Automotive Trends

        What do you get when the practical, buttoned-down Toyota Camry puts on a string bikini? The new Solara. 
     This two-door version of Toyota’s best-known sedan is clearly looking for some fun in the sun, not just hauling kids to soccer practice. And it looks really, really sexy.
     The completely redesigned 2004 Solara shares most of its parts with the sensible, ultra-reliable and slightly boring Camry, including its smooth-shifting automatic transmission and refined four- and six-cylinder engines. It has the same feeling of security, predictability and precision engineering that make the Camry a hot seller.
     Only the Solara actually looks hot, too, trading the Camry’s dull four-door body for a two-door design that appears sleek and sporty like an Olympic beach volleyball player.
     The look is very fresh and advanced. Like the new Chris Bangle-designed BMWs, the Solara has a complex mix of concave and convex surfaces that make it look athletic and aerodynamic. It has an aggressive nose, beautifully curved roofline, and taut rear, all of which look better than the older, somewhat more boring Solara it replaces.
     Interestingly, the Solara is the most American vehicle made by Toyota to date. It was planned in Michigan, designed in California, and built in Kentucky.
     And while it may look like a Lexus, it isn’t priced like one. It starts at $19,120 for a basic SE version with a four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission and climbs to $25,995 for a loaded V6 SLE model.
     Both engines are known for their reliability and smooth power, but the 3.3-liter V6 is especially impressive. It makes a robust 225 horsepower and 240 foot-pounds of torque, which is about 10 percent more power than last year’s V6. That’s enough to get you in trouble with the law faster than you can say “speed limit.”
     The suspension is fairly soft and compliant, which is disappointing if you’re wanting a sports car and pleasing if you’re looking for comfort. It doesn’t have the crisp, edgy, oh-so-responsive feel of the Honda Accord coupe, but it’s no road barge, either.
     Instead, the Solara’s ride a nice mix of sport and luxury. It feels controllable and composed through corners, but it doesn’t rattle your teeth over potholes and speed bumps. Like the four-door Camry, it’s a softer, more supple feel than the hard-edged Accord.

     Inside, the Solara is remarkably luxurious for its price range. Rather than going the cheap route and lifting its dash straight out of the Camry sedan, Toyota designers gave the coupe a more upscale, classy look — not that the Camry’s dash is bad to begin with.
     The instrument panel is redesigned with elegant lettering surrounded by beautiful, well-constructed materials on the dash. Every switch and piece of plastic feels solid, exactly as a Toyota should.
     The only possible complaint about the interior is the center console with a matte metal finish. Some people said the massive expanse of silver plastic made it look interesting and luxurious, but I thought it looked more like a cheap piece of stereo equipment from the 1970s. Everything else was just perfect, though.
     In fact, the only real downside of the Solara is the inherent impracticality of its two-door design. While the back seat is roomy for a coupe, climbing back there almost requires a contortionist’s body. If you use the back seat very often, you’d be better off with the Camry than the Solara.
     But if you value sexy styling over mundane practicality — and you still want Toyota’s legendary reliability — then the Solara should be at the top of your list.