Long-Term Test: 2005 Toyota Camry Solara Convertible

Not many convertibles see duty in the Edmunds.com long-term test fleet. The reason for that is quite simple: In our efforts to stock the fleet with the cars and trucks most people are driving, niche sellers like convertibles usually don't make the cut. However, much like our long-departed 1999 Mazda Miata, the second-generation Toyota Camry Solara (redesigned for 2004) is an exception to the rule: It's a desirable car likely to attract buyers who ordinarily might not consider a drop top.

Built on the current Camry sedan platform, this Solara is larger than its predecessor and carrying four adults is now a comfortable proposition. The convertible now has its own body (and isn't merely a chopped version of the Solara coupe), resulting in substantially improved handling dynamics. Acceleration was never a strong point of the old Solara, but a standard 225-horsepower, 3.3-liter V6 keeps its successor up to speed with other cars in this price range. Perhaps best of all, Toyota designers went all-out on the interior, creating an environment worthy of a Lexus badge. Is this a package that will appeal to consumers with about $30,000 to spend on a vehicle that's more about pleasure than practicality? After spending a week with a Solara over the summer, we think so.

But real Solara buyers will likely find themselves driving it even when the weather is rainy and cold. So we've decided to put Toyota's four-seat convertible to the 365-day test to find out if the enjoyment lasts through the winter. Urban commutes and breezy drives up the coast are certainly on the menu, but the Solara will also serve as a typical daily driver when the weather is less cooperative.

We gave our consumer advice experts, Philip Reed and Mike Hudson, the task of buying a Solara for our long-term fleet. Mike offered this lengthy report:

"After using Edmunds.com's TMV pricing tool, we learned that the 2005 Toyota Solara convertible was in hot demand, typically selling right at the sticker price. We originally were trying to locate the base SE model in black. This turned out to be impossible to locate on a dealer lot. After a few phone calls and e-mail inquiries, however, you learn that dealers will never tell you they don't have a car — they can always 'get it for you with a few days' from another dealership. This is a bit of a false promise, as it turns out. First, they often haven't even looked up the car to see if they can indeed get one. They just want to get you into their dealership so they can get you to buy a car they do have. Second, when they do locate the exact car you want, they won't often be able to secure it, because few dealers who have a Solara convertible want to trade it away to another dealer because of the high-profit margin. On the plus side, when you talk to someone on the phone, they will often make an offer of $650 over invoice, or some similar price. This is telling because it shows they already know people who are buying cars through the Internet know about invoice prices. So you get that much more respect just by dealing with the Internet department.

"With all this in mind, we hit the streets to try and find one the old-fashioned way. We started at Toyota of Cerritos, followed by two dealerships in Long Beach. In Cerritos, the salesman seemed very confused by our need for such a specific car, but promised he could find one. We left after taking his card.

"In Long Beach, we were basically laughed out of the dealerships after making offers. Salesmen approached us, asked us what we wanted, soon discovered that we knew about the true price of the car and somewhat reluctantly took our first offers up to their superiors. Because our offer was well below the sticker price they were used to getting for these cars — $2,000 to $3,000 less — a manager would kill the deal immediately. In fact, it appeared they instructed the salesman to quit working with us. In one case, the salesman returned without the deal worksheet, throwing his hands in the air saying, 'Your offer has been rejected.' In another, the sales manager returned in lieu of the salesman and basically insulted our offer, questioned why we had even come to his dealership and directly refused to negotiate a price. They wanted us off the lot before we started talking about invoice in front of other customers, it seemed.

"With this, we gave up and hit the phones. After talking with a helpful Internet sales manager at Carson Toyota, we discovered the only two black Solara convertibles in California at the moment were just down the street from our office at Toyota Santa Monica. But they were the more expensive SLE models. We checked with the dealership and found that because they didn't have navigation systems, they would only be around $1,000 more than the SE model and a decision was made to get the SLE.

"We called Santa Monica and acted just like a normal customer. We were specific in what we wanted and the salesman offered sticker price, which was soon replaced — with little negotiation — by $800 under sticker, a very good deal using TMV as a baseline. With a little more pressure (and a willingness to put the sale on the line), we were able to agree to $1,000 under sticker price, essentially the price we would have paid for the SE model from a regular salesman.

"Only then did we let on that we were from Edmunds.com, and it soon became apparent that we would be getting special treatment. The salesman and sales manager both met with us and talked about how they used TMV as a tool to negotiate with customers and often saw customers walk in waving TMV pricing in their faces. The sales staff didn't make us put down a deposit, nor did they try to sell us the LoJack theft-recovery system ($800) or paint protection coating ($495) — add-ons of dubious value that dealers often install on cars that are in high demand.

