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Toyota Echo

18182848687115

Comments

  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    Hell YES!
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    The Major has hit 75,000 miles while Silver who has not even hit her first birthday is at 13,000 and change. I don't remember the exact mileage and may even be in the 14,000. I only drive her on the weekends.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    I guess I was just feeling cantankerous, but there has been such a big deal made about the Prius and the Echo gets very little of the glory that it should.
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    so what do you expect? Echo owners discussing the virtues of their Echo's!
    I can certainly afford a Prius or two but decided that the Echo fitted my requirements perfectly. I wanted an economical car and that is what my Echo is.
  • bradbrad Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Echo with stock AM/FM cassette player. Unlike the repair manual info I downloaded, the cassette is actually a separate unit bolted on top of the radio. Recently both the radio and tape deck suddenly quit emitting sounds. The unit had power and would tune into stations and spin the tapes but no sounds came from the speakers. I disassembled the dash and pulled out the radio. In addition to the antenna and tape player plugs there are 2 additional plugs on back of the radio. I accidentally discovered that unplugging one of these plugs restored sound to the speakers. Plugging it back in would again eliminate the sound. After repeating this process several times, I left it unplugged reassembled the dash and everything appears to function normally. Anyone else had this experience? Since the radio, tape player and everything else I tried appears to work now what could the mystery plug be? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Turn the radio off. Turn acc on. Hold the 1 and 6 preset keys in while you press CD three times.
      You should now be in LAN mode. Press 1 of the preset switches. The system performs a self diagnosis of the connected equipment and displays the results.
      This from the service manaul. If you get this far write back for more info. (while i figure out the manual)
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    i would like the struts if you still have them.
  • bradbrad Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the reply. The instructions you provided were the same as the ones I downloaded from the official manual. When I attempted to follow them, I discovered that my radio does not have a CD button. The tape slot is also not in the same place (seperate unit bolted on top). Otherwise the button layout and markings are the same as the manual diagram.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Ill look in the manual tomorrow and see if theres anything for non CD radios...but I dont remember seeing it.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey is posted and ready for your input!
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    I voted for ECHO.
  • lakelandfllakelandfl Member Posts: 10
    ECHO # 1 FOR ME ! I LOVE MY ECHO IT'S A GREAT CAR .
  • aeroterremeraeroterremer Member Posts: 79
    I, too, voted for ECHO. Nothing else is good enough for me. I love my car!
  • sushi_headsushi_head Member Posts: 10
    anyone know if you are able to buy and bring in a Canadian Echo Hatchback into the US and register it?

    I love hatchbacks, and I love toyota...
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Scroll up the list a few pages to see this dsicussion held previously. Im not sure what was decided, but personally I dont believe it is wise/possible to do so. I too love hatchbacks and I would further like a diesel hatchback just like my regular gas/sedan ECHO>
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You can also use the "Search This Discussion" feature on the page bar...
  • wrgrahamwrgraham Member Posts: 112
    Last Friday I passed the 100,000 mile mark with my 4 year old green Echo sedan. Doesn't have the least bit of feel of an old car. Runs great still, and looks good too. Although there are a number of small little creases on the doors on both sides from careless people in parking lots, I suppose. I trust the rest of you will get the same good reliability from your Echos. I am also most grateful to the reader of this column who offered her CD system to me at a very good price, nearly 3 years ago. My daughter has had her license for almost a year now, and we appreciate the excellent sound system.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Good to hear it. Congradulations to you and your ECHO. Im sure the green color helped. Mine is silver i wonder how it will do?
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Congratulations on the 100k mark.
    My 2001 is at 84k right now and no problems to report. The car drives as well as on the first day.
    My goal is 500k miles with the same engine and transmission. To make this possible I'm doing a transmission drain and fill on a yearly basis, using synthetic ATF. Engine oil used is Amsoil, with a dual filter/bypass setup, oil changes every 15k. Radiator is drained and filled on a yearly basis too. Other than that just regular visual inspections. Everything is done by myself so maintenance cost has been extremely low.
  • wrgrahamwrgraham Member Posts: 112
    we have had extremely wet weather of late, and my daughter called a few nights ago to say that all the interior lights were off. Headlights and other external stuff was fine. She said dash lights were also out. Drove home fine, and the next day with some sunshine all is back to normal. I guess I will just let that one pass until something similar recurs.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    Fellow British Columbians, there is supposed to be a BC-only Echo 3-door limited edition model coming out which includes a bunch of accessories (spoiler, body kit, 15" alloys, high-performance all-seasons, Borla exhaust tip) at a savings of about $950 if purchased separately. $950 would be a significant savings for an Echo given the fact that Access Toyota gives you about $1.25 off of MSRP! There is nothing on toyota.ca about this SE. Has anyone heard more about this?
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    For those who want to tune your Echo, there are mods available for the Scions (cold air intake, muffler, and strut bars) being put out by TRD. Most of these should work on the Echo.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    I thought you were going to say the limited edition models for BC would include things like four wheel drive, cat track conversion, battery and engine aux heat, and snow blower attachment. I would like a diesel conversion kit if anyone becomes aware of one.
  • cartagramcartagram Member Posts: 115
    Too bad you can't--as far as I know--bring an ECHO or a Civic to a body shop and have them add the rear-end parts and panels that would convert their sedans into hatchbacks.

