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and also I thought they looked better. But the Echo 2 door looks so much the same as the 4 door, and the weight is close to the same. I do see a number of 2 doors on the road, so I thought I should just ask why do you guys buy 2 doors? The 4 door seems so practical and just fine for me. (No contrary attitude here, I just don't know!) And I do have in mind that I might buy a low mileage 2nd hand Echo sometime, and I was wondering if I would consider a 2 door.
I got more than one response claiming that the 2-door provides easier ingress/egress for the front seats because there is no B-pillar in the way. I, for one, have never noticed that, but I suppose it might depend on how far back you like to set your seat.
I often see that people want power windows, power locks, and cruise control, things which are either rare or non existant on the ECHO. Well, I for one dont want any of them! Wind up windows...fine. No power steering....great. Cruise control...just something else to break. The biggest option you pay $$$ for and will never need...antilock brakes! There has been NO reduction in accidents since the advent of antilock brakes. In fact,it might be worse because people think they can go FASTER safely!
Am I the only one who thinks like this?
Someone else asked about getting "$10,000" Echos. I have seen quite a few pop up in "dealer specials" ads. They are usually stick shift in 2 or 4 door with no air, no power steering, but are good, serviceable cars that look fine. So that is why everything on the Echo is an "option" - so they can sell a few stripped models as entry level cars. I think they are a great buy compared to Kias and Hyundais. Someone should start racing them. :- )
Keep in mind that Corolla CE automatics are "selling" in ads for $12,888, which is $2,188 more than I paid for my auto Echo (after my discount). For me, the bells and whistles on the Corolla are not worth this extra money. A pumped up Corolla, with more options (and there are a lot of them) is closer to $17,000 - which is about $3,000 more than an optioned out Echo.
So it is somewhat relative. An optioned out Echo is more than a basic Corolla, but still cheaper than an optioned out Corolla. They're both cheaper than a base Camry . There's no free lunch.
I got my Echo as a second, commuter car, and I only carry an occasional passenger, who only weighs 100 pounds. Except for a couple of cases of water, I don't have any luggage in the trunk. So the Echo's ultralight weight and excellent mileage is worth more to me than the extra expense and weight (=lower mileage) of the Corolla. If I had to carry a heavier load in the car (big family, heavier people, more luggage etc.) I would have looked at the Corolla or Camry. This is why car models exist - price vs. function. The Echo definitely gives the most bang for the buck. It is the only automatic in a small car that doesn't give lousy gas mileage and/or accelerations.
I am starting to see more Echos on the road out here. A stripped Dodge Neon used to be the long-haul commuter value car of choice, but maybe the Echo is starting to get some appreciation from road warriors.
kneisl1: There's been lots of debate on whether ABS can reduce the number or severity of accidents. But I'm not sure I could buy the argument that they make things worse. Interesting thought, however: If car fairies came by in the middle of the night and stole all of our "safety gadgets" -- stability control, ABS, airbags, seat belts -- would we all commit ourselves to becoming safer drivers?
Anyway I was really wondering if there is anyne out there who likes a car without power windows, ac, ps, etc. My 1978 Checy C10 (yep, C10) has manual brakes, no ps, and a three on the tree. Love that vehicle.
The reason for preferring a 2-door car is that the doors are bigger than the front doors of a 4-door and for a tall person such as myself, this makes getting in and out easier. This would have been the case to an even greater extent if I'd had to have the seat moved back, as I was considering doing before I got used to driving the Echo.
I rarely have anybody sitting in the back seat, so if I had a 4-door version, those back doors would rarely get used anyway.
The 2-door Echo, compared to other 2-door cars, also has a lot more headroom. That's because with most other models, the 2-door variant is made with a lower profile than the 4-door variant. My Echo is kind of a "2-door car with a 4-door car profile". Which is exactly what I wanted.
.....
Somebody earlier mentioned that the 2-door Echos also are typically equipped with fewer options. I hadn't considered that when buying, but on reflection, it's definitely true. And since I wanted a car without lots of added things, this made it easier to find a 2-door "low-optioned" Echo than a 4-door. Mine is a 5-speed, with only power steering, air conditioning, clock and "all-weather" package added.
I bet 4-door is a better choice for the majority of buyers, which is probably why they make more of them and some cars, such as the Corolla, now only come in 4-door.
Last night (I work nights) we were all standing around looking at a fearsome rain and thunder storm. It was really coming down in buckets for an hour or so. Leaving work as I approached my ECHO, my heart sank. I had left the passanger window wide open! I ruin my cars by doing that and they rust out while everything else just keeps humming along. With dread I opened the door expecting a flood of water to come out. No water! Well, I thought, when I drive forward Ill hear that sickening sound of water sloshing back and forth like a tide. (a sound I know well) No tide! Hardly any water at all got in: the right side of the passanger seat (and the door is full of water Im sure) just got a little damp. Thank God I dont have power windows! This car is lucky for me.
Changes to date: put on 195/60/14 Bridgestone RE950 tires - this improved freeway handling and reduced susceptibility to crosswinds. Steering is a little crisper. Braking is great.
Memorable trips: Yosemite. The trunk holds a lot!
