Are there any asian as in car owners of echo in asia, not asians. I am curious to find out how the car does in the city like condition of singapore or japan. I kinda bought the echo on impulse as i initially wanted a soluna made in thailand toyota , but instead bought the echo 1.3l sedan coz it is made in japan and coz it is just the car that suits my occupation, i'm a designer. I like it's shape and style. but i don't really like fabric in the car so perhaps i may upholster it with some leather. can't wait for it! Gheez! I'm flooding this msg board huh!
I got a really big laugh when I went back and reread the posts by Mr. 7937. He claims that the Echo must not sold as many as the Tercel and must not have met Toyota's sales goals and when that is disproved, he makes the unprovable statement that they would have sold more if the Echo "looked better." Well, they cannot have sold any more because I believe they sold all they sent over here.
.....according to the old adage "Beauty is more than skin deep". True, the ECHO does not look like a sleek reptile but the payoff is in the Toyota reliability, good visibility, high-comfortable front seats, peppy performance, excellent economy at a decent price. How could anything be more beautiful?
My daughter saw one driving in October and that is all she could talk about. And that was just from its looks. She went by our Toyota dealership to check on them and there were none in stock. She was told that they sold every one as soon as it arrived. She did pick up an Echo folder.
When I decided to buy her a car and surprise her in late December, I went by the dealer and there were none in stock. So I went looking at other makes of cars. I almost bought her a Mazda Protege. While test driving it, I passed the Toyota dealer and there were three Echos sitting there. I took the Mazda back and went back to the Toyota place. While I was working on negotiating the red Echo, three other families were looking seriously at all three Echos. Lucky that I was first to say I wanted the red one.
So there seems to be quite a few people who think that the Echo is beautiful. My daughter is one of them. She has had it eight days and still cannot believe that it is hers. Add that to the way it drives and the Toyota reputation and I think that they have a real winner.
I had my ECHO up to 105 on the NJTPK the other day. I was in the left lane, going about 75, passing cars and pulling over to let others pass me as necessary. This Saab ahead of me would slow down when I pulled up behind him, like down to 60. He did this several times, then sped up when I tried to pass him on the right. This happened a few times, and I thought "OK buddy lets see what kind of balls you really have" swung to the right lane and put my foot on the floor and left it there. He matched my speed up until about 100 when he dropped back and stayed back. I wasn't looking at the speedometer, just watching what he was doing. I thought "Gee I must be going at least 85" and looked down (err, over) to see 100 and rising on the speedo. Due to the excellent streamlineing on ECHO, there was hardly any wind noise and the car felt entirely capable on the road at that speed. (no crosswind) Mong1 please do not buy Tornado as it will not work. Sick people in this country try to make a living selling things like that. Also, I advise against putting an antitheft device in your car for the following two reasons 1)unless you live in a high crime area (and even if you do) there is absolutely no market for an ECHO in the stolen car department. No one wants a small car in this country and there aren't enough ECHO's around to need parts for them. 2)Mechanics are not familiar with ECHO and there is an excellent chance they will mess up your car installing the security device. You wouldn't BELIEVE what they did to my brothers 93 Honda Accord. (but then again, THAT car is high on the stealers list) unlike ECHO. 7937 its not that we're touchy its that lots of people who should know better take potshots at ECHO because its trying to be different. So in self defence we have to put them in their place. OK?
I just got done test driving a 2001 Echo. I'm considering replacing my 1998 Nissan Altima GXE -- I drive 80 miles one-way to work, and need something a little more fuel efficient than 24 miles per gallon average.
Here are my thoughts:
1. Wonderful manual shifter
2. Needs more leg room (I'm 5'9, but I like to stretch out)
3. A little noisy
4. Needs an arm rest
Overall, I liked the handling and general driving dynamics of the car. I did like sitting taller -- right now my Altima gets me cramped because of an ill-placed foot rest.
I have a couple questions for you Echo owners:
1. Have you found a reasonable after-market cruise control option?
2. Have you found decent after-market roof racks for bikes?
3. Has anyone installed an aftermarket sunroof of any sort? Particularly anything by Webasto?
4. How does this thing handle in snow?
5. How has it held up?
6. Is the mileage as good as they say it's supposed to be?
I'm basically looking at the 4-door with both upgrade packages, spoiler, alloy wheels, ABS, VIP security, and the all-weather pack. I know it gets sort of expensive, but in reality, I like the way the little bugger looks, and have been less than impressed with competing models (don't like the new Sentra, and I hate the new Civic. The insurance on the Mirage is way too high for a small car).
Also, off hand, does anyone have evaluations of the 3-in-1 audio system? I wasn't impressed with the base cassette in the model I drove, but that can be subjective. It looks like the dash opening would fit a nice after-market model.
8k8mica, good for you!!! Guess what? My brother is in Singapore, and I'm from Malaysia but is living (and working) in the US right now. Anyway, did you say your Echo is 1.3L one? mm... I thought all Echos are 1.5L. I got a Red one. My brother saw two Echos in Spore last time, one is red and one is blue. He likes the Red one too but doesn't like its butt because the light is red also. Our first choice was Seafoam Blue... but I don't think you can get that color.
kneisl1, thanks for the advice, the security was suppose to come together with the car, when I order it. But I ended up with picking up an Echo from the dealer's parking lot instead of straight from the factory, so they have to put it on saperately (the V3 was on back order also). The car is under warranty so I hope nothing is being mess up. besides, it's the dealer who put in the V3, and not after market things and mechanic (I believe they're certified) after all my dealer is a pretty good Toyota Dealer. Kansas City is consider as a high crime city (although we have less population, but the crime is quite high).
My neighbor's cats dance on my Echo and left tons of palm prints.... I need a cat repealer!!!! Does anyone know if this sort of thing exist? Damn cat.
