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Toyota Echo

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  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    Welcome to the wonderful world of the Echo. You're in for a big treat. Keep us all posted about your experiences!
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Good luck with your new ECHO Michelle, I'm sure it will be a good car for you. (it's nice to know I've done some good in the world by plugging ECHO!) ECHO is a much better car than the Korean cars, both from a standpoint of quality, and, what the heck do you do with a Daewooo when the company goes bankrupt.
  • gqhdtgqhdt Member Posts: 1
    I am thinking about buying an Echo for my daughter. Have enjoyed reading posts. Several have mentioned the $100 coupon from Edmonds. Where do I find more about this.
    Thanks.
  • mong1mong1 Member Posts: 32
    What a bad weather in KC... I slipped again, not very bad. I think I slipped because of the low tire pressure. I measured the driver's side tire pressure and it is only about 25 kpa. I went to pump some air this morning, but my hand was freezing pain, plus, don't really know what happened, the pump head is kind of too big that I don't think I did pump any air in. There was a truck waiting me to finish my job. I gave up and just leave, it's too much for me, I think I will just pump the tire air tomorrow when the weather will be about 42F.

    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.
  • grimjackgrimjack Member Posts: 6
    You hit the nail right on the head. I loved that comic and I use the Grim Jack handle whenever I can.

    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.
  • echoluvrstecholuvrst Member Posts: 111
    I wrote Edmunds about the coupons and they are no longer affiliated with the company that has the coupons so you cannot get them through Edmunds.

    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.
  • echoluvrstecholuvrst Member Posts: 111
    Now I have the Tom Petty song I have used as the title of my post running through my head. And it truly is the hardest part.

    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.
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    Good luck on the loan application. You are wise to get the money first, then deal later. That makes it very difficult for the salesmen to do any "smoke and mirrors" routines.

    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 !
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    Hi there ! Are you related to 3CPO ??

    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 !
  • melodyechomelodyecho Member Posts: 19
    I did not hear a boom in KC. But I hope the car deal goes through. Echoluv..has been waiting so umm...umm.. patiently to get his hot little hands on his Echo.
    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.
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    Snow, Snow, Snow....I live in Ontario, Canada (near toronto) and the weather is just terrible...this morning I backed my ECHO out of the garage and got stuck even with my dad and brother pushing, it did no good, so I tried our honda civic, it managed to do just fine getting out of the driveway BUT when I came home from work the civic got stuck at the bottom of the driveway, my neighbours came over to help shovel me out..I was very disappointed that my ECHO couldnt make it out but after seeing the civic get stuck I dont feel so bad about the ECHO's handling...Im going to make sure I have a full tank of gas (its on E now) and put some sand bags in the trunk to add some weight..is there anything else I can do????
  • michelle2001michelle2001 Member Posts: 5
    thank you for returning a response

    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
  • echoluvrstecholuvrst Member Posts: 111
    I was trying to decide whether to call this post Sonic Bust or Smoke and Mirrors. I decided to call it FFT in reference to the old TV cartoon that used to have two titles when the announcer would tell what the next time's cartoon was.

    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.
  • echoluvrstecholuvrst Member Posts: 111
    Since you liked Grimjack so much, I will sell you my preview copy of Grimjack #1 for enough cash to buy my Echo! LOL. j/k
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    I wouldn't put sandbags in the trunk except some for spreading under the tires if you get stuck. The reason is that the extra weight will be over the rear wheels which don't provide any pulling traction in the front wheel drive Echo. In fact, if the extra weight is behind the rear axle it will reduce the front end weight somewhat and reduce your pulling traction. The same is true for the Civic.

    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.
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    All the Toyotas I've owned had a "cigarette lighter" 12 volt outlet that was switched off with the ignition switch, I think they stay on with the switch on "acc" but then you can't get the key out.

    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 !
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Michelle I would bring this up with Toyota. Danny is probably right that this is just how the cig lighters on Toyota's are. But since so many people use those phone today, I think Toyota would be wise to change the circuit that goes to the lighter so it can be used for the purpose you describe.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The lighter in my 1999 Mazda Protege turns off with the key as well. It's the way the new cars are wired I guess. Imagine how surprised I was when I plugged my cell phone in while at work and came out only to have the cell phone still dead! :)
  • krakatokrakato Member Posts: 30
    Some of us Echo owners are also interested in the Prius hybrid. The two cars have some similarities in design -- and the Prius is even more environmentally friendly than our beloved Echos. Edmund's just did a Road Test review of the Prius. I thought Echo posters would like to compare how Edmunds reviewed the Prius with what they've been saying about the Echo. Of course the two cars are much different in cost, weight, and engine -- but notice that there is quite a different tone to the Prius review!

