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Toyota Echo

16667697172115

Comments

  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    Does anyone know if the gauges from the '03 can be retrofitted to the older models?
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    What kind of mileage does your ECHO get? Is it manual or automatic? What kind of driving do you primarily do? (highway or local)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My friend's Echo seems to be doing well in the economy department. He reset the trip odometer last time he got gas, and he said it was at 351 miles the last time we talked, and he still had some gas left. So that's about 36mpg or so, not too bad.
  • nodakernodaker Member Posts: 20
    I drive a 4-door automatic, primarily tooting around a town -- pop. @ 50,000. I get about 33 mpg. in the summer, much less in the winter 25 mpg (but I realize a lot of this has to do with allowing the car to warm up. YES, I will always allow the car to warm up in the winter -- I live in North Dakota. I drive about 4-5 miles a day, and do not consider the gas mileage terrific, but I realize it's due to how I drive the car. On highway driving the gas mileage is considerably better. I've gotten upwards to 51 mpg with a tailwind, and as lousy as 29 mpg with a very strong headwind. Last spring, my husband and I drove from N. Dakota to Kansas with a 50 mph+ headwind. The gas mileage was awful. That was the only time I felt that a heavier vehicle would have gotten better mileage than the ECHO which not only got horrible mileage but was blown all over the road.

    I do wish the gas tank was a bit larger so save having to actually stop to fill up so much.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    To answer my own question: I get 36-38 mpg in town driving in winter and 40-42 mpg town driving in summer. Basically I drive 7 miles to and from work. On long trips in summer Ive gotten 43 mpg. Nodaker that sounds like brutal conditions for driving your ECHO in ! Reminds me of commuting to work in upstate ny in winter in my beetle many years ago.
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    I would consider having a block heater installed. Run it on a timer for one hour avery morning and your mileage will be great! It also will be a pleasure to have your heater working full blast immediately.

    My average mileage so far is 41.7 MPG over the last 60k miles (US gallons).
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Have you tried synthetic oil in your Echo in winter? Really and truely you should not have to idle the car in winter to warm it up. It should start and drive off with no trouble. How cold is it there? Im afraid idling the car for long periods in cold weather with cause carbon to form on the ring lands of the pistons and surfaces of the exhaust valves...possibly leading to trouble later on. Ive taken apart a lot of engines with that problem. Starting up and driving right off makes the engine warm up faster than idleing and is what the makers recommend. Carbon formation is why they recommend that. I guess if the car doesnt run ok when it first starts when its cold you have no choice but to idle it.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    On my diesel Mercedes for winter starting a farmer friend gave me a magnetic oil heater you could slap right to the oil pan. Cant remember the name but it worked great and should be availible in farm equipment stores. The stupid one Mercedes sold required removal of a plug in the side of the cast iron engine block. No way I was going to remove that 2 inch plug on a 15 year old car.
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    At least in winter you should use a good synthetic oil. Mobil 1, Amsoil and Redline come to mind. Mobil 1 should be the easiest to obtain (Wal-Mart). I suggest using 5W30 or even a 0W30 oil. Look at your manual to see which one is recommended.

    Give your car no more than 30 seconds of idling before starting. Just make sure you use the defogger and crank up the heater. It will warm almost immediately because it has an electric heater element.
  • kaz6kaz6 Member Posts: 331
    I have a 4-door with 5-spd and get 29-33mpg in town(very heavy traffic w/short distance) and 33-38mpg on the hwy(high altitude driving w/average speed of 80mph). I have never driven on flat or low altitude for long distance with my new wheels/tires...drove from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico on OEM setup and got 38mpg. That trip included going 85-90mph in Baja, Mexico.
  • nodakernodaker Member Posts: 20
    To all those who have the solution to warming up my car in the winter :)

    1. Block heater is out -- no place to plug the car in when I'm at work. (block heaters (head bolt heaters) used to come standard on cars in North Dakota, but I think someone finally realized that most people don't have a place to plug them in ;~)

    2. I use synthetic oil.

    3. I have an auto-start and start my car about 7-10 minutes before I get into it.

    4. I've seen temps down to -40 below, windchill to -85.

    5. The ECHO runs fine no matter how cold it is, however my body does not. Unfortunately, I have Raynaud's disease and cannot tolerate cold temps. I also weigh about 90 pounds soaking wet so the insulation factor is in the negative numbers :)

    6. Please, no lectures on how unfriendly running my car for 10 minutes in the winter is to the environment. I am a tree-hugging, vegan. I HATE that I even have to DRIVE period, and it goes against my very moral fiber to have to warm the car for a bit before I get into it. If I ever move out of this god forsaken state, I would probably walk or bike EVERYWHERE, EVERYDAY. I bought the ECHO so I would use as little fuel as possible knowing my situation cannot change at this time.

