I’ve owned my 2003 Toyota Echo for more than 15 years. It has safely transported my family and I to various locations. The car only needs a simple oil change and a check of the brakes and tires. Along with another issue that the mechanic shop is now fixing, my starter stopped working. I’m crossing my fingers that it’s not the engine. I have logged more over 110,00 miles on it, and this all happened after the 15-year milestone. I would certainly purchase one if it had four doors and an automated window. I adore my two-door model with wind-up windows. Lol. I hope this aids someone who is considering buying an Echo.
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Toyota Echos: Are they decent cars?
For me, the Toyota ECHO has been a really dependable vehicle. It boasts a lot of space for a small car. Although at first the centered gauge bothered me, I now find it to be really useful. Overall, it’s a fantastic vehicle that offers tremendous value. I hardly ever have trouble finding parking because the car is so little, yet I still have room to return home from school on a regular basis. Additionally, it is incredibly fuel-efficient and will help you save a lot on gas. Owning this car is convenient and gratifying for a college student.
What was the Toyota Echo’s successor?
The Yaris, which Toyota eventually replaced the Echo with, addressed many of the issues of the former model. The introduction of the Yaris was dubbed “sweet salvation” by Autotrader.
Possesses the Toyota Echo power steering?
Toyota would argue that the value of the Echo, not the bottom line, is what matters. Any vehicle bearing the Toyota name also carries a significant premium.
No one disputes, however, that sales of the Echo skyrocketed after Toyota Australia struck a deal with Japan that reduced the price to $14,490, including power steering and air conditioning.
Since last year’s $2600 rollback, the price has increased a little. On January 1st, it increased to $14,740.
However, there is no indication that consumers are losing faith in a car equipped with power steering, air conditioning, and a passenger airbag. the T badge, too.
Toyota had a 21% market share of the baby-car segment in the first quarter of this year with sales of 4373 Echos. Getz from Hyundai came in second with 3786 and 18.5 percent.
This is true even though the Getz is a more newer model than the Toyota, has a guarantee that lasts for five years, and costs more than $1,000 less.
The Getz is the closest rival, although the light-car class, as it is formally named, has a wide range of other elegant rivals.
The Mazda2 and Honda Jazz are the top two young cars, but if you can’t afford the hefty bottom lines of the Japanese pacemakers, we also give the new Ford Fiesta good marks.
The Echo, too? It has been around for a long, and until a car becomes a classic, time is seldom kind to it.
It was quite tall and very short when it arrived here, but it doesn’t appear to be nearly as progressed now. It is still upright and compact, just like the Getz.
But now that the shape is less dramatic, it blends in better because it was created by colorful Greek designer Sotiris Kovos.
As well-known is the digital instrument readout in the center of the dash, which was so sophisticated that Australian Design Rules had to be changed before it could be used in the car.
The car’s front-drive mechanical package, which includes a predictable front MacPherson-strut suspension, disc-drum brakes, and 14-inch steel wheels, is also impressive. The 1.3-litre engine, which is smaller than the class average in size but benefits from variable valve timing and an emphasis on torque, is also impressive.
The main change is that the Echo now includes power steering and air conditioning as standard equipment, which is the optimum setup for most buyers of small cars.
The Echo has replaced the Excel as the preferred choice among young women as a result of the new agreement.
The most recent Getz lacks the appealing appearance they prefer, but it still boasts a unique interior and great engine.
The Echo shouldn’t be written off as a car for girls only, either, since it has been added to the shopping lists of many wise commuters and is also doing well with two- and three-car families.
It has been a while since we last drove an Echo, and given the most recent pace-settersin particular, the spirited new Fiestawe anticipated being let down.
It didn’t help that Toyota was having difficulties finding a suitable Echo because the company is far more focused on its popular new models, such as the all-wheel-drive Kluger and hybrid Prius.
The daughter of a company chief eventually discovered a base-model automobile, but it took them nearly 12,000 kilometers to get there.
It drove precisely, the style has improved over the past three years to become more recognizable and welcome, and we continue to like the digital display.
Because it is new, the Ford Echo lacks the impact and driving delight that have become much more typical in light-car challengers, with the Getz and Fiesta being the most obvious examplesthe Hyundai on pricing.
It handles and rides well, but it is obvious that it is a budget vehicle with a focus on dependability.
However, it does outperform a number of vehicles, including the dowdy Kia Riothe Rio sedan was one of the biggest letdowns of last yearand the quirky but unreliable Daihatsu YRV, as well as the outmoded Proton Satria and the most recent Daewoo contenders.
