Toyota Solara

mackabee · July 2003

What speed are you getting steering whell vibes at? You may need a wheel alignment if the car pulls to one side but most likely a tire balance.
: )
Mackabee

scottdude · July 2003

The Accord has a "window down" button on the keychain remote that lets you roll the windows down as you approach the car. This sounds like it would be a nice feature in hot areas like the south. Just wondering if Camry's had this.

2k1trd · July 2003

I noticed my wheels on my 00 were starting to bubble up around the spoke area slightly and was wondering if anyone else has had this happen.I ALWAYS keep them spotless (wax them also)and was kind of surprised the wheels started to do this.Luckily my local dealer replaced all 4 wheels under warranty for me at no charge!...(car is out of warranty)

webguyster · July 2003

I get steering wheel vibrations at all speeds, but they are very, very minor. I replaced my Michelins with new Michelin Energys, twice the cost of the Dunlops at NTB, static balanced, so as not to scar the alloys. My guess, the rotors, but again very minor shutter, just starting to get bothersome. My cars alignment is always out of spec, as the SAI(?) is about 3 degrees off, and always has been. This car gets an alignment with almost every, or every other oil change. NTB gives a gaurentee, I believe 5,000 mile, and uses the same alignment machine as the Toyota dealer, a fancy $100,000.00 machine, that uses lasers. My pull prob was reduced with the new tires, V rated, not H this time. My wheels are spotless, for there milage, no bubbles, but the caps/covers in the center are peeling, on my 2000. These are the caps that never fell off.

Don't over torque or you will bust the bolt off, as has happened to me, when I got the car, during a rotation, but Toyota fixed it.

My car has been cool since 36,000 miles except for the ugly Toyota Extra Care experience, resolved, via BBB. All that could go wrong, did, and is new. I did notoce that my seat belts are wearing, and the plastic at the bottom is cracked off already. Next Toyota vist, see if thats wear and tear or covered!

mackabee · July 2003

Sounds like your tires are out of balance if you're getting vibrations at all speeds. Wheel balancing is an art, they may be using a 1meg machine but if they don't know how to use it, it won't matter. I would take them back and have them do it again. As far as your seat belts, those are covered for 60k miles or 5 years which ever comes first. The belt usually will be replaced if there are cuts on the belt webbing itself. This is a safety item, so if it passes a safety inspection it's still ok.
: )
Mackabee

poman · July 2003

If you take the car back to the same dealership and they still can't balance the wheel, take it somewhere else. It's not worth your time to go back time after time and the tech don't know how to get it right. Take the car to the specialty shop like Discount Tires where we have here in Orlando, they do nothing but wheels all day long. They don't do alignments, they don't do oil changes and other stuff, they do ONLY balancing and mounting the wheels, all day long. And trust me, they will do it right for you, for about 30 bucks. I have my Solara since it came out in 1998 and the dealership never had it balanced right. So I took it to Discount Tires and they did it right, the first time. And now my car is still running fine, customized. No vibrations at any speed. Check out my little cheapy site http://home.cfl.rr.com/poman for little more info about your Solara.

Take your car to dealership only for expansive parts to replace under warranty. Preventive maintenance do it somewhere else!

HaVe FuN!

mitchflorida · July 2003

What kind of tire store doesn't to alignments???

That sounds sort of fishy. . . .stay away

poman · July 2003

Well I was surprised as well that's all they do. They are Discount Tires, they are everywhere. Just that one perticular shop I go do tires only, which is great.

webguyster · July 2003

Only vibrations are when braking. NTB and Sears were the only places I found to static balance. I had Toyota dealer do a balance before, and they put the weights on the outside. I asked them to static balance the tires, like they came when the car was new, and all they did was pull the weights off. Lucky the Michelins come out of the mold almost perfect.

Discount Tires should be my new place. A tire place that doesn't align the car after they put new tires on! Does that save money, or cause premature wear if the car is out of specs???

poman · July 2003

If you have steering wheel vibrations while braking then you need to have your rotors checked. Perhaps you brake hard all the time and the rotors are warped. Get it re surfaced or replace it. check your wheel for out of round as well, a good size pothole can really hurt your wheels.

Alignment is not be necessary when changing out tires. Sometimes when you get uneven wear tire on either side it will cause the steering wheel to be off. Check your tires and get it replaced. After you replace the tires and the steering wheel is still off then by all mean get an alignment.

mitchflorida · July 2003

I also agree that you shouldn't automatically realign the wheels after a tire change. If it aint broke , don't fix it.

I am in Florida, and half the techs here don't know how to align tires anyway. Am not kidding . . Have had to bring them back a couple of times.

solaraman2003 · July 2003

Hey POMAN...I LOVE that website of yours !

