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2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'm thinking about purchasing another used echo, but it's so hard to find a good (and cheap!) one.
She told me today she is probably giving up on finding an Echo. She intends to test drive a new Yaris tomorrow.
Edit.....I'm still chugging along getting 40 mpg, BTW. Never varies much, hasn't ever since I have owned the car, and given that I had a loaner Yaris this week which only managed 36 mpg (but it was an automatic), I figure 40 mpg in suburban driving is just fine! :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It makes me angry to see Americans settle for cars that give such low mpg. There are so many people who are pleased with their car's mileage, when they're getting only around 28mpg. That is not something to be proud of.
I feel lucky to have bought my current echo (2000) for $6k, and it only had around 50k miles on it.
I just saw an ad for a 7 y/o automatic echo, priced for over $9500 (and that's not even including the dealer's fees). It's absurd! I'm hoping to find one that has less than 100k miles for around $6000. My fiance's old truck is about to die, and I really want to replace it with an echo.
Even with an engine this small, those cold starts will get you though. Throw in a few of those, and I'm at 40-42 most of the time.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'm at 139K, have never needed to make any repairs at all, have also never had to do any brake or clutch work although I am told that I am finally almost at the end of the front brake pads. Will probably have to do those at 145.
And I have done about 80K miles in mine, so of course it's possible/likely that the first owner did brakes in the time he had it.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Won a bet with a friend who said I couldn't make it from my place in Marin (north of San Francisco) to LA on 10 gallons of gas. Of course, he drives an Escape with the V-6, so no wonder he thinks that way. He says he gets about 18 mpg on a good day with a tailwind!
'02 Echo 5-speed.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Mi Gal Ave
348 8.2 42.4
431 9.48 45.5
440 9.04 48.7
377 8.42 44.8
407 8.63 47.2
453 9.71 46.7
365 8.61 42.4
534 9.77 54.7
425 9.17 46.3
483 9.84 49.1
418 9.20 45.4
391 9.42 41.5
5072/ 109.5 = 46.3
I did not record which tanks I used which gas, but I am fairly certain that using the 85 octane (not available in my homestate), instead of 87 or 89, actually gave better mileage, though a noticeable decrease in power going up hills. I am certain that is what I had in the car on the 534/9.77/54.7mpg tank, although I wonder if that may have been a slight overfill, given it followed a 42mpg tank.
I am gradually coming to realize that I am a faster driver than I think I am, because with both this and my other car, I am surrounded by people who post significantly higher mpg numbers than I post, and I thought I was actually a fairly conservative driver....
I have never seen a 54 in my Echo, for instance. Not even on an all-highway trip when it was much younger. I think 49s were repeatedly doable, and that was about the limit. But these new tires I bought last fall sucked 2 mpg right out of my car....I traded long-life rubber for fuel efficiency. :-/
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But that seems about right for the Yaris sedan. The Yaris is heavier and that accounts for much of it.
On top of it all she had no insurance, I filed suit on her and it's being picked by Judge Joe Brown, flying us both out to LA in two weeks to settle the case, LOL!!
Just my opinion! But I wouldnt wear milk bone underware either.
Echo = bare-bones commuter car, gets fabulous fuel economy and reliability, SUPER cheap to operate, tiny enough to find parking on the streets of San Francisco (my personal favorite feature, use it all the time). AND THAT'S IT.
For $10 grand more, Prius = comfortable, quiet highway ride, loaded with every feature you could possibly want either standard or optional (and even the most basic Prius has WAY more standard features than Echo ever had even OPTIONAL), projects an image of prosperity rather than one of having to buy the cheapest car on the market, PZEV smog emissions, much higher safety rating.............PLUS gets fabulous fuel economy and reliability.
Different strokes for different folks. I happen to like small cars that drive like small cars and so for me the Echo was the right choice between the two, and mine has served me better than I had ever dared hope it would. I still wouldn't buy a Prius today because even though the Echo has drunken-sailor handling, at least you can TELL the car is in touch with the ground, and what the front end is doing, unlike a Prius.
But the Prius has a great deal going for it, for which many people are understandably happy to pay the extra $10 grand. With the Echo's replacement (which I will be buying in the next couple of years), I am looking to move up to a more Prius-like level of features, which leaves me with very limited choices if I insist on superlative fuel economy once again. It's basically the Prius vs the Golf TDI, and I don't know how happy I am buying a diesel.
Or I could settle for 40 mpg all over again (to match my Echo) and go for a top-trim Fiesta or a Mini Cooper. But I always told myself I would get a car with BETTER fuel economy every time I traded in.......
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I've had the 2000 one since March, and if it's driven in hot weather at 60mpg, it will give me 49 mpg. But usually, I get around 46 mpg out of it.
The 2003 one was purchased about a week ago. I'm worried about this one, since it had been in a fender bender (it's fixed now), and the steering wheel vibrates if the car is driven at low speeds. I've been told that I just need to get the tires aligned, and this problem should go away. This car also has a digital dashboard, which I found strange. Anyway, it just got 47 mpg. Most of it was highway driving, at 65 to 75 mph.
I love echos, and am glad to now two of them (one for me, one for my fiance).
Hmm the vibe might be because your tires need balancing. But strange its only at low speeds. You mean it goes away the faster you go? Strange. I would balance the tires (alignment does not cause vibration in my experience) see if that ehlps. If not have the front end inspected by a mechanic you trust . Im saying NOT the dealer although if you trust them...
Good luck! You have excellent taste in cars!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The CHECK is easy to do yourself. ADJUSTING an out of spec valve is not. Since almost no cars use this design I have very little confidence in Toyota mechanics being able to do it to my satisfaction.
So it might be a moot point.
'02 4-door 5-speed, has its 8th birthday this month. All my fill-ups have been 40 mpg or above for quite some time, but I know that three months from now I may see a few 38s and 39s in the mix. I am steeling myself mentally to handle those readings! ;-)
NEVER thought I would keep this car this long, BTW. But it's so cheap to operate, and with that gas mileage it is the perfect commute car. Had another comment from a passenger the other day that it "sure did have a lot of useful nooks and crannies for storing stuff!". Yes it does, yes it does indeed..... :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'm currently at 185K; and finally decided the struts and shocks were getting too wiggly to tolerate. Did the brakes as well, and it's fit for another 100K miles.
2 door manual, I'm currently getting 43 MPG in mixed driving at 55-60 MPH.
I'm currently experimenting with 89 octane, vice 87.... seems I am getting another 2-3 MPG out of that change.
87 (R+M/2) is typically the same as 91 as calculated with the RON process.
"Gasoline pumps typically post octane numbers as an average of two different values. Often you may see the octane rating quoted as (R+M)/2. One value is the research octane number (RON), which is determined with a test engine running at a low speed of 600 rpm. The other value is the motor octane number (MON), which is determined with a test engine running at a higher speed of 900 rpm. If, for example, a gasoline has an RON of 98 and a MON of 90, then the posted octane number would be the average of the two values or 94."
When the mandatory federal 10% alcohol add was done a few years ago, my MPG went down 4 MPG, running the lowest grade of fuel. High 30's, rarely seeing 40. When I had been getting 43 MPG doing mostly highway driving.
Just started using the mid grade gas.... first time I refilled the tank at the half way point, I was getting 43 MPG.
If this holds up through a few tanks, it will work out to lower costs and less fill ups for me than running the lower grade gas.
388 miles on 8.9 US gallons.