2008 Toyota Camry Solara Consumer Reviews

End of the Line

Written by: RG on 10/21/2009

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6 2dr Convertible (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Convertible is one that actually can comfortably hold 4 - with my two active sons in the back seat. It has very nice ride, especially on the highway. Navigation system could be improved to allow adjustments while moving. Voice recognition better than others used. Overall an enjoyable car to take out on ride, especially on a nice sunny day, with enough room for the family and all the junk in the trunk.

Favorite Features

Convertible quick to go down, large back seat, interior finish excellent, large trunk, comfortable ride.

Suggested Improvements

Navigation system upgrade, updated exterior styling, more acceleration.

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All this and a bag of chips

Written by: keith on 10/05/2009

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6 2dr Convertible (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

This is my first non BMW car in 10 years. This is also my first Toyota ever. I am very surprised about the quality. Ride is a little noisy but it's a convertible. Other that that I love this car, smooth ride and with the top down it is the most fun car I have ever owned. Fits a family of four comfortably & I am lost without the nav. Besides normal maintenance have not had a problem since the day I rolled it off the lot, and I drive 150 miles a day.

Favorite Features

NAV. Big trunk. Turns heads (get a lot of compliments on it).

Suggested Improvements

Agree with all reviews... horrible blind spots. Convertible boot could be better and easier to install.

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08 Solara SE 4 Hardtop

Written by: Rob from Martinsburg on 05/20/2009

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SE 2dr Coupe (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

I bought this car for a great price towards the end of February. It's not the top of the line model but it has the moonroof, 6 disc, and the alarm system. Yes, there is some tranny lag and no, I haven't yet taken it in for the re-flash as I don't think that it will affect it much anyway. I've found that the slow shifts do not occur when the shifter is in manual shift mode & I'm having a blast shifting in manual through town and when merging. Gas MPG has improved @30 MPG combined with 4200 miles which is very acceptable being that my 05 XB gets 33 mpg. The Solara rides very smooth, the front strut tie bar keeps the front end flat and the trunk is huge. Headlights are great & cd display dim.

Favorite Features

Seat comfort, ride, handling, and MPG. I like that the gas tank is 18.5 gal for extended cruising. Headlight distance is excellent. Very quiet ride with the windows and roof closed. Lighted Gauge display is cool and 6 disc is good for road trips. LED tail lights and the exterior styling superb.

Suggested Improvements

Dim radio display, tranny lag, and no standard power seat on the SE model. USB input for the head unit should be standard. Rear seat armrest would be nice addition. Stock Michelin MVX4 tires are middle of the road performance at best. They don't grip particularly well in hard turns but ride smooth.

12 out 12 people found this review helpful

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End of the line

Written by: GM on 04/08/2009

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6 2dr Convertible (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I had reservations about buying a car I knew was no longer being manufactured. However, there simply is not a convertible out there that provides the smoothness, comfort, feature set, and room anywhere near this price point. And the close-out incentives were certainly compelling. This car is not about driving excitement. Freeway curves easily taken at 80 in my 3-series need to be adjusted down to 60 in the Solara. Acceleration is good, but not dramatic. However, everything about this car exudes refinement - whisper-quiet Lexus grade engine, solid thunk of the trunk, smooth switch gear, damped cup holder cover, efficient top mechanism.

Favorite Features

Feels rich, high feature content, expected Toyota reliability, quiet, comfortable, roomy, smooth, night sky above

Suggested Improvements

Massive blind spots, small rear window, need automatic panel to hide folded top mechanism (like my old Audi)

11 out 11 people found this review helpful

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Auto Trans lags badly

Written by: Torx55 on 01/13/2009

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SE 2dr Coupe (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

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 won't keep this Toyota for 150K miles as I did with the car I sold to get this 08. Very disappointing.

Favorite Features

Exterior, quiet ride, looks.

Suggested Improvements

Badly needs a redesigned auto trans. Radio dial hard to see during the day.