The ECHO is the WORST shifting Toyota I have ever driven (but that isn't important) It is NOT noisy at all especially wind noise and especially for a small car. Leg room could be a little more generous. (some claim they can get the seat moved forther aft. maybe) Some have reported having dealers install CC, check back issues of ECHO 7. (but wouldn't let them screw it up) The 3in 1 system is very good...and I've installed plenty of systems...I think it was like a $275 option. money well spent. Mileage for my manual is between 38 and 41 equal mix of hiway and city. You can read this list and see how few problems the car has had. Snow handling...I've had it in packed snow and it seems a little skittish on turns, but go slow and you should have no problem. Havn't had it in deep snow or on hills.
What about setting small mouse traps on your ECHO baited with some sort of cat food? The small mouse trap should not hurt the cat, just give it a good scare! (he he he) Be careful the owners of the cat do not see this or they may complain. (tell them you set the traps for rats which are eating the upholstery)
We have snow that is waist deep here and the ECHO handles amazingly. I find it handles better than the honda civic I drove for & it had ABS whereas my ECHO does not. I have never felt the car to be out of my control once nor have I ever felt it slip or slide. My only complaint for the snow is the slush and snow that gets caught up in the wheel wells, I have snow that is frozen solid that keeps rubbing up against the tires as I drive, its more noticeable when you turn a corner or drive over a bump, it sounds really horrible.
I was down at the family ranch over the weekend and my mother and step-father have a lot of kittens that come up to the house from the barn and stay in the garage. The older cats tend to stay in the barn area.
Anyway, it was pretty dark when I left last night and I did not notice anything "wrong" with my car. I get back here to Kansas City, pull up to my place, and get out. The porch light was on and reflected on my hood. My hood with all these paw prints.
Hopefully, ill be getting my four door dark blue echo this week. I'm thinking of putting a spoiler on it in a few weeks and I was wondering if the spoiler was even worth adding. does it look better with a spoiler or not? I've never seen a dark blue echo with one and was just curious.
If anyone does decide to get an aftermarket stereo installed in their Echo, they will find that the factory stereo is larger than the standard DIN size. The actual cabinet of the stereo is DIN size, but the faceplate is 1/2 inch large on either side. What this means is when you install an aftermarket stereo there will be a 1/2 inch gap on either side (and above depending on the aftermarket size). Some places have installation kits that will fill in the gaps but in my area they have not been available. I took the lid from an old black toolbox (plastic) and cut the exact size needed. Looks professional and cost nothing!
IMHO I think the spoiler lengthens the car a bit visually. My dealer put on the infamous pinstriping(I got him to take off the charge for it)so together with the spoiler, it gives it a different profile. I've seen a two door with the same treatment and a four door without. Mine is Dark Green with silver and grey stripes(very thin). After seeing Echo's with 14" wheels I think I'm going to get 15". The wheel covers look bigger than the alloy wheels...my only concern with upgrading size is suspension travel and aerodynamics. The thinner your tires the lower the resistance. Also, with such a light weight, any increase in width of tire will also increase risk of hydroplaning. I also have the 3-in-1 and it has the 6 speaker set-up. Love the sound and it really provides deep bass as well.
Cats should be kept indoors. They do not need to go outdoors, despite the myth that people have that think they do. Do not think that you won't hurt a cat with a mouse trap. Would you put your hand in one?
That aside.
Glad to hear that the vast majority of people like the 3-in-1 stereo. That makes me feel a lot better.
Two more questions I had. I was looking through the brochure, and couldn't find out whether or not this car had remote fuel or trunk releases? Also, do the remote manual mirrors fold in?
As far as my comments regarding the shifter and noise:
1. Last car I drove that was stick was a '94 Nissan Sentra and a '95 Saturn. Not exactly the paramount of good shifting. Perhaps a bad Toyota shifter is better than these.
2. Noise -- remember what I'm driving now -- a 98 Altima. I really don't hear as much wind noise as I do in the Echo; however, the noise in the Echo is just that -- wind noise. I hear leaking window seals all the time in the Altima.
I'm hoping that the car is reliable as the posts say -- I've been rather dissapointed with my supposedly "reliable" Altima.
The ECHO does have remote trunk and fuel releases. Down on the floor to the left of the driver's seat. One funny thing is the trunk release is in front of the gas release and I have accidentally opened my trunk a few times, when stopping to get gas.
Thank you for your cat comments. I have 2 and they are never outside unless I'm with them.
Yes the releases for the trunk and gas filler are on the floor to the drivers left. I don't have inside mirror adjusters so I can't comment on their foldability. I was thinking if Mong1 gets his security system installed, maybe he can increase the sensitivity so it goes off when the cats jump on the car. (Mong, ask if the system can deal with "cat burglers", he he) I don't think a mouse trap would hurt a cat, because I've put my hand in then many many times. Now a RAT TRAP is a completely different proposition. I has rats in my trailer, and thought they were mice. They just took the bait and were not hurt at all by the puny traps. So I got a real RAT TRAP. Atomic bombs had nothing on this rat trap, believe me. This thing would break your finger, no question. My wife of one week and I were in bed one night and we heard a rat in the kitchen knocking things over then WACK!!! it got caught in the trap. It started going REEK!REEK!REEK!REEK!REEK!REEK!REEK! I had to go out in my underware armed with a pipe from the vacuum cleaner to dispatch it. It crawled behind the stove dragging the trap behind it, and stared up at me with beady malevolent eyes in the beam of my flashlight before I smashed it into eternity with the vacuum cleaner pipe. When I came back to bed my wife was cowering under the covers, completely terrified. "I thought you were the rat coming to get me!" I guess there just are no men around anymore!
