Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
As far as going fast down or up twisting ramps, I already have. : )
But why the Pitcairn flag?
I'll go 1st. These were the qualities, I looked for when shopping.
1.) Roomy Interior-
2.) Value Pricing-
3.) Attractive Styling-
Thank you in advance!
Repectfully,
Larry
... and the flag, if I told you, I'd have to.... well you know.
I'll follow this thread and add to it when I can. My job has changed and now that I am in the finance office, I don't get as much dirt as I used to.
2) a car with a reputation for quality (which I thought would be a Civic)
3) a good price ($13.1k out the door vs nearly 16k for the Civic)
And don't kill me for knowing. Someone posted the reason on a public board.
There is one ramp I take a lot where it is almost three-fourths of a circle and the merge lane is very short which means I have to take the lane at a high rate of speed. I believe that it is marked 25mph and I have taken it at 45mph. Yes, the car leans but I don't feel that I am in any danger.
Thank goodness for the acceleration capabilities of the Echo though. There have been times where I have been stuck behind cars that waited at the top of the ramp which forced me to come to a stop. With the quickness of the Echo, I was able to go from a standing start and merge into the traffic.
My point is that Mazda vehicles are not the only one with zoom, zoom.
I wanted something I could feel comfortable that it was going to be of good quality and reliable down the road.
I wanted to feel safe in my car and this meant more than actual crash protection. This also meant good accident avoidance.
High performance was not something I was interested in. I wanted my car to be one that kept up with the majority of cars in its class (and do a good job of keeping up with the other occupants of the road). I did not care if my car would stomp the cars in its class.
I wanted something that was fairly roomy inside since I do have two almost grown children. Rear seat comfort was important although I would probably never be riding back there.
I am pretty much a frugal person so price was something of a consideration for me although I had toyed briefly with the idea of leasing a BMW 3-series.
I wanted something with very good fuel economy numbers. My '93 Escort left me spoiled in that regard.
Styling was not a big issue with me. I mean it ranked way down the list. Having said that, I really like the styling of the Echo.
I looked at the Mazda Protege, the Ford Focus, the Nissan Sentra, and on, and on, and on.
In the final analysis, the Echo rung my bell the hardest.
On a $128,000 sports car, a center-mounted instrument pod is "a nod to the past" by the manufacturer and is in the end "appreciated." If a company attempts to to do the same thing with a vehicle one-tenth the sticker price, it can't be anything but a "cost-cutting move." <WINK>
2. Great gas mileage.
3. Great reliability.
And if I can add a fourth: Easy ingress/egress.
If they had made an AARP version of the new Civic it might have been in the running, but I didn't like practically laying on the ground to get in and out of the thing. The seating of the Echo and the Ford Focus are the trend of the future now that people have gotten used to vans and truck-based stationwagons.
Then, there was the price difference...
Remember the entrance ramp I posted about. Well, just a few feet down the highway from the entrance ramp is an exit ramp.
A lady was (evidently) wanting to get off when I was getting on and rather than her slowing down and letting me on, she stayed on her gas and then swung in front of me.
Problem was I was accelerating and did not really know what she was doing. A turn signal on her part would have been a big help. I had my turn signal on indicating I wanted onto the highway.
I went from accelerating to decelerating back to accelerating in just a few seconds.
The Echo did all that I asked.
It seems a BMW interior has no faults. Edmunds is not the only review that displays a double standard.
I personally like the placement of the pod both stylistically and ergonomically. When I do a 4 hour drive in the desert night I appreciate not having the glare of an instrument panel in my face and I always appreciate the unobstructed view afforded by the Echo's dash.
BTW, I guess you can't read between the lines.
What I meant in post #2368 is that if I private sold my car, I would get more than what I owe.
FWIW, there was a space of a few weeks where a used Echo was going for more than a new Echo. Strange but true. Of course, during this time you couldn't find a new Echo.
That might have had something to do.
So Fangio, before post #2368, what have I said that was outrageous?
2. HIGH SEATING POSITION and visibility. I love being high up but don't like SUVs; have a narrow driveway onto a busy street that's hard to see out of. I couldn't believe how the little Echo towers over other sedans (without getting in other people's way).
