Overview & Reviews

Introduced as sportier siblings to the mainstay midsize Camry sedan, the Toyota Camry Solara coupe and convertible quietly enjoyed a reputation for being reliable, well built and pleasantly styled, if not excitingly so. For most family sedans, such qualities are certainly considered desirable, but when it comes to coupes and convertibles, we think that a little fun and pizzazz should figure in as well. The Camry Solara never offered much in terms of excitement, but that didn't prevent it from being a popular choice for a midsize two-door.

For both generations of the Solara, rear-seat room was generous and safety ratings and feature content were impressive. Smooth four-cylinder or V6 power resided under the hood, and overall the Toyota Camry Solara was reasonably priced and offered great value considering all that it delivered.

If you're looking for a sport-oriented coupe or convertible, the Toyota Camry Solara isn't going to be your best choice. And the most recent Camry Solara convertible's traditional fabric top can be seen as a bit dowdy given that many competing models from the same time period offer retractable hardtop designs. But if you treasure overall quality, value and comfort, there are few coupes or convertibles that put it all together as well as the Camry Solara.

Most Recent Toyota Camry Solara

The most recent Toyota Camry Solara was the second-generation model and was sold from 2004-'08. It was based on the 2002-'06 Camry sedan and was available as a midsize coupe or convertible in SE, SE Sport and SLE trim levels.

The standard engine on the Camry Solara coupe was a 2.4-liter four-cylinder rated at 157 horsepower and 158 pound-feet of torque, mated to either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic (four-speed prior to '06). Optional on coupes and standard on convertibles was a 3.3-liter V6 rated at 210 horses and 220 lb-ft of torque. Prior to 2007, horsepower ratings will appear to be greater; however, this was due to a change in the way horsepower is measured rather than an actual output change. No manual transmission was available with this smooth engine, but the automatic was a modern five-speed with a manual-shift gate for those who like to select their own gears. On the road, the Toyota Camry Solara's suspension tuning delivered a comfortable ride. The added stiffness of the SE Sport model gave it enough capability to provide some fun through corners while still maintaining the civilized ride quality of the other models.

The base SE was decently equipped with most modern convenience features, while the Sport version added a firmer suspension, 17-inch wheels, an exterior body kit, xenon HID headlights and unique interior trim. The top-drawer SLE provided a few extra luxury-oriented standard features. Major options included stability control and a navigation system (which was upgraded for '07).

The Solara's front seats offer plenty of room for even the tallest drivers, but the rear seats are still best reserved for short trips. While Solara coupes can seat three passengers snugly in back, the Camry Solara convertible can accommodate just two. The Solara convertible's standard power top could be raised and lowered in just 10 seconds, and it stowed neatly under a tonneau cover that matched the color of the interior.

Past Toyota Camry Solara Models

The Camry Solara originally debuted for 1999 and was produced through 2003. Mechanically, it was related to the 1997-2001 Camry sedan. Toyota hoped its new two-door would appeal to consumers who wanted the style of a sporty car but the room and comfort of a larger, more practical vehicle. In the first year, only the coupe was sold, but Toyota added the convertible version for model-year 2000.

For this Camry Solara's run, Toyota offered the familiar SE or SLE trim levels. Initially, Toyota offered either a 2.2-liter, 135-hp four-cylinder engine or a 3.0-liter, 192-hp V6. Either engine could be had with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. For 2002, Toyota introduced a new 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 157 hp. Revised front and rear styling was also introduced that year. For 2003 and beyond, Toyota discontinued the manual transmission option for the V6.

At the time, we commented favorably about the Toyota Camry Solara's roomy cabin and smooth engines. Downsides included a lack of driving or styling excitement and the absence of some higher-end features, such as stability control and a navigation system.

