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Toyota Echo

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Comments

  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    1) On another forum several owners mentioned problems with paint quality. Is the ECHO paint a problems?

    2) What's the interior noise like inside the cabin on rough roads?
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    What did the Toyota dealer want for the 30k service? Basically you just change the oil, trans oil if manual, the air filter, and the spark plugs. If they did that you got a good deal. I think Toyota wants like $300 to do that.
    The silver paint on my ECHO is marvelous, just marvelous. But the chart on Consumer Reports says body intergity only above average instead of much above average as all the other catagories for echo were.
    The ECHO is a very quiet car on the highway. So it should be quiet relatively speaking on rough roads.
  • echorickechorick Member Posts: 27
    Service included complete vehicle inspection (per Toyota list), oil, oil filter, air filter, tire rotation and coolant flush and new coolant.

    Manual Transmission fluid is changed at 30,000 only in severe service schedule. Plugs are platinum and do not need to be replaced.

    Dealer wanted to do severe service schedule at about $190, which is what Kaz6 paid. That is still very high for the work they do.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    I'm recalling my some of my Yaris comments. I was comparing the interior of the American and Aruban ECHOs and I found a few differences. The US ECHO has cloth door panels and rear headrests. The Aruban one, however, had hard plastic door panels in place of the cloth and no rear headrests...very uncomfortable during a very quick stop considering your head wouldn't be restrained. Here is a picture of our ECHO we rented.


    http://www.angelfire.com/ky3/johnspics/DCP_0768.jpg


    And proof that the ECHO is a go anywhere car.


    http://www.angelfire.com/ky3/johnspics/DCP_0768.jpg

  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    I'm recalling my some of my Yaris comments. I was comparing the interior of the American and Aruban ECHOs and I found a few differences. The US ECHO has cloth door panels and rear headrests. The Aruban one, however, had hard plastic door panels in place of the cloth and no rear headrests...very uncomfortable during a very quick stop considering your head wouldn't be restrained. Proof that the ECHO is a go anywhere econocar. We managed to get it over all the dusty and sometimes rocky Aruban dirt roads.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    that I am hoping for in what should be a refreshening for the model year:
    Corolla-style antenna mounted center aligned just above the windshield
    Reflective jewel-type red and white taillamps
    Painted cladding
    An available spoiler that can really make the car a wedge shape
    More conservatively designed seat fabric
    More widely available options like ABS along with the addition of cruise control
    Redesigned grille and fascia
    Anything else wild that will deviate it from the Corolla until SCION comes along

    Speaking of SCION, I wouldn't mind the IST. It looks good and should be fairly reseasonable. I read an article today saying that it has gotten much positive response from young buyers in Japan. The similar Honda Fit which I saw in Aruba is very sharp I must say.
  • tominvatominva Member Posts: 7
    Hi, everyone. As of two weeks ago, I'm a new Echo owner. I'd decided to replace my ten-year-old Honda Civic Si, and after considering a number of vehicles I decided that I wanted an Echo based on its quirky styling, its peppy engine, and its reputation for quality and economy. I looked at a number of dealers for a 2002 model, but found that 4-doors are currently few and far between in my area. Also, it seems that the options package that most Echos come with around here doesn't include a few things that I want. So, I decided to check out what was available from 2000 and 2001. I ended up with a silver 2000 4-door model with only 13,000 miles, automatic, A/C, and Option Package 1. I added a CD player and the cargo net, and I'm planning to add some license plate frames and a black leather steering wheel cover. So far, I love the car! I'm getting around 39 MPG mixed city and highway, almost always with the A/C running. Plus, most importantly, it's fun to drive and it doesn't look like every other subcompact out there. I'm glad that I found this forum to connect with other Echo owners.
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    how does the Echo engine compare with your (92?) Si?
  • tominvatominva Member Posts: 7
    Subjectively speaking, the Echo engine is every bit as powerful as the Civic's. (Technically, that might not be true - I don't know all the stats.) But I was really surprised the first time I drove a friend's Echo two years ago. I had expected it to be sluggish and underpowered, but that's not the case at all. It feels just as peppy and just as responsive as my Civic did.
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    That's kind of what I expected. Interesting.
  • sluglineslugline Member Posts: 391
    I just happen to have some info on the older Hondas handy:

