test drove an 04 se sport
by shoe » Mon Sep 08, 2003 3:35 pm
Before I test drove the solara I did what many people on this web site did I saw the new york auto show pics most of them were horrid red lighting bringing out a red car ( made it look orangy). I said ewww to the rear and saw glaring light from the rear side pannels taht made it look like a 01 02 tiburon. As a 98 honda accord coup owner I didnt really like what I saw other than the front.
I was still intriged I wanted to know more so i poked around and waited for toyota.com and . ca to get an 04 solara page up found some interior pics and my head started to turn a bit.
Ok toyota.com got the solara page together and showed me some new pics some nicer angles more interior and caputed my attention for good. I was willing to over look the back and i said to myself maybe it will look better in person.
Last week ( im from canada eh) i went to the toyota dealership and they had just gotten the car in all the sales guys took it for a test drive taht morning and i was the 1st customer to get a test drive we went to the gas station, on to the free way and got off at the next exit, drove back along a traffic light hwy to the dealer. The hwy was buzy and i ddidnt get a chance to let it go I was doing basically speed limit until i took my foot off the gas and then let the slow poke infront get a head and then i taped it to get up the off ramp basically. The ride was smooth and quiet the suspension was a bit stiff noticably at the back i felt a boom from a bump in the road ( and the noise i heard was the licence plate in its dealer bag) jump off the body of the car and slap back. The interior was a dream the seats nice even with its plastic bag over top. Lots of room the sales guy was 6'3 + im 6'1 we bot had plenty of room by the looks of it.
When I got in the car a smaller asian salesman had just parked it the power seats were jacked way up and i didnt realise this till i got in and brushed my head on the celing i droped the seat and plenty of head room was avaialable leg room not an issue no banging of the knees the power seats were a lil different in 1 asspect that im used to ( comparing to an 00 acura TL) the leaver is a pull up to raise a push down to lower push forward to go forward and back to back wit this is the option to also move the front up back down in teh acura the seats tilt back something like a dentist chair reclining in the solara i could have swore the 1st section of the seat ( between your knees and your crotch) moved up on its own basically sinking your butt and raising your knees. NOW I CAN DO TAHT LIL GIRL ON THE BIG COUCH LEG DANGLE IVE ALWAYS SMILLED AT. why did i caps lock taht?
The sunroof was a 1 touch auto slide open or close sorta like a garge door opener ( hope it has a saftey feature) you can push and hold like conventional sunroofs as well. the side windows were similar to what my dad commented on my 1st car ( 96 passeo) slender like a tank true but i could open the window and put my arm out with out straining my shoulder ( try the new model accord out you will feel like your in the hospital your arm up in a sling looking out a tank window)
THe rear view window was a little greaner than im used to but still had that dimming effect as the street lights were comming on the side view mirrors were a little smaller bet well viewed probably better for that side view mirror blind spot that has cause a few people some accidents making left hand turns. on the rear view mirrow i noticed a 5 little digget in the upper right corner faint but visible as we were driving back to the dealership it was a NE im like is there a cumpas in the rear view yes there is the sales man replies. interesting and not tacky or annoying.
I never got to really let the car go from a get up and go nor did i get to try out the tunes i had the radio off i was listening for noise and feeling the ride soft until you hit a bump THEN THUD.
I thanked the salesman and told him id be back in a few days to get a second opinopn from my girlfriend.
This time we just looked at the cosmetics of the SLE this is a beatiful interior yummy leather seats beatutiful dash black on white with silver around the gages NOT TACKY CLASSY, WAAAAY BETTER THAN THE WHITE ON BLACK OF THE SE sport model. the center consol more lively with a push button auto climate control system rather than the knobs of the sport model. heated seats ( dont know if they are ass and back or just ass warmers.) the wood pannels are wild the metalic center consol inst cheep looking or feeling to me.
pop the trunk ooo looks small looks smaller than my 98 accord wich i can put 3 mail trays stacked in the back and 4 mail bins side by side to the front of the trunk, im sure i will be able to do the same with the solara but it may be a little tighter the trunks top hatch lip falls deeper so loading will be easier but the interior look as if it lost space to some of the curves of the cars butt. Ive seen the inside to an 03 solara and that trunk was giant this 1 diodnt look so giant. i think ive read somewhere there is a full sized spare with aluminum rim in taht trunk and THATS A MAJOR BONUS.
OH I DONT THINK IVE MENTOINED WHAT I STARTED WITH YET THE EXTERIOR LOOKS silly me.
It looks way better in person than in pictures WAY BETTER. those funny lines you see in pictures are glare the back takes getting used to but its growing and growing on me pretty soon i can see my self arguing that it looks good with people. It dosent look like 2 cars slapped together anymore it looks more like 1 car with ideas from other cars to me. just before i left the dealiership the 2nd time i took 1 last look on an angle from the front of the driver side the car looks a little slender because of the rounding of the hood i think much nicer than that board they stuck on the accord damn put some creases on that front hood honda.
my copmplains are the 1 pipe (crome tipped) at the rear make 2 on either side if i wanted to do taht it would take some cutting into the rear bumper to add the 2nd errrrrr
i doint find a place to put change in the center armrest ( double lift top is for little things the other a deep place for cds. the change will fly around up in there maybe i missed it ill check it out next saturday.
Im a 98 accord owner last time i bought my accord b4 looking at the solara this time i waited im glad i did if all works well im going back to toyota oh I also enharited an 00 acura TL and this is what i think the solara SLE is a beautiful mix of the accord coups body with the interior of the accura with the toyota mix to it wich adds some life and flare. after viewing the solara twice i stoped by the honda show room sat in the accord coup and said nice car but its so lacking of style. may have mussle but dosent have class.
shoe
Im going to run a deal on this car next weekend see what happenes im impressed with it.