    7. Don't bother suggesting that I move -- not possible until hubby retires. On that day -- I'm heading south -- even if I have to live in Zihuatenajo :)

    BTW, I never use the A/C. All gas mileage I quoted was without A/C.
  • nodakernodaker Member Posts: 20
    Where in upstate NY? I lived in Plattsburgh for a few years (early 70's) AND drove a VW bug :) I got that puppy stuck in lots of snowbanks! Lots of snow in P'Burgh, but the temps were moderate compared to NoDak. The wind in NoDak is brutal :(

    I hate this place.
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    How about buying one of those cheap electric heaters for the cabin of the car and running it maybe 10 minutes in the morning? If this is possible at your home you would at least save some gas (and engine wear).
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    I grew up in Cobleskill NY and commuted to work at GE in Schnectady for eight years. (we used to get snow then!) Wish I could buy a new beetle like my 74, I put 250,000k on that car and very reliable. Sorry to hear that you have Raynauds disease and connot tolerate cold temperatures. (and you live in ND!) Come join us in NJ its like Florida here in winter!
  • thooverthoover Member Posts: 49
    We have 50K miles on our 2000 w. auto and air, 4 door. Here are the stats:

    Current 5-tank average: 44.7
    Average over last 60 tanks: 41.9

    I do try to baby this thing, I love it. But this car is used in all kinds of driving, though mostly rural 45 or 55 mph 2 lane roads.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Todays question is: If you have in fact purchased an ECHO, how old are you? Clueless Toyota research suposedly aimed the ECHO at younger buyers hoping to make them Toyota buyers for life. But I bet NOBODY who is under 30 buys an ECHO (they all want BMWs) Help Toyota marketing get its head on straight about who to design a practical, economical for. Or, if you are under 30 and have an ECHO, prove me wrong.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I will answer for my friend, since he doesn't get into cars enough to read one of these forums. He is 25. Just bought his ECHO about 4 weeks ago, used. It had 35,850 miles on it, it's a 2000 sedan with automatic, AC, rear defogger, rear spoiler, side cladding, aftermarket alarm, and nothing else! He likes it thus far, compared it to looking like a spaceship when he saw it on the lot.

    He paid $8400 on the road, including TTL for it.
  • sfechosfecho Member Posts: 26
    Kneisl1-
    Those two questions brought 'em out of the woodwork!
    We have two Echo's (two votes):
    Approx 31 mpg around town, San Francisco, lotsa hills, lotsa stop and go. The best on a trip:
    41 MPG (automatic). Ages: fifty something
    Another tough question: tire pressure.
    I use 36 psi for all four. Rougher ride, better mileage.
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    Reference message #3411: Where is Zihuatenajo?
  • nodakernodaker Member Posts: 20
    Zihuatenjo is about 10 miles from Ixtapa which is about 150 miles north of Alcapulco, Mexico. Zihuatenjo is still relatively undeveloped and not the huge tourist mecca that Cancun is... yet :( Nice weather year around (hot in the summer, but I love hot weather), pacific ocean, great sunsets, beach...
  • nodakernodaker Member Posts: 20
    If you listen closely, you'll hear the wheels squealing as I round the corner on the big 5 - 0.

    I am seeing more and more ECHO's around this rather small town and 9 times out of 10 the folks driving them are sporting gray hair :) I tried to convince my next door neighbor to buy an ECHO -- she's 68 and her hubby is 80. They ended up buying an older Buick Century (isn't that what all older people buy ), and I see the both of them struggling to get in and out of that car, so much so it almost pains me to watch. Whenever she and I go somewhere I will drive and she always comments on how easy it is to get in and out of my car. Duh..... that was the main reason I pushed the ECHO so hard.

    This past weekend I was waiting in the car while my husband dashed into a store quickly. Parked next to us was an older style Lumina. I couldn't believe how little room there *appeared* to be in that car. Both occupants were so close to the dashboad, no headroom and they looked squished in there. Everytime I get into my deceptively "little" silver ECHO I am amazed over and over how much room there really is!
  • janbeejanbee Member Posts: 127
    I first got my ECHO when I was 25, that was 2 years ago and Ive loved every minute of it, couldnt imagine driving anything else (although I love the look of the Matrix) :)
  • larrykingrylarrykingry Member Posts: 15
    I believe that Toyota really missed the mark on this one. Echo is a outstanding car, but the company didn't/doesn't realize what they have. This is the idea car for older people, whose children have grown up and moved out, leaving an empty nest. This is the ideal car for just zipping around town and taking care of those little trips where a large car is not required.