Oh boy where do I start. The wife wanted to trade in our 1998 civic for something new so we went to look around. After visiting the Nissan dealer, the Hyundai dealer and Honda dealer we came to the conclusion that none of those had anything to offer (I liked the sentry DE but wife said no I/I She didn't like the rear end). So off to the toyota dealer we went. When we arrived she went straight for the line of echo's. With dread growing in my heart I followed her. I had done plenty of research on-line and out of car mags so I as pretty well versed on what the echo had to offer us. NOTHING!!!! First of all being well overprice and looking like a rolling phone booth had me convinced that the echo would be a waste of our money. The test drive just proved my point. From the sloppy sifter(compared to the Honda's smooth as butter stick) to the boo dashboard this car couldn't do anything right. Then the wife drove it. This is the first time in three years she agreed with me on anything having to do with cars. Come on, who is toyota trying to fool with this car??? Anyway I digress. After an extremely frustrating week of test driving we came to the conclusion that our civic would do for plenty more years.
What are we supposed to get from your posting? That the ECHO isnt suited for you and your wife? Thanks for letting us know. SUV's and station wagons arent suited for me but who cares!
echoluvrst, now you know what I mean hub? I certainly hope that the cats are not going to scratch the car bumper like the way they scratch a sofa....
As for the cats, I don't think my alarm will set off if they jump on the Echo.... however, I found a way to avoid paw print. I used to park my Echo in the car porch this way: the car front goes in first and the rear is outside, facing the sun. I looked at other cars parked next to my Echo, they all park differently (the other way round). I'm thinking, why do people want to reverse park their car since reverse parking is a lot harder to park than side parking (L-parking). All of the sudden a light bulb pops up in my head... what is so special with the Echo? The big and tall trunk!!! So, I parked my Echo like other cars, the rear enter the car porch first and the front is facing the sun. I got off the car, look at the Echo's "butt": he he he... this trunk is damn tall, I'm sure those cats can't jump onto it. I'm pretty sure they don't want to climb onto the hood which is facing the sun (unless they want to get a sun tan).
Anyway, this morning when I get into the car, I don't see any paw print.
I certainly agree that cats shouldn't be left outside. My neighbor is crazy, the other day Kansas City got so cold that the wind chill was 34F below 0F... and my neighbor still left her cats outside!!!
Ok, this tweak was posted in Echo 6, and I tried it and it really works. It only work in the 3-in-1 Stereo system for Echo (most of you guys got it).
If you press on the node on the right, you will see BAS XX (where XX is any number), if you press it again, you will see TRE XX and if you press again you got other stuff.
Here is the tweak: After power on your stereo, press and HOLD the setting node, hold it for about 10 seconds. In this process, the BAS XX display, and will go back to FM XX (or something, it's depend on what you're using when you do this setting). Soon you will hear a beep sound. After the beep sound, you can release the node. Now, press on the setting node, you will see BAS XX, press again, you will see "11ld XX"... walla!!!! That's the setting you're looking for!!! I set it to 03 and it works pretty good. If you press the node again, you will get TRE XX and the rest.
Now this setting will retain if you power off your stereo before you turn off the car. If you turn off the car before you power off the stereo, the setting will gone and you need to do the setting again.
Give it a try, the manual didn't say anything about this setting.
Matt, the cats at my mother's house are ranch cats and are used to being outside and not in the house. Cats have been treated like this for a number of years by farmers and ranchers. Even the kittens. So don't worry.
Taz, you are entitled to your opinion and glad to see you did not end up buying a car you do not believe in. You either like the Echo or you don't. There seems to be very little common ground. I am involved in something of a 'fight' over on AOL in a folder pertaining to Focuses. There are a number Focus owners that rue the day they bought their car. Except for Kniesl1's comment about the Echo being the worst shifting Toyota (and not sure what that means as I have never driven any other manual Toyotas), I have yet to see a comment of complaint from an actual Echo owner.
I guess this means that Toyota has a lot of people fooled!
Time to go back to work. "Talk" to you all when I get home in about three hours or so.
My parents had the same problem in their neighborhood in northern Florida- when it got chilly the cats sunned themselves on the hood of their truck and made muddy pawprints. They have a tarp with suction cups- purchased originally go be put on the windshield to prevent frost from building up on the window. They decided to lay this tarp on the hood, and fasten it to the sides with the suction cups, so it the cats go on this tarp, the pawprints are not on the truck itself. The tarp is sort of a crinkly canvas type material so it will not harm the paint job. I certainly am very happy with my 2 door silver Echo,have had it since June of 2000, and my only problem was with the upholstery of the drivers seat getting pilly, but the seat cushion was replaced w/o a big deal. Luckily in So Fla heat is the only issue, no snow, so AC is very important. Was up north at Christmas and saw all the salt marks on cars and was happy my car isn't exposed to that. But I guess frequent visits to car washes will help. Love the Echo though!
Mong1: I spoke to the Cat Lady today at work about your problem with the cats climbing on your car. I thought she might know a way to keep them off a car not involving mouse traps. She said: call a few local vets (animal doctors) and ask them what they would recommend.
I've had my ECHO for a little over a year now, approaching 13,000 miles. I still think it's the coolest little car I've ever owned.
It's a silver 4-door automatic with the 3-in-1, a/c, spoiler. I'm getting about 32 mpg in 90% city stop-and-go, with the A/C on about 95% of the time (I live in Honolulu). I've had it in twice for scheduled maintenance, no problems. One warranty item: the trunk lock quit working. I could open it with the inside release, but not the key. The dealer replaced the lock with no problem.
One squawk: the left passenger door has developed a rattle. It hasn't annoyed me enough for me to actually do anything about it, but it's there.
I did put a set of seatcovers on the front seats, $250 custom neoprene set from Wet Okole - www.wetokole.com - they are great and well worth the price.
The ECHO is a great city car. I can sneak in and out of tight parking spots with the greatest of ease. I can make tight U-turns in parking lots and back streets. It's peppy enough to get on and off the freeway when I need to. The trunk is huge.
One drawback - my wife always wants to use it. She's got a '93 Cavalier wagon, but sure likes my ECHO. I wish Toyota would sell the Yaris Verso in the US, I'd buy the first one I could get my hands on for my wife.