"This experience reaffirmed the necessity of arming yourself with pricing information before walking into a dealership. Better yet, it showed how you can maximize your time, effort and budget by cutting the traditional dealership experience altogether and using the Internet to secure a deal."

Only a handful of editors have gotten seat time in the Solara thus far, but Senior Content Editor Erin Riches logged close to 2,000 miles behind the wheel. Erin came away from the experience with a healthy glow and some definite opinions about the Solara's worth as a midsize convertible. She was most impressed by the level of luxury inside the cabin. "Not only is every single surface in there of outstanding quality, but the way everything fits together is so precise and tight," she observed.

"Most Camrys look nice on the inside," Erin continued, "but our Solara convertible's ultrasoft leather, classy silver-tone controls and convincing faux cherry wood trim truly make it feel like a Lexus. It would probably sell just as well if it was renamed the Lexus ES 330 Convertible."

The plushness of the driver seat only added to our editor's impression that she was driving a luxury car. "The shaping of the seats isn't the greatest (a complaint I've had about other Camry variants of this generation)," she admitted, "but the cushioning in the Solara is so soft and luxurious that you could easily mistake these for ES 330 seats. Once I resolved to sit back and enjoy the ride, the driver seat became a big easy chair for me — not a bad place to go at the end of the day."

Although the arrival of colder weather necessitated that the majority of these end-of-the-day drives be made with the top up, Erin took advantage of the milder, sunnier fall days and did some open-air commuting. Preparing for top-down adventures, she found, can be both simple and time-consuming, depending on what kind of Solara owner you are. From the logbook:

"I don't really like the idea of dealing with latches on a power-operated top, but this pair is easy to undo. They're also easy to resecure, thanks to a well-placed grab handle on the front edge of the top that aligns it just right. Once unlatched, the top goes down quickly and you can be on your way. Except that unless you take the time to install the separate soft tonneau cover, the top is vulnerable to flying debris. The owner's manual provides instructions for installing the cover, and although it's a straightforward process that gets easier with practice, I broke a few nails during the first couple days. Regardless, if you're one who feels obligated to install the soft cover every time, it definitely takes some of the spontaneity out of top-down driving. The cover can be folded up when not in use, but it's still a bulky item that takes up a good portion of the trunk. I only installed the wind blocker (windscreen) on one occasion. I followed the instructions that came with it and thought I had done it correctly, but five miles down the freeway, the screen flopped down. I didn't bother with it after that."

Once these minor hassles were out of the way, Erin was free to enjoy the drive. "The Solara is very pleasant to drive with the top down," she jotted in her notes. "Even though I didn't use the wind blocker, the cockpit certainly wasn't turbulent. With the windows rolled up, even a cool evening in the 60s lends itself to topless driving.

"One thing I found odd was that the seat heaters have only a single setting — very unusual these days, especially in a convertible. In any case, this wasn't ideal for top-down driving on cooler evenings, as the heater unit cycled between cooking my back side and providing no warmth at all. Ultimately, I switched it off and blasted the heat instead."

Erin reported that driving with the top up wasn't as annoying as in other soft-top convertibles. "Visibility to the rear corners isn't very good of course, but the Solara's relatively low beltline and large back window provide better-than-expected sightlines. And the auto-dimming driver-side and rearview mirrors took some of the strain out of driving at night."

Generally, you can expect a noisier ride when driving a soft-top convertible, but except for a little extra wind noise, the Solara proved to be a serene companion. Much of the credit goes to its 3.3-liter V6, which Erin described as "utterly quiet and refined." She added, "Competing V6s may offer more muscle, but none can match this engine's near silent operation."

The five-speed automatic transmission strives to complement the engine's reserved demeanor by executing upshifts so smooth that the driver is scarcely aware of them. The downside is that it's unlikely to meet the needs of performance-seeking drivers. From Erin's notes: "The transmission upshifts early for the sake of fuel economy, hesitates a bit before downshifting and doesn't respond well to overly aggressive driving. Stomp on it abruptly in traffic and it leaves you waiting for a second or two — long enough for the motorist in the next lane to close the gap you had your eye on. Once I made the decision to ease up a little on the aggression, the tranny and I got along fine. In fact, this more leisurely approach to commuting made for a relaxing month. Still, enthusiast types are likely to find it unresponsive."

The Solara doesn't ride and handle like an athlete, either, but it's not so soft that it couldn't be enjoyed on the occasional back road, Erin thought. "I noticed a small amount of cowl shake (more so with the top down), but considering its large size, the Solara is pretty structurally rigid for a convertible. Ride quality is plush on the highway. Handling is secure around sweeping turns, but overall, it does not feel as sharp as the Solara coupe or Camry SE sedan.

