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Toyota Echo

5807 messages,  Last post on May 28, 2013 at 7:20 PM

You are in the Toyota Echo Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota ECHO, Sedan

Messages Page 290 of 581

#2888 of 5807 I don't have an Echo... by britton2

Mar 06, 2002 (2:25 pm)

I have a '01 Corolla LE which I really, really like - but I thought you all would be interested in knowing that the April 2002 Consumer Reports Annual Auto issue (which I received in the mail today) has the 2002 Echo listed as the small car they predict will be the most reliable - the car at the bottom is the Ford Focus - this is on page 26 - the Toyota Prius was #4 - this is a list of 14 small cars - I did not test drive an Echo - but I see quite a few of them where I live and I think they are really cute - but I am very happy with my Corolla!

#2889 of 5807 Overdrive Button by aeroterremer

Mar 06, 2002 (11:43 pm)

I know this topic has been covered previously on this board, but would you answer one question for me: automatic transmission, mostly city driving under 40 miles per hour, stop and go - do I or do I not disengage the O/D?

#2890 of 5807 whoops, wrong gear by wrgraham

Mar 07, 2002 (11:16 am)

I was out teaching driving to my daughter yesterday. She was going up a mild incline