Here’s how the Toyota Solara attempted to be the “sporty” Camry
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- Опубліковано 6 бер 2021
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In this episode I provide the history of the Toyota Solara, a coupe and convertible sold from 1998 to 2008. The Solara was based on Toyota's best-selling car, the Camry, and tried to offer a more sporty alternative, but the public disinterest in coupes and convertibles in the mid-2000's ended its run after only 10 years.
If you once owned a car from the 80's to mid-2000's that you rarely see today, and would like to see it featured in a future episode, leave a reply in the comments, or contact me at pomeara1234@gmail.com. - Авто та транспорт
My dad bought a 2003 in 2006. Car only had 20k miles, but had been totaled and rebuilt. He got it for cheap and drove it up until about 2 years ago when my little sister bought it from him. Car is a champ, took so many roadtrips in it, always got us to where we needed to go
i sold so many many solaras when they arrived in 99 as a toyota salesman in florida.
Oh ok
Boomer
I remember the 2 dr Camry and my mom looked at a Solara in 2000
Ah so its YOUR fault I see these on the road everywhere (joking, hey good job they're still driving them to this day)
Do the convertibles have the same trunk as the coupe? Lol
Watching as I sit in my Toyota Solara and thinking how much I love my car.
Proudly own a 2004 coupe since 2009. Sandy has been trouble free in the 11 years of ownership and I have no plans of getting rid of her.
please don't give cars names
@@RayEttler Please don’t be a jerk
Wish We could get it here in India
I feel like that name suits this car lmaoooo
I've owned 2 Solara' a 2004 V6 that I have had since 2010 and a 2008 I bought new. Very solid cars overall.
I have had two also. Absolutely bulletproof. Best cars I have had by far.
Had a 2001 v6 with 370k before it rusted out. Great car
I have a 2004 4 cylinder Solara SE for a little over a year now, and it’s hands down the best little car I’ve ever owned, absolutely love that car
The second Gen Solara received the 2.4 liter 2az-fe engine and was more powerful than the 2.2 liter that the first Gen had. I know, because I'm a Camry lover too.
Also came with a 3.3 Liter 3MZ-FE for the V6 version, pretty solid car tbh. My first drive too
@Brian Stafford Got the 2004 V6, which my brother sold to me, got 182k miles on it and no problems so far! Reliable cars indeed, and good to know! Love Chevies as well, my mom has an equinox and my stepdad’s planning on getting a ZL1 sometime this year, going to be a hell of a ride haha!
Thank the algorithm, this is an awesome series!
The Solara Convertible is one of my favorite vehicles back in 2005 😍
Mine had pearl white paint "borrowed" from Lexus. Putting the top down would automatically increase the bass in the stereo but also make the wobbly chassis more noticeable. I could see the tail wagging in the rear-view mirror. Other than that, a real good car.
I worked on a project back in 06 as a transportation coordinator and I had to rent a Solara. I really enjoyed driving it for the two weeks we had it.
I have a 2004 solara coupe with the 5-speed manual transmission. It's an awesome car. My grandfather bought the car new in 2004 and after his passing in 2014, it was given to my dad. After I got my license last year, my dad gave it to me.
My dad has an Absolutely red 2005 Toyota Solara Convertible with beige top and interior. It was beautiful chrome wheels. It still has less than 50k on it as he doesn;t drive it during the winter. It is his pride and joy.
Does he want to sell it? Hey
@@jeffzekas Not right now.
yesterday, I saw a second generation solara. It’s beautiful seeing it in person.
I’ve got a 2004 Solara 4 cylinder SE, and it’s hands down the best little car I’ve ever owned. I’ll probably be driving that car till I drop dead
I have a 2008 solara convertible v6 sle and I’m so thankful to have it as my first car it is so fun to drive and absolutely incredible
great to hear about to get my first car and seriously considering a solara
@@andrewmeyer169 highly recommend it it’s so unique and drive soooo nice
Keep it forever. I miss mine
Nice video. I still own the 2004 Solara convertible I bought new. It has 107,000 miles on it and still runs great. But I retired to New Hampshire in 2018 so now it only comes out of the garage between the first week of April and the week before the first snow in October or November. Cruising New England Spring, Summer and Fall with the top down.
that's some seriously low miles! Very nice!!!