Speaking of which, I just saw something on the new Toyota Matrix, to go into production early next year... what is its lineage? From the one grainy newspaper shot I saw, it could be an ECHO derivative? I don't know, and I haven't been able to track down anything on the web.
One final thing - the only second thought I've had with my ECHO is color. The silver is nice, but the red looks great. I'd get a red one if I had a second chance.
Oh, one more final thing... driving it in this hot climate, I've wished for a real temp gauge instead of an idiot light. Minor.
Here is the info on this web site on the Matrix. Also check out the Pontiac Vie, which is the GM version of the car. I hope this pasted in link works...
Hey all...just thought I'd share my opinion of the shifter...my Ford ZX-2 shifted a lot smoother; especially into 1st with shorter throws. Having said that, that is the only thing I find not up to par with the Echo. The Echo's engine is butter smooth and very quiet with a lot of pep. The ZX-2 (same as Focus) has a lot of grunt but is rather raucous on the highway. As far as the price, I really don't consider the Echo overpriced by 'world' standards but it is pricey for a car in this country. The hardware is very sophisticated (VVT-i engine w/ variable exhaust to start) it just doesn't have the bells and whistles that the Focus does. I think it's value is greater than those overpriced and underengineered SUV's. But that's okay...I love my Echo and there are many fine cars for others that don't to buy!
They do have a seafoam blue here , but they just call it metalic blue but it looks like the seafoam blue i see in all those web pages, you know i bought a manual echo, but5 itest drove a auto. Looking at what has been said abt the echo 's shifter makes me abit worried, as i now drive a corrolla 1.3 and i like the shifting , just afraid it does not meet that mark. So nobody has tried a cyclone or fuel regulator on an echo so far huh!
I have to admit that the shifting in Echo is not as smooth as the 91 Tracker I used to drive, but it's only for 1st and sometimes second gear. In my case, the shift is difficult only in this situation: I want to shift from 3rd gear to 2nd gear. So I press the clutch, shifted to 2nd gear, but as soon as when I'm on second gear (I haven't release the clutch yet) I realize that I need to use 1st gear. It is hard to shift to 1st gear without release the clutch. I have to release the clutch a little bit and then shift to first gear.
It's depend on if you're use to stick or not. Some people prefer longer stick like me, so may be it takes some time to get use to the short stick. (I only own my Echo for about 7 weeks now).
In Singapore, it doesn't snow, and it will never snow, so an auto transmission is fine, but if you like stick, stick with it and it will save you some money too. In the US, I prefer stick because of the snow. A lot people like stick car because it allows total control on the car, save gas, and can boost horse power easily.
Oh, how much to you pay for your Echo (reply in Sing Dollar please)? My brother wanted to buy a car too, he like the Seafoam Blue as much as I do. If it's not that expensive I might ask him to consider it also.
Just a correction. The Focus Zetec engine differs from the one installed in the ZX2. It's been revised quit a bit for the Focus. It's very smooth on the freeway, especially at higher speeds - around 100 mph = just 4000 rpm. Also, the ZX2 has a variable exhaust cam timing - to keep emissions in check instead of the usual EGR valve on the Focus.
As an outsider to this discussion but a habitual test driver, I find it very hard to compare the echo to anything except maybe a kia rio or spectra. The civic, sentra, protoge, elantra are more the carola's equals. Price wise the echo is in a cheaper class. In a recent Car and driver comparision (June 2000 issue) the echo placed 10 out of 12. Clearly the echo was outclassed by more refined vehicles albeit more expensive ones. A better comparision would be the echo against the accent, kia rio and kia spectra. Just one question, how do owners get past the stump ugly body? As an auto enthusiast it ranks up there with the Pontiac Aztec in having a face only the blind can love.
That's our home-away-from-home for my little boy and I. :-) We just got back in early December from a long-weekend to see the Christmas decorations, and we leave on Feb. 3rd for an 8-day stay at All-Star Movies. Yay!
As far as my beautiful little green Echo goes, I've had her since mid-August now and love her more and more every day. I've been driving for half my life now, and have had many different cars, and never get over just how *fun* this car is to drive. Not to mention the thrill of just waving at folks as you cruise past the gas stations. :-) I LOVE the 3-in-1 stereo with the 6 speakers... the sound is just awesome.
I have had zero problems with my Echo, major or minor. I saw one with the spoiler finally, and *really* liked the look. Anyone know how much it costs to get one put on? I'd really love one. I'd also really love cruise-control, but not sure I trust anyone to do it right on such a new type of car.
I would not say the ECHO is ugly...it does look a like a cartoon character of a car, however. The same could be said about the VW Beetle (old Beetle) a very successful and practical car, as I think ECHO is destined to be thought of. People who buy a car to feed their (overinflated) ego will not buy the ECHO.
Looking for actual highway and city mileage figures from Echo owners of 5-speeds and automatics. As good as the EPA ratings on the sticker? How hard is it to get one with ABS and side air bags? Any word on whether they will ever put a tach in the instrument cluster..small as it is! Thanks.
I too would have dismissed the Echo if I believed everything I read. The road tests on the Echo have been largely inaccurate save for the balky 1st gear. Most people that say negative things about the Echo have never driven one for any length of time. It's not a sports sedan and wasn't meant to be one. To compare it with the Kia and Hyundai? How about the fact that the new Lexus has a VVT-i engine like the Echo's? Vadp: as far as the mods...the only thing I can say is why is the Focus so much slower than the ZX-2? In addition, I was referring to the Echo's muffler that has an adaptable baffle that allows higher exhaust flow under acceleration... I think the Focus is a fine car, save for the 3 recalls but it was designed with a different mission in mind. I drive across the high desert frequently and the Echo cruises at 80 in silky silence! AND I still get 38mpg at that speed and altitude!!! So far; 33 in the city and 38 on the highway. 41 is very attainable considering I always go at least 70 on the highway.
