Toyota did it again!
Pros:
Everything! Performance, styling, handling, comfort, reliability
Cons:
Like most imports--expensive parts.
The Bottom Line:
Don't wait. This car is a work of art.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
My husband wrote:
After working for a Toyota dealership and studying out the line-up of cars in 99, I convinced my folks to buy a new 99 Solara with the TRD package.
They were in the market for Pontiac's GTP, Chrysler's 300M, and several other autos. So I took them to a local show where they were going to have some Toyotas and there it was, a new TRD Solara. For those of you who don't know, TRD is Toyota Racing Development. They are the source of factory performance and racing parts for both production and specialized Toyotas.
This car (from the dealership) has an additional 5K in suspension and styling modifications on top of the already great setup. It's lowered with 17" TSW wheels, ground effects, front strut tower brace, Billstein struts, heavy duty springs, and TRD cosmetic accents.
Overall this car is amazing. For a full size fwd 2-door coupe, it handles like most 3 series BMW's. Its 200hp V-6 is torquey and pulls hard to the redline. The oversize Billstein struts maintain complete stability in the hard corners while the 4 wheel discs pull it to a stop in no time.
I can't say enough about the non-existent interior noise and the comfortable interior environment. The only drawback are the traditionally hard Camry/Solara seats.
If you're in to doing your own oil changes, you will probably question the motives of the engineers and their oil filter placement. Talk about a mess potential! The oil runs down the block onto frame components. Make sure you CLEAN, CLEAN, and CLEAN after an oil change.
One more thing. This is my mom's car and let me tell you, you'd think she was 22 all over again. She gets looks from guys younger than me, has a reputation with the local police dept, and thinks she is Shirley Muldowney (female drag racer).
This is how I would sum the Solara up:
Toyota has a great reputation and they have earned it. Factory service is far better than most imports.
Parts are on the high side.
Fantastic resale value.
Head turner.
Enjoy.