Thanks for the video Pat. I never knew about the roll over protection feature.
Thanks for this video! I feel like the Solara is a great, often overlooked vehicle. I too owned a 2004 Solara (SLE V6, Coupe) for 6 years before joining the SUV community. It was and still is my favorite and best car I've ever owned. I plan on eventually buying another, but this time I'd like to get the SE sport in a 5spd manual.
I was driving down the Mass Pike one morning and I saw this white vision driving besides me. It was a white Solar that has custom matching rims (or covers) and had all the badges removed for a clean, classy look. That vision still haunts me.
My first car was a 1999 Toyota Camry LE V6 when I was 18. I remember my dad took me to Toyota dealer and paid $26000 cash back in 12/1998. I was so happy, I was trying so hard to mod that car, I changed carbon fiber hood, TRD muffler, TRD shock and spring, and almost TRD supercharger. During my 4 years ownership I put well over 150,000 miles. It was a great memories. So, I totally understand what you saying and how you feel. Also I raced many cars on the street with my Camry V6 and I won most of time. I even won ‘00 Lexus IS 300 and GS 300.
I proudly drive a red 2006 Coupe. I love it. I've had it almost 3 years and have only put tires and a valve cover gasket on the car. 170,000 miles and still running strong. They realy should have marketed it as a Lexus, it had a lot of Lexus-esce style about it especially the 2nd gen.
I read (forget the source) it was to have been a Lexus. Joke was it came out with a Toyota nameplate and a price tag of $10K less.
I have the same one. Someone driving with me couldnt believe it was from 2006
It would have cost more.
2000 Solara V6 was the first car I bought brand new. Knew it was the car for me the minute I drove it. Fit me perfectly, and felt so solid. I drove it for 20 years until I traded her in for a new Camry last year.
You’ve already covered a lot of the cars I’ve owned but I’ll throw out the Dodge Neon as a potential topic. That’s what I had before the Solara :)
This was a very well thought out video. Thanks for your insights... and the video.
The Solara with the V6 and stick was actually a pretty great drive.
Those are actually pretty attractive coupes, and based on good reliability. Never attracted much interest from me, cause I'm not a big fan of larger front wheel drives, but I was always annoyed at the everything's-a-sedan-or SUV diminished choices in the market.
I pretty much feel the exact same way about the car as well as FWD.
Just got my 99 solara as my first car. 212,000 miles still running strong.
You have another 150000 Miles with that car
Just discovering the Solara. I bought my grandson a 2002 SE coupe with the 4 cyl, and overall I am pleased.
Awesome video! I've been looking to buy a solara for a while now so this was very informative and helpful!
Thank you for sharing your Solara story.
I can tell you this is the first car my wife actually wanted.
Her first was a used 2001 red tan top.
I just sold mine a month ago and I miss it everyday 😞
I gave mine to my niece as a first car and she totaled it shortly thereafter. I miss it so badly, so I feel your pain lol.
@@TenaciousTre omg no that’s awful I hope she was okay but I’d definitely be upset lol
Such a beautiful car, especially the convertible.
my Mom had one of the late 2000's convertibles (white with tan top), and when she got rid of it a few years ago people were actually approaching her on several occasions if she wanted to sell the car. Apparently their value is holding? I got the same with my 2003 Infiniti G35 as that is the most attractive G generation.
It’s hard to believe there is a niche market for midsize sporty coupes. I always liked the 1st Gen coupe.
