Solara Convertible 2006

[casinobabe]

Hello:
I am interested in any feedback on the 2006 Solara convertible.
I have put a deposit on it, but I am not sure if I should proceed in getting it. I have yet to own a car by Toyota. Does anyone have the 2006 Solara convertible? Can you send any feedback.
I have also never owned a convertible - but would really like to. Are there any downfalls? I live in Canada and yes....we have snowy winters - has anyone driven this car through snow?
Again, any feedback at all will help.
I have to make a decision soon:)
Thanks!

[JMSinMaryland]

We have owned Toyota's strictly since 1984 including an 84 Tercel, 92 Camry, 95 Avalon, 96 Camry, 99 Camry, 00 Camry, 01 Solara and 06 Highlander. Qualitywise you are getting the best car out there (excluding Lexus which Toyota builds). The vehicle is FWD so getting through winter should not be a problem. All of our Toyota's except the 06 have been FWD and nobody has ever gotten stuck. I love convertibles myself and the only downside I would see is a bit more noise coming through vs having a hardtop but there is nothing like the feeling of a convertible, to me its the closest thing to riding on a motorcycle. FREEDOM. Jon. p.s. there are about 5 Solara convertible owners that frequent this forum and I haven't heard any complaints.

[Sap Z]

the solara is probably one of the most spacious convertibles in the market. It actually has more legroom than many 4-doors. And the fact tht its a toyota means this car will run for yrs to come without giving u any mechanical problems.

are you looking for a smooth riding convertoble for everyday driving or a convertibla with a sporty stiff ride?
cuz then to get the stiffness you might have to make a few upgrades..

What are your other options - other cars i mean?

[casinobabe]

I am not sure of the other options.
I have gone to many car dealerships ...but I liked this the best. So, I stopped looking - for now.
What do you mean by "options?"

[casinobabe]

oooops- my bad- got distracted when writing..was on a call.
It should read what do you mean by "upgrades"?

[SleeperSolara]

Yeah compared to my bro's Honda Accord you have more adjustments to the driver seat.
His doesn't even move that far up like mine, it's like his car is for really tall people.
And his is a 2000 like mine.
Also mine has more leg room in the back compared to his.
So in other words Toyota has made some good quality cars.
My whole family owns Toyotas wit the exception of my bro's Accord.
Even my Aunts and Grandpa own Toyota's.
So you can see that Toyota cars run in our family.
Whe have a 1998 Toyota Camry V6, 2000 Toyota Solara V6, 2001 [ i think that right] Toyota Sienna, 1989 Toyota Camry, and the outcast my bro's 2000 Honda Accord I4 coupe.
So the new Solara would do well in the snow cause of FWD.

[Sap Z]

well upgrades as in..if u want ur car to ride like a sharp turning sprts car you would have to get a RSB, FSTB new springs maybe shocks etc.

now i'm not saying without upgrades the car drives bad in any shape or form..its just that IF you wanted high level rporty performance.

i myself like the car with out upgrades..i find the soft suspension to be more luxury.

[jimhild]

We took delivery of ours two weeks ago. Love It!!!

We have had several convertibles:

1988 Ford Mustang - two years 44,000 miles
1990 Chrysler TC by Maserati - five years, 66,000 miles
1998 Corvette Indy Pace Car!!!!! five years - 64,000 miles and 164 mph plus 29.5 mpg at 80 mph. Outstanding.

2004 Thunderbird two years, 24,000 miles, had to have a four door car.
2006 Solara two weeks, 750 miles

The Solara is outstanding, great gas mileage (over 32 on first tank on road trip). Lots of room, good size trunk. We enjoy golf and a criteria since the Mustang is that the car must hold two sets of clubs and luggage. Solara fits all the criteria.

We ordered the car with all options and in our opinion that is the right way to get the car. The Ground Effects look great. Navigation system performs flawlessly.

We don't have much snow here but the front wheel drive will take care of any issues. The handling and ride are excellent and the car is the quietest convertible with the exception of the Chrysler TC by Maserati.

In our opinion we want a convertible full time, hopefully we will be able to continue to do so. Our other car is the Chrysler 300 Hemi!

Go for it.

