And that's where I start to wonder how our domestic carmakers will ever catch up to Toyota. While everything in this business is cyclical, with some automakers on top one decade and others reaching their stride the next, Toyota's value proposition is tough to match. This Solara is a prime example. Only a few domestics, including the much more expensive Cadillac SRX SUV and recently launched
Chrysler Pacifica, both within an entirely different category, come close to
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| Toyota's value proposition is tough to match, and has Chrysler and Ford looking over their shoulders while trying to justify their membership in the Big Three. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
fairing as well in the perceived quality department - you know, the touchy, feely, this car seems really well made part of the equation. Maybe that's why Toyota Motor Corp. is not only looking as if it will walk past Chrysler Group as the number three (domestic) automaker, but appears ready to permanently displace Ford Motor Co. after moving past the world's number two automaker by 43,000 vehicles in the first six months of its fiscal year. OK, while the Solara is made in Georgetown, Kentucky, Toyota isn't exactly a domestic automaker. Still, its relatively newfound power in what used to be a three-way North American marketshare stranglehold is driven by the high-quality products it makes.
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| The top of the line Solara is fitted with a 225 hp 3.3-L, DOHC, 24-valve V6 engine with 240 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
The Solara's drivetrain lineup is another example of dominance. Base cars get a fuel efficient 2.4-L 4-cylinder with 157-hp at 5,600 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. It features 16-valves, dual overhead cams and variable valve timing, a pretty sophisticated engine on its own. It can be had with a 5-speed manual transmission or an optional 4-speed automatic.
A 5-speed automatic with sequential manual gear selection is standard with the recently upgraded top-line V6. The engine got its redo half way through last year, up from the reliable but merely peppy 3.0-L to a much more responsive 3.3-L. It makes 225-hp at 5,600 and 240 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, ample to give the 1,560 kg (3,439 lb) coupe a surprisingly athletic 8.1 second charge to 100 km/h.