In a world of suvs trucks and crossovers, I think we took the 2dr personal coupe for granted
I’ve been driving my ‘00 Solara SE V6, from 60’000 up to 131,851 as of today. Not a bad car so far
My elementary school principal had a white Toyota Solara convertible and a beige Lexus RX350
I owned a 2000 Toyota Solara with a 3.0 Liter V-6, a 4 speed automatic transmission and had the SE Package and was a hard top model, it was a great little car that I owned.
I had a 2004 Solara SLE V6 silver convertible and loved it. I wanted a convertible that could comfortably fit 2 adults in the back along with a decent sized boot(trunk) and there weren't a great deal of options. This was perfect. Never had an issue with it, only sold because I moved back to the UK. Thanks for the video!
what if any is difference between 03-04 i’m looking at a 2003 for $4000
@@lynnsaleh1333 03 is the last year of the first generation so there is quite a few differences alot of which were covered in the vid...
This is such a well edited video I learned ALOT
Great review
I have a 2004 Coupe SLE V6. Love it it’s such a great car
Your ac mindset is very relatable
I have a 2006 Camry Solara convertible with 79k miles. It’s solid. Has never given me any issues. I hope it continues to work this well.
I used to have a Dodge Stealth that I just loved! I am the owner of a 2007 Solara that I have had a few years now. ( pearl diamond white with tan top) I love this car so much & it is a blast to drive. It is in great condition but I can't wait to cherry it out. Best car. The blind spot when the top is up is a bit of a pain, but I got blind spot mirrors & refuse to let anyone be in my blind spot or drive like they are late to their own funeral around me. I can hit 100 mph pretty quick when I encounter those that want to ride my ass or be too aggressive. I just wish it had a v8 & manual transmission!
Excellent video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I have a 2008 and I absolutely love it
I have a 1st gen Solara vert and just love it.
Owned a 2nd gen for four years. Wasn't the car I was originally looking for but it ended up being the best car I've had so far.
Best car ive ever bought...I got close too 425.000 miles. With basic maintenance , tough car
What happened to the car?
I owned a 2002 Solara SLE V6. It was my first Toyota and it was a great car.
When I was still working at a shop, we had an older lady come in with a TRD supercharged V6 Solara with the 5/SPD. We thought she was BS'ing us when she said it was boosted until we popped the hood. Wouldn't mind taking one for a spin
Oh I can imagine the torque steer
@@bbc_junior4863 Probably lane changing! 😂
I have a 2007 V6 sle dark metallic blue... one of the best cars I ever owned
I have one of the few winter survivors 2nd gen 3.3L V6 SLE Coupe (05') models in Canada. I love the thing. All leather, heated seats.. mechanical parts available everywhere..
And used they're a great deal!
I love the thing but tbh I'd also swap it for another car any day. It's not really sporty like the gen1. the suspension is very meeehhhhh and cloud-like.
But for a student car on a budget, an absolute steal.
As an owner of a 04’ solara I think it’s a pretty nice car tbh it runs well and sounds great without a muffler
My sister Jessie had a 2004 Toyota Solara and (despite her mistreating it) it was a really great car and extremely dependable until the day she totaled it.
I had an 04 Solara. drove it 315k miles without any problems besides oil changes and brakes. I loved that car. A drunk driver totaled it
My first car was a 73 El Camino SS. I have always had a fascination with the truck... car... trar.... Ute style vehicles.. I think the story of some of the El Caminos smaller cousins might be interesting. Dodge rampage, Subaru brat or the like. Awesome channel with great content!
Ranchero?
My gmom had a 95 Camry coupe SE package it was a blast to ride in I never got to drive it but I could tell it was a joy to handle! Have awesome memories riding in the back!
Gmom?
@@vincedibona4687 grandmother
@@aayonce4 That wasn't too difficult to write out, now was it?
@@vincedibona4687 you’re kidding right?
@@aayonce4 No. Remember, this isn't text or Twitter. We have all the space in the world to write out what we need to, and if you do so, you will always be clear and concise, and not have people ask you what you mean. "Gmom" indeed...