    Toyota didn't seem to consider the possibility that there might be an older market out there. Instead, Toyota targeted the younger generation thinking of it only as an entry level car. And Toyota didn't do a lot of advertising at that. I may have seen one Echo commercial on TV in the last two years. Too bad, Toyota has a winner with this car, but dropped the ball.

    Of course, Toyota may have worried that pushing the Echo too much might impact other car sales, Corolla, Camry, etc. Could impact the profit margin. I'm not sure that makes any sense.
  • geegee1958geegee1958 Member Posts: 29
    and have noticed most other Echo drivers are middle aged and female,.
  • sluglineslugline Member Posts: 391
    Has anyone had any experiences with Douglas tires on the ECHO? (It's a brand that seems to be primarily found at Wal-Mart.) We're looking for economical tires with treadwear and wet-pavement performance at least on par with -- if not better than -- the factory-installed Bridgestones. (The car didn't even make it to 25K-mi before the wear bars began to show!)

    In response to the demographic survey: the female owner of the ECHO in question was 28 when she bought the car. :)
  • coolguyky7coolguyky7 Member Posts: 932
    I just saw a television commercial for the 2003 ECHO. A 30s something woman is driving with her talkative child in the back seat. The little girl mentions the large cabin space. Actually, the woman puts the child in the trunk because she sees a nice looking guy on the street. Hmmm... interesting.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    LK you are right on the money IMHO. Imagine if all those Camry buyers realized they didnt NEED a Camry they could do just fine with an ECHO. Scary.
    Yes my tires (Bridgestone Potenzas) are about one half worn out at 12.5k miles. Im disapointed because with the light weight of the ECHO I thought they would last longer. (but tires wear most when new and harden up and wear slower when old) Ive never seen Douglas tires but if you look on the sidewall at the government treadwear numbers and compare them to the potenza numbers youll get a relative idea ie if potenza equal 200 and they last 25k and Douglas equal 400 then the douglas tires should last 50k. Thats the best anyone can predict how long the tires will last unless they have actual experience with other tires. Toyo makes a 80-100k tire which I think I will go to when the stock tires wear out.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    What is the thing about ECHO that you like the most? I like the ECHO because it is a small car with great economy. It has less impact on the environment and because it uses less gas leaves us less vulnerable to foriegn sources of oil.
  • mdrewmdrew Member Posts: 32
    44 when I bought my 2000 4dr auto, around the average buyer age at the time I recall. Around here--Berkeley, Bay Area--I see all kinds of Echo drivers, no particular pattern. Haven't checked mileage in some time but last found about 36mpg around town, 40 on the highway. Re: last survey item, I liked the weird looks first time I saw (a gold) one on the street, love the high seating position, figured a Toyota would be reliable, etc...Would definitely buy it again, though my ideal would be to rotate colors and have a different color every month. I like the sfoam blue but see silver, green, dark blue ones I also like.
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    of the average Echo driver, 47 yrs old (or should I say young). I love many things about my Echo, the roominess, ease of handling, problem-free, etc., but what I love most is her looks...her personality shines through.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The Bridgestone Potenzas wear out VERY quickly. They come on the Proteges as well, and the people in that discussion had to replace them my 30K or less, from reading there. Also, someone had their tires go bald at 28K, and they hydroplaned into another car. So be careful with those tires. They have a very low treadwear rating.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    What I like most about the ECHO is the car's interior room coupled with its small size and economy. The interior is huge in this car! I was able to sit in the back seat of it when I went out with a couple of friends the other night (the friend with the ECHO drove), and I am 6'3 and weigh in at about 270lbs.! I can't even sit in the back seat of my own Jetta! :)

    Also, my friend is always saying how much money he saves in gas with this car compared to his previous one. And how much more peppy the car is as well.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    A major weekly magazine would like to talk with recent Toyota buyers who are under the age of 35. If you fit this description and care to share your story, please respond to me at jfallon@edmunds.com with your name, daytime phone number and city/state of residence before Wednesday, October 16, 2002.
    Thanks!
    Jeannine Fallon
    PR Director
    Edmunds.com

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    What about us owners older than 35?! Dont we count for anything?
  • larrykingrylarrykingry Member Posts: 15
    Kneisl1- Thank You for the kind words. I really believe that Toyota missed a good bet. My wife's car is a 99 Avalon. We have enjoyed it, but I really enjoy my 2002 Echo too. It is a 4 speed with A/C. I have about 5700 miles on it. This summer, at 70 MPH with A/C, the car averaged 45.3 MPG round trip for 330 miles. I had a cross wind coming and going. Around town, about 41-43 MPG.

