Japanese engineering, European flare
Pros:
Oodles of oomph, loads of luxury.
Cons:
Minor annoyances only. Nothing mechanical.
The Bottom Line:
If you gave me a BMW, I'd still drive my Solara.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
We bought our 99 Solara to replace a mini-SUV after moving from the mountains of Colorado to the flats of Texas. We needed a highway car and this one has fit the bill perfectly.
We got the car used (70k miles) and were lucky to find a V6 SLE gold package. We've put over 40k miles on the car this year and have nothing but praise.
The leather interior is as nice as any European coupe. The seats are soft and comfortable. The factory sound system is clear and ample. Being 6'2", I really appreciate the roominess. The trunk is surprisingly large and easily fits luggage for the two of us on two week vacations. With the rear seats folded down, we can fit out snowboards back there!
The V6 is really amazing. Even with the automatic transmission, I can spin the tires if I want to (not that I'd do such a silly thing). I put the car to the test on a long trip through the plains of eastern Colorado. Imagine 300 miles of straight road with nothing to see but wheat fields. The car handled beautifully and didn't even get hot for over two hours of 110 mph plus driving. (If you tell this to a cop, I'll deny it.) I've also out run a few punk kids who didn't know how to drive their 5.0 Mustangs. (I'll deny that too. Street racing is dangerous, especially for punk kids.)
Here in the DFW area, it has proved itself a real trooper on rough highways, frequently covered by heavy rain. It handles easily and corners with the best of them.
My only complaint about the car is the "amenities" are too smart. For instance, it is impossible to lock the keys in the car. If the keys are in the ignition, the doors won't lock. Yes, that's a good thing, unless you're trying to warm it up in your drive way and don't want it stolen. Also, you can't turn off the lights at night. It's nice that it turns them on for you and keeps you from leaving them on in the parking lot, but if you need to blink your lights at a truck or something, you can't. You also can't use the fog lights without turning on the headlights. I thought that's what fog lights were for.
Still, these annoyances are not enough to tarnish my opinion of the Solara. It is a real dream car.
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