Some day I hope to put together a website with pictures of my collection of 60s Corvettes !

ezshift5 · July 2003

the Solara!

Just returned following an 1800 mile sojourn into the Pacific Northwest. Best fuel econ rating (with big-time use of a/c) was 31.2 Sacramento to Brookings, OR. Worst was 27.5 which includes one full hour trying to cross Willamette and Columbia Rivers in Portland. What a zoo! Other than the suspension (shocks a little too compliant), no complaints. Huge tronk, new 215/55 tires cancel out the prior 205/60 squeal..... In all honesty, I did tire of clutch usage in all that July 3rd Portland traffic........best, ez

poman · July 2003

Thanks for the compliment. I'm not the only one out there crazy about the Solara. There are few sites and forums out there devoted to the Camry/Solara enthusiasts. My Solara is nothing compares to some of the others. If this place allows links, here are the other places I go: www.camryman.org www.toyotanation.com www.solaraguy.com www.teamsc3.com

Enjoy driving your Solara! I do! I even makes it my weekend car now only!

coolguyky7 · July 2003

The 2004 Solara went into production on July 8 on Line 2. The convertible production will begin in January in Georgetown.

I took a tour of the plant with a group yesterday. While on the trip, we went into plastics were I saw the dashboards for the new Solara. In addition, in that area, there was a front section of a red Solara on display. It was basically the front shell metal of the car including headlights but without a hood. Pretty neat! Also, as we were driving away from Toyota, we passed a mound of dirt which hid a secured area. What did I see? Why, it was none other than a 2004 black Solara. I wish I had my camera out! It was a great find. It's very sleek.

mackabee · July 2003

Has been announced to the general public. I have my copy from Dealer Daily and can't wait to get my hands on one of these!! Would you believe there's a 4cylinder SLE coming for $22,995.00 plus freight with all the goodies of the V6!! Sign me up! Make mine the Arctic Frost pearl with Ivory leather.
: ? (drooling!)
Mackabee ,
,

sequoiasaurus · July 2003

2004 Camry Solara Coupe

SE MT V4 $19,120
SE AT V4 $19,950
SE V6 $21,450

SE Sport V4 MT $20,615
SE Sport V4 AT $21,445
SE Sport V6 AT $22,945

SLE V4 $22,995
SLE V6 $25,995

More here:
http://pressroom.toyota.com/photo_library/display_release.html?id- - =20030709a

mackabee · July 2003

V4??
; )
Mackabee

sequoiasaurus · July 2003

4-cylinder

friendinthebiz · July 2003

ezshift mentioned "215/55-16" as an upsize. Has anyone tried "225/55-16"? I do not want 50 section or lower and thought 10% wider, 205 to 225 and 10% shorter, 60 to 55 section might work. The clearance to the spring perch is minimal particularly in the rear. Who has a success (or failure) story on this? Thanks

poman · July 2003

From what I have used and what I have seen, 225 is the widest you can use (assumed the offset is correct on the rim, in this case the stock rim), anything wider than 225 will rub the strut or the fender. I have 225/45/17 on mine with 7" of rim width and I have no rubbing problems. Before that I had 225/45/17 with 7.5" rim but the offset was off by +2 and it rubbed the fender. That was aftermarket wheel. Never tried to widen the tire on stock 16" rim. if you go wider than the current 205/60/16, the tire would probably looks like a fat donut on the wheel, might be kinda weird looking if you know what I mean. 225 is more proportional on the 7" rims (stock I think is 6 or 6.5"). More tire detail here http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tirespecskey.html#sectionw- idth or http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tiretech.htm

mitchflorida · July 2003

work great . . really improve handling and traction . . saved my butt once when I had to stop suddenly.

I used Bridgestones, but they are a little harsh and noisy. Changed to a bargain brand called Dayton Tires (made by Firestone) and they were fantastic.. only $100 a piece. Make sure you rotate them regularly ..

friendinthebiz · July 2003

Good advice guys, I am thinking of the Bridgestone Tourenza (sp?) after pricing the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Tirerack is the greatest site on the subject but I could not get it to confirm or deny the extra 10 cm would fit.

tommyg12 · July 2003

Our Highlander developed a steering wheel vibration while braking at 30K miles. My dealer turned the rotors and replaced the brake pads under warranty, problems solved.

libertycat · July 2003

The Sebring did.

webguyster · July 2003

It will.

libertycat · July 2003

or it would have already. I meant it didn't get on the top ten list on the Buying Guide and the Sebring did.

ral2167 · July 2003

my thought on this is... i would tend not to put any car on a top 10 list if it's in the last year of a design cycle... i mean, if the 2004 solara doesn't make a top 10 list, then i'd place more creedence on that than if the 2003 didn't make it....