"The steering has a dead spot on-center that makes the Solara feel a little sloppy when cruising on the freeway. Off center, it's a very precise setup with light, but not too light weighting. As on other Camry variants, the turning radius is small for a car this size, making it easy to maneuver in the city. The brakes, meanwhile, feel natural from the moment you first get behind the wheel."

Erin spent considerable time driving in the rain this month. Roadways can be especially slick in Los Angeles (where it hardly ever rains), but the Solara's 17-inch Bridgestone Turanza tires generally offered good grip in these situations. There were several instances, however, when standing water on the road made Erin wish that our long-term car had the optional stability and traction control system ($650).

Our editor also wished that Toyota offered a better sound system for the Solara, even if you had to pay extra for it. Our SLE model came standard with a 315-watt JBL system, but despite that impressive output rating, Erin still wasn't happy. "The audio system is simple to use, thanks to the large, well-organized buttons and knobs on the head unit, and the handy secondary buttons on the steering wheel. Unfortunately, I did not really enjoy the listening experience. Separation was mediocre no matter what kind of music I loaded into the CD changer. And even with the bass setting at a moderate level, bass-heavy metal and hip-hop tracks taxed the speakers to the point that mysterious thumping sounds (that weren't part of the songs in question) began emanating from the speakers. On the positive side, the stereo can at least be heard when driving with the top down, provided you're prepared to crank the volume."

The Solara also offered plenty of storage areas for our would-be audiophile's CD collection. "I like the storage compartment under the center stack," Erin wrote, "but you have to load CD cases just right or the door won't close. The door bins hold a decent amount of stuff as well."

Rarely does our editor travel without bottled water, so she of course had an opinion on the cupholders as well. "The two in the console are nicely designed so that they can accommodate beverages of all sizes, though they're not so good at securing king-size 1.5-liter bottles of water, which have a tendency to flop forward and push the gear selector to neutral."

All in all, it was a promising start for the Solara. Although its relaxed demeanor wasn't the best match for our senior content editor, Erin thinks it would be an excellent choice for anyone who wants a premium convertible but isn't comfortable spending $40,000-plus on one of the more exclusive nameplates. "With few exceptions, the Camry Solara convertible looks, feels and drives like a luxury car," she wrote." I think that if half of all potential Lexus SC 430 buyers did a reality check, they would find that the Solara fulfills their desires just as well. And it costs half as much and has a fully usable backseat."

Is the Solara the new value story among four-seat convertibles? Possibly, but we'll let a few more editors drive it before we deliver our verdict.

Current Odometer: 2,241
Best Fuel Economy: 24.4 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.5 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 21.0 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None

"I think it's fair to say that this car wasn't built with me in mind," Photo Editor Scott Jacobs lamented as he spoke about our long-term Toyota Camry Solara. Though Scott did move a notch up in age with his 33rd birthday not too long ago, his sentiments that this car is built for someone older than himself aren't without merit. Several other editors and their passengers have felt the same way. The shared opinion doesn't mean that the car is bad in any way; it's just not the right car for them.

Scott admits that four-seat convertibles don't usually get second looks from him. "I'm a bit of a convertible snob," he quipped. "I firmly believe that convertibles should only have two seats and their windows are required to be down when the top is flipped back." Thankfully, Toyota has made at least the latter part of Scott's convertible credo a snap with a switch that operates all four windows at once. Though not an uncommon feature on most convertibles these days, the convenience is greatly appreciated. "I drive up and down the Pacific Coast Highway all the time for work," Scott wrote in the logbook. "Natural beauty like that is best absorbed with open sky."

For his coastal cruising comfort, Scott found the two-stage heated seats a blessing since the drive can get rather chilly at times. Their abundant warmth and comfort afford Scott a satisfying way to adhere to his drop-top principles.

While the heated seats kept Scott toasty, he found the ride of the Camry Solara to be quite comfortable, though it pushed too far into the soft side for his taste. Without the structural integrity of a solid fixed roof, a convertible of this size can have plenty of chassis flex. That, combined with its softly tuned suspension, means that the Solara works best primarily for straightaway cruising.

"Working with the Edmunds video crews up in the scenic hills of Malibu, I found that our Camry Solara couldn't handle the curves at all," Scott commented. "It squealed at every corner with the slightest amounts of speed." While his experiences aren't a prime example of normal everyday driving, they quickly showed our staff shutterbug the Solara's true nature. Though he could appreciate the plush ride comfort the Toyota Camry Solara affords, he prefers a more stiffly tuned and sportier ride.