    1989-1991 Civic Si: 1.6-liter displacement, 108 hp@6000 rpm, 100 lb-ft@5000 rpm
    1992-1995 Civic Si: 1.6-liter displacement, 125 hp@6600 rpm, 106 lb-ft@5200 rpm
    2000+ ECHO: 1.5-liter displacement, 108 hp@6000 rpm, 105 lb-ft@4200 rpm

    tominva: Do you remember if your Si had the benefit of VTEC?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    If the Si was a 1992+, it did have the VTEC Vanishing Torque in Engine Compartment) engine. :) So what year was the Si? I am curious now.
  • tominvatominva Member Posts: 7
    It was a 92 Si, so yes, it did.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Going to work last night, a roller blader went through a stop sign right in front of me. At first i thought she was being pushy doing that, then I realized she was out of control and could not stop. And she was heading for a T intersection with another stop sign (this is on a steep hill) I held my breath as the skater went through that stop sign also, but luckily no cars were coming. But she wiped out pretty good and bashed her face into the pavement, in spite of her helmet. I drove up and offered to take her home. She nodded OK, then a river of blood gushed out of her mouth! She had bitten about an inch of her tonge nearly off! I got a blue plastic tarp out of the trunk and put it on the seat and took her to the emergency room. She was holding her helemt under her chin to catch the blood, but it still got all over everything. She mumbled "Ive got to sign at the opera tonight." (???) I let her offf at the hospital and went to work. Luckily the blood ended up on the tarp except for one spot the size of a nickle on the door. Well I did my good deed for the day, hopefully making up for a little of the help I have recieved from others.
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    I think you are a really nice guy and a good person. Good job.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    That was really nice of you to do that for the person. Too bad she couldn't stop before hurting herself that badly.
  • mdrewmdrew Member Posts: 32
    it reminded me that somebody posted a message back when about a place selling customized Echo seat covers which I've been meaning to order (hopefully for less serious things than blood). I went to the website at the time and looked around; now I don't remember the name of the place or when the thing was posted. Anybody out there remember that or know of others??
  • nodakernodaker Member Posts: 20
    Hey mdrew, I was the one who posted about the seatcovers. Here is the URL:


    http://www.seatcovers.net/seat_covers.html


    I ordered the *Scottsdale*. They fit like a glove and look like luxury upholstery. You will work up a sweat getting them on because they fit that snug. There are also map pockets sewn into the back of the front seat covers. I did not order the head rest because it matches in color (I ordered the charcoal) to the seat covers. I also didn't order the rear seat covers because the back seat is not used very often. These seatcovers are not cheap -- a pair is $125.00, but they look fabulous.


    Another added plus. If you call in your order you get a REAL, LIVE, FRIENDLY person on the phone. My seatcovers arrived from Arizona to North Dakota in 2 days!


    Good luck!

  • mdrewmdrew Member Posts: 32
    I'm gonna get on it this weekend and order some, not sure which, something on the lower end is fine. I also don't use the back seat much besides throwing harmless junk on it so just need a pair for the front where I spill coffee w/chocolate chip muffins, etc. while driving. I don't care about the headrest either. I will say the stains I've had on the seat so far have come out pretty easily, including blueberry, but I know some other major ones are probably on the way...
  • echo01echo01 Member Posts: 19
    A while back somebody posted a message about how he had decided to buy a Civic rather than an Echo, having decided the Civic was the better value. Since my final choice was between these two cars, I'd like to explain why I chose the Echo.

    The main reason was space for me, the driver. The Echo has more head room and feels very roomy; the civic, by contrast, felt cramped every time I got in. (And climbing in was definitely more trouble in the Civic too.)

    But also, for what I wanted, there was a considerable difference in price. I wanted a car with air conditioning, and the 2-door 5-speed Echo I finally got (it had a few other things too) had an MSRP of about $12,000; I was able to get it for about $600 less.

    On the other hand, to get a Civic with air conditioning, I'd would have had to either buy the LX model, or else the DX model, and have the dealer add air conditioning. The LX model as I remember had an MSRP of $15,250, but I'm pretty sure I could have gotten one for $14,000. The DX route with the dealer adding the a/c would have maybe gotten it down to the low $13,000's, but I don't know - the dealers I talked to wanted lots of $$ to install the a/c and sounded like they really didn't want to do it.

    Bottom line is that the Civic would have cost me anywhere from $1500 to $2500 more. The LX would have had more stuff than my Echo (like power door locks and windows), but almost none of that extra stuff was things I cared about.