    I'd rather not move to Europe to get a 5-door hatchback from Toyota or Honda!
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    I think it is great that there is not a conversion kit to turn my Echo sedan into a hatchback. I like the looks of my sedan which is one of the reasons I was attracted to the Echo in the first place. BTW, I don't like the looks of the hatchback, but in all fairness I need to say that I like the looks of very few hatchbacks in the first place.
  • cartagramcartagram Member Posts: 115
    Nobody I know, up close and personal, likes the looks of the ECHO. I think it's beautiful, one of the best-looking automobiles out there. From the side, it makes me think that Toyota had the VW Beetle in mind a little bit--there's a hint of a rising oval shape in the ECHO lines.

    Believe it or not, it's the interior design I like best. Very understated plastics and curves, with lots and lots of utility in its storage options.

    Which is why the Matrix and Scions (as far as I can tell from a distance on the Xa model) are more glitzy and less utilitarian in their interior appearances.

    The hatchback appeals to me less on looks but more on the confidence that I can be called on to load just about anything in it and the car will suit the job perfectly. We used our '88 Tracer hatchback in place of the Windstar minivan more often for hauling those oddly shaped domestic beasts of burden (lawn mowers, large TVs, and half an apartment on moving day).
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    As if gas prices werent high enough already, OPEc is planning further cuts on oil production. Now that Saudi Arabia doesnt have to worry about Sadam Hussein, they have no incentive to bow to US pressure to keep the oil flowing. NOW is the time to go out and buy an ECHO before the prices of ECHOS start rising like the price of gas! I drive a hundred miles a week and burn a half a tank every two weeks which costs me $8.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Was very disappointing. It has almost 0 room behind the rear seats when they are not folded down. Its sticker claims 32 mpg in city driving, 8 mpg less than my ECHO gets. The 60 series 15 inch tires probably contribute to the poor gas mileage and will make the car handle snowy conditions poorly as well. Besides costing a lot more to replace. The only bright spot was the sticker where there were no extras to pay for. The base price of the cars was $13.8k and the bottom line was $14k. Although Id have to believe the bottom line on the check you write will be a lot more than that. Overall though it was amazing to see a car designed for a ten year old mentality.
  • 719b719b Member Posts: 216
    you can thank the echo for the scion. if the echo had half the reception the scion xb has, there wouldn't be a need for the scion. they are both built for the same demographics, but the echo was never accepted.
    by the time you add all the standard equipment (many of which can't be had on the echo), you'll see that the scion is cheaper.
    since when is 32 mph in the city considered "poor gas mileage"?
    looks like some can't see the forest for the trees.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    I admire the ECHO because it was a no holds barred attempt to make an economical, functional car. Considering they have the same engine, the Scion's design leaves something to be desired of it gets that much worse mileage. Acceleration HAS to be worse also, given its 600 lb bulge on the ECHO. The ECHO is like a good piece of pound cake, whereas the Scion is cheap birthday cake with sickeningly sweet icing.
       Its too bad more people dont buy the ECHO. I blame the people...the car itself is amazing.
  • 719b719b Member Posts: 216
    http://www.carsdirect.com/research/compareresults?cat=all&aco- des=USB40SCC021A0,USB40TOC092A0
    this is a straight comparison of the echo and scion xb. the weight difference is less than 400 lbs, not 600 lbs. the ride should be a lot better also. the wheelbase is 5 inches longer and the still managed to make the scion almost a foot shorter than the echo.
    things like abs and traction control as standard equipment isn't "sickeningly sweet icing". all cars should offer such safety.
    if gas mileage is your main concern, i agree. the echo is a good buy. if you want safety, decent mileage, smoother ride, and a nice audio system, then the xb has the echo beat in every catagory...
    just an opinion.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    The car I looked at was the a not the b. While I thought the a just looked silly, the "styling" of the b is REALLY out of wack. (perhaps I shouldnt notice, driving an ECHO) I notice they dont publish a drag ratio for it. Not surprising under the circumstances. It was nice to see the ECHO came in at .29. Pretty good! Not only do I not need "safety" options like abs and tc, I dont want to pay to fix them in a few years either. (for the same reason I dont want pl and pw. A friend just paid $$$ to fix his Accords drivers window) But by all means if YOU dont feel safe without them then maybe Scion b is what you want.
  • 719b719b Member Posts: 216
    that's what makes this country so great... we can decide for ourselves what is important.
    yep, if drag coefficient is what you find important, the echo is the way to go.
  • wrgrahamwrgraham Member Posts: 112
    You two had a good back and forth there. I am certainly of the kneisl persuasion as far as my wants in a car. But we are surely not a large enough segment to make the Echo sell well.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    True enough. Im wondering what the sales figures are for ECHO are recently? Are they selling more or less every year? I dread the day they cancel the ECHO.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    I feel that cancelling the Echo would be a mistake on Toyota's part. Yes, they have the Scion cars now, but not all dealers are going to sell the car and none of the three models are a sedan. A Toyota only dealer needs a low end sedan to sell and Toyota needs a model slotted below the Corolla so they can keep the Corolla more upmarket.
  • majorthomechomajorthomecho Member Posts: 1,331
    I found a website that gave a rundown of sales figures for a number of cars. For 2003 (calendar year and not model year), Toyota sold around 26,000 Echos.

