SolaraGuy.com

only got one reply in gen 2 so trying this

Hey I'm considering purchasing the TRD Performance exhaust for the 04' solara and wanted a little feedback on what those of you who bought it think.
-how much it costed to install
-performance increase?
-how does it sound/look <--most important for me

Thanks a lot for your help guys!

-Nathan

You're better off with a custom exhaust and piping. Save your money and don't get a TRD exhaust.

got sport wrote:You're better off with a custom exhaust and piping. Save your money and don't get a TRD exhaust.

I'll second that, wait for an aftermarket one!

ok so pretty much everything I've been hearing is not to get it, so how do I know what other exhausts are compatable/good enough
can you guys point me in the right direction, like one that maybe you're looking at getting or something you know would be good

Nathan

There are tons of other brands that are good. you can go with Borla, Flowmaster, Greddy, or Apexi has a cat-back already setup for our car. But remember these will void part of your warranty so watchout for that.

Msrp for TRD exhaust-499.99
Got mine on ebay for 400, with shipping
Installed it myself, took all of 20 minutes. uses factory harware for everything.
Fitting is Perfect...something you are not always guaranteed with a custom exhaust.
Its stainless steel...so its going to last.
Sound levels are very acceptable, a little quieter than my friend's G35 coupe.
Performance gain is probably around 2-3 HP even though TRD claims 10%.
A little pricey? yes...but you get an exhaust that will last forever, looks good, and fits perfectly.

o0o0o0o so that's an advantage of the trd I suppose, doesn't affect the warranty at all?

If you install it yourself it has a 1 year warranty. After that if anything happens to it your not covered. But the car's warranty will be intact. If you have a dealership do it it will be covered under the car's bumper to bumper warranty. Because its stainless steel chances are nothing will happen to it after a year so I didn't want to pay 80bucks for a job that in a shop will take 5 minutes.

Just go custom, and swap it out when you need major service done, thats only done every 30k anyways. I suggest a Borla canister w/ custom piping done at a reputable muffler shop in your area. Borla makes the TRD exhaust, so why not save money, and get more noticable gains.

you can get an exhaust and custom piping for $175-$200 at any Mufller shop.

i agree with them and if the trd muffler is anything like the previous generations it wont nmake much of any difference just a shiny tip that says trd on the side..

ok thanks for all the helpfull posts but I'm still not convinced on either decision...you said about swapping the custom before having work done, is that something I would be able to do myself? (I've never been under a car/fooled with anything like this)

I've been very happy with my TRD exhaust. It sounds good, but is not to loud, not sure about the power gains. By going with TRD you don't have to worry about it lasting and you know it will work. As far as pricing on it, if you decide you want it try http://www.toyotaautoparts.com that were I get my TRD stuff. I got it for $370 plus shipping, for the '04 one. Just tellem Ben sent you if your interested.

I don't see paying 400.00 for a muffler that won't increase horsepower by too much. If I were you, I would try to get sound bytes of different catback systems on a V-6 that should have a similar setup. This is just to get an idea of sound, whether throaty, ricey, whatever. I am actually very curious as to how the TRD exhaust sounds. If anyone has a sound clip, I would appreciate it. But, go to any reputable muffler shop and you could get a dual set up for 200-300 dollars custom. With dual, you won't get any advantages over single piping, but the look and sound will be there. But definitely go cat back for more performance gains.

have had my trd exhaust for almost 2 months now....definitely noticable power increase....but i also have the air filter....it is pricey but i think it's worth it.....people have compared the sound of my ride to a bmw.....don't know why....but thats the most common response.....