    A year later, I'm happy I made the choice I did. I'm more impressed with how much fun and how comfortable it is to drive the Echo every day. Maybe the Civic would have worked out too, and it's obviously just what lots of people want, but for me the Echo was the better choice.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    I also chose ECHO over Civic, for the following reasons. 1) Civic too big and sluggish. 2) Civic too low to ground. 3) Civic $2000-3000 more than ECHO. Echo 1)more room inside than Civic 2)quieter than Civic 3) engine peppier 4) better gas mileage 5) easier to get into and out of. 6)ECHO faster handling.
    I see that ECHO is being copied by Suzuski. (sorry, I know is Suzuki but my Harley friend Scott pronounces all Japanese motorcycles Suzuski)
    Has anyone driven this car and what do they have to report about it? I see it gets less mileage than ECHO.
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    Do ECHO's have a timing chain or timing belt?
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    ECHO has a chain AND has motorcycle type shim under bucket valve lifters. My Honda ST1100 motorcycle whcih uses the same setup, has 86k miles on it, never has needed a valve adjustment.
  • echoroseechorose Member Posts: 1
    I was recently in a rear end collision. Jerk hit me while I was stopped at a stop sign! Upon getting the car back from the repair shop, I found it was not repaired properly, (door rattled) and (paint did not match). When doing a walk around, I found fracture marks in the front right headlight cover. The shop says it was not due to the accident, but has happened to other Echo owners. It was covered by warranty. Anyone else have problems with cracks in their lens/headlight? Dealer said they have seen a few people with this problem. I have a 2001 Echo with about 15,000 miles on it.
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    I have not had that problem with my lenses. I have had to replace the left rear lightbulb twice so far in 2 years.
    Kneisl: YOU HAVE AN ST1100??? *does the wave*
    Love that motorcycle! When I bought my Suzuki 1100 many years ago I wanted the Honda (it just came out) but couldn't afford it!
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    ST1100 AND a BMW F650 Dakar. This morning I was down at the BMW dealer looking for a lightbulb to replace the tail light that burned out. It was just before it opened and there were three guys with BMW bikes in the back of their pickup trucks with anxious looks on their faces...can you guess why? (hint: they were NEW bikes)
  • blue_echoblue_echo Member Posts: 24
    I have a 2000 4-door which I love, but this weekend I took a much longer road trip than I had, and now I have a stiff neck : ( It feels like the neckrest is too far forward, and I have to drive with my head sort of craned forward instead of in a normal position. If you look at them, they do kind of angle forward. Has anyone else noticed this? I thought of trying to pull them out and reverse them... Any suggestions?
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    Funny you should mention that.

    I've been driving for about 28 years and literally owned hundred's of vehicles, but I've never actually rested my head on the the headrest while driving.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    My head is never on the head rest of my 1996 Corolla.
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    At first, the headrest does feel awkward. The forward angle of he restraint is to prevent too much rearward movement and you'll note that Volvo and Mercedes both have their restraints angled forward as well. I suppose your height would make a difference too. I am 5'10" and have mine raised to the highest position.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The headrest should be raised to its top is equal to the tops of your ears. That is suppose to prevent whiplash if you are in an accident.

    I have been driving for 5 years and have driven about 50 different cars, and I never rested my head on the headrest when driving either. :)
  • wrgrahamwrgraham Member Posts: 112
    A year ago I was stopped with my daughter, age 15 while the car in front of us was waiting for traffic to clear so that it could turn left. We got smacked hard in the rear by a Honda Accord. My memory of that headrest is clear and strong, it performed beautifully. My head got so buried into the headrest that I could feel the pressure a ways around the sides towards my ears. My neck felt a little stiff for a few hours, but perfectly normal thereafter. My daughter's neck did not bother her at all initially, but the next day it was sore and stayed that way for a few days. But nothing beyond that. Repair expense to my 2000 4 door was about $8000, but the work was great and the car has been as good as new thereafter.
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    from edmunds.com: http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/46912/article.html
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    Thanks for the link, aeroterremer! I always thought the ECHO's restraints were well designed! I wasn't aware they were 'dynamic' restraints.
    Did anyone notice that the there were no Ford's, Hyundai's, or Kia's on the list?
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    I took a closer look at the Matrix while my ECHO was getting a new stereo. The first thing I thought when I sat behind the wheel was that the seat felt like something from a domestic line! It was rather 'squishy'. Either that or I'm spoiled by the ECHO's firm and supportive seats. :)
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    Could the seats have been a GM contribution to the Matrix/Vibe joint venture?
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    I thought the matrix was noticably cheaper looking than the ECHO. My wife hates it because of the dashboard. People complain about the center pod in the ECHO! Making cars to appeal to one segment of the market is stupid. You have to make a good car, period, not a car styled like you think people want it to be. The model t and the beetle were pug ugly and their the worlds most popular cars.
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    "You have to make a good car, period, not a car styled like you think people want it to be."