User Reviews:

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  LOVE IT!! - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By candycorcoran - March 13 - 10:00 am

  Overall, this is a wonderful vehicle. Took it on a 2000 mile road trip 2 weeks after we bought it and it performed beautifully. Lots of power, convertible works very fast, very comfortable drive. Has lots of features for the price. Also, has lots of head room for the taller driver. Was going to buy a T-bird for $10M more, but very happy we went with the Solara. The GPS system is awesome. Also, you dont see a "million" of these cars on the road. Read in previous reviews about some wind noise and "shaking" of the car. Havent had any of those issues. Its a little bumpy on rough roads but its very livable.

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  Blind spots - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By solara - March 10 - 5:10 pm

  The cars rides like a jewel. The worst thing is the roll bar in the rear, one cannot see what is in back of them, and also the rear window is small. The interior design is not very conducive to convenience of using the back seat area for putting packages on the floor temporarily. In fact you could eliminate the back seat area all together. No one can get back there to sit. I would not buy that model car again. I do love the Toyota engineering though, it is great over all.

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  Great value and fun to drive - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Jud Souers - March 7 - 11:16 am

  Nice style inside and out, quiet ride and very little wind for a convertible. The only real negative is with the top up there are blind spots out the back window.

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  Solara Convertible - 2007 Toyota Camry Solara
  By easwind - March 1 - 3:36 pm

  Bad points: blind spots with top up; cant read center digital dash in the sun Mediocre points: gas mileage; steering slightly sloppy; computer/audio panel not state-of-art; roll bar is modest. Great points: everything else

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  Better than a Seabring - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By optus1 - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Compared to the Chrysler Sebring, Mitsubishi Eclipse and Ford Mustang, this car totally blows them out of the water in terms of comfort, ride, engine performance (V4). The car gives a very sporty driving experience without the ruff ride. The cabin is very spacious with plenty of leg room for rear passengers. The interior is very symmetrical and stylish, though lacking a sporty edge. The Solara provides a large trunk door with ample cargo space. Overall, this is the best car I have ever had the pleasure to drive. I would definitely by another Toyota in the future.

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  Well Worth It - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By OpenRoad - February 28 - 10:00 am

  When I was looking for a convertible, this one wasnt even on my list. But once I drove it, there was no cpmparision to the others. This car has been a joy to drive. Even at high speeds with the top down, its comfortable and easy to have a conversation. The handling and responsiveness of the engine makes this feel like a sports car.

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  I love the car. - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By dennis - February 23 - 8:23 am

  This is the best car in this class. I test drove a BMW-3. Even ignoring the price difference and the fact its in a different class I liked the Solara better.

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  Solid - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By bwill - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Have had the car about a month. Well done...sporty and stylish...looks much better than the regular Camrys. Only two things weve noticed so far are: 1- a bit of hesitation when you accelerate, and 2- Gear shift seems to be getting rough when moving from Park to Reverse...well have to wait and see if worsens. Overall, very satisfied and feel like weve bought something reliable and sporty

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  Chargermans 04 Solara - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By chargerman - February 16 - 2:00 am

  Fun to drive. I had a Red Flame metalic 99 Solara and had such good luck with it I bought another! This one is Arctic Frost Pearl with grey leather. Looks good in day or night. I have 1000 miles on it now with only 1 problem that the dealer fixed, a hose connector had come undone and caused the engine light to come on. Really like the in dash CD changer and heated seats

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  Slow & sluggish - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By SandraDee - February 13 - 1:43 am

  I thought 220hp meant a little performance. Honestly, my 150hp Pontiac had better acceleration & performance than this thing. It is slow, sluggish, hesitates with acceleration, downshifts when I dont want it too, and jerks like a kid learning a stick shift (its an automatic) at slow speeds. The dealership tells me there is nothing they can do about it, that it is the "drive by wire" throttle system. Well, I HATE it. I would like to be able to accelerate into traffic without worrying about getting hit by oncoming traffic because my car didnt respond when I hit the gas. The dealer promised me that I would "LOVE" my Toyota, but Im ready to trade it in with less than 5k miles on it!