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Toyota Echo

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Comments

  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    I have a lot of experience towing with a very small car, but unfortunately none with ECHO. I dont know of anything about ECHO which would prevent you towing with it, except with an auto transmission you risk overheating it on a hot, uphill day. If you have an automatic, Id be very carefull with it and not tow very often. Good luck!
  • tominvatominva Member Posts: 7
    Since I've had my Echo for about a month, and since a good friend of mine has had one for over two years, I've gotten accustomed to the interior of the car. So, last week when I drove in a new carpool for the first time, I was surprised by my colleagues' reactions upon getting into the car. All three of them were intrigued by the dashboard, thought the center speedometer pod was cool and retro, and were amazed at the amount of room that such a small vehicle had. "What kind of car is this, anyway?" one of them asked curiously. Just goes to show that even though the design is three years old, it's still unique enough to make an impression on people.
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    It's true about people having favorable comments once they actually get in an ECHO. A lot of the negative comments are the result of the press taking the lead.
    Anytime a product that is avant garde, or very unusual, people that don't know what to think wait to see what the consensus is first. If the thought is put out that the car is 'ugly' then the masses tend to think it too. People, in general, tend to want to go with the crowd.
    It is a tested theory that anything 'instantly likeable' tends to grow tiresome rather quickly while things that aren't 'instantly likeable' tend to grow on you. I find this very true with the styling of the ECHO and have heard more than one person say that they wished they never listened to their friends that steered them to other cars. IMHO :)
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    hehe
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Like mariage.
  • lynnann1lynnann1 Member Posts: 85
    It's funny when other drivers pull up next to me at a red light, look at my ECHO with a look on their faces that says to me "What kind of car is that?" I kind of just grin to myself. I've also had other drivers actually back up a little so they could look at the back of the car -- I guess to see make and model. Friends and co-workers that I've shown my car to are amazed at the roominess inside. There are not many ECHOs around where I live. I'll see 2 or 3 in one week and then go for a month without seeing another.

    Kneisl, I'm 47 and the ECHO is my second new car. My first was a 1989 Dodge Caravan (which we still have) so I could fit my family in one vehicle (4 children and a husband).
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    4 children and a husband? My mom would just say 5 children.
    :)

    As a silent obsererver most of the time, I must say that this is a very nice board to visit periodically-no bashing, no name calling, no whining over insignificant crap (a la the Lexus RX 300 board, for you Toyota fans). Thanks.

    That said, there a few things I'd like to mention. Obviously, its agreed that Toyota missed the marketing boat with the ECHO. But, IMO, its for reasons other than the ones listed here. Personally, I feel that Toyota tried to go TOO FAR downmarket with this car, appealing to a High School audience, with their attempted quirkylooks, center dash pod, Roxy edition, etc. If they want to make a mark in the econocar segment, they should look to the just-about-to graduate college crowd. A more conservative exterior, a bigger engine, and less overall feel of trendiness. Has anyone really ever looked at the Elantra GT? THAT is the car the ECHO should have been- decent price, good power, great warranty, room, value, etc.

    Sure many of you will argue that the Corolla effectively offers those attibutes, and I think overall, the Corolla is the best car in the 14-18K sedan category. But if its youth Toyota wants, they WILL NEVER get it with any car by that name. It just can't happen, based on the values that everyone associates the Corolla with. Certainly, I'd buy one, but like coolguyky, I dont care about stigmas. Hell, I drive a Camry.

    My point- Toyota should target a slightly older demo for the next ECHO (say 21-26 yrs old), refine it a bit, give it an appealing interior, up the price a bit- it needs more equipment standard, and tone down the cartoony look. Make them all a 5 door HB design.

    Everything is 20/20 in hindsight, but I think there's no reason the ECHO should fail... it just needs a little guidance.

    ~alpha
    PS- I think the SCION thing is going to bomb, and what are the changes for the ECHO for 03?
  • lynnann1lynnann1 Member Posts: 85
    :) I thought about saying 5 children, but I didn't think anyone would understand -- The children are all grown daughter #1 getting married in August. Daughter #2 and #1 son already married (daughters are twins btw 2nd born got married first). #2 Son has moved back home - trying to pay back college loans, etc, but my hubby is more of a kid than the kids ever were.