Although the Fiesta’s grippy tires keep road noise about the same as the Getz’s, it is louder inside than the Getz, and the CD sound system is in no way adequate to make up for it.
The Echo is light to steer, quick to park, and economical on fuel. We also enjoy how many storage spaces there are around the dash, even though there aren’t nearly as many as Ford claims there are in the new Territory.
The seats are also quite plush, but the dash is just a huge slab of grey plastic with no bright or trendy digital dials.
The 1.3-liter engine of the Echo runs rather well, but it lacks passion. It failed our own steep-hill torque test, requiring a backshift to first while the more powerful Fiesta soared into second, and it offers no inducement to rev the engine past the mid-range on the tachometer.
But it’s unlikely that the majority of consumers will be looking at the details. The cost and Toyota badge will captivate them. And for many customers, that’s more than sufficient.
Even though it is becoming older, it still appears young and is reasonably priced with a T-badge on the nose.
When did Toyota Echo production begin?
When the Toyota Echo was first released in 2000, it featured a big interior, a novel addition to the lineup, and a comfortable interior with good fuel efficiency. The only changes made to the 2001 Echo were the addition of optional side airbags and a new body color. The significant improvements for 2001 included updated front and back fascias, new bumpers and fenders, a new chromed grille, new rear tail lamps, a new trunk lid, and fashionable new headlamps. There were no notable changes between model years 2001 and 2003. A brand-new wheel cover style was launched in 2004. There wouldn’t be any significant upgrades in 2005.
How quick are Toyota Echos?
Many of us at 2002 Hogback favor compact vehicles over large ones. Why? Starting out, little vehicles give you a feeling of lightness and agility that you wouldn’t get in, example, a wallowing, enormous sport-ute. And what easier way to make a car light than to make it small? Second, lightness breeds speed. And lastly, most little cars are less expensive than large ones.
Toyota has been providing the small, inexpensive end of the market with the capable but rather uninteresting Tercel for the past 20 years. Its benefits included a low price (the most recent Tercel sedan only cost little more than a base-model Korean sedan), the assurance of Toyota reliability, and the promise of high resale value (a three-to-five-year-old Tercel brings about five percent better resale value than a Hyundai Accent or Kia Sephia). The Tercel was routinely outperformed by its Korean and American rivals in terms of performance and driving enjoyment, though.
But Toyota hopes to change all of that with the new Echo sedan. The vehicle’s price, dimensions, and weight are still considered entry-level, but its 1.5-liter engine produces 108 horsepower and has variable valve timing. Its power-to-weight ratio is now comparable to vehicles one level higher, like the Dodge/Plymouth Neon or the Corolla, the Echo’s bigger brother. And the tall-boy design of the Echo is anything but boring.
The Echo appears to be quite little from the outside. It is 0.8 inches shorter than a Chevy Metro sedan and more than 11 inches shorter than a Kia Sephia at 163.2 inches long. Additionally, the Echo is small; only the skinnynest econoboxes are narrower than its 65.4-inch width. But as you can see by looking at the towering greenhouse, it towers over all economy cars except for VW’s fishbowl New Beetle, measuring 59.1 inches tall.
Toyota was able to provide a more spacious interior than the Echo’s modest footprint may imply thanks to its height. The Echo has a front cabin volume of 49 cubic feet and a rear interior volume of 39 cubic feet. This places it in the middle of its class and provides enough room for four people, though five adults are definitely a crowd. All but the hatchback econoboxes’ 14 cubic feet of load capacity are equal to or greater in the tall trunk.
Now, back to that reasonable cost. The entry-level four-door model we tested here costs $10,750. However, in this case, base model truly means base; even power steering is an additional $270, and a digital clock is an additional $70. Unfortunately, those are pretty much the only two solutions that can stand alone. Do you desire the $925 air conditioning? It’s difficult to keep an Echo under $13,235 because it comes with $1560 worth of additional equipment, like power locks and steering, a CD/cassette system, a rear defroster, and a 60/40 split-folding back seat. That is, of course, within a few hundred dollars of a similarly priced Chevy Metro LSi or Daewoo Lanos and at least a few thousand dollars cheaper than comparable Neons and Honda Civics.
The Echo is said to be inexpensive to operate as well. The EPA predicts a fuel economy of 34 to 41 miles per gallon. It got 35 mpg on average, even with the heavy traffic around here. Despite having a high 10.5:1 compression ratio, the engine just needs standard 87-octane fuel. Furthermore, Toyota is well known for producing dependable automobiles.