Things I most have to get used to: how to use the throttle position to control upshifts and downshifts on the automatic. My former Focus ZX3 automatic would nimbly downshift, but got terrible gas mileage. The Echo is willing to do a one stage downshift (probably out of torque converter lockup) but then upshifts again too quickly, unless I depress the throttle a little to keep it "eager". If I want a lot of get up and go, I have to push the throttle down a lot, but then the engine gets pretty busy (it performs well) and makes me worry I am impairing my gas mileage. Anyway, this is an "electronically" controlled tranny and you can use the pedal/throttle position to control shifts, and either get better fuel economy or better performance. Fellow auto owners know what I mean.
So far, three oil changes - at 67 miles to replace "stock" oil with full synthetic, at 1500 to flush out any break-in by products (small fiings etc.) and at 3,000 miles to get on a 3,000 mile cycle. From here on out it will be full synthetic every 3,000 miles.
I received my K&N air filter but will wait until 10,000 miles to put it in - I figure the stock air filter is worth 30,000 miles if you are a casual driver, but begins to degrade at 10,000 miles (reduced air flow) if you are a performance driver. The K&N should be good for 30,000 miles, and at $40 mail order (delivered) is comparable to replacing $14 paper filters every 10,000 miles. I won't be re-oiling the K&N because I have heard if you underoil, it won't work properly, and if you overoil, the oil can blow onto the hotwire airmass sensor and mess up the fuel injection controls.
I am trying to find out about the "in development" Eichbach springs to improve the "lean factor" and/or about the TRD fulll suspension kit. There is nothing on the TRD parts online, so I may have to call a dealer.
As for me, even if that had been true, I would still have chosen the Echo over the Corolla.
Why?
I like the looks of the Echo more. I like the center mounted speedo. And I like the numerous storage spaces available in the Echo.
I ended up driving an Escort rental and missed my ECHO the entire trip!
Regarding 2dr vs 4dr: I agree with the 4dr's being sold relatively loaded compared to the usual stripper 2dr. 4dr's with 5spd is even harder to find in the Los Angeles area which is why I snapped mine up as soon as I came across it.
I love it more with time and it's very true what they say about things you instantly like becoming tiresome over time and things you grow to like holding more appeal. The ECHO was not love at first sight but I wouldn't think of another car now!
The Echo is optioned as follows:
4-door Automatic
Air conditioning
3-in-1 audio system
ABS brakes
Digital clock
Daytime running lights
Floor mats
My daughter loves the car but I believe the price is a bit high. Is this a good deal? Are there any special interest deals on the Echo? The offer is open until July 1.
re: Air Filter
The filter in my car (OEM) looks like a pillow with ridges. It is not your typical paper filter.
2) Does the Echo have a timing belt or timing chain?
This would make the ECHO a better candidate for road trips. Without a little mechanical intervention, I find it too easy to go too fast in this car without noticing. There's no point in being a fuel miser if you blow the savings on speeding tickets.
my brother bought a 2000 echo w/ 23 k's---i have a 2002. before his 3yr/36k basic warranty is up i want to get any TSB's fixed.
Besides the minor squeaky hubcap TSB,wasn't there a TSB issued for certain states in regards to some type of ECHO component that could be affected in the colder climates causing engine to rev higher?? i believe only certain states where the echo is located qualified tho. we live in south dakota and the winters are horrid. does anyone know?? would my 2002 also be affected or would have toyota corrected the prob for the newer years?
any other TSB's issued that i can get fixed b4 his warranty runs out?????
thanks you guys---we both love the ECHO!!!
mltomek: A list of TSBs for the 2000 ECHO can be found at this URL:
http://www.alldata.com/TSB/59/005980AF.html
I don't see any listings that suggest the problem you cite. There was a couple of recalls involving brakes and cold weather. Hit the NHTSA site and you can see 'em for yourself:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/
mralan: I'm not 100% positive, but I think the folding seat is a factory option or part of some option package. I don't think it is necessarily tied to the number of doors on the car.
Granted, it had been about three months since they were last checked, but I was rather surprised that these tires (stock Bridgestone Potenzas) would have lost that much pressure since then. (If I recall correctly, a loss of 1-2 psi/month is considered "normal.") We'll need to resolve to keep a closer watch in the future -- particularly since it doesn't seem like the tread will last much more than a total of 30,000 miles or so.
Do you agree Echo owners?
I think the A/C is fine.
I did reach a personal milestone of a sort on the trip and that was running my Echo in the triple digits during part of the trip.
As I said earlier, my ECHO was fine on my recent trip, doing 80-85 on the Interstate from Los Angeles to Santa Fe, NM and return. Did approx 2700 miles on that trip. I have not wrapped my lines for the A/C, but I did post info on it. See ECHO Owners Care and Maintenance post #5.
I read that the freeze-up (icing?) only happened if you left it on recirculate too long. I use recirculate at first and then move the lever to fresh air. The AC in my car seems to work better when I'm moving as opposed sitting in traffic, and it does take it's time when I first turn it on. We've never had any problems on long trips. The furthest we've driven one way is about 400 miles.
And the AC is a little weak, but adequate.