Things to know before buying a Solara

[wkbrdr91]

^^I don't mind being the chauffer, driving is what I like to do. I love cruising on the highway.

But exceptions would be rush hour traffic and windermere main street driving and getting stuck behind slow drivers.

I agree 120%

I just dont like everyone staining my Pathfinder

But ya i LOVE highway cruising.... this summer we drove cross country and did 87 the whole way... that was nice!!

[stayhumble]

So, can i assume a 4 cycl in leather is very rare to find?


also, do you guys agree that with soft driving, both the v6 and the i4 have the same mpg?

Also, would you guys recommend buying a solara at over 200,000 miles?

[SpeedySolara]

I wouldn't recommend buying a car that has 200K on it because it won't last that long or will incur you lots of repair expenses that could simply be money put to a car with less mileage. For the most part, you'll find that i4's have fewer options like no sunroof or leather. I'd recommend buying a V6 solara because its relatively fuel economic and is pretty decent in power. The question you need to ask yourself is what do you want and what you HAVE TO HAVE. That will start decreasing all your options but if you want all the fancy options just go with the SLE.

[02slera]

I would say the 4 cyl engine gets better economy than the v6 no matter how "easy" you drive the v6. Buying one with a v6 is about available power... you know, to merge on interstate or turn onto a busy street and get up to speed quickly. although i will say that i drove a friends 2010 corolla and it gets about 38 mpg and kinda surprised me in that it has ok pickup as well. all said its up to the purchaser to find that perfect balance between economy and power for their individual needs. As for me.. i like to go fast, the way i saw it was i could get a v8 and have more power, a 4cyl and have more mpg's or a v6 and be somewhere in the middle, so i got the 200hp v6

[mac-phisto]

i would assume the 2.2 in leather is hard to find, but you can always post a WTB on these forums for leather interior & you might get a hit.

i4 is for economy. v6 is for speed. which is more important to you? there you go - decision made.

i would drive a solara over 200k - mine has 160k & hums like a bird & i've had 2 toyotas before it (89 camry; 85 corolla) that were both great over 200k (the 89 camry went to dealer on trade-in at 489k!!). that said, i wouldn't pay a whole lot of money for a solara over 200k - $2000 tops. TOPS. i don't care if the thing is pristine. thems a lot o miles!

[stayhumble]

i was only asking about the v6 since a member here said it is almost the same as an i4 so i just wanted to verify with other drivers.


i dont want speed, been there done that. this is my 3rd car and is going to be a gas efficient car.

i dont mind cloth interior because leather seats cost only $200 if you know where to look.

do i4's not come with a sunroof? i think that is an important option for me.

[mac-phisto]

yes, my '99 i4 has a factory sunroof, so they are most certainly available. if your concern is economy definitely go i4. it still has pretty good pickup. only thing i don't like is when i'm loaded down with people - it loses most of its power then (esp. going uphill).

[stayhumble]

are there only cosmetic differences in the 1 and 1.5?

i notice the front fascia renewal and tail lights only.

[02slera]

I may be mistaken but i believe the wood grain is little different shade on the doors/dash sides. but on the console it was left the same. i dont know of any other differences other than.. with the front fascia you get 2 bulbs in each headlight, one does headlight and the other is DRL and high beam, my personal opinion is that the front on gen 1.5 looks a lot better stock for stock, but ive seen a few pics of gen1 solara's with custom grills that looks good. the tail lights i like the gen 1 better (just ordered some for my gen 1.5) but thats all personal preference. i can only list other options i have, not knowing if gen 1 had them available... power drivers seat, 6 disc cd changer (jbl system), digital climate controls, traction control, fold out rear cupholders (no rear ashtray), rear seats fold down.. this is a long post so ill stop here.. sorry.