    Sorry, but car makers have to make money, nice looking cars sell better. There is a reason that the Echo doesn't sell well, because of the looks.
    The car may be fantastic, but Toyota screwed up the looks.

    Aztec owners all loved their cars. All 5 of them.
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    What does it take for a car model to become a classic?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Looks are totally subjective though. I actually like the way both the Echo and the Aztek look. They are different from all the cookie cutter designs out there on the road right now, and to me, that's a good thing.
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    I think the Echo is a great car, and I owe a lot of that to listening to Majorthemo (sorry for butchering the spelling) rant about it. But I don't like the looks.

    But the point was not what I think of the appearance, it was that designing cars that aren't going to appeal to a lot of people, (with the intention of selling large numbers) is not good business.

    Considering all the features the Echo has (starting with the amazing fuel economy), I think it is a shame that it's not more of a success. I am looking forward to a seeing the next model.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    It's Majorthomecho.
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    How I never managed to notice that he had "Echo" in his name, I'll never know.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Toyota styled ECHO to appeal to younger buyers. That has not worked. Sales figures show that young people do not buy ECHO. No one in their right mind buys a car because they think other people will think they look cool in it, (at least, I hope not) They buy a car because word gets around that its a good car. And if they had only consulted me, I could have saved them a lot of money because I would have told them so right up front.
  • lynnann1lynnann1 Member Posts: 85
    I was rear-end in my ECHO in April -- about $3,440 in repairs. No neck pain, the headrests are great. Also I have the seat tilted back a little. If I have it straight up and down the head rest does push my head uncomfortably forward.

    Regarding ECHO sales -- I think part of the problem is the way Toyota marketed the car. Almost no advertising. I remember 2 different commercials and they weren't much.... I have seen young people driving ECHOs usually young women, but it seems to be driven mostly by people in their 40s and older.
  • blue_echoblue_echo Member Posts: 24
    Thanks for all the headrest feedback. It does seem as if I should leave it alone and be thankful that it's such a safe car. I had an accident with my Mitsubishi Mirage a few years ago, hit from the side and my neck snapped sideways and then back to hit the window. Got a herniated disc and was in pain for quite some time. I don't know if the Echo's headrest would have helped that, but it seems maybe it would. Anyway, I think if I tilt the seat back a little it may help, as i also have it straight up.
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    I think you are wrong about the buying a car based on how others think of its style. People do take that into consideration. I didn't let it affect my decision for my 1996 Corolla though.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Lynnann I think you are right about most ECHO owners being over 40. It was a mistake to market this car to young people. Young people cant afford new cars, even ECHO. (Im 46 and this is my first new car!) Even more ridiculous was the effort to market ECHO to surfer girls complete with pink accents, rubber seats, and surfboard mounts! What are these people smoking, crack!? IMHO ECHO should have been marketed as the ultimate economy car, friendly to the environment because of its excellent mileage, with excellent handling for city conditions, unpresidented roominess and comfort for a small car, an outstanding engine, and Toyota quality. As far as the economy goes, I just read CR evaluation of the Prius and they got 41 mpg combined driving! My ECHO gets that!
  • muffin_manmuffin_man Member Posts: 865
    "No one in their right mind buys a car because they think other people will think they look cool in it, (at least, I hope not)"

    Actually, for young people, I think that is a major consideration. In fact, I bet the Echo would be an oustanding seller if the styling didn't make many people embarassed to own it.
  • mpearlmpearl Member Posts: 7
    I know Toyota does not approve of pulling a trailer with an Echo but we all
    know it can be done safely if one is careful. I plan to pull 700 pounds including the trailer and its
    load. Anyone here had any experience with the Echo and a load? A trailer hitch is made specifically for the Echo though of course not by Toyota. Thanks for any experience shared. Michael Pearlman
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