    BTW I LIKE the center instrument pod and so do most ECHO owners. In fact, while my car was in the shop, I drove a Saturn -- took me about 3 days to get used to the standard positioning of the instruments -- I like the center better -- it really takes less of a movement of the eyes to look at it.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    NPR had a piece on about the new Idrive in the BMW 745. When you want to turn the heat on you tell the car to do it. Theres no knob. But the reporter could not figure out how to work it and called in the BMW expert. It got extremely funny when the expert got foxed around by the computer. It foiled his every attempt to set the frequency of the radio by leading him all around the menu. It was also funny in that BMW went to this because it figures its what coming...but everyone else copies it because BMW did it. I hope ECHO never goes this way!
  • cmeijningcmeijning Member Posts: 16
    Pulling a trailer with your Echo will not be a problem.
    I own a Yaris Verso 1.3 that i use to pull a camping-trailer. The trailer's weight is aprox. 850 kilogram. I use a dealer installed hitch made by Brink. The 1.3 has enough power to keep up with traffic.
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    The ECHO needs a center console armrest!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Can't you get one for it aftermarket? I could have sworn I saw a post about that in this room before? Am I nuts or what? :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    What ever happend to Major Thom? I haven't seen a post from him in awhile.
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    Yes there is an aftermarket console you can order. Problem is I forgot the name of it! :) There was a poster that had pics of it installed as well.
    btw: The new Infiniti G35 and upcoming Z are bragging about .29cd. Am I mistaken, or doesn't the ECHO also have a .29cd? :p
  • rep5858rep5858 Member Posts: 45
    One i also bought my first new car at the young age of 43. That's 28 years of driving used cars. I made the echo my choice for the new car. Kids would not appreciate the echo's important feautures, so why toyota marketed to a group who can't even point out france on a map is beyond me.

    Two, i have a trailer hitch instlalled by uhaul. Their specs say echo with auto trans can tow up to 1500 lbs. My dealer says a 1000lbs max.
    Hope that helps:)
  • massaggiomassaggio Member Posts: 2
    Here is a site selling the armrests:


    http://www.husco.com/


    And here is a picture of their armrest in an ECHO:


    http://www.husco.com/images/toyotaecho-2000-tray_lrg.jpg


    Price is $78 before a 10% discount for internet orders.

  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    No one NEEDS an armrest in their car. Its all in your mind. Condition yourself to follow the path away from material things. Concentrate on what is really important in life...
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    Who even needs gas when you can power your car with your own sense of self-satisfaction?
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    That armrest looks awesome! Thanks for the link.
  • sonatafansonatafan Member Posts: 171
    There's an armrest available through JCWhitney.com as well. It's a generic model but you can see mine at


    http://www.geocities.com/sonatafan


    then click on Armrest Installation

  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    So how many miles do you have on your Echo now? I know it was up there...
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    Yeah, I like that armrest too.

    Tell us more about your ECHO. Which car do you like better the Sonata or the ECHO?
  • miltonemiltone Member Posts: 2
    haven't read of anyone buying a used echo yet. are there many available? purchased one yesterday for $8600. pretty good deal. you think? got it from a private seller. Its a 2001, 4 dr, black, am/fm/cd/ac. Has rims and bridgestone response 175/65/14 tires. auto. no abs. 5790 miles on it. Drives and rides very nice. Not sure because I've only driven it for a couple of days but here in N.J. its been pretty hot and it seems that the A/C is weak at low speeds but get cooler at about 40 and above. Any ideas? hopefully wrapping the line will solve the problem. this was suggested by one of our other members. The P/L and P/W arent necessary because everything is at arms reach. child safety locks on doors is very good feature. Interested in chipping in for the repair manual and electrical wiring manual. Where can I get bug deflector and rear spoiler other than the dealer? Also, can I lower the rear springs without replacing or cutting them? Whats the difference between torque and horsepower? Has anyone installed fog lights on the echo? The center placed odometer is a tremendous idea. those guys are brilliant. Where can I get the owners manual, maintenance schedule and warranty info? That the problem with buying a used car. Half the stuff is missing. I think I,m also missing the lug nut wrench. What else should I check for? Any recalls on that model? Anyway thanks for the feedback. I've read about 500 of the 3300 or so posted messages and its pretty enjoyable. picked up some good ideas. It also gave me confidence that I made a good decision by buying the ECHO. I went to see it after I saw the ad in the newspaper and thought that it looked great. I bought it for my wife and she likes it. She says that looks don't matter to her(that hurt my feelings). She values reliability and dependability. Prior to that day I thought that it was one of the ugliest cars in the world(just above the yugo). Not anymore though or maybe the 4dr looks way much better than the 2dr. But seriously folks its been a trip. BYE from N.J.
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    Sounds like you got a great deal. Only 5800 miles? The car is practically new!

