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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  Convertible without compromises - 2001 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Dustone - February 16 - 1:23 am

  O.K. its not a sporty 2 person rocket, but by far its as pratical as a convertible can get. The stylying is conservative, yet sporty. The power of the 198hp engine has plenty of get up and go for fast highways. Highway driving is where it excels with a nice, smooth ride. It doesnt corner like it is on rails, but it still turns heads. Nothing better than having the sun on your face enjoying nature with your top off.

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  Awesome must have. - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By michelle - February 6 - 2:20 pm

  This is a nice luxury car. I took some friends out this weekend. My girl friend and I sat up front and had the men sit in the back. My girl friends husband is 64 hes a former San Antonio Spurs basketball player he was so impressed with all the room in the back of my car. Sitting next to my husband they had nothing to complain about. For the 1st time the the laugh was on them. This is car makes it own statement. "Awesome"

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  Five Years of Driving Pleasure - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By TN Engineer - February 1 - 11:26 am

  We bought the first 2004 Solara to arrive in this area, and enjoyed it greatly until it perished in a collision. We sought an exact duplicate as fast as we could. The replacement 2006 model has served us well for over 36,000 miles with no repairs at all. We have received many compliments on its appearance (red with black interior), and it is quiet and smooth at highway speeds. The trunk is large and the front seats are very comfortable. The only small complaint I have is the transmissions reluctance to downshift quickly after my wife has been driving the car slowly around town. This can be re-set by gassing the car from a stop several times, and it will "learn" to downshift quicker.

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  The question. - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Jim McKinnon - February 1 - 10:00 am

  Whenever I get into my new solara, I ask the question, do I put the top down. Unless it is raining, my answer is always yes.

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  Best "compromise" used car I found - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By DaveV - January 26 - 4:48 pm

  I was in the market for a used car that was not too big, too small, not a real expensive "luxury" model nor a real basic model with no frills. I knew I wanted leather interior, a power drivers seat, good acceleration,comfort, quiet interior and VG seat comfort so the search went on for about two months reading reviews and test driving used cars. A 2010 Lincoln MKZ caught my attention but I found that the seat was not as comfortable as I wanted and the three Ford service centers in my area stunk when it came to appointments and their attitude towards their customers. I then test drove a 2004 Solara SLE and I knew I had found the right car so the search began for the right Solara for me. I ended up driving 149 miles to a Toyota dealer in Georgia to look at a 2006 Solara SLE V6. Based on the CarFax and Autocheck reports and the overall condition of the vehicle, it seemed to have been pretty well maintained so I bought it and drove it home. (newer timing belt and water pump) I had my local Toyota dealer go over the car and it needed spark plugs and a battery. The $498 for spark plugs (mostly labor) was a shock but the irridium plugs do last for a very long time and I only put about 5,000 a year on a car so those are likely the last plugs to go in for me. The transmission felt sort of odd in the way it sometimes shifted when I coasted to a slow speed then reapplied pressure to the gas pedal so I mentioned that to the dealer and they cleared and updated the computer module to learn my driving habit and that did make a difference. The new plugs did improve the feeling of acceleration and Ive been using 89 octane for the last two months then I plan on going to 87 soon to see if I feel a difference in performance. The car is comfortable, quiet inside, everything does what its supposed to do and the styling is timeless IMHO. Driving around town is pleasurable but this vehicle really shines on the highway at higher speeds with enough reserve power to pass other vehicles that are already doing 70MPH even with the A/C on. Thank goodness I felt the 3.3 engine was mandatory for me. On a smooth road surface the car rides on a cloud and when theres a bump or rough road surface the "sport suspension" shows up but the bumps are cushioned. So if you want a big old luxury car ride or a real sports car ride this car may not be for you as its a combination of both. There is some "road feel" through the steering wheel but not like a real sports model but overall this is a very nice vehicle and Im not sorry that I bought it. Just be aware of the older Toyota "dashboard" problem with cracking or feeling sticky and the pulling the left on some model years that Ive read about on-line. If the car pulls to the left dont rely on a wheel alignment to cure it. Find another Solara that doesnt pull to the left or that has a dashboard in better condition.

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  The Solara SLE will blow you away! - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By thetoolman - January 26 - 7:06 am

  No car is perfect but the Solara comes close. First the few cons: 1. If you are over six feet tall you will find the headroom tight especially in the rear. 2. The view out the rear window is poor. Other than that this car ROCKS! To have a smooth, powerful, reliable, beautiful loaded head turner of a car for under 27m is incredible. The interior is impeccable with high quality materials fit for the finest Lexus. Outside the car looks like the $64,000 Lexis SC430 except that it has a real back seat (roomy too!) and a big trunk. Go figure. The smooth powerful V6 is a joy to behold and the interior cabin seems soundproof. The SLE is loaded with features but the best feature is owning one.

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  24000 Miles in 1.5 Years - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By adhoc - January 19 - 6:13 pm

  After having this 5M 2dr SE sport for 18 months, I found the combination of its fuel efficiency and power was just ideal. This is my 15th car and I am pretty happy with 33-34 mpg on highway and acceleration after 40 mph. It runs like >200 HP on highway with a regular 2.4L 4-cyl engine. I had no problem since I got in Feb 2004.

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  from corollas to solara - 2002 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Richard Hughes - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Moving from 2 previous Corollas, this is a big up. Smooth exceration, quiet ride and excellent sound system. From previous Toyota experience reliablity should not be a concern.

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  $2000 to fix the head lights? - 2007 Toyota Camry Solara
  By kathleen - January 16 - 4:16 pm

  The problems that are popping up are rather disappointing. We have a 2007 Toyota Solara convertible with HID head lights. The head lights work when you first turn them on but one goes out after 10 seconds and the other goes out after about 20 minutes. I was floored when they stated the bulbs were $368.00 each, and they did not stock them. I went to an auto parts store and purchased a bulb for $89.00 but it did not fix the problem. I took it to the dealer to repair the lights when they informed us that it would cost $2000 to repair the system and it was not covered as our car has 40,000 miles on it and I voided because I put in an after market bulb. The problem has not been fixed yet.

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  Great Car! - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By doran - January 13 - 6:10 pm

  We bought our Solara new. We have the 4 cylinder engine with automatic transmission. We now have about 116,000 miles on it, and the only problem, the water pump had to be replaced at 69,000. What a great car, best weve owned. Uses no oil and we get from 23-26 around town and up to 34 on the highway. Its a dream to drive whether in town or highway, smooth and quiet. Still feels like a new car. Plenty of power for highway cruising and acceleration. Weve considered getting a new car, but why? Wouldnt be afraid to drive this cross country tomorrow.