One of the biggest gripes Scott had about our long-term convertible was the transmission. The principles of "soft and comfortable" were in full effect here as well. His sporty and aggressive driving style was completely mismatched to the transmission's hesitancy to shift quickly. Scott found that to keep the car performing the way he wanted, he had to keep the shifter placed in third at all times. To his surprise, he discovered that several other editors were applying the same shift technique to suit their driving needs.

While the slow-paced shifts don't suit many of our editors' spirited driving styles, they do result in silky-smooth and almost unnoticeable gear changes. The reluctant transmission did seem to sap a lot of the power that our Camry's V6 can produce. "Keeping the transmission in third at all times seemed to keep the car a little more spirited," Scott wrote in the logbook. "But I've got a fever, and the prescription is more performance. Unfortunately, this powertrain offers no cure."

The interior of our Camry continues the principle of "soft and comfortable" with a soothing appearance. The dash, center stack and stereo have clear and light-color plastics accented with light green lighting. It's all very pleasant to look at, though Scott felt it doesn't evoke much of an emotional response. "It's nice, but it's just not very exciting."

An issue that almost any soft-top convertible will have is road noise. Our Camry isn't immune to this problem. Scott found that listening to talk radio, something he enjoys doing over long drives, is nearly out of the question. "The constant drone of the road makes discerning voices from all the noise nearly impossible," grumbled Scott. "I either had to blast the stereo, which doesn't mean it'll be clearer, or just try to listen to music which isn't a much better alternative."

Our long-term Camry isn't exactly Scott's cup of tea, but like we said, that doesn't mean that it's a bad car. Yeah, it may not be the most exciting car ever made, but the Camry Solara convertible is a car that's quite sensible, quite comfortable and quite enjoyable. Combine those positive attributes with Toyota's bulletproof reputation for reliability and traditionally high resale values, and the Camry becomes quite an attractive option.

If you're looking for a four-seater drop top that rides like a dream and has a well-trimmed cabin at a price that won't break the bank, then the Camry Solara should definitely be at the top of your short list.

Current Odometer: 8,319
Best Fuel Economy: 25.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 9.3 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 18.2 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None

Serving — among other things — as the unofficial camera car for the Edmunds video department, our 2005 Toyota Camry Solara takes on the daunting challenge of chasing everything from Pontiacs to Porsches on twisty mountain roads. Playing catch-up with lead-footed road test editors would, in our ideal world, be performed in a car with a smooth-as-glass ride (so the camera is isolated from bumps), seamless shifting (again, to yield jerk-free shots), and voluminous cargo space for production equipment. Sensible needs, indeed.

And for the most part, our Solara has been responding well to those demands.

On one hand, the 225-horsepower, 3.3-liter V6 is silky smooth and surprisingly quiet. However, when it's pushed hard, a lack of low-end torque forces the indecisive five-speed automatic to downshift abruptly, resulting in agonizing pauses punctuated by awkward lurches. In addition to the obvious inelegance of mechanical indecision, another unwanted side effect is avant-garde camera moves.

Comfort is clearly the Solara's priority, as ride quality is excellent thanks to a relatively long wheelbase, refined suspension tuning and squishy tires. However, aggressively pitching the Solara into turns forces the sidewalls to fold, the front end to push stubbornly and the chassis to flex in protest. Crossing the Solara's low handling limits can be frustrating, particularly for enthusiasts who revel in the visceral thrill of performance driving.

Even "sensible" cars can rack up maintenance bills when they're driven hard enough. For instance, canyon carving with this sedate ragtop forced the replacement of the front brake pads and rotors, as well as all four tires, after only 14,589 miles on the clock. The cost of our brake and tire transgressions: $1,426.33.

Fuel economy also suffered from our boy-racer tendencies. Though highway cruising typically yielded mileage in the mid-20s, the most demanding driving conditions produced a Lamborghini-like fuel consumption of 9.4 miles per gallon, validating the "your mileage may vary" disclaimer in spades.

Though the halo of Toyota's bulletproof reputation shines brightly in the automotive universe, a few persnickety issues have sent our Solara back to the service bay. Squeaking rear brakes, for instance, are an annoying recurrence for which there appears to be no permanent solution. An unsmooth passenger door hinge was fixed free of charge, though we had less luck when the transmission began exhibiting the tendency to abruptly downshift without warning, in spite of the efforts of white coat-clad Toyota technicians. The problem has subsided in the last few hundred miles.