The Echo’s smart 108-hp, 1.5-liter four-banger outperforms many of its rivals, and its small weight contributes to its rapid performance. More than a second quicker than our previous Sephia and 0.2 seconds faster than a Dodge Neon, the 2128-pound Echo reaches 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. However, the Echo was only slightly slower than the Neon in the quarter-mile run (16.7 seconds, 0.1 seconds behind the Dodge). The maximum speed limit is 112.
We won’t go over all the minor tweaks that contributed to the overall hustling that we discussed in our article from October 1999. All you need to know is that the little engine eagerly and smoothly revs to its rev restriction of 6500 rpm. Unfortunately, there is no tachometer available, so you won’t know how quickly the engine is spinning. Given the tendency of this engine to rev, we believe a tach is essential. Toyota should have at the very least marked the speedometer with shift points so that the driver would have at least some guidance as to when to shift.
Although the Echo can match compact cars like the Neon in acceleration, it couldn’t match the big boys in corners. Skidpad grip is considered entry-level with a 0.77 g rating. The Echo feels like the high, short car that it is, with narrow tires. The tires screech when accelerating around off-ramps, and there is a fair bit of body roll. However, the body roll isn’t unpleasant, and the Echo promptly tucks in the front end when you lift off the gas in a turn instead of bobbing around. The cars in this class are satisfying to drive because you can make the most of their meager performance on the way to work, which is something we wouldn’t advise doing in, say, a Corvette. Additionally, this Echo offers far more performance than a Chevy Metro or Daewoo Lanos.
We also liked how strong the brakes were. Our vehicle also offered $590 anti-lock brakes, which were able to stop the Echo from 70 mph in 193 feet.
Regarding its styling, neither young nor old drivers nor pedestrians turned their heads to obtain a better look. However, let’s give Toyota credit for creating a unique shape.
The five storage spaces in the dash and doors of the Echonot counting its two glove boxesare its most stylish feature up front. The instrument binnacle, which is situated in the center of the dashboard rather than directly in front of the driver, is first intriguing but quickly becomes bizarre, particularly at night when the region of the dashboard in front of the steering wheel is dark. All the necessary controls are easily accessible, and the flat chairs are supportive.
As far as small, inexpensive cars go, the Echo is a great alternative for transportationas long as you don’t stuff it full of options, in which case the larger compacts would be a better choice. It uses every square inch of its compact size and is reasonably speedy and comfy. The future? Maybe this, together with the Echo’s unique design and quirky center gauge cluster, will make it the hottest product since Pokemon cards.
Mr. Don Schneider Call me strange, but I don’t find minimalist econoboxes to be uninteresting or monotonous. Compared to luxury and sports cars, these vehicles speak more well of their producers. For instance, how significant a role does packaging play? Does it sacrifice aesthetically pleasing design? How is the trade-off between power/fuel economy managed? Is it clear that money is spent on improvement? The Echo informs me that Toyota believes its customers want respectable power, space, and refinement from their econoboxes and that they are prepared to make certain concessions in terms of styling, fuel efficiency, and pricing in order to obtain those qualities. It’s a good effort, but I think Ford’s larger Focus might be more effective.
PLATFORM MAKI You shouldn’t anticipate a sporty handling experience from this economical vehicle because of its narrow tires. Driving this tiny car is less of a chore than an enthusiast might anticipate because to the buttery smooth clutch and shift linkages. And if you’re an enthusiast on a tight budget, the Echo’s 108-hp DOHC VVT-i four and up to 41 mpg might be enough for you. Power windows are not an option, but you can choose an AM/FM/cassette stereo with a CD player for a pricey $2485, along with air conditioning and a ton of additional gadgets. Choose the four-door instead of the two-door since it is easier to enter the back of the four-door because it already has a door.
CAROLE WEBER The important factors, not the 0-to-60 time and top speed, of an economy car are how it drives and looks for its price, as well as its gas mileage. Although it doesn’t feel as well-planted as a VW Golf with 15-inch tires or a New Beetle with 16-inchers, nor does it ride as smoothly as the longer-wheelbase Focus, the Echo gets the job done with few nits to pick. The cost of a loaded Echo is comparable to that of a Focus and a Neon (VWs are more expensive), but the Focus’s details requires some getting accustomed to, and the new Neon’s aesthetic appeal ages quickly. Although the Echo may not be as attractive as a New Beetle, it gets better gas mileage and has a larger trunk.
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