My local Toyota is advertising a two door ECHO 5 speed with air and power brakes MSRP $12,420 their price (supposedly) $11,995. Stock #1093 (I have no interest in this deal, just offering it as a public service)
I know a car can't have feeling, but as the owner of the car, you will get very very upset, if it happen very very often. I have put in a lot effort to keep the car as clean as it should, and for proper maintenance so that it can have better resale value in the future. I have wash the car and polish it like a maid and a few hour later it get dirty again, by just sating in the car porch.
Now, imagine this, after you have baked a cake, put on the icing and decorated it very very beautifully. You let it sit in the room. A few minutes later, a lizard crawl to the ceiling, and poop on your cake!!!! Once or twice is fine, but if this happen every time you make a cake and you don't have any choice but to leave your cake in the kitchen (your fridge is full, you don't have anything to cover it). I suppose you can kill the lizard or something, but you can't do anything with the cat!! (it's inhuman to kill a cat as the damage is not bad enough for the cat to deserve it).
Climbing on the car is just the beginning. Who know in the future when it gets more often (especially when the weather get nicer), the cats will do everything on your car, they eat (dragging those fish bone onto your car), pee on your car, and even puke on your car!!! Your car won't feel anything, yes, but you don't know what kind of damage the car got, the kind of damage that only show after a long time (acid etc.)
Oh, just to let you guys know, the cats jumped on my car again, even though I parked it the other way round. I'm thinking of getting a car cover, does anyone know how much does that cost and is that a one size fit all thing?
Just checking in. I hope you all are enjoying you ECHOs as much as I am. I can't believe that someone would purposely poison a cat (or anything else, save vermin, for that matter), so I'll just guess that bbean2 was making a sick joke.
The reasons, the Focus is slower than the ZX2 are: 1. It weighs more - body shell stiffness and better safety don't come cheap. 2. Its ECU programming is revised in order to be LEV cerified=worse performance. 3. Its exhaust manifold is of the very restrictive design - thanks to the stricter emissions again. 4. It shares its tranny with the Contour, which is quite heavy and in the Focus the gear ratios are taller too =slower acceleration, lower rpm - more comfort on the freeway. I like the Echo's muffler design. Sounds like a very good idea. As I know Nissan installs a similar system in its Sentra and Maxima. Regarding recalls. I think it's way overblown. Still the issue doesn't add to much of credit to the FoMoCo reputation. BTW, I can't say that I dislike the Echo that much anymore. The more often I see them on the road, the less "distinctive" in the bad way, more mainstream they become in my view. Last Saturday went to the LA autoshow; drove 2 hours on the freeway just to get there. Took a close look at the Aztek. In person it looks much different, the interior is very smart and functional. I LIKE IT ! !
As the owner of two wonderful cats that have all their claws, are kept indoors all the time, and are like my children, I'd like to say that I'm sure glad I didn't see anyone poisoning those cats, as they'd be referred to the police on animal cruelty charges.
If you think you have a cat problem, let's do a couple of things:
1. Talk to your neighbors -- if they're the ones that have the cats that have the problem. Ask them if it'd be a big deal to keep the cats inside -- REMEMBER, CATS DO NOT NEED TO BE OUTSIDE!
2. If you do have a cat problem, try a couple of tips -- put some really really sticky tape, like carpet tape, on a piece of cardboard and attach the cardboard to the surfaces of the car that are having the problem. Cats hate sticky stuff, and if you just tie the cardboard on with some string, it will be fine.
3. If you have a cat problem, and your neighbors do not own the cat (A cat should have a collar, and if I had my way would be 'chipped'), do yourself a favor and take the little fellow to your local humane society. That way, he or she can find a good home.
Now, for the Echo comments.
I went out and test drove a Civic EX coupe today. I will say this, the Civic is a different class of vehicle... BUT...
I still find the Echo's styling to be nifty. It really reminds me of the newest "tall Euro" style cars like the Mercedes A class, the Audi A2, etc... Of course, being based upon the European Yaris car, that would be the reason why the car looks European, now wouldn't it.
Let's see -- I thought the Civic was very buzzy and short on headroom. The shifter was better than the Echo's, but that's merely subjective, because I liked the Echo clutch much better.
I did like the dash in the Civic better, if for nothing else than it had the gauges in front of me, and had a tach.
Here's what I would do to make the Echo sell better.
1. Offer some more premium options (IE Cruise Control and power windows.) While the Echo may be a competitor to the Rio, Sephia, and Accent, let's not forget that the Focus, Cavalier, and Neon are in the same price range and will be cross-shopped. Also, don't forget that some folks (like myself) may cross shop with other small, fuel-efficent cars like the Civic and Golf TDI.
2. Move the dash where God intended it to be -- in front of the driver. If Toyota wants to keep it small, look to the VW New Beetle for design on the dash. Please include a tachometer and temperature gauge!!
3. Target the car as a compact, efficient alternative to a small sport utility. Offer some nice packages like VW did with the Jetta -- Ski Rack with Skis, bike rack with bikes. And, for those outdoor types, have neoprene seat covers -- Nissan can get you some to use from their Xterra -- available as well.
4. Make the front seats go back 1 inch more.
5. Why is it that a Celica can tow 2000 pounds, my old Sentra with similar power characteristics could tow 1000 pounds, and the Echo can't tow anything? We should AT LEAST be able to pull my jet ski with it.
6. Larger wheels with premium rubber.
7. Give it an arm rest in the center!
I did enjoy the Civic, but the Toyota dealer was far less arrogant, and the Echo doesn't have the image that a Civic does (I'm thinking about hideous slammed Civics with ludicrious spoilers and asian writing on the windshield...)... Nifty.
Comments
How could anything be more beautiful?
