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Toyota Solara sheds its lid in a slick new convertible issue
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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WICKENBURG, Ariz. -- With a tap to a toggle, the soft top on Totota's so smooth Solara two-door coupe rises through motorized means, folds in several creases, then tucks down into a well located behind the second seat.
Pop, flip, fold and drop: When that lid disappears into the trunk, Solara effectively transforms itself from refined coupe to an airy and expressive convertible.
Bright desert sunlight suddenly filled Solara's cockpit when we popped the top at a drive-in malt shop on U.S. 60 in Wickenburg during a morning's drive through Arizona on a course that began in Phoenix and would conclude at noon with a wiggly route through the Weaver Mountains to Prescott.
On the run west out of Phoenix, we crossed the flat Sonoran Desert on I-10 with Solara's top raised.
Despite the speed, Solara's lid seated tightly and locked out desert heat and wind, leaving driver and passenger sheltered in an insulated cabin that seemed as quiet as a coupe.
With lid removed, Solara became a different vehicle.
Open and exposed to the sun and warm air, the convertible forced its riders to confront the natural world around them, and the sensation became exhilarating. Wind whistled in the ears as we zipped up route 89 into the hills as scents off the desert tuned our senses to the landscape.
On the long and winding grade that climbs up from low desert to lofty plateau in the mountains, the Solara demonstrated it possessed more than an open-faced smooth shape because the V6 engine surged through the fast lane, easily passing a long line of semi-rig freight haulers.
Then through the mountains on a narrow back road draped over ridges and valleys, Toyota's convertible also proved it could glide around curves and corners while maintaining a flat stance that mimics the firm and agile dexterity of Solara's hard-roof coupe.
Of course, the convertible edition contains all of the mechanical components found in the Solara coupe, including the taut independent suspension and quick rack and pinion steering system.
In fact, the convertible Solara starts out as a coupe.
Toyota produces it as the coupe variation on a Canadian assembly line in Cambridge, Ontario, beginning with the framework. The convertible conversion occurs at a nearby facility operated by ASC, where the superstructure of the shell is removed and body-stiffening reinforcements are installed to maintain the coupe's structural rigidity.
That modified shell goes back to the Toyota factory for painting and the installation of mechanical hardware and interior components, then the package returns to ASC for fitting of the soft-top rigging, windows and final trim elements.
Admittedly, it's a complicated production process from start to finish but the result amounts to a rigid convertible imbued with all of the refined manners and crisp driving traits of the Solara coupe.
Our time behind the wheel of Solara's ragtop revealed a bulletproof execution: It's virtually perfect in action, tone and appearance.
Creating the perfect car is a feat already familiar to automotive developers at Toyota, which builds America's best-selling sedan, the mid-size Camry, at a Toyota assembly plant in Kentucky along with an expanded full-size version called Avalon.
Both Camry and Avalon ride and drive with the precise attitude of a premium luxury machine like those by Lexus, the elite spin-up brand by Toyota, and many of the engineering advances by Lexus for ride quality and the control of noise and vibration show up in Camry and Avalon.
These impressive traits also apply to the Solara, since the two-door is derived from the four-door Camry.
Solara and Camry share the same chassis, the same four-cylinder and V6 engines and the same transmissions, as well as suspension, brakes and steering gear. Tweaking the suspension settings and adding special structural braces to Solara forges a firmer ride quality.
However, the Solara wears its own sheetmetal with unique styling, as devised by Toyota's design center in Newport Beach, Calif.
Solara's smooth face shows a rakish hood and rounded prow with sculptured body-colored bumper and narrow grille in chrome integrated between composite headlamps that swirl around the front corners.
When measured against the Camry, Solara's laid-back windshield initiates a rise to the roof sooner so it effects a smoother transition between hood and glass. This sets up a clean aerodynamic sweep over the roof to the cropped tail.
The convertible's fabric soft-top, available in either black or camel color, closely follows the coupe's lines and installs a fixed pane of glass in back.
Solara's slippery shell envelops a passenger compartment of ample proportions, and measurements sort it to the mid-size class. The wheelbase extends to 105 inches, with overall length drawn at 190 inches and a width of 71 inches. Such a long and broad package translates to superior room inside for passengers, particularly in the rear seat where space for heads and legs is surprisingly generous.
The cockpit contains two bolstered bucket seats separated by a console that cradles two flap-lid cupholders, the emergency hand brake and automatic transmission lever. Side rails of the console sweep forward and roll up into the central dashboard to define controls for the audio and climate systems in a stack with integrated air vents.
Analog gauges of the instrument panel with white-on-black graphics appear big and easy to see.
For power, Solara provides two choices.
A base twin-cam 2.2-liter four-cylinder plant delivers 135 hp, but the 3.0-liter V6 -- in twin-cam format with 200 hp available -- sends a kick to the throttle. Each engine combines with a quiet and efficient automatic four-speed transmission with electronic controls and high-gear lockout from a finger button located on the shifter lever.
Three trim designations vary with powertrain and appointments. The Solara SE stocks the four-cylinder engine and brings the best price points, starting around $25,500. Mid-level SE V6 installs the V6 and offers optional luxury items in packages. Top-end Solara SLE V6 with deluxe features mimics expensive luxury imports in content and action but not on the bottom line, as it caps at $31,500.
Air conditioning ranks as standard equipment on all issues, along with power windows and door locks, cruise control and a deluxe AM/FM/cassette/CD system.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2001 TOYOTA SOLARA Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size convertible
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| Model Options: |
Mid-size convertible
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| Wheelbase: |
105.1 inches
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| Overall Length: |
190.0 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.2-L I4
DOHC 3.0-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
I4: Power disc/drum/ABS opt.
V6: Power 4-disc/ABS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + opt. 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
I4 A/4: 23/30 mpg
V6 A/4: 19/27 mpg
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| Price: |
$ 25,500 to $ 31,500 |
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