in conclusion, if the 2003 solara doesn't make this top 10 list being discussed, it doesn't cause me any concern.... if the 2004 solara doesn't make this list, then i'd be a bit more concerned.... am i nuts?

mackabee · July 2003

Are purely subjective. I wouldn't buy a car just because it's on Edmund's or Car and Driver's or whatever website or publication list. Buy it because you like the car, it meets your needs, and it's a good value to you.
: )
Mackabee

poman · July 2003

In my opinion, and most of the popular car magazines agree too, that domestic cars (Dodge, Chrysler, GM, Ford, etc) are just not as refined as the Japanese or European cars. Granted, some of the exterior designs are great, but the interior material used, and the fit and finish are not up to par with the rest. That also explained why the cost of the vehicles are cheaper than the rest, and they are not as reliable. I'm not pointing finger to a particular model, but I think the domestic car manufacturers have alot to learn from the foreigners in interior design.

But I think they are catching on though. Just look at the new Chrysler Pacifica, I actually like the exterior design and interior has been improved greatly. Just look at the price too, it's up there with the luxury SUVs. That means something!

mackabee · July 2003

They can build them as well as the Japanese, it's just a matter of "do they want to". I mean, come on! We are the most technologically advanced nation in the world and we can't build the best cars in the world?
: )
Mackabee

libertycat · July 2003

is on the front page of Edmunds. Hope they give it a good rating.

poman · July 2003

You are right Mackabee, we should have the best-build cars in the world!

The exterior styling for 2004 Solara is kinda off for my taste, need some modifications to dress it up!! But I love to have the new interior for my Solara!

i_luv_toyota · July 2003

"(Top ten lists) Are purely subjective. I wouldn't buy a car just because it's on Edmund's or Car and Driver's or whatever website or publication list. Buy it because you like the car, it meets your needs, and it's a good value to you."

Amen. Those awards are just meant to be bragging material for the manufacturer. Just look at car ads these days.

I could care less if my particular car won one of those meaningless comparison tests that magazines issue.

webguyster · July 2003

The SLE is still $3,000 less than the sticker on my 2000 SE V6. Wazzup wit' dat???

libertycat · July 2003

unless your SE V6 is loaded and you're comparing it to a four cylinder base SLE.

webguyster · July 2003

MSRP on my 00, SE, V6, package 4E was $24,900ish ( sticker in glove box still), plus $600 ish for Toyotas keyless remote and alarm, and $30 bucks for cargo net. Seems like they are lowering the prices on the newer models. Go to Edmunds home page and read the reviews and prices.

mackabee · July 2003

The 2004 SE V6 base price is $21,450.00 plus destination. Compared to the 2003 it's $1,035.00 less not including the destination charge. It also has more standard equipment than last year's model: A/C with filtration, 16" alloys with p215/60/r16 tires, tilt/telescoping steering wheel with mounted audio and multi-information display controls, side impact airbags, abs, drl's, DLX am/fm/cd with 6 speakers (no cassette), color keyed door handles and mirrors, foglamps, power windows, locks and outside mirrors, 60/40 split rear seat, tire pressure warning, cruise control, keyless entry. Not bad for under $22k huh? The SE V6 Sport starts at $22,945.00 plus destination in addition to or replacing SE equipment: Body kit and rear spoiler, 17" alloy wheels with P215/55/r17 tires, sport tuned suspension, leather wrapped steering wheel, shift knob and parking brake handle, Black graphite interior trim, Dark charcoal interior, aluminum sport pedal covers, Sport intrument panel with unique sport gauges. Add a sunroof and floor mats and you are in under $24k! Gotta love it! Oh what a feeling! I'm getting one of these puppies!
: )
Mackabee

ezshift5 · July 2003

..I bought a 2000 SE V6, standard transmission. Good car - but, the suspension/shocks seem way too permissive (soft). At 35,000, new 215/55 tires were mounted on the 16=inch alloys. At new shock time, I'm think KYB GR2. Best of Luck with the '04...ez

webguyster · July 2003

The 2004 sounds more Like a lexus than the previous model. With 47,000 miles on my baby, and her in the shop sick again, I might wanna try a new Soalra, but will wait to hear about the build quality, since it will be built in KY, home of blue grass and Kentucky Whisky!

decon · July 2003

I'm trying to decide between staying with the Michelin MXV4+ Energy or changing to the Yokohama Avid X4 or Bridgestone Turanza LS-H.

Anyone have the Yokohama or Bridgestone Turanza?

automophile · July 2003

You are right - we SHOULD be building the best cars in the world. Why aren't we? The problem is the attitude of the American investors.