When I decided to buy her a car and surprise her in late December, I went by the dealer and there were none in stock. So I went looking at other makes of cars. I almost bought her a Mazda Protege. While test driving it, I passed the Toyota dealer and there were three Echos sitting there. I took the Mazda back and went back to the Toyota place. While I was working on negotiating the red Echo, three other families were looking seriously at all three Echos. Lucky that I was first to say I wanted the red one.
So there seems to be quite a few people who think that the Echo is beautiful. My daughter is one of them. She has had it eight days and still cannot believe that it is hers. Add that to the way it drives and the Toyota reputation and I think that they have a real winner.
Mong1 please do not buy Tornado as it will not work. Sick people in this country try to make a living selling things like that. Also, I advise against putting an antitheft device in your car for the following two reasons 1)unless you live in a high crime area (and even if you do) there is absolutely no market for an ECHO in the stolen car department. No one wants a small car in this country and there aren't enough ECHO's around to need parts for them. 2)Mechanics are not familiar with ECHO and there is an excellent chance they will mess up your car installing the security device. You wouldn't BELIEVE what they did to my brothers 93 Honda Accord. (but then again, THAT car is high on the stealers list) unlike ECHO.
7937 its not that we're touchy its that lots of people who should know better take potshots at ECHO because its trying to be different. So in self defence we have to put them in their place. OK?
Here are my thoughts:
1. Wonderful manual shifter
2. Needs more leg room (I'm 5'9, but I like to stretch out)
3. A little noisy
4. Needs an arm rest
Overall, I liked the handling and general driving dynamics of the car. I did like sitting taller -- right now my Altima gets me cramped because of an ill-placed foot rest.
I have a couple questions for you Echo owners:
1. Have you found a reasonable after-market cruise control option?
2. Have you found decent after-market roof racks for bikes?
3. Has anyone installed an aftermarket sunroof of any sort? Particularly anything by Webasto?
4. How does this thing handle in snow?
5. How has it held up?
6. Is the mileage as good as they say it's supposed to be?
I'm basically looking at the 4-door with both upgrade packages, spoiler, alloy wheels, ABS, VIP security, and the all-weather pack. I know it gets sort of expensive, but in reality, I like the way the little bugger looks, and have been less than impressed with competing models (don't like the new Sentra, and I hate the new Civic. The insurance on the Mirage is way too high for a small car).
Also, off hand, does anyone have evaluations of the 3-in-1 audio system? I wasn't impressed with the base cassette in the model I drove, but that can be subjective. It looks like the dash opening would fit a nice after-market model.
kneisl1, thanks for the advice, the security was suppose to come together with the car, when I order it. But I ended up with picking up an Echo from the dealer's parking lot instead of straight from the factory, so they have to put it on saperately (the V3 was on back order also). The car is under warranty so I hope nothing is being mess up. besides, it's the dealer who put in the V3, and not after market things and mechanic (I believe they're certified) after all my dealer is a pretty good Toyota Dealer. Kansas City is consider as a high crime city (although we have less population, but the crime is quite high).
My neighbor's cats dance on my Echo and left tons of palm prints.... I need a cat repealer!!!! Does anyone know if this sort of thing exist? Damn cat.
Anyway, it was pretty dark when I left last night and I did not notice anything "wrong" with my car. I get back here to Kansas City, pull up to my place, and get out. The porch light was on and reflected on my hood. My hood with all these paw prints.
Darn cats! LOL
Hopefully, ill be getting my four door dark blue echo this week. I'm thinking of putting a spoiler on it in a few weeks and I was wondering if the spoiler was even worth adding. does it look better with a spoiler or not? I've never seen a dark blue echo with one and was just curious.
I also have the 3-in-1 and it has the 6 speaker set-up. Love the sound and it really provides deep bass as well.
Cats should be kept indoors. They do not need to go outdoors, despite the myth that people have that think they do. Do not think that you won't hurt a cat with a mouse trap. Would you put your hand in one?
That aside.
Glad to hear that the vast majority of people like the 3-in-1 stereo. That makes me feel a lot better.
Two more questions I had. I was looking through the brochure, and couldn't find out whether or not this car had remote fuel or trunk releases? Also, do the remote manual mirrors fold in?
As far as my comments regarding the shifter and noise:
1. Last car I drove that was stick was a '94 Nissan Sentra and a '95 Saturn. Not exactly the paramount of good shifting. Perhaps a bad Toyota shifter is better than these.
2. Noise -- remember what I'm driving now -- a 98 Altima. I really don't hear as much wind noise as I do in the Echo; however, the noise in the Echo is just that -- wind noise. I hear leaking window seals all the time in the Altima.
I'm hoping that the car is reliable as the posts say -- I've been rather dissapointed with my supposedly "reliable" Altima.
Thank you for your cat comments. I have 2 and they are never outside unless I'm with them.
As for the cats, I don't think my alarm will set off if they jump on the Echo.... however, I found a way to avoid paw print. I used to park my Echo in the car porch this way: the car front goes in first and the rear is outside, facing the sun. I looked at other cars parked next to my Echo, they all park differently (the other way round). I'm thinking, why do people want to reverse park their car since reverse parking is a lot harder to park than side parking (L-parking). All of the sudden a light bulb pops up in my head... what is so special with the Echo? The big and tall trunk!!! So, I parked my Echo like other cars, the rear enter the car porch first and the front is facing the sun. I got off the car, look at the Echo's "butt": he he he... this trunk is damn tall, I'm sure those cats can't jump onto it. I'm pretty sure they don't want to climb onto the hood which is facing the sun (unless they want to get a sun tan).
Anyway, this morning when I get into the car, I don't see any paw print.
I certainly agree that cats shouldn't be left outside. My neighbor is crazy, the other day Kansas City got so cold that the wind chill was 34F below 0F... and my neighbor still left her cats outside!!!
If you press on the node on the right, you will see BAS XX (where XX is any number), if you press it again, you will see TRE XX and if you press again you got other stuff.