15 out 16 people found this review helpful

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Comfortable Convertible

Written by: Former Bmwer owner on 01/13/2009

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6 2dr Convertible (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

This is a very comfortable convertible and can actually hold two people in the back seat! The car has enough power for most situations. The trunk is great (roomy) for a convertible. Needs automatic seat adjustment, larger rear window, and a better navigation system. The navigation system will tell you to turn once you are past the turn!

Favorite Features

Comfort of the seats, roominess of the trunk.

Suggested Improvements

Have to continually adjust the seat if there is more than one driver. Visibility is POOR through the back window. Wish it had the navigation system in my Toyota Avalon - the one in the Solara is not good!

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Somewhat Disappointed

Written by: xwxman on 01/04/2009

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SE 2dr Coupe (2.4L 4cyl 5A)

Review

Disappointed that the new engine and trans needs a TSB update (0068-08) to fix poor shifting and acceleration. Disappointed that the radio display is very weak/dim and unviewable with sunglasses. Disappointed that the brakes grab and are noisy. Disappointed with rattles and squeaks that have already cropped up.

Favorite Features

Looks and style, good MPG, minimal maintenance required and large trunk.

Suggested Improvements

Make the radio display brighter. Bring back the coin holder. Turn signal flasher needs to be louder.

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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Absolutely Red

Written by: Dadeo on 12/16/2008

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6 2dr Convertible (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Car is for my wife. She wanted quiet, comfortable, sporty and spacious. Not an easy combination for a convrt under $30K. Tested: Sebring V6, Mustang V6 & VW Eos converts. Solara has best combination of space, features and price. This was 4th and last car we drove. She knew she wanted it at only 30 seconds into the test drive. Pluses 1. Top that does NOT fold down into fairly roomy trunk. You won't have to rearrange the contents of the trunk to put the top down. Ever. 2. Practically no engine and wind noise 3. Comfortable rear seating (true but hard to believe) 4. Solid comfortable ride & handling 5. Excelent ergos and cockpit for driver & front passenger 6. Peppy engine No Minuses

Favorite Features

Toyota has a unique combination of workmanship, ergonomics, engine performance, handling and functionality.

Suggested Improvements

The boot that covers the top when it is down needs to be easier to install, remove and store. Make it out of a flexible material that rolls up, takes less space when not in use, and can be inserted into a long lasting protective cover that can be safely stored in trunk. Clear plastic baggie is junk.

11 out 11 people found this review helpful

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Can't miss convertible

Written by: Jazbuf on 11/22/2008

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6 2dr Convertible (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

We test drove 2 other converts. and the Solara was by far the most comfortable and by far the most quiet, absolutely no wind noise. A wonderful car to drive with top up or down. My only disappointment was no back-up assist available,no power seats available on passenger side or 8cyl. up-grade. I would buy the same car again after driving it for one year.

Favorite Features

Larger than average trunk for a convert. Cup holder in console will accommodate 2 large cups and interior leather styling makes it look expensive.

Suggested Improvements

Offer options explained above that were not offered at the time I purchased.

5 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Rattles in back windows

Written by: RS on 09/10/2008

Vehicle

2008 Toyota Camry Solara SLE V6 2dr Convertible (3.3L 6cyl 5A)

Review

My retirement car after looking at many convertibles. Love the car with the top down, but hate it with the top up because of the rattles in the back side windows, especially the passenger side). On bumps or rough roads, the window sounds like it is going to fall out of track. It started when I drove it off of the dealership lot and I was assured it would be fixed, but after several attempts to fix it, including shims being put in the back side window and a tear in the headliner while trying to fix it, I have now been told by the dealership and Toyota Corp. that there is nothing that can be done, that it is problem with this model. A $32,000 car and nothing can be done!

Favorite Features

Interior is very comfortable and roomy and good trunk space. Good gas mileage. Top easy to put down

Suggested Improvements

Larger back window. Cannot see radio dials in daylight. Rattles in back side windows.

18 out 19 people found this review helpful

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