by njsolara » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:03 am
OK, here's the outcome. It turns out that the engine did overheat and caused the coolant to dump out onto my driveway. It's still in the shop and the tech fears it may have some internal engine damage due to some visible oil leakage around the head. They still haven't found the cause. They reluctantly decided to take the car back, so I decided to upgrade in the process. I now have a base SE with the V6, instead of the sport SE with a 4 cyl. The V6 seems to be better suited for this car and the whole package seems smoother overall. Hopefully this one will be a better experience.
With regard to chosing a Solara over another Mustang, that answer is simple - In addition to the Solara, I also own a 98 Corvette I purchased used two years ago. I've made the transition from Mustang owner to Corvette owner. I still have an appreciation for the Mustang, but rather than having two V8's in my stable, I opted for a comfortable, sporty coupe that can be driven in all four seasons (I reside in the northeast). The Solara was chosen as a daily driver, leaving the Vette for the sunny weekends. I orignally chose the four cylinder as a fuel saving option, but having had the V6 a few days now, I don't know why I even looked at it.
I also looked at the Accord XE, as well as the Sebring. In the end, I found the Solara to be the most comfortable, but the Accord felt sportier. The Sebring didn't do much for me, so that one was checked off the list. Ultimately, it was dealer's price that swayed me to the Toyota camp. They sold me the 4 cyl SE Sport in artic frost fully dressed (sunroof & JBL) for $21500. Honda, on the other hand, didn't budge much from sticker price.
Am I satisfied? Let's just say that I'm glad things are back to normal. My initial experience wasn't that great, but the dealer came through in the end. Despite my bad first impression, I did decide to stick it out and go with another Solara. Let me give it a year or two and I'll let you know if that was the right decision or not Here's food for thought - put yourself in my position and the first Ford you bought did this exact thing..would you be willing to give it a second chance if all the guys at a Ford forum told you it was an isolated event or would you bash it to no end?
. My buddy landon has one what blows the fan motor every 3 months WHY because the seal is a bad design and the dealer wants 200 for the UPGADE?, naw just replace the motor under warenty ummm yea. And my co worker Larry had his f150 tranny die after 3500 miles.
