09 Solara ?

[wayne rubel]

Is it true that there will not be a 09 Solara.
Am I right in thinking this will make my 05 convertible hold its value better?

tia

[Gangis]

Yes, the 2008 model is the last.

I don't know about the value, however.

[Black Bob]

Despite the negative press on some of the quality issues on some Toyotas the Solara line never had any, I suspect the value will hold strong and trend like it has in the past even after 2008. In other words, it's not going to tank like a Buick LeSabre. Wishful thinking is that more Americans would say "dang, I didn't notice that fine car til they stop makin' em, I wonder if I can get a used one" and demand would rise and supply would fall whereby it would attain collector status and I'd sell mine to get a BMW M6 with money left over........wishful thinking.

[someazn]

Toyota will regret discontinuing the Solara and replacing it with a SUV version of the Sienna -_- I mean seriously, they discontinued the Celica, MR2, and the Solara just to add move SUVS on the road? With these gas prices, they're not going anywhere with more SUVS. Horrible decision by Toyota, I am disgusted.

[linmk2]

This SUV is at the North American Auto Show. I guess the front end may would been what the 09 Solara would have looked like As to why Toyota thought this car would appeal to current Solara owner, I'll never know. I think is more of a case of the Solara did not sell well, so Toyota did not what plant space to go to waste.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gall ... 817&Ref=PH

[dvdchris45]

This SUV is at the North American Auto Show. I guess the front end may would been what the 09 Solara would have looked like As to why Toyota thought this car would appeal to current Solara owner, I'll never know. I think is more of a case of the Solara did not sell well, so Toyota did not what plant space to go to waste.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gall ... 817&Ref=PH

it looks like a camry suv

[woa_its_j3ff]

I think they never should've discontinued the mr2s or the solara.. but w/e.. the celica??.. id still prefer those over a tc, but thats just me.

[NightRider]

I think they never should've discontinued the mr2s or the solara.. but w/e.. the celica??.. id still prefer those over a tc, but thats just me.

I used to own a 2k Celica GTS 6-speed and she was a sexy daily driver. Fun and sleek and always turned heads the tC is garbage compared to a Celica I say. To each his/her own though. Here's an old picture of my Celica, sad that they discontinued this car.

[PhreakdOut]

Toyota will regret discontinuing the Solara and replacing it with a SUV version of the Sienna -_- I mean seriously, they discontinued the Celica, MR2, and the Solara just to add move SUVS on the road? With these gas prices, they're not going anywhere with more SUVS. Horrible decision by Toyota, I am disgusted.

Remember, they didn't replace the Solara with the upcoming Venza. The two vehicles are different market segments. They discontinued the Solara which was decreasing in sales year over year. At its peak, it sold nearly 50K units per year and dropped rapidly to nearly 30K with 50% being convertibles.

So they moved it out of production and put in a crossover vehicle which sells like Mocha Lattes to Soccer Moms.

With the US Dollar being so weak, it is in Toyota's best interest to move as much high volume production here and leave the lower volume vehicles to being produced overseas.

As Toyota moves high volume export business from Japan to North America; it will open production in Japan. Toyota NEVER closes a production plant. It is bad for their image. So low volume vehicles can be produced in place of the projects moved overseas.

The next two projects to move are:
> RAV4 to Woodstock, Ontario Canada (New Plant)
> Highlander to Tupelo, MS (New plant)

Other projects that need to move are:
> 4Runner (based on the Tacoma platform)
> FJ Cruiser (based on the Tacoma platform)
> Prius (Need to move Hybrid engine production to US)
> Scion products (This is likely to happen to help meet CAFE requirements and keep Tundra production in USA)

Give Toyota time, their offerings should improve as soon as they are done expanding in the USA and shifting production around.

[Black Bob]

From a business standpoint I hate to agree with Toyota's decision. If I was a stockholder I would have to objectively wonder why a company would further develop a midsize, two-door, 4 seater for a market and demographic that's been telling them for years they are not going to buy it. You can't include the Scion tc in this argument because it involves Toyota strictly targeting the young demographic; Toyota is still waiting to see which way the wind blows on that car line. Rest assured, if the Scion doesn't make money that whole line will be yanked.
I think Toyota is trying to stay ahead of the curve of needless production, unlike Pontiac that still decided to continue building Aztek SUVs for 5 years after it failed to make 1/3 of it's projection during it's first year and couldn't cover the cost of manufacturing since.

I'm sad about the end of the Solara too but when you don't see one everyday and love that feeling of unique-ness, there is a price to pay.

[wayne rubel]

Mine is a stock 05 convertible, arctic frost and I still have strangers say to me ,"nice car" . That makes it worth a lot more in my books.

[JMSinMaryland]

Toyota discontinued the Supra due to lack of demand. As a business they are making the right decision by eliminating the cars that don't sell well. Unfortunately it seems that Toyota's big sellers are plain and boring. The Solara was never a high volume car compared to the 4 door Camry. Toyota doesn't need two 2-door cramped cars like the Celica AND tC in their lineup either, 1 is almost one too many. I think the only reason the LandCruiser is still in production is the lineage that it has, otherwise if Toyota came up with a vehicle that (I believe) sells 1300 worldwide a year it would be gone within the 1st year.

[PXLpainter]

LOL - the Camry Wagon makes a return!

Seriously - unless it's a plug-in Hybrid, it won't sell any better...

[cuznlucky]

Toyota has a habit of getting rid of it's coupes and hatchbacks!! Which seriously sucks in my opinion because they always make the nicest 2 door and hatchback vehicles.

1st gen Paseo, 2nd gen MR2, 5th & 7th gen Celica, Supra, & Solara all look great IMHO and all had a place in the auto market.

Hopefully they'll make the Scion Fuse Concept!!! That thing is pretty crazy.

DAMNIT TOYOTA BRING BACK A SPORTY 2 DOOR!!!!

[Boggy]

yep i'm kinda pissed with Solara's discontinuation....i drive a 2003, Arctic frost coupe (SLE coupe) with a set of 18's on it

i was planning to buy brand new in 2008 or 2009, but now plans are gone =(

the Venza is like a crossover Camry............not Sienna.