Top-down jaunts across famously winding stretches of California highway may elicit squeals from the tires and groans from impatient video producers, but the Solara's alfresco experience is still undeniably pleasant. Wind noise is minimal and the heater is strong, though the seat heaters are inexplicably designed to reach a cozy simmer, and then cool down of their own accord. Steering wheel-mounted stereo controls are handy, especially since it's a lengthy reach to the head unit. The JBL system leaves an adequate but unmemorable sonic impression with its boomy bass and a lack of mid- and high-range clarity. Interior materials (like leather), discreet glass accents and faux-but-convincing wood are better than expected for a $30,000 car, though some controls seem designed more for aesthetic form than ergonomic function.

Top-up driving is quiet and insulated by ragtop standards, though the bulky roof creates rear blind spots that replace peaceful, easy feelings with a low-level paranoia of backing into cars, poles and small animals.

Though Edmunds video department speed freaks have been disappointed by the Solara's sluggish transmission and uninspired handling, its creature comforts and polished demeanor prove that few other convertibles are as easy to live with over the long haul.

Current Odometer: 16,128
Best Fuel Economy: 27.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 12.0 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 19.3 mpg
Maintenance Costs: $75.76 (regular service, December 2004); $72.53 (regular service, March 2005); $556.41 (replace front brake pads and rotors, April 2005); $869.92 (new tires, plus suspension alignment, April 2005); $120.16 (intermediate service, May 2005).
Problems: Noisy passenger door, squeaky rear brakes, erratic downshifting.

We've racked up the miles on our long-term Toyota Camry Solara, adding over 7,000 clicks to the odometer since our last update three months ago.

Several recurring problems have disappeared since then, including squeaky rear brakes and the transmission's tendency to downshift erratically. "We've been taking it a little easier on the Solara," admits one Edmunds staffer, adding that it "saw a lot of hard driving in its first few months."

Shortly after the mechanical gremlins disappeared a new problem popped up. This time it was the tires. After working our way through the original donuts we replaced them with a set of midrange Continental Sports. They provided decent grip and ride quality, but started exhibiting rubbing sounds at low speed, full-lock turns. A routine alignment and rotation at Discount Tire (who supplied the replacement rubber) couldn't uncover the problem, so the Solara was taken to Toyota of Santa Monica.

The service department confirmed that the Contis were indeed rubbing against the wheel well, and further inspection found that the replacements had a slightly wider tread and taller sidewall (225/55, versus 215/55) than OEM specs, as well as an embedded nail that was replaced with a tire plug at a cost of $22.73.

Discount Tire acknowledged their non-OEM choice and replaced them with Bridgestone Turanzas of the correct size. The difference in tire cost totaled $281.56, but the stickier, more expensive tires made an immediate impression on staffers. "The Solara can finally hang with faster cars in the twisties," remarked one satisfied staffer. "The tire howl is gone, and grip is much better."

The tire drama wasn't over. The day after the tire replacement, a staffer accidentally backed the Solara into a curb, destroying one of the pricy Turanzas to the tune of $271.47. The act of replacing the replacement tire also triggered the low tire pressure warning light, which will most likely need resetting by the dealer.

The Solara's fuel economy has seen a low of 14.3 miles per gallon, which is most likely skewed due to long periods of air-conditioned idling at track testing sessions and video shoots, not to mention aggressive driving that is not typical of middle-of-the-bell-curve Solara owners.

On the highway, the Solara continues to provide comfortable, quiet top-up cruising and civilized top-down driving, though the convertible top sustained damage resulting in a 2-inch rip that produced wind noise in the otherwise well-sealed interior. A $75 patch from a local upholstery shop left a subtly visible seam in the tan canvas top, but solved the problem.

At the end of the day — in spite of its voracious appetite for tires and unsporty aspirations — the Toyota Solara's combination of utility and refinement has pleased the pickiest of Edmunds drivers. Don't be misled by its French-curve styling or devil-may-care ad campaign; the Toyota Solara is as sensible and satisfying as a four-seat convertible gets.

Current Odometer: 23,220
Best Fuel Economy: 21.4 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.3 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 18.3 mpg
Maintenance Costs: $75 (repair rip in convertible top); $100 (complete interior/exterior detail, August 2005); $281.56 (warranty replacement of tires; amount reflects difference of upgrade to Bridgestone Turanzas, August, 2005); $22.73 (tire plug); $271.47 (replace damaged Bridgestone Turanza tire); $73.48 (minor service).
Problems: Damaged front tire (repaired with plug), replaced four tires (under warranty), damaged rear tire (replaced), torn convertible top (repaired), low tire pressure warning light.