If Chryslerwanted to invest the money necessary to revamp engineering and production to match the Japanese, and not be able to pay dividends for a couple of years, their investors would desert them, leaving the company with no value or money. Americans want instant gratification, and will not wait to achieve long-term results.

Toyota investors were willing to wait 10 years while Lexus lost money to buy it's way to the top of the USA market.

SO - until someone is willing to bite the bullet and start from scratch, we will never be able to match the Imports.

As I near the end of my 5-year lease on my Solara, I have still have had no repairs of any kind. I will hate to give it back!

suvshopper4 · July 2003

"Good car - but, the suspension/shocks seem way too permissive (soft)."
I agree that the suspension is soft, but the Solara is "built for comfort, not for speed", as the song says.

Interesting - when Toyota re-designed and upgraded the Camry suspension (for '02?), they did not include that upgrade on the Solara. I guess they were waiting for the '04 re-do. This tells me that the Solara is meant to be a sporty-looking coupe, not a sport coupe, which is fine, as long as buyers realize this. My gf's Solara is a nice ride, but I don't push it.

mackabee · July 2003

The 04 Solara's will have a sport suspension across the board, to reduce pitch and roll. The Se Sport trim will be even tighter, with harder springs.
: )
Mackabee

webguyster · July 2003

My struts went 10,ooo miles ago I believe. Toyota gaurantees there shocks/struts for life, but is that after you replace them???? What would tighten the car up, at least like a Cavalier, Neon, Civic, or Accord, or Sebring or at least get rid of the jarring noise when the car hits a minor bump??????

mackabee · July 2003

That warranty is for replacement shocks. If you want a stiffer ride try replacing the shocks with Tokico struts and maybe some lowering springs. You don't want to lower the car too much, maybe an inch or so. This may give you the ride you are looking for and not a bone-crushing ride.
: )
Mackabee

maxamillion1 · July 2003

Can you post all the info on the new Camry Solara?

I am really interested in a Camry Solara SE I4 5spd.

When will they be available?

webguyster · July 2003

The new Solara looks like a Solara, Acura, Tiberon, Camry. The new Solara is an exhibit that's contemporary and compelling.
Coming August 2003. Not sure about the Kentuky plant!

SE Sport Standard Features:
(in addition to/in place of all SE standard features)

  Body kit
  17" aluminum alloy wheels
  Color-keyed rear spoiler
  Sport-tuned suspension
  Sport fabric seats
  Black graphite-style interior trim
  Unique sport gauges
  Leather-trimmed shift knob, parking brake and steering wheel
  Aluminum sport pedal covers
  Starting at $21,100 [2]

SE Standard Features:

  16" aluminum alloy wheels
  Integrated fog lamps
  Silver metallic-style interior trim
  Standard side airbags [1]
  Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
  Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
  Deluxe AM/FM CD with six speakers
  Power windows (driver-side auto up/down)
  Steering wheel-mounted audio controls
  Starting at $19,605 [2]

SLE Standard Features:
(in addition to/in place of all SE standard features)


  17" aluminum alloy wheels (V6 models)
Power tilt/slide moonroof with sunshade
  Color-keyed power heated outside mirrors
  8-way power-adjustable driver's seat with power lumbar support and seatback pockets
  Wood-grain-style interior trim
  Heated perforated leather-trimmed seats [3]
  JBL Premium AM/FM Cassette/CD with 6-disc in- dash changer
  Interior ambience lighting
  Automatic climate control
  Anti-theft system
  Starting at $23,480 [2]

------------------------------------------

What will a new Tokico strut set set me back? I do not wish to lower, as that makes it look like trouble, aka, cop magnet. Maybe make it bounce, but a firmer ride would be nice. I had a crummy Sunfire rental, and it handled better than my car, albeit, it felt cheap, and had no power

lenscap · August 2003

I agree with your post, but what is your source that Lexus lost money for parent Toyota for 10 years? I'm just curious because that does not sound right.

Also, Lexus did not buy its way to the top of the market. Unless, of course, you consider investing in superior products, facilities and training buying their way.

Further, Chrysler is now owned by a German company - DaimlerChrysler. It would seem if Chrysler wanted to do something they would have to please the German investors as well.

mackabee · August 2003

The Tokico shocks or struts can be found at Tirerack.com, very reasonable. They also carry other brands which are comparable. Good website.

Max, the Solara should be at dealer's showrooms by Friday August 8th. Some stores already have the brochures. I would post everything and I mean everything on it, but it would take me a long time and by the time I finish all the info will be out.
: )
Mackabee
BTW, did any of you see "American Wedding"? It's the sequel to the American Pie movies and there is a plethora of Toyotas in it. Right at the beginning at the opening scene there is a)New Solara, or b)Lexus sc430 coupe. The camera panned so quick that by the time I realized it, they had cut to another scene.

Toyota Solara

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