Absolutely beautiful car
Excellent!
I had a 1999 coupe, V6, Manual. I loved this car and drove it for 16 years. My dog and I even made it all the way up to the Arctic Circle one summer "night" in June in this car in 2008. I would have bought another in a second had they still been available in 2016.
Good job on your videos
When I was 12 years old in 2000(after I turned 12 in August 31st , 1999), my Mom's friend picked me up in a new Toyota Solara and we went out.
When I was dropped back home, my mother asked me what kind of vehicle was that(due to me already being a vehicle buff since the early 1990s) , and she was shocked that I told her it was a new Solara!
P.S.
This was in New Orleans by the way.
Excellent job. One small point though. The four cylinder was not a a carry over to the second generation. It was a 2.4L VVTi engine with 160 HP. It was a completely different engine compared to the previous 135 HP 2.2L engine of the 1st generation.
You are kinda correct. When they did the facelift in 2001, they gave the first gen the 2.4L engine, replacing the 2.2L engine, as the then-new 2002 Camry also got the 2.4L motor as well.
I had a 1999 Toyota Solara. It was white with a perl... Mine had v6. SLE. With tan leather. Women literally loved my car. Extremely comfortable. One of nicest cars I had owned. I sold it. After a break up. Sold almost all of my 11 cars. Only kept my 1982 Pontiac Trans Am black ⚫ on black T top and my 1991 Geo Storm with pink 90's stripe.
I special ordered a '99 SLE V6 black coupe that arrived at my dealer in June '99. I had to order it special because I wanted a charcoal, not cream, interior and no sunroof. The salesman talked me into 15 in tires because 16's would take an extra 3 weeks and would cost more to replace. I still have the car. It is on it's second set of tires (so much for extra cost) and second battery. It has 37k miles on it and is driven on sunny summer Sundays. I have bought and sold Buicks, Cadillacs, Lexus, Mercedes, Corvettes ,Hondas, Mitsubishis, Subarus, Fords, and I forget what else, but I still have that Solara. I hope one of my kids enjoys it after I'm gone.
Ford Festiva! Still have a '93 sitting in my driveway. Had it since 2002. Holla from Inktown, MI!!
Well! Seems like you’ve had it this long because, it’s been, “ sitting in your driveway “ most of the time.
Any car will last long if it’s just “ sitting in a driveway “ ! 😕😐
I'm 15 and my first car is a 99 solara it has 240k miles and it's still runs really good it was only 1500 they are really nice cars if you can find one for cheap very reliable
I've owned a 2004 Solara Coupe for almost 4 years now, with my sister owning it for almost 6 years before that. Other than the awful rear visibility (fixable with modern tech) it's a great machine. I've scarcely had trouble out of it, and I find it balances performance with utility quite well with a back seat larger than my wife's newer Corolla and a sizeable trunk. Also, my dog loves to stick his head out the sun roof while driving through town.
Edit to add: I live on the Gulf Coast and there are still dozens of Solaras running around looking and driving great in my city. When I moved here I was struck by just how many of them there were. I couldn't go a single day without seeing at least one or 2 unique examples. It's interesting to see the different levels of care some have had, as well as seeing the all too common damage to the rear corners due to their poor rear visibility lol
Can you please explain how to reduce the "awful rear visibility" please? I'm currently looking for my 1st Solara. Thanks!
@@usaman7358 honestly I just deal with it, but all you'd need to do is add a back up camers for the most part. If you wanna get fancy you could add more to the side mirrors.
I owned and drove last year a 2006 Solara Coupe. Nice, V6 leather and a sunroof. Sold it when I came back to Missouri.
