To put it simply, the Toyota Solara wasn’t comfortable or sporty enough. Car and Driver couldn’t have said it better when they said: “The Solara Coupe is supposed to be a sporty version of the Camry but it’s always been very different.” Also, the second generation Solara that debuted in 2004 used the same equipment as the last model Camry and had less horsepower, which contradicted the Solara’s sporty intentions.
It wasn’t all bad, though. The Toyota Solara’s cabin was ergonomic, well-built, and well-equipped. Since it’s a “sportier” Camry, the ride isn’t as comfortable as it is grippy. The second Solara came with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder and a modified 3.3-liter 225-horsepower V6, but no last word on performance and low torque. Another disappointment is the five-speed manual transmission, which was not available in the V6 model, and the solara convertible’s floppy chassis.
Toyota
Compounding the problem is the dwindling trend of two-door sports coupes, in favor of crossovers and SUVs. Solara sales have fallen through the roof since 2005 when Toyota discontinued the range in 2008 and hoped to sell the remaining Solara convertibles in its inventory (accounting for 70% of sales versus 30% for the Solara coupe), but the future had other plans.