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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  Sex on Wheels - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By toyotasolara - September 13 - 3:00 am

  I have owned this car since it was new and I have never had a moment that I couldnt share about it. I driven far and wide, through North America and I would definitely consider it to be the best car I have ever driven. Its smooth, quiet, luxuriously appointed, yet sporty and great to look at. The drive quality is above average, the performance is great, though over-time its best to use Amsoil Synthetic Motor Oil to retain the original performance of the car. The car handles great after I added a custom 2002 Solara suspension to the car and slightly tuned the new shocks to give it a bit more grip and feel to the road! Overall an amazing car that I recommend to anyone that loves cars!

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  Auto Trans lags badly - 2008 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Torx55 - August 15 - 12:06 pm

  The auto trans is very very slow to downshift, in fact, there is at least a 2-3 second lag when you push the accelerator, to the power getting to the wheels. The motors revs then trans engages. Dealer loaded the new ECM software, but it made little if any difference. Dealer said he did all he could and the trans is considered fixed and normal by Toyota. Sure shocks me if Toyota engineers consider this normal. If you get one, be careful when pulling into traffic or when quick acceleration is necessary. The trans will scare you. I wont keep this Toyota for 150K miles as I did with the car I sold to get this 08. Very disappointing.

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  2nd solara - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By TOK - June 20 - 7:43 pm

  This is my second solara(was an owner of the first solara and loved it!). This one seems a bit less roomy, but the ride is smooth, great handling and simply fun to drive. Rear window takes a bit getting use to after driving the very roomy Camry with great visability, but worth it. The new color Oceanus Pearl with gray leather interior is a real head turner.

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  great car - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Coupe - May 28 - 1:40 am

  Great car but bad visibility out the back. That is the only drawback.

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  Great Car - Terrible Dealer - 2001 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Fearless Fossdick - May 21 - 10:00 am

  Car was delivered with 15" steel wheels when 16" alloy are supposed to be standard. I guess the dealer swapped them with another car. Clutch has chattered since the day I picked it up, steering pulls to the left and there is a slight gear clash when shifting into 3rd. Its been back to the dealer several times but they dont see a problem. Stay away from Mt. Kisco, NY Toyota!

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  Initial Excelleration - Poor & Brakes - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Coupe - March 27 - 4:40 am

  Over all I would give my Solara SE V6 a low grade because of its very much like a turbo engine. A friend of mine is a Toyota mechanic and he explained why there is so much excelleration delay similiar to a turbo lag engine. For this review, Im only referring to low speed performance. At highway speeds it is more than adequate. I think it is unsafe, because when you need instant excelleration, its just not there. I have owned a manual turbo engine car before and it was very responsive from low end to high end speeds. Would I buy another Solara? NO! Another problem I found is that the brakes are to spungy. I dont get that positive feedback from the brake pedal.

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  One of the best Ive ever owned. - 2005 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Barbara Lestician - March 26 - 4:13 am

  It handles with the conditions of the roads. When it was icy and slippery it holds the road great. Performance over all is excellent.

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  Im trading mine in for a Volvo! - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By KxVx - February 9 - 5:53 pm

  Overall my V6 SLE has been ok, but not what I expected from a Toyota. The parts are expensive ($200 for an O2 sensor, $250 for a pair of tires, $75 for a set of spark plugs), and the 18-20 MPG that it gets is now killing me at the pump ($60 wont fill the giant tank). The A/C controls are still a hassle to use, even after two years of owning the vehicle. The doors are extremely heavy (not good if you dont lift weights), and require plenty of room to open (not good if you live in a place with tight parking!). The exterior of the car is very attractive, and unfortunately it was that and the Toyota name that sold me this car. I wish Id done some research!

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  Good deal - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Toyota Fan - February 2 - 3:30 am

  I bought my car new and have put 132,000 miles on it. It has been a great car. This car is very reliable with very good gas mileage, ave 28-29 mpg (driving combo of 1/3 city and 2/3 freeway).

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  Solara - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By glam1 - January 18 - 6:00 pm

  Still chugging along at 120,000 miles. Reliable; no major repairs needed. Changed battery twice. Needed idle valve control cleaned about 5000 miles ago. Getting only about 20mpg, though.