I’ve seen these late model convertibles be very popular among retirees in Arizona. They also seem to have held up nicely over the years.
just a suggestion for what cars we dont see..., My family bought a 1980 Pontiac Phoenix SJ in the fall of 79. We may have been the first one to buy one from that dealership. It later became my car in 1989, Other than a junk 4 speed manual trans that ate 2nd gear twice, was very trouble free. I also owned a 80 Buick Skylark, no major problems.
I just got a 2006 sle v6 convertible. Really well maintained. its in better shape than my 2018 toyota lol. its very well built and a lot of fun.
I also owned a Solara except mine was a coupe. I nicknamed mine the SLOWara, wonder if you stumbled across a blog I wrote a few years ago about my experience with the car during your research. I also talked about the history of the car during the blog as well. This was the car that I thought about what I was going to buy next as soon as I brought it home. Good news is that my next car was an LS430, bit of an upgrade after the Slowara.
My 2004 solara sle 2.4 has 300,992 miles on it, and can still run smooth going 140mph, ill drive it til it dies!
I got rid of mine because of the oil issue
I own 2007 Solara V6 coupe for already 4 years and its a a real gem. Last year I supercharged it with TRD kit from 1MZ solara, now it does 0-60 in around 5.9sec and I luv that whine
bro where did u find the supercharger
@@yyousaf1357 @solaraguy
u can install that on the 3.3??
@@yyousaf1357 ua-cam.com/video/83ziZm2dIPE/v-deo.html
Would’ve loved to see the final model year of the Solara with the 3.5 2GR-FE V6
I have a gold 2000 Toyota Solara SLE. 204K miles! Toyota means trust!
My Solara is an '06 V6 SE convertible. Coming up on 75K. Overall, the best car I've ever owned. Comfortable ride, easy handling. Toyota recommends against using regular gas and, what with the current per gallon price, it is a tad expensive for commuting. I fortunately am retired. On the Pennsylvania turnpike at an average 65 MPH the mileage readout is 26 MPG. Rainwater leakage into the trunk is a problem. The trough at the base of the convertible top apparently has a small crack somewhere. Now if I could just locate where somewhere is.
Do the Taurus! My grandma had the 1st gen my mom had the 3rd gen and I have the final gen as an adult now.
I loved the Solara convertible and when I worked on a used car lot, we sold every one we could get our hands on. They were way stiffer than a Sebring.
I didn't know until I saw your channel that so many convertibles has another company do it with no added rigidity. I remember driving a friend's new Beatle vert and it pretty bad. The car also sucked imo driving one another time with 4 others squeezed in so I had the front seat moved forward and couldn't see crap.
I always liked the solara never drove one though, it looked like it could've been the avalon coupe.
I work at auto zone and yesterday I saw 3 Toyotas solaras in our parking lot at once. I don't believe I've ever seen 3 of the same generation in the same day before let alone 3 in the same spot. Or maybe seeing this video just made me more aware of them🤣
I had a 2002 2.2L 4cyl 5speed manual Solara. The 2AZ-FE engine in it was Toyota's go to engine for a bunch of models and had some major upgrades in 2006. More aggressive exhaust porting, internal pistol oil squirters, etc. That engine was also in the Xb and Tc (as well as various models even the RAV-4). There is a rich aftermarket for tuner mods, making it a sleeper waiting to be "woke." There was even a TRD supercharger kit available. the swap from gen 1 2AZ-FE to a gen 2 is crazy easy and they are plentiful and cheap. I even grabbed a 2008 JDM version for around $1K and have modded it into a beast which could embarrass a similar aged Si(S) with ease. Although I eventually passed it down to my nephew, who has continued modding it; I have neighbor doing the same mods right now. The Solara is the platform that isn't known as a platform and the import sleeper from hell!
Rented a Solara convertable in Florida 2008 talk about an awesome drop top rental, lots of space in the backseat and trunk the Mustang and Camero can't touch! (the only mainstream droptop rentals now days)
I love my 1999 Solara . I bought it used in 2003 with only 20k miles on it. I consider the Solara a spiritual replacement for my very fist car, the 1979 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Could you do a video for the Camry of the 70s and 80s, the Cutlass and its G body twins? Also could you do the GM 10 replacements?