    About the Bridgestone tires, the Avalon's factory Bridgestone tires were replaced at 35,000 miles, because they were torn out. When I picked up My Echo, it had Potenzas on it and I had the dealer replace them with Goodyears. I'm not sure they are better than the Potenzas, but they couldn't be any worse. My 2 cents worth
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    If you could change one thing about your ECHO what would it be? I would want a turbocharged diesel engine of 1.3 liters.
  • nodakernodaker Member Posts: 20
    kneisl1 writes:

    >It has less impact on the environment and because it uses less gas leaves us less vulnerable >to foreign sources of oil.

    Ditto! I couldn't have said it better.

    It doesn't take much to humor me, but when I pull away from the gas pump with a total of 11.00 showing plus a full tank, then pass huge SUV's still sucking up petrol with their pumps approaching 40.00 I am so thankful for my ECHO. (in all likelihood they will be visiting the gas station again before me :)
  • nodakernodaker Member Posts: 20
    Strategically, and well-placed arm rests ;~)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    ...a radio commercial last night for Toyota's clearance for end of year. They said there is a $1000 rebate going on now on the ECHOs. I was surprised, because I never hear Toyota giving rebates. The offer ends on 10/14, so this might be the time to get that ECHO. Also, I heard this commercial in MD, so it might not apply to any other region.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    $1000 rebate on a $12000 car must be the best all time deal! How about 0% for five years?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have hardly ever heard of Toyota giving rebates, so sales must really be slow. They did have a financing deal not too long ago, I thikn it was only 0.9% and only for 36 months though.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    I bought a set of Douglas Performance GTH tires to put on an Accord and they are very good. I can't recommend the normal GT or other Douglas tires. I don't think you can get an exact size match, but 195/60/14 will fit the Echo fine.

    Be sure the WalMart balances your tires correctly. I had to take my tires back twice, the first time because the balancer hadn't been calibrated in a while, and again because the technician did a sloppy job. WalMart has a good attitude, but keep your eye on them. They also overinflate your tires - 35 psi, which is liveable, but the tires only need 32 psi. WalMart overinflates them all in case the customers don't come back for a while or check their tire pressure regularly.
  • edwarda1edwarda1 Member Posts: 18
    A friend just purchased a new Echo.She drives it to work which is less than a quarter mile away.It sits in the parking lot all day until she drives it back home, where most of the time it sits until the following morning. Can this harm the engine?
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Well it would hurt the engnine in the sence that a car which is driven long distances will go farther before needing repair than one which is driven short distances. And one quarter mile to work is short distance! If it were me Id walk to work.
  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    I saw the rule on an English teacher's board showing the plural of words ending in "o" and here it is:

    Just add "s" to words ending in "o".

    So the plural of Echo is Echos.
  • sluglineslugline Member Posts: 391
    One thing I've noticed about the English language: Rules are the exception. <GRIN>


    fungo -> fungoes

    mango -> mangoes

    tomato -> tomatoes

    potato -> potatoes (remember Dan Quayle?)


    http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=echo


    echo -> echoes

    Then again, Toyota seems to want us to spell out ECHO in capital letters, so maybe it's not subject to dictionary restrictions!

  • babyboomerbabyboomer Member Posts: 205
    ECHO is EXCEPTIONAL.
  • gaiffemgaiffem Member Posts: 11
    2000, 4-dr, 5-speed
    My age when bought: 53 (now 55)
    Mileage: 38.2 in town, 41.3 hwy (37,243 mi so far)
    Likes (priority order): Quickness (handling & acceleration); roominess; entry/exit ease; appearance; economy.
    Dislikes (priority order): OEM tires, lack of tach and presence of "idiot lights".
    Buy again? You bet!
  • mralanmralan Member Posts: 174
    I'd like to hear from those who answered the survey if they would buy another ECHO?
  • slimtexslimtex Member Posts: 4
    Recently there was a very short article in the newspaper saying that Toyota has a problem with the "brake fluid pipes" on the Echo. Has anyone else heard about this and what the problem is? I am real picky about my cars but the Echo is really tops to us and we have been around long enough to have owned a lot of cars. Slimtex
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