    Good luck and keep us posted on your experiences with your new ECHO.
  • sonatafansonatafan Member Posts: 171
    I'm up to 79,600 miles on my Echo.

    I like the Echo better than the Sonata, main reason being...it's mine!!

    Seriously, I am so adjusted to the handling and performance of the Echo, when I drive the Sonata it feels big and cumbersome. The ride is too mushy and disconnected from the road.

    My Echo had to have the 5th gear synchronizers replaced under warranty (barely squeaked that one in) but other than that it has been a reliable car.

    No problems with the Sonata even though I have seen plenty that have had problems. I just keep my fingers crossed!
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    Wow! That's a great price! I have a '01 4dr/5spd with similar equipment. I also have rear spoiler and I installed driving lights and 15" rims.
    The driving lights are the compact halogen type and I used a remote on/off kit to save on wiring it to the cabin.
    As far as the a/c; try having the dealer look at the damper. Mine was doing the same thing and I also have the line wrapped. They told me the damper wasn't closing properly so it was allowing hot air into the system. The a/c gets ice cold now!
    I also had to have the 3-in-1 stereo replaced under warranty since the cd player went south. I've read about many different models of Toyotas with this happening and I believe the unit is the same in all of them.
    Enjoy your ECHO!
  • rep5858rep5858 Member Posts: 45
    I'm taking the echo in for an oil change. What should i tell them to lok at in regards to a/c if it is cold over 40mph, but not so good in stop and go traffic?? appreciate any responses thanks:)
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    I've been tracking and posted a few times on the ECHO board because the ECHO is probably going to be my next car.

    Presently, I own a 01 Taurus SES. It's got about 31k miles and it's been nearly perfect. The only problem is I have no attachment to it. It's boring! From what I picked up on this board nobody is calling their ECHO boring.

    Well after the 03's come out it's either going to be an ECHO or Corolla. But, right now the ECHO is the most likely choice.
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    A mechanic told me to always replace the coolent in my Echo with the orange, not the green solution. Why?
  • franzeyfranzey Member Posts: 9
    Does anyone know prices or have any recommendations for a hitch for my 2000 4 Door Echo? I would like to use it exclusively for a bike rack. Will I have any problems? Thanks!
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Toyota coolant (the kind you can get at the dealer) is red or possibly orange in color and is supposed to be "long life". Which is usually refered to as five years before changing. Green stuff is usually given a two year life. Although the owners manual specifies a two year interval. Ford coolant is also red and is also supposed to be long life. So maybe your mechanic is telling you that for that reason. Or maybe changing from red to green could cause a bad chemical reaction. That used to happen with engine oil...changing brands could cause the oil to become "coffee grounds". This isnt urban ledgend...I've seen that happen. (although they say it cant happen with todays oils) Or maybe your mechanic is just full of it. Ive seen THAT happen too. Personally, Im more worried about weather I should change my coolant at a two year interval (which is coming up this November) or let it go five years.
  • sluglineslugline Member Posts: 391
    The important thing is to read the label of any coolant you purchase. Today's water pumps and radiators do not fare well with "old-style" coolants that use silicates as anti-corrosion agents. Seek out coolants which are designated silicate-, phosphate-, and borate-free; they use organic rust inhibitors instead which are safe for use in aluminum-block engines. Don't rely solely on color -- Honda-branded coolant, for example, meets all these requirements and is green.
  • ochmanskiochmanski Member Posts: 7
    what is the size of all six speakers? the dash, front door and rear. i would like to replace the stock ones. thanks for your help!
  • massaggiomassaggio Member Posts: 2
    Dash: 4"T
    Front Door: 6-3/4"
    Rear: 6"x9"