    Here's a direct link to Road Test:
    2001 Toyota Prius,
    by Brent Romans.

  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    Edmunds really seem to have their backs up over the Echo. When the first few paragraphs of the review tell the whole song and dance about how they were "persuaded" to redo it and how "objectively" they proceeded with the second review, it reminds me of how holy the politicians sound when they explain that the only reason they're doing what they're doing is for the good of the people.

    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....
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    Notice no "wonky value equation" with the $20,000+ Prius.

    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."
  • krakatokrakato Member Posts: 30
    Yes, that's what struck me in the Prius review -- they were much kinder about the same things they hammered the Echo on!
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    Oh well, what can we do other than continue to fume about it in Edmunds living room !

    Meanwhile we can enjoy the comradery that comes from being maligned !

    Thanks for directing us to the reviews.
  • krakatokrakato Member Posts: 30
    Right -- It's far more fun to enjoy our cars than fume over reviews. Glad to hear the Echos' are doing well in the snow. I haven't had to worry about any of that in the sunny Southwest so far!
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    I'd like to come for a visit. I'm getting tired of -30C every morning here lately. The Echopod doesn't seem to mind though :)
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    All yall snow bound commuters
    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!
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    That sounds great Glen. Even the KC folks are complaining this week. The snow belt is coming your way !
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    What does a hotel room cost in your area in the January-February time frame ? We were thinking about a trip to Pensacola, but I'm afraid that the Echo might not make it through all those spilled chads everywhere :)
  • krakatokrakato Member Posts: 30
    Danny and other Canadians and Northerners. If you're thinking about pointing your Echos Southwest, here's an Arizona Tourism guide for you: http://www.arizonaguide.com/

    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!
  • michelle2001michelle2001 Member Posts: 5
    all i can say is prayer, and persistancy pays off. i was in the exact same boat as you.....paddling nowhere. when my credit union turned me down, i didn't take no for an answer. i stormed back in and explained my financial situation to them. once again i was turned down. with no other options, and no one that would finance me, but some shabby company in town with a 28% outrageous interest rate. i honestly went home on monday night and prayed. we needed a car sooooooo bad, our other was failing us weekly. i woke up that next morning, called in sick, and went back to the credit union. i sat in that guys office and told him i took the day off, and i wasn't leaving until i got a car. i think he thought i was insane......i was........he was gone for quite a while and i held my daughter's hand and we prayed and sweated......that was the most exasperating hour of my life. when he came back, he said "you are approved and not at 17%, like most bankruptcy's, but at 12.75%. i almost fell out of the chair. i was so happy that i cried, because i would have taken 17%. on wednesday (one day later) of last week we drove off the lot with our new echo. if you really have faith in God, believe that he can work a miracle for you. good luck to you, and we will pray for you to get your echo. by the way.....just a little bit more hope.....we just bankrupted in may, and was discharged in september, so anything is possible.
  • myfunsunmyfunsun Member Posts: 15
    So this is toyota quality? I have never had a car, much less a toyota buzz and rattle as much as this thing does!! What was toyota smoking when it designed this car!! Did the consult with the automotive expert on cost cutting aka gm in designig this so called echopod? I will not stand for this lack of quality when I only have 2,000 miles on her!!
  • michelle2001michelle2001 Member Posts: 5
    why don't we save some money and trade homes for a week. i would love a week in the snow, and you'd have a week in the warmth in panama city florida. :) i guess i will never get to test drive the echo in the the snow as long as i live hear.
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    Hmmmm your last post (#456) you said you owned a sunfire and now you own an ECHO??? If you do own an ECHO now why would you buy one when you were putting it down in the earlier posts??? No rattles coming from my car or from anyone else's car for that matter...play your games in another forum or better yet dont play them at all!
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    Have you ever been to Canada ? Do you know what -30C (-22F) feels like ? Are you serious ?

