minded forgot to turn on or off the head light. ;^> Shuuu..... she is coming!

mackabee · October 2003

Both the SE and SLE have the front strut tower brace. Yes, the 'boys have actually won 4 games this year!
: )
Mackabee

mackabee · October 2003

I'm closer to getting the answer on the speed limiter for the 04 Solara. I was at the 2004 Prius "ride and drive" yesterday and got to talking with one of the technical trainers (he actually trains the techs that work on your car) that's based out of California. He didn't have the spec book on the Solara only the Prius, but he did show me where to find the information. I talked to my tech today but he was busier than a one-armed paper hanger and promised he would look up the information on their training computer.
: )
Mackabee

2k1trd · October 2003

Well the 17 tires are Z rated (good to 150)and i'm guessing that the limiter is set that spec.I heard the first gen Solara V6 was set at 130 as the tires were H rated.I never got the chance to get my 01 that fast but i did manage to get it to 120 one night.This new 04 seems way more responsive and way quicker on acceleration than my 01 V6.I'm sure once it's broken in i'll get into some street battles with it and who knows maybe find out where it shuts down...

2k1trd · October 2003

Does anyone know if i can delete the auto locking system on my alarm system?I'm not to crazy about the doors locking on there own after exiting the vehicle.

mackabee · October 2003

The tires that are on the car from the factory have no correlation to what speed the car is limited to.
: )
Mackabee

webguyster · October 2003

Isn't the governor what controls the speed???

2k1trd · October 2003

The computer is set to whatever the manufacturer sets it to shut the fuel down at a desired speed.My 01 Tacoma V6 shuts off at 110 and thats in 4th gear and it has 110 mph rated tires on it.

snakerbill · October 2003

Many thanks for your efforts. You would not believe how hard it is to get that type of information. It seems that the mfg'rs want to keep it a secret. I called around and had so many answers that I now know less than I did when I started. One company rep told me that the speed limiters on their cars are set in accordance with the speed rating of the tires. Another one told me that sometimes the limiter is set at the point where the drive train or chassis has a problem beyond that speed. That worries me. I got the idea that a n electronic speed limiter is used to mask deficiencies in the design or assembly of the car. What do you think? How about them cowboys. I guess I will have to stop refering to them as fumble fingers.:-)

theflow · October 2003

Just bought one yesterday. When turning on the headlight, the remote mirror control buttons don't light up. Is that how it's designed? Just thinking for a $27K car it should be illuminated. Also, anyone knows the make and model of the wheel locks for the 17" wheels? And where I can buy them besides the dealership? Thanks.

akc10 · October 2003

Yesterday I drove both cars back to back. The Accord had a tighter feel suspension wise but I like the Solara better, just a smoother ride to me. Accord seemed to have more pickup but Solara was adequate. Appearance, hands down the Solara looks better. Even though I drove the SE Solara, I am going to purchase the leather model. I was not impressed with the leather in either car. (both reminded me when my father had me working on his nauga farm, raising naugas.:) Both definitely had a naugahide(sp) feel to them, rather cheap I thought.) The Solara sales person told me the 4 cylinder was not available with leather but I knew better and went in the showroom and checked out the leather in a 6 cylinder. He even looked in the brochure and confirmed that the 4 cyl does not come with leather but it is available plain as day in the brochure. The model Solara I drove had the manual seat adjustment and this was a huge turn-off on the quality one has come to expect from Toyota. The device reminded me of what one might have found on a car from the 70's. Very cheap feeling. Also did not have lumbar support adjustment on this model but the lumbar support was very comfortable. At least I thought so and and this is very important to me. Of course the leather will come with an electric adjustment for the lumbar. I noticed on the sports models on the lot that all come with a trim package that runs pretty much around the bottom of the body of the car. A big lip or shelf on the back of the car under the bumper and basically every one I walked by had collected dust on this shelf. To me this trim does not add anything to the car and the dust collector is just that. I have been reading about how quiet the Solara is. Someone was test driving a 6 Cyl while I was on the lot and when they passed by I barely heard the car running. The car I drove was louder inside than that car was from the outside but the car I was in was not overly loud, just minor road noise. The accord was definitely louder and when stepping on down on the accelerator got rather raspy. The solara was not raspy. I have read on here about some concerns with the transmission on the Solara and I think most has been with the 5 speed auto on the 6 cyl. The 4 cyl has a 4 speed trans, and it was smooth as silk. I have some pricing questions that I will put in another post, maybe Mackabee or some of you can help me understand the difference.

2004 Toyota Solara

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