There was no 70’s Camry
@@gdawwg1125 you should re read what I said dawwg
@@gdawwg1125 I consider the Solara a >>> spiritual
@@teeemack I see , Soz
Possible car suggestions, my very first car at age 16 (1987) was a 1979 Pontiac Sunbird, that was awful only lasted a few months before I got 1980 Mazda GLC Sport, followed by my 1984 Toyota Corolla SR-5, which was totaled. My first new car was 1990 Plymouth Horizon, which was a great car put 135,000 miles on it in 3 years, and bought a 1993 Dodge Shadow ES. I really loved that car. Eventually my other half and myself had 1995 Ford Escort LX, and 1996 Ford Escort GT, both with 5 speeds. We ended the 1990's with 1997 Toyota Corolla and 1999 Chevy Prizm (they had dropped the Geo name by then)
Hi Todd - thank you so much for all the suggestions! I'm glad you found me since my channel is new and not a lot of views yet.
I still like the Solara! That convertible was slick as hell!
Yeah, I'd like to have a convertible 2nd Gen one with the 6cyl. 2.4Z. 5 spd. I'd get in trouble with that for sure! 😲
Would love an episode on the FJ Cruiser!
I rented a Solora once, it was a nice rental i drove it to Reno and back to California. I noticed the wobbly feel but it had good performance and was a nice ride. Not great enough to own but still a nice convertible to drive around in. I'd still pick my 1992 Camaro convertible over this.
I was always on the fence about the Solara.
I have a 1986 toyota camry lift back it would be really sweet if you actually did a video about the whole camry series I've never seen any video about anything on the 80s camrys I'm planning on doing a complete factory rebuild on mine.
My friend’s mom used to have a red 2nd generation Solara convertible until she traded it for a black Lexus SC convertible which is almost the same to the Solara. You should make a video about the Lexus SC and maybe GS.
I owned a 1989 Mercedes 190E 2.6, it was my first car... the best car I ever owned!
I got a 2008 sle love it quiet and peaceful inside and power wend u need it and mpg are great for a v6 seems to waste gas like a 4 banger averaging around 24 miles to the gallon of course baby acceleration we d i go road rage mode maybe 16
Do one on the 2000 Pontiac Bonneville! I own a 2000 ssei.( Mildly built). Fantastic car.
I have a series 1 Solara coupe. Extremely rare here in Australia
Bought a brand new '99 SLE V6 and drove it 22 years and 250k miles. Great car.
Bought a low mileage used '03 SE convertible with a 4 banger. Drove it a few years. It was just "ok"...the roof leaked & wore out too early, the engine occasionally started with a cloud of smoke. And yes, it had a lot of body shake. So I sold it. I then bought a "cream puff" '06 SLE convertible. It was a much better car- biggest complaint was that some LCD displays were utterly impossible to see in daylight. I never could get behind its bulbous looks- the Gen 1 was far better looking. I sold it and bought a Highlander. But I may buy another Gen 2 Solara ragtop because its a great car...but, geeze, can I get past its looks? Its pretty darn ugly, compared to say, a Mustang or Camaro.
A solara with a V6 and a five speed was a pretty fast car.
Yep, I have a 2005 SLE convertible, and the first thing everyone else who's ever driven it mentions is the horsepower!
Best car I ever owned was my 02 solara 5 speed V6 I miss it 😢
Owned an 01 Michael. Just an awesome car!
I am a Toyota Tech. I bought a 2000 Solara SLE new, Pearl White with Charcoal Leather. I still own the car with 441,000 miles. I am overhauling the engine soon. I'll never sell her...
Had a bud in highschool who’s (now ex) girlfriend drove a gold Solara.
She was...
A handful..
Hope she’s taking care of that nose, she put it through a lot when I knew her. ❄️