Here is the tweak:
After power on your stereo, press and HOLD the setting node, hold it for about 10 seconds. In this process, the BAS XX display, and will go back to FM XX (or something, it's depend on what you're using when you do this setting). Soon you will hear a beep sound. After the beep sound, you can release the node. Now, press on the setting node, you will see BAS XX, press again, you will see "11ld XX"... walla!!!! That's the setting you're looking for!!! I set it to 03 and it works pretty good. If you press the node again, you will get TRE XX and the rest.
Now this setting will retain if you power off your stereo before you turn off the car. If you turn off the car before you power off the stereo, the setting will gone and you need to do the setting again.
Give it a try, the manual didn't say anything about this setting.
Taz, you are entitled to your opinion and glad to see you did not end up buying a car you do not believe in. You either like the Echo or you don't. There seems to be very little common ground. I am involved in something of a 'fight' over on AOL in a folder pertaining to Focuses. There are a number Focus owners that rue the day they bought their car. Except for Kniesl1's comment about the Echo being the worst shifting Toyota (and not sure what that means as I have never driven any other manual Toyotas), I have yet to see a comment of complaint from an actual Echo owner.
I guess this means that Toyota has a lot of people fooled!
Time to go back to work. "Talk" to you all when I get home in about three hours or so.
They have a tarp with suction cups- purchased originally go be put on the windshield to prevent frost from building up on the window. They decided to lay this tarp on the hood, and fasten it to the sides with the suction cups, so it the cats go on this tarp, the pawprints are not on the truck itself. The tarp is sort of a crinkly canvas type material so it will not harm the paint job.
I certainly am very happy with my 2 door silver Echo,have had it since June of 2000, and my only problem was with the upholstery of the drivers seat getting pilly, but the seat cushion was replaced w/o a big deal. Luckily in So Fla heat is the only issue, no snow, so AC is very important. Was up north at Christmas and saw all the salt marks on cars and was happy my car isn't exposed to that. But I guess frequent visits to car washes will help. Love the Echo though!
It's a silver 4-door automatic with the 3-in-1, a/c, spoiler. I'm getting about 32 mpg in 90% city stop-and-go, with the A/C on about 95% of the time (I live in Honolulu). I've had it in twice for scheduled maintenance, no problems. One warranty item: the trunk lock quit working. I could open it with the inside release, but not the key. The dealer replaced the lock with no problem.
One squawk: the left passenger door has developed a rattle. It hasn't annoyed me enough for me to actually do anything about it, but it's there.
I did put a set of seatcovers on the front seats, $250 custom neoprene set from Wet Okole - www.wetokole.com - they are great and well worth the price.
The ECHO is a great city car. I can sneak in and out of tight parking spots with the greatest of ease. I can make tight U-turns in parking lots and back streets. It's peppy enough to get on and off the freeway when I need to. The trunk is huge.
One drawback - my wife always wants to use it. She's got a '93 Cavalier wagon, but sure likes my ECHO. I wish Toyota would sell the Yaris Verso in the US, I'd buy the first one I could get my hands on for my wife.
Speaking of which, I just saw something on the new Toyota Matrix, to go into production early next year... what is its lineage? From the one grainy newspaper shot I saw, it could be an ECHO derivative? I don't know, and I haven't been able to track down anything on the web.
One final thing - the only second thought I've had with my ECHO is color. The silver is nice, but the red looks great. I'd get a red one if I had a second chance.
Oh, one more final thing... driving it in this hot climate, I've wished for a real temp gauge instead of an idiot light. Minor.
Aloha, all.
http://www.cardesignnews.com/events/detroit2001/features/toyota-matrix/index.html
http://www.edmunds.com/news/auto shows/northamericaninternationalautoshow2001/44469/page010.html
http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshows/northamericaninternationalautoshow2001/44469/page010.html
Having said that, that is the only thing I find not up to par with the Echo. The Echo's engine is butter smooth and very quiet with a lot of pep. The ZX-2 (same as Focus) has a lot of grunt but is rather raucous on the highway.
As far as the price, I really don't consider the Echo overpriced by 'world' standards but it is pricey for a car in this country. The hardware is very sophisticated (VVT-i engine w/ variable exhaust to start) it just doesn't have the bells and whistles that the Focus does. I think it's value is greater than those overpriced and underengineered SUV's.
But that's okay...I love my Echo and there are many fine cars for others that don't to buy!
I want to shift from 3rd gear to 2nd gear. So I press the clutch, shifted to 2nd gear, but as soon as when I'm on second gear (I haven't release the clutch yet) I realize that I need to use 1st gear. It is hard to shift to 1st gear without release the clutch. I have to release the clutch a little bit and then shift to first gear.
It's depend on if you're use to stick or not. Some people prefer longer stick like me, so may be it takes some time to get use to the short stick. (I only own my Echo for about 7 weeks now).
In Singapore, it doesn't snow, and it will never snow, so an auto transmission is fine, but if you like stick, stick with it and it will save you some money too. In the US, I prefer stick because of the snow. A lot people like stick car because it allows total control on the car, save gas, and can boost horse power easily.
Oh, how much to you pay for your Echo (reply in Sing Dollar please)? My brother wanted to buy a car too, he like the Seafoam Blue as much as I do. If it's not that expensive I might ask him to consider it also.
The Focus Zetec engine differs from the one installed in the ZX2. It's been revised quit a bit for the Focus.
It's very smooth on the freeway, especially at higher speeds - around 100 mph = just 4000 rpm.
Also, the ZX2 has a variable exhaust cam timing - to keep emissions in check instead of the usual EGR valve on the Focus.
Just one question, how do owners get past the stump ugly body? As an auto enthusiast it ranks up there with the Pontiac Aztec in having a face only the blind can love.