    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
  • myfunsunmyfunsun Member Posts: 15
    No, i'm not on crack!! I forgot to tell you that I own both cars, a sunfire and echo. My wife drives the echo, though.
  • melodyechomelodyecho Member Posts: 19
    I too am getting some interesting looks from other drivers. Kind of a "what in the world is that car" look. I am always happy to talk about my car when someone asks. The looks get even more glazed over when I offer to let them look at the interior, dash etc. I am really glad it is a little higher off the ground. This has been great for my bad knee and when driving in the nasty weather.
  • rajmoranrajmoran Member Posts: 46
    ... and I still love my ECHO. 33mpg in short trip, stop and go commuting and no problem with cross winds or anything else. I hope everyone is having the same experience or better and that your holidays are merry.

    Randy
  • echozechoz Member Posts: 15
    Has any one installed a wood trim kit in their Echo?
    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
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    Picked up my new 2001 silver, four door, automatic, cruise control, with
    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?
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    No but you do get a very warm welcome from all us crazy echolovers !
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    By the way a good friend of mine is taking a winter vacation on the "georgia coast". He's flying to Orlando then driving north alsong the coast. How far is Douglas from the coast ?
  • krakatokrakato Member Posts: 30
    Babyboomer -- you have the Echo I was searching for when I bought my 2000 last June. Mine is automatic, silver, & 4-door -- but no power locks or windows, or cruse control. Nevertheless, not having these "extras" has not affected my love for this car one bit!!! You are going to love yours! Enjoy your new ECHO -- got a name for it yet?
  • smalley1smalley1 Member Posts: 8
    Hi wish mine had that cruse control.I have a whit 4 dr with 9000 miles. I have only had one problem the eng light came on once took it to the dealer and they put a new computer in it some thing about a up grade. Has all run fine and has lots of power up hills. Its real good in the snow so far think it will do good for a light car. Welcome to our echo fan club. I relay do not care what other people think of echo maybe lees people will by them keeping them rare. Like not having the same suv thing like everyone else.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    If your wiper arm on the passanger side is acting strangely, perhaps there is something like wax on the window at that point. Also, there may be something on the rubber part of the blade itself like grease,wax etc. Clean the rubber blade with a stiff bristle brush and dish detergent also the window. Also, the arm may be bent funny. See if the geometry of the right wiper arm is similiar to the left one. I used to fix this kind of problem on older style (simpilar)
    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.
  • danny28danny28 Member Posts: 158
    Smalley1

    If interested in aftermarket Cruise, see my post #94 of echo7.
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    Ref post 594: Douglas is in southeast part of Georgia,
    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.
  • thooverthoover Member Posts: 49
    What is going on exactly with Echo 7? I followed the Edmunds links and got a new look and 598 messages. From my "favorites" link there is the old look and 635 or so messages.
  • krakatokrakato Member Posts: 30
    Have no idea what is going on with the board for sure, but seems like we're going through a gradual transition to the new posting interface. Yesterday the "new" board seemed to be missing a chunk of somewhat recent messages, but did include several messages that had just been posted, plus most of the old Echo 7 messages. Today it seems to have all of them finally posted. I've re-set my favorites bookmark to come straight to the new board, but sometimes the posting box doesn't appear and I have to login -- other times it's right there. There seem to be a few new bells and whistles to the new board -- smarter spell-checker with a substitution feature (not sure I like this yet), a way to mark messages and save them on a special bookmarks page (try clicking on "Mark" to see this feature), and one or two other new things I haven't explored yet.
  • pwasyliwpwasyliw Member Posts: 1
    My 2000 Echo sedan is (after 9 months and 10,000 miles) getting the worst mileage I've ever gotten on a car. In early November it dropped from mid-30's around town to the point where I'm lucky to get 25mpg (under 30 on highway.) The dealer says they will "look" at the car, but that this is "normal for winter." In 25 years of driving I've never seen a drop like this, and it started before winter. I just found this web site today, so I haven't had a chance to see whether other people have found this as well. Please let me know.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    Winter gas milage are lower than summer. It's because car engine, when it's cold, is less efficient. You probably will notice that the car doesn't feel as powerful when the engine is still frozen, and you have to apply more gas just to get the same acceleration.

    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. ;)
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