    On the one hand pretty bad sales figures, but if you consider that there is virtually no advertising and no promotion going on, then you would have to say it is pretty good.
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    OK, and do you know the sales figures for every year, starting in 2000? Im wondering if they go up or down? Maybe they will get better THIS year with gas selling for $2 a gallon and threatening to go higher.
  • a_l_hubcapsa_l_hubcaps Member Posts: 518
    Echo sales have been terrible this year (they're down to like 500 a month), but my understanding is that it's because the capacity is being used to build Scions, which are selling above projections. So it's not so much a lack of demand for Echos but a surge of demand for Scions. I read an article about future Toyota models awhile ago, and they said that Toyota execs insist the Echo will not be cancelled for '05, so maybe they are planning to shift production or something. I don't think they would consider it worthwhile to keep making Echos if they could only build a few hundred per month.

    -Andrew L
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    Toyota needs to sell the Echo hatch in the US.
  • sluglineslugline Member Posts: 391
    I just checked the Toyota site. Here are the numbers for March 2,004:
        ECHO: 384
        Scion xA: 3,486
        Scion xB: 7,675

    I didn't foresee the Scions having that much appeal. They must be doing something right.

    Prior calendar year sales for ECHO:
        2003: 26,167
        2002: 30,859
        2001: 42,464
        2000: 48,876
        1999: 10,490 (introduction as '00 model in USA)
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Here in Canada the Echo continues to sell quite well: 2867 units in March.

    Considering the population of Canada vs. that of the US, that would be about 28000 Echos sold per month (if consumers in the US would appreciate small and fuel efficient cars like we do).
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Perhaps the Japanese will see the Canadian and US markets as the same thing sales wise. Its pretty sobering to see only 384 ECHOs sold in a months time in the US. American Consumers need to have their asses kicked.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    I don't think it is just a US/Canada difference. I think it is a US/world difference. Other than the US, everywhere else in the world small (even micro-cars) occupy a significant market share.
  • brad3brad3 Member Posts: 8
    has anyone heard if toyota is tinking about bringing the echo hatch to the u.s.? i'm sorta new to the echo, i've really just noticed the car as of late.i'm looking for a car to commute in to work, i've only read good things about the echo!! i like the newer sedan, but o=i prefer the look of the hatch. if anyone can help me with this question , i appreciate their help!!
  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    My cousin and I were at 2 Toyota dealers this weekend and were both told you could not order an ECHO anymore. Too bad. No word on the hatchback.
    Niels
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    Only in Canada can you get an ECHO hatchback. They dont sell them in the US and its unlikely they ever will. I think we're lucky to be able to buy the sedan!
  • brad3brad3 Member Posts: 8
    thanks for the replies, i really think the hatch would sale well here in the states!!the scions are ok, but i think the echo is better in more ways.maybe toyota will come out with a updated version of the echo, it seems like they need that size of car in their stock.has anyone heard if the honda jazz is coming to the states?thanks again!!
  • kneisl1kneisl1 Member Posts: 1,694
    The current craze in aftermarket accessories for cars is fitting larger rims and tires. The current issue of Car and Driver (or is it Road and Track) has an article about why this might not be a good idea to do this. Why this REALLY might not be a good idea. If youve done this or are thinking of doing it,you might want to read it.
  • wrgrahamwrgraham Member Posts: 112
    Kneisl, can you talk some about your specific Echo experience? Brakes, clutch, engine, battery, tires, exhaust, electricals, fuel, body? Any problems, does your car still run strong? Do you go for any dealer servicing? How many miles so far?
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