Toyota Camry Solara Review

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SLE Coupe Shown

Introduced as sportier siblings to the mainstay midsize Camry sedan, the Toyota Camry Solara coupe and convertible have 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 has never offered much in terms of excitement, but that hasn't prevented it from being a popular choice for a midsize two-door.

For both generations of the Solara, rear-seat room is generous and safety ratings and feature content are impressive. Smooth four-cylinder or V6 power resides under the hood, and overall the Toyota Camry Solara is reasonably priced and offers great value considering all that it delivers.

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 current Camry Solara convertible's traditional fabric top can be seen as a bit dowdy given that many competing models now 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.

Current Toyota Camry Solara

The Toyota Camry Solara is based on the previous-generation (2002-'06) Camry sedan. It's available as a midsize coupe or convertible in SE, SE Sport and SLE trim levels. The base SE is decently equipped with most modern convenience features, while the Sport version adds a firmer suspension, 17-inch wheels, an exterior body kit, xenon HID headlights and unique interior trim. The top-drawer SLE provides a few extra luxury-oriented standard features. Major options include stability control and a navigation system.

The standard engine on the Camry Solara coupe is 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. Optional on coupes and standard on convertibles is a 3.3-liter V6 rated at 210 horses and 220 lb-ft of torque. No manual transmission is available with this smooth engine, but the automatic is 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 delivers a comfortable ride. The added stiffness of the SE Sport model gives it enough capability to have some fun through corners while still maintaining the civilized ride quality of the other models.

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 raises and lowers in just 10 seconds, and stows neatly under a tonneau cover that matches the color of the interior.

This second-generation Camry Solara has been available since the 2004 model year, including a slight styling refresh. Changes since then have been minimal. The most significant occurred in 2006 when the optional automatic transmission on four-cylinders was upgraded to a five-speed unit.

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 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.

SELECT A SPECIFIC TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA MODEL YEAR*

* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.