    Good Luck finding a set for the front doors.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Today as I was making a right hand turn a woman driving a gold ECHO waved as she passed. THEN a man driving a silver ECHO waved as I was leaving the bicycle store. Life is good.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I read in AMI Auto World magazine (http://www.amiautoworld.com) that the 2003 ECHO will be redesigned inside and out, have different option packages, and be 1.6 inches longer. Any truth in this?
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    spotted running around Honolulu. I had to do a double-take, yep, it was an Echo! Very cute to say the least.
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    I just noticed on my 2000 ECHO that the passenger side moulding on the door has started to come off. Its almost half off, quite disappointing, but not a big deal. Has anyone else experienced this and is it an easy fix at the dealership or will I have to wait till I have a whole day to drop it off?
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    I'm assuming the bodyside moulding was a dealer item? I'd love to know if they'll take care of it.
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    Hey, vocus

    Can you give us anyone other specifics about the ECHO changes for 03?
  • cmeijningcmeijning Member Posts: 16
    The german carmagzine Autobild published some pictures of the 2003 Yaris and Yaris Verso. Only minor changes. different headlights (more "tearshaped") and restyled frontbumper. No mayor changes. I suppose that the changes for the 2003 Echo wil be minor too.
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    The moulding I was refering to is the cladding that comes as an add-on, I would think they would have to cover it as it was on the car when I bought it.
  • autofxgirl2autofxgirl2 Member Posts: 2
    Part of the reason that they may want you to change coolant is because of the toxic effects it has on animals. I am an Echo owner and a veterinary technician. We have animals come into the clinic all the time for antifreeze toxcicity. It is fatal to the animal about half the time. Antifreeze is very sweet and seems to attract animals. The green antifreeze takes less of it to kill an animal(only about 4oz to kill a 60lb dog).
    The orange kind is still toxic but takes more of it to be lethal. Supposedly they both work just the same, just different colors. Who knows maybe your mechanic lost his pet to antifreeze?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Nope, the two colors do not work the same. The orange kind is designed to last 5 years/150K miles. It's also more expensive, and better for the environment.

    I had this problem when I went to get coolant for my 2002 Jetta. I can't use anything else but the orange kind, or I have to have the coolant system flushed, cleaned, and refilled.
  • mltomekmltomek Member Posts: 24
    i have looked in the radiator a few times and i know the factory coolant is not the shorter life green fluid, but it doesn't look orange either. what color is it?

    how long is the factory Echo fluid good for?? it looks pinkish. i want to do the required changes on time.

    thx!!

    mike
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Im remembering the owners manual says change coolant every 2 years. But the red Toyota long life coolant should be good for much longer than that. So we are on the horns of a dilema here. But I gues you could say...change it every two years!
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    "The Echo tall-and-small sedan gets a little longer for '03 - 1.6 inches to be exact. It sports new front and rear fascias, grille, quarter-panals, headlamps, and taillamps. Mechanically, it's unchanged."

    The discussion about the coolent (call it coolent in summertime, anti-freeze in the winter) has been very active. I intend to change the Echo's coolent every two years so from what I have read here, it would be okay to use the green Prestone brand.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    I assume that Japan's Platz will look like the new ECHO, as it was the same car for the past few years.


    http://www.toyota.co.jp/Showroom/All_toyota_lineup/Platz/

    The front looks a lot like a Civic Hybrid and Prius combined.

    It looks like Toyota spent a TON of money to reconfigure its manufacturing machinery to make these changes. It was quite a few million just to make the 2003 update for the Avalon.

  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    I was looking more at the Toyota website and it looks like they offer lots of accessories for their different cars. There are much more than we see here ranging in different areas. I have a feeling it might be like what SCION is supposed to do--build the basic vehicles with standard stuff and have the dealer equip them with accessories based on what the buyer wants.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    http://www.toyota.com/about/news/product/2002/08/30-1-pricing.html


    The article discusses some of the changes. A slight price increase will occur. Foglights become optional along with 15 inch wheels. In an appearance package, overfenders and a spoiler with LED brake light.


    New colors include Phantom Gray Pearl, Silver Streak Mica, Impulse Red Pearl, Sand Castle Metallic, and Aqua Ice Opalescent.

    It looks like Toyota is trying to make the ECHO look less clowny as many people think of it. The larger wheels and more upscale colors (as opposed to bright red and cotton candy blue) should help it. Although, I do like the current ECHO. I think an oak interior will replace the gray.

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