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Comments
Thanks.
Anyway, when I leave my office yesterday, I almost couldn't climb the hill. I tried twice and made it. When I leave, I watch the car behind me from the rear mirror... he he he... that car was struggling. So, I guess I can say that the Echo handled it well. I have to find a safer route to get to work and go home.
To all the Echo owner, just because the Echo can handle snow road very well, it doesn't mean you can drive like a mad dog, drive safe and enjoy the holidays.
Well it started snowing last night we now have 25 cm on the ground with another 10cm to come. What makes this really interesting today are the winds which blow up and poof instant white out. Needless to say the trip which I can normally do in 30 to 40 minutes took 2hrs and 20min. Couldn't get into an accident because nobody was going fast enough. The roads weren't plowed either so the snow was a foot deep between the tire tracks. Echo handled fine no problems from the wind and just plowed through like a champ. One thing I did notice that should be remembered, this is one of those times that, that great pickup we all like in the Echo can be a bit of problem. I found I needed to be really light on the gas peddle otherwise you can start skidding in a big hurry. The other interesting thing is the Echo makes a moaning sound when the snow rubs the underside of the car, kind of like drawing a violin bow across a saw. Any way have a good day and I hope you all survive this first blast of winter.
Grim, one of my most cherished possessions is a black and white promo copy of Grimjack #1. I got it for being a frequent letter writer to various First Comics Comics. I also exchanged letters with Tim Truman shortly after he left Grimjack and started doing Scout for Eclipse.
Moses, who said it is supposed to be 42F any time soon? I think we are stuck in the deep freeze for a while. : (
The first part (applying for the loan) is done and now I sit here and wait. I asked them to approve me for $15,000. This is way above the best quote I have, but if I am approved and I decide to add something to my order (like the security system), I will have the funds to cover it.
I am pretty nervous. I have about an hour and a half to wait until I can call them and check. I will let you know.
If Moses and Melody hear a sonic boom at about 2pm CST, then they will know that was me getting notified that I have been approved.
I took my roommate to work today because she was off yesterday and did not scrap her car off. I went out to start her car and to scrap off the windows and I cannot get the car to start. I think I can get it started with a jump. I did pretty good on the windows though.
I am going to give them another hour and then call. Bye for now.
I'm beginning to feel anxious myself, given the long time we've been posting together. Believe it or not it's a bright sunny day here today. The sky is a really deep blue. A typical Manitoba winter day.
Later dude !
Just kidding. Welcome to Echo7. I think from your posting that you like the Echo. Did I decipher your lingo correctly ? This just goes to show that the Echo is everbody's car. The young, the old, and everyone in between love the little white bean !
I had my first encounter with the icy streets this a.m. I had to put her into a lower gear to feel more comfortable on the ice. I hate ice and snow.
ok, my only concern is that i can't charge my phone when my car is turned off. i just traded in a ford probe, and if the car is off, the cig lighter (don't know the correct term for that thing) kept the phone charging. with all of our stops and goes, it would be nice to find out if this is normal with the lighter. does anyone know? i ask because this disrupts the life charge of my battery. other than that, i am still very in love with my little red car.
michelle
I did not get approved by my credit union and I thought it was a slam dunk. The reasons were that my income to debt ratio is too high and my credit is still too new after my bankruptcy.
I have not given up and I am still going to be taking off on Thursday to see what kind of understanding a Toyota dealer and I can come to.
After all I have been through I think I know how to see through the smoke and not be distracted by duplicate images in the mirrors.
I have to take my roommate to work again tomorrow so I am going to call it a night on this part of the web and do some quick number crunching on some other sites.
Do not give up on me! I will be an official member of this little community someday soon.
The best thing to do if you're serious about driving in deep snow is to buy some chains. There are many types, some use cables rather than chains to give a smoother ride on pavement.
My advise is to stay home until the snow is cleared.
You can check with your dealer but I expect that the only solution is to have someone rewire the outlet to bypass the switch. If you have this done, make sure they put in a fuse near the battery to protect the wiring from short circuits. Otherwise you run the risk of a car fire which is not a pretty sight !