I was still intriged I wanted to know more so i poked around and waited for toyota.com and . ca to get an 04 solara page up found some interior pics and my head started to turn a bit.
Ok toyota.com got the solara page together and showed me some new pics some nicer angles more interior and caputed my attention for good. I was willing to over look the back and i said to myself maybe it will look better in person.
Last week ( im from canada eh) i went to the toyota dealership and they had just gotten the car in all the sales guys took it for a test drive taht morning and i was the 1st customer to get a test drive we went to the gas station, on to the free way and got off at the next exit, drove back along a traffic light hwy to the dealer. The hwy was buzy and i ddidnt get a chance to let it go I was doing basically speed limit until i took my foot off the gas and then let the slow poke infront get a head and then i taped it to get up the off ramp basically. The ride was smooth and quiet the suspension was a bit stiff noticably at the back i felt a boom from a bump in the road ( and the noise i heard was the licence plate in its dealer bag) jump off the body of the car and slap back. The interior was a dream the seats nice even with its plastic bag over top. Lots of room the sales guy was 6'3 + im 6'1 we bot had plenty of room by the looks of it.
When I got in the car a smaller asian salesman had just parked it the power seats were jacked way up and i didnt realise this till i got in and brushed my head on the celing i droped the seat and plenty of head room was avaialable leg room not an issue no banging of the knees the power seats were a lil different in 1 asspect that im used to ( comparing to an 00 acura TL) the leaver is a pull up to raise a push down to lower push forward to go forward and back to back wit this is the option to also move the front up back down in teh acura the seats tilt back something like a dentist chair reclining in the solara i could have swore the 1st section of the seat ( between your knees and your crotch) moved up on its own basically sinking your butt and raising your knees. NOW I CAN DO TAHT LIL GIRL ON THE BIG COUCH LEG DANGLE IVE ALWAYS SMILLED AT. why did i caps lock taht?
The sunroof was a 1 touch auto slide open or close sorta like a garge door opener ( hope it has a saftey feature) you can push and hold like conventional sunroofs as well. the side windows were similar to what my dad commented on my 1st car ( 96 passeo) slender like a tank true but i could open the window and put my arm out with out straining my shoulder ( try the new model accord out you will feel like your in the hospital your arm up in a sling looking out a tank window)
THe rear view window was a little greaner than im used to but still had that dimming effect as the street lights were comming on the side view mirrors were a little smaller bet well viewed probably better for that side view mirror blind spot that has cause a few people some accidents making left hand turns. on the rear view mirrow i noticed a 5 little digget in the upper right corner faint but visible as we were driving back to the dealership it was a NE im like is there a cumpas in the rear view yes there is the sales man replies. interesting and not tacky or annoying.
I never got to really let the car go from a get up and go nor did i get to try out the tunes i had the radio off i was listening for noise and feeling the ride soft until you hit a bump THEN THUD.
I thanked the salesman and told him id be back in a few days to get a second opinopn from my girlfriend.
This time we just looked at the cosmetics of the SLE this is a beatiful interior yummy leather seats beatutiful dash black on white with silver around the gages NOT TACKY CLASSY, WAAAAY BETTER THAN THE WHITE ON BLACK OF THE SE sport model. the center consol more lively with a push button auto climate control system rather than the knobs of the sport model. heated seats ( dont know if they are ass and back or just ass warmers.) the wood pannels are wild the metalic center consol inst cheep looking or feeling to me.
pop the trunk ooo looks small looks smaller than my 98 accord wich i can put 3 mail trays stacked in the back and 4 mail bins side by side to the front of the trunk, im sure i will be able to do the same with the solara but it may be a little tighter the trunks top hatch lip falls deeper so loading will be easier but the interior look as if it lost space to some of the curves of the cars butt. Ive seen the inside to an 03 solara and that trunk was giant this 1 diodnt look so giant. i think ive read somewhere there is a full sized spare with aluminum rim in taht trunk and THATS A MAJOR BONUS.
OH I DONT THINK IVE MENTOINED WHAT I STARTED WITH YET THE EXTERIOR LOOKS silly me.
It looks way better in person than in pictures WAY BETTER. those funny lines you see in pictures are glare the back takes getting used to but its growing and growing on me pretty soon i can see my self arguing that it looks good with people. It dosent look like 2 cars slapped together anymore it looks more like 1 car with ideas from other cars to me. just before i left the dealiership the 2nd time i took 1 last look on an angle from the front of the driver side the car looks a little slender because of the rounding of the hood i think much nicer than that board they stuck on the accord damn put some creases on that front hood honda.
my copmplains are the 1 pipe (crome tipped) at the rear make 2 on either side if i wanted to do taht it would take some cutting into the rear bumper to add the 2nd errrrrr
i doint find a place to put change in the center armrest ( double lift top is for little things the other a deep place for cds. the change will fly around up in there maybe i missed it ill check it out next saturday.
Im a 98 accord owner last time i bought my accord b4 looking at the solara this time i waited im glad i did if all works well im going back to toyota oh I also enharited an 00 acura TL and this is what i think the solara SLE is a beautiful mix of the accord coups body with the interior of the accura with the toyota mix to it wich adds some life and flare. after viewing the solara twice i stoped by the honda show room sat in the accord coup and said nice car but its so lacking of style. may have mussle but dosent have class.
shoe
Im going to run a deal on this car next weekend see what happenes im impressed with it.
- shoe