3. THIS BOARD. Reading the Focus and New Beetle Edmund Topics was scary, at least last year; I haven't read them lately. So many problems and complaints at the time; I was really put off. You had to know the Echo was a great car reading how many owners were happy with it and how few serious complaints there were. Not like one testimonial, but hundreds.
The Edmunds bias against this car is such a joke; I'm convinced it all stems from the looks. All the concern about safety, when 5 other cars in the same weight class and probably less reliable, get positive reviews without safety warnings (e.g. "We like the Suzuki Swift" (all 1,895 pounds of it).
Approaching 10,000 miles on my seafoam blue 4 dr auto and glad I made the move.
I can explain the double standard of Edmunds. The reviews are written by different people. Evidently, the guy who does economy cars is unenlightened as to the benefits of the center pod while the performance sedan guy knows a good thing when he sees it. I think it is a compliment to the ECHO to know that the performance guy likes the idea.
http://www.carz.com.ph/test_mar01.htm
Cliffy, what is your recomendation based on? I was told that the owner's manual/schedule of maintenance has to pass muster with legal so the mileage recomendations are conservative...
btw...how do you like your Tundra? My friends have one and rave about it!
change oil and filter, rotate tires, inspect the following: air filter, ball joints, drive shaft (boots) brake linings, steering linkage and boots, nuts and bolts on chassis and body
at 15k intervals do the above plus inspect the exhaust system. Hold a rag over the tailpipe with the engine running. If there is no back pressure you have a hole. Dont let pressure build up for long though or you could blow the muffler off!) also: inspect brake lines and hoses
30 k miles or two years: 5 k service plus: replace air filter, replace coolant (I dont know about this one, Toyota says the car comes with "long life" coolant, but two years is a normal drain interval) replace spark plugs (but you can get platinuim ones that last 60k) replace manual trans oil, inspect fuel tank cap gasket, inspect fuel lines and fuel system for leaks. I would also suggest replacing brake fluid/clutch fluid at this point also, but the manual doesnt call for it.
60k miles adjust valves
Your input would be really appreciated. Thanks.
She prefers automatics and my Echo is a manual, but she was very pleased with how smoothly the shifting went.
Don't tell her, but I think she drove the car better than I do.
Happy ECHOing!
As to the Tundra, I love it. My lease is up next year and I'm already planning on another one. There is nothing like in a pickup.
Also, never ever get wax on the body cladding. I got Turtle Wax paste on it (actually my daughter did). Windex did not take it off, but rubbing alcohol did. However, it made the cladding look washed out, so I used Armor-All for rubber and plastic on it. The cladding looks showroom new.
If you live in KC and drive an Echo,it is probably me that waves and honks when I see you in your Echo.
In case you are wondering this is the former Echoluvrst. Remember that I too live in Kansas City. I changed my name in honor of my Echo.
Yes, I finally got my Echo. Not sure if you knew that or not. It is a 2001 in black sand pearl with four doors and a manual transmission. I have had it since the last weekend in December. Almost ten months and slightly over 16k miles. Still loving it.
I have to go, but can I suggest one thing?
STAY IN TOUCH AND NOT SO LONG BETWEEN POSTS.
Happy Echoing.
They also reported that as synthetics go, Mobil 1 was the only one to provide added protection under extreme heat. They found other brands to be corrosive to the engine. I suppose that's why Porsche calls for Mobil 1 oil.
I watch the color of my oil and the color does not seem darker at 5k intervals. I use Mobil 1 5-30.
Btw, do you know if there will be any hatch versions of the Echo coming soon? I wish there was a 5-door available. Matrix looks good too.
As to a possible hatch back, I haven't heard of anything in the ECHO line. There will be a Corolla coming this winter that will be a "sport wagon" version. I realize this isn't a hatch back, but will offer the benefits of one. It will be called the Matrix and there will be a couple of versions of it, including one with the 180 hp Celica GTS engine, 6 speed transmission and all wheel drive. I think there will be a more budget conscious variant as well. We'll have more details in December.
Yes, I saw the Matrix but I think it's out of my price range for a small car.
If anyone out there has upgraded to 15" wheels on their Echo, please let me know what you got and the results re: mpg and ride. As the Echo is so light to begin with, I'm thinking of buying plain steel wheels in larger size.