Here's a direct link to Road Test:
2001 Toyota Prius, by Brent Romans.
To quote Mr. Wardlaw's latest review;
"Really, safety concerns, a wonky value equation and distaste for the styling are our primary gripes against the Echo. Otherwise, in answer to the first question posed above, yes, this is a good car."
This is the basis of a continuing poor value assessment. Mr. Wardlaw failed to notice that the Echo is at the economy end of the Toyota lineup. He also failed to notice that loading up any vehicle with luxury options is inconsistent with an ecologically friendly automobile. I paid under $10,000 Us for my Echo , not the "loaded" $16,000 version that he talks about. I'm very happy with the level of options (none) and trim (none) my car had, and yes it is an automatic. In fact it's the best shifting automatic I've ever driven(electronically controlled with a sophisticated economy/ECO algorithm). Why can't these guys see that an ecologically friendly auto MUST be different from what they're used to ? So much for the "wonky value equation".
About the safety concerns. Toyota has designed and tested this unit to the most stringent international standards available. One look at the beefy size of the front pillars, the use of high strength steel in the passenger cabins, the pretensioners, force limiters, and three point belt in the middle rear seat tells us that Toyota took crash testing very seriously on this unit. Their sales documents bear witness to this. The fact that Mr. Wardlaw sees the 2100# weight as a "safety" issue shows that he is still not "with" the ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY paradigm.
Finally, to use a straw poll of something as subject as appearance as a criterion for a purchase recommendation shows that Mr. Wardlaw doesn't even understand what an objective assessment of a product means. Does he really think that a prospective purchaser cares what he or his neighbor thinks about the "appearance" of a car he's reviewing. This reminds me of what people said when the VW beetle first came out....
Also notice:
"Visually, the Prius (which is Latin for "to go before") looks a little like Toyota's Echo Sedan. They both have a pug-faced snout, a high roofline and short front and rear overhangs. Nobody on our staff thought it was particularly attractive, but it's certainly not ugly, either."
Meanwhile we can enjoy the comradery that comes from being maligned !
Thanks for directing us to the reviews.
come on down here to south Georgia.
We don't have any idea what snow is.
It could be the first ever snow free
Echo owners get together, unless there
was one last winter!
We are starting to see all the "snowbird" license plates here in Tucson this time of year -- but I haven't seen any snowbird Echos yet!
PS
My Echo is qieter than my old F150, and that was very quiet for a truck. It's also a lot quieter than the Neon I test drove. In fact like other owners, all I hear on the highway is some tire noise.
If myfunsun is serious, his Echo is broken, and needs to be repaired.
If
Randy
If so, how does it look?
I have thought about it, but I think it might look a little unusual considering the Echo's futuristic interior
power windows and locks Echo yesterday from dealer about 90 miles
from home. Tornado warnings where in effect but the Echo had no
problem with the rain and windy gusts. Everything is nice about the
Echo. The only thing that will take me some getting use to is the minimum
adjustment of the steering wheel. I have been spoiled by a lot more steering
wheel setting positions in an old Buick I had been driving. Also will miss the
power sits but overall I think the Echo and I will be very happily paired for
years to come. I am an Echo owner. Do I get a Town Hall Official Echo
Owner Certificate from anyone reading this?
wipers by using two adjustable wrenches on the arm itself holding the arm steady with one then twisting the arm with the other until the shuddering goes away. Trial and error. Also maybe replace the wiper insert on that arm if all else fails.
If interested in aftermarket Cruise, see my post #94 of echo7.
30 miles northwest of Waycross and 60 miles northeast
of Valdosta. The coast is a couple of hours drive from here.
But come on by anyway. To make you feel like you are at
the coast we can put on an ocean sounds tape and throw
some salty water on you.
Ref post 595: No name for the new baby yet. Waiting on
comments for suggestions.
I got a 99 Corolla LE. That's the way it is. There is definitly a drop in gas milage. In the summer, I get 28 mpg in town. But same driving in the dead of winter (Michigan gets mighty cold), I get about 22-23 mpg for my 10 miles commute. So it's a 5-6 mpg drop if you drive mostly short trips. But comes summer again, it's back to normal 28 mpg again.
But 10 mpg drop with your echo sounds a bit much. Have it checked, or even an engine diagostic if you are very worried. Hey, to really test it out, you could move to Florida for a week and see if you get better gas milage.