As far as my beautiful little green Echo goes, I've had her since mid-August now and love her more and more every day. I've been driving for half my life now, and have had many different cars, and never get over just how *fun* this car is to drive. Not to mention the thrill of just waving at folks as you cruise past the gas stations. :-) I LOVE the 3-in-1 stereo with the 6 speakers... the sound is just awesome.
I have had zero problems with my Echo, major or minor. I saw one with the spoiler finally, and *really* liked the look. Anyone know how much it costs to get one put on? I'd really love one. I'd also really love cruise-control, but not sure I trust anyone to do it right on such a new type of car.
Happy echo-ing, everyone!
-gina-
Vadp: as far as the mods...the only thing I can say is why is the Focus so much slower than the ZX-2? In addition, I was referring to the Echo's muffler that has an adaptable baffle that allows higher exhaust flow under acceleration...
I think the Focus is a fine car, save for the 3 recalls
I drive across the high desert frequently and the Echo cruises at 80 in silky silence! AND I still get 38mpg at that speed and altitude!!!
So far; 33 in the city and 38 on the highway. 41 is very attainable considering I always go at least 70 on the highway.
Now, imagine this, after you have baked a cake, put on the icing and decorated it very very beautifully. You let it sit in the room. A few minutes later, a lizard crawl to the ceiling, and poop on your cake!!!! Once or twice is fine, but if this happen every time you make a cake and you don't have any choice but to leave your cake in the kitchen (your fridge is full, you don't have anything to cover it). I suppose you can kill the lizard or something, but you can't do anything with the cat!! (it's inhuman to kill a cat as the damage is not bad enough for the cat to deserve it).
Climbing on the car is just the beginning. Who know in the future when it gets more often (especially when the weather get nicer), the cats will do everything on your car, they eat (dragging those fish bone onto your car), pee on your car, and even puke on your car!!! Your car won't feel anything, yes, but you don't know what kind of damage the car got, the kind of damage that only show after a long time (acid etc.)
Oh, just to let you guys know, the cats jumped on my car again, even though I parked it the other way round. I'm thinking of getting a car cover, does anyone know how much does that cost and is that a one size fit all thing?
Still loving my Echo. Time to drive!
I'm averaging 32mpg in cold winter commuting.
1. It weighs more - body shell stiffness and better safety don't come cheap.
2. Its ECU programming is revised in order to be LEV cerified=worse performance.
3. Its exhaust manifold is of the very restrictive design - thanks to the stricter emissions again.
4. It shares its tranny with the Contour, which is quite heavy and in the Focus the gear ratios are taller too =slower acceleration, lower rpm - more comfort on the freeway.
I like the Echo's muffler design. Sounds like a very good idea. As I know Nissan installs a similar system in its Sentra and Maxima.
Regarding recalls. I think it's way overblown. Still the issue doesn't add to much of credit to the FoMoCo reputation.
BTW, I can't say that I dislike the Echo that much anymore. The more often I see them on the road, the less "distinctive" in the bad way, more mainstream they become in my view.
Last Saturday went to the LA autoshow; drove 2 hours on the freeway just to get there.
Took a close look at the Aztek. In person it looks much different, the interior is very smart and functional. I LIKE IT ! !
If you think you have a cat problem, let's do a couple of things:
1. Talk to your neighbors -- if they're the ones that have the cats that have the problem. Ask them if it'd be a big deal to keep the cats inside -- REMEMBER, CATS DO NOT NEED TO BE OUTSIDE!
2. If you do have a cat problem, try a couple of tips -- put some really really sticky tape, like carpet tape, on a piece of cardboard and attach the cardboard to the surfaces of the car that are having the problem. Cats hate sticky stuff, and if you just tie the cardboard on with some string, it will be fine.
3. If you have a cat problem, and your neighbors do not own the cat (A cat should have a collar, and if I had my way would be 'chipped'), do yourself a favor and take the little fellow to your local humane society. That way, he or she can find a good home.
Now, for the Echo comments.
I went out and test drove a Civic EX coupe today. I will say this, the Civic is a different class of vehicle... BUT...
I still find the Echo's styling to be nifty. It really reminds me of the newest "tall Euro" style cars like the Mercedes A class, the Audi A2, etc... Of course, being based upon the European Yaris car, that would be the reason why the car looks European, now wouldn't it.
Let's see -- I thought the Civic was very buzzy and short on headroom. The shifter was better than the Echo's, but that's merely subjective, because I liked the Echo clutch much better.
I did like the dash in the Civic better, if for nothing else than it had the gauges in front of me, and had a tach.
Here's what I would do to make the Echo sell better.
1. Offer some more premium options (IE Cruise Control and power windows.) While the Echo may be a competitor to the Rio, Sephia, and Accent, let's not forget that the Focus, Cavalier, and Neon are in the same price range and will be cross-shopped. Also, don't forget that some folks (like myself) may cross shop with other small, fuel-efficent cars like the Civic and Golf TDI.
2. Move the dash where God intended it to be -- in front of the driver. If Toyota wants to keep it small, look to the VW New Beetle for design on the dash. Please include a tachometer and temperature gauge!!
3. Target the car as a compact, efficient alternative to a small sport utility. Offer some nice packages like VW did with the Jetta -- Ski Rack with Skis, bike rack with bikes. And, for those outdoor types, have neoprene seat covers -- Nissan can get you some to use from their Xterra -- available as well.
4. Make the front seats go back 1 inch more.
5. Why is it that a Celica can tow 2000 pounds, my old Sentra with similar power characteristics could tow 1000 pounds, and the Echo can't tow anything? We should AT LEAST be able to pull my jet ski with it.
6. Larger wheels with premium rubber.
7. Give it an arm rest in the center!
I did enjoy the Civic, but the Toyota dealer was far less arrogant, and the Echo doesn't have the image that a Civic does (I'm thinking about hideous slammed Civics with ludicrious spoilers and asian writing on the windshield...)... Nifty.