2005 Toyota Camry Solara convertible

The Solara is one of the few convertibles I could actually buy, because it has two things lacking in most ragtops: A reasonably roomy back seat and a decent-sized trunk. I could buy one, but would I? The Solara promises long-term reliability that will outlive its 3 year/36,000 mile warranty (5 years/60,000 miles on the powertrain), but it lacks the rigidity and features that a convertible ought to have. Despite a base price of $26,895, the drop-top Solara reeks of cost-cutting.

First glance

Most convertibles are based on small sport coupes. The space required for a folding top must be taken from an already-meager back seat and trunk. The Solara convertible (as well as the metal-roofed coupe) are based on the Camry sedan, which means that even with all the convertible hardware, there's still plenty of room for four adults and 12 cubic feet of trunk space (nearly as much as a Honda Civic). The only other car that can make that claim is the Solara's arch-rival, the Chrysler Sebring convertible (which is based on the now-defunct Cirrus sedan). Which to buy? If you're talking reliability, the Solara wins hands-down. But if you've spent any significant time with a convertible, you might find the Solara a bit lacking.

In the Driver's Seat

As soon as I picked up the Solara, my first priority was to lower the top. But where the heck was the power-top switch? I eventually found it, hidden on the left side of the dash behind the steering wheel, next to an identical switch that raises and lowers all four windows. Neither switch is illumnated, and in the dark it's virtually impossible to tell them apart. Raising the windows meant groping for one of the switches, pressing it, then waiting to see if anything happened. Lousy design. Another problem is the lack of lockable storage. Common convertible wisdom is to park with the top down; better to let the theives steal your $400 stereo without ripping your $3,000 convertible top. The Solara has a covered storage tray below the stereo and a huge bin beneath the armrest, complete with a power outlet to charge your mobile phone. But neither of them can be locked. (The Chrysler's center console bins are lockable.) The only lockable storage is the glovebox and the trunk. I wanted to change CDs while driving, but oops, my CD case was in the trunk. Another time I forgot to unlock the glovebox before driving off, so Robin had to wait to get to her cell phone until we could stop and shut off the car. What a pain.

On the Road

A car's steel roof is a major source of structural rigidity; cutting it off requires the frame of the car to be reenforced. I've read several reviews that praise the Solara convertible's solid feel. Hard to believe I was driving the same car. Most of my Solara seat-time was spent in town, and I couldn't believe how much the car quivered over bumps and uneven pavement. I could almost feel the windshield frame shimmying from side to side. The Lexus SC430 I drove a few weeks ago was much more solid. So, for that matter, was the Sebring I drove last year. Robin noticed the same thing, and a Boxster-owning friend, who recently spent a week with a rented Solara convertible, was also surprised at the car's lack of rigidity. That said, the car felt much more solid on main roads and freeways. It's stable as can be in corners, and the powertrain (a 225-horsepower V6 engine backed by a 5-speed automatic transmission) had no shortage of oomph, returning a respectable 25 MPG in mostly-city driving. Actually, the Solara was quite a lot of fun to drive. Comfortable, too. But that low-speed quivering just kept grating on my nerves in a Princess-and-the-Pea sort of way (no disparaging comments about me being a princess, please).

Journey's End

Most airplane crashes are caused not by a single problem, but by two or three factors combined. The same is true for my opinions on cars. (A princess who compares cars to plane crashes... way to build your reputation as a journalist, Gold!) I could learn to live with the Solara's lack of lockable storage. The low-speed flex would bother me more, but I could get over it (just drive faster, no problem there!). But why put up with those foibles when the Chrysler Sebring is a child of superior design? Actually, there are reasons: for one thing, Toyotas are as reliable as the sunrise while Chrysler's build quality is... ummm... inconsistant. And Toyotas hold their value better. All that said, if it were me, I'd still choose the Sebring. That's the car I'd enjoy most on a day-to-day basis, even if that means a few unscheduled trips to the shop (that's just more time to drive with the top down!). Still, it's not as if you can go wrong with the Solara. It's roomy, practical, fun to drive, and a great way for a family of four to get sunburned. Not best in class, but still a pretty darn good car.