[jimhild]

Here is the link to our introduction and three photos of the 2006 Red Solara with Ivory interior.

http://www.solaraguy.org/viewtopic.php? ... highlight=

[MCOjerry]

Hello:
I am interested in any feedback on the 2006 Solara convertible.
I have put a deposit on it, but I am not sure if I should proceed in getting it. I have yet to own a car by Toyota. Does anyone have the 2006 Solara convertible? Can you send any feedback.
I have also never owned a convertible - but would really like to. Are there any downfalls? I live in Canada and yes....we have snowy winters - has anyone driven this car through snow?
Again, any feedback at all will help.
I have to make a decision soon:)
Thanks!

Hi there. I have a 2006 lunar mist SLE convertible. I have had it since April 2005 and love it...it's got a little boo boo now, so i can't drive it but, I love it.

The SLE comes with almost everything you could want but navigation. It gets great mileage for a V6. The LOWEST I have ever gotten as 22MPG (not sure what that is in KMPH), but I usually get better than that and I drive fairly hard on the engine.

Someone mentioned that the convertible would be noisier than a sedan. I have never had a convertible prior to this, but I don't find the noise level high at all.

The room in this convertible is awesome. I'm 6' tall and very comfortable in it...

I have also never owned another Toyota, but I am very happy. I really think that you will be happy too...the heated seats will come in handy in Canada

[JMSinMaryland]

Besides whose posted we have down2thec, PXLpainter, MrMikeL, swindler, mpvpapabear, Somedude?, dssdoc, Jason4424, MCOjerry, jimhild. I think that's plenty of people to ask. Jon.

[swindler]

I've had mine since June '05, but had it garaged for about two months. I am quite happy with the 8-9 months I've had to drive the car.

For me, I wanted a convertible for the spring and fall daytime drives and summer evening drives. (Usually a tad hot in Texas for full sun in the summer.) I needed something big enough to carry two sets of golf clubs, plus subwoofers, plus decent room for extra storage in the trunk, and it does that admirably - better than my old sedan. I needed something to occasionally carry one or two kids in the back. It's fine for that, although it's a little hard for adults to get in and out with the top up. It's a fun drive. The noise is not bad. Apparently, they designed the Gen 2 as a convertible first, and then designed the coupe around it. The wide tail of the Solara was engineered to reduce noise with the top up and down.

A big plus was that it's a Toyota, late in the model run, and built from the reliable Camry chassis. That equated to a reliable car with unmatched build quality and defect rates for cars in it's class - head and shoulders above other spacious convertibles like the Sebring. The Solara has been scoring high marks in the Consumer Reports and JD Power reliability ratings for several years.

I also wanted something a little sporty, and truthfully, the Solara was not my top choice there. I prefer styling with a little more muscle, but I've received a lot of compliments on the car, and I've become more fond of the styling over time.

As far as performance, it's NOT a sports car. The SLE V6 engine is adequate, but not much more pull than an upscale sedan. The handling was my greatest compromise in what I was looking for, as it rolls and dives through turns more than I wanted. The added weight and body flex of the convertible seem to make this a tad worse.

BUT, if you want that sports car edge, there is salvation. The RSB is a GREAT mod. It improves the handling tremendously. I paid under $150 shipped, and installed it myself in under a hour. As far as the engine goes, I've added the TRD muffler (just adds a nice grrr, no HP) and am waiting on the CP-e intake, which I think will give me a little more snap behind the pedal.

There are more effective mods that can be made (and I have made, in fact), but those three can be had for under $1K, can all be done by yourself with little expertise, and make a big change to the overall feel and response of the car. Lowering the car with tighter springs to further improve handling is probably also close to the top of the list, and is cherished by many in this forum for both the handling and looks.

Overall, I am VERY happy with the car, and can see myself owning it years and years down the road. I'm waxing my vehicle for the first time in a decade.

If you're looking for a quality built convertible, and a reasonable price, and comfortable performance, I don't see how you could go wrong here.

Hope this helped.

[MCOjerry]

^^nice write up Swindler

[Mr_Chunks]

ditto
haha
i like the new solaras. comfortable and powerful
but i like 1st gen's styling =]
my 2 pennies.

[casinobabe]

You are all gettine me super excited - I think that I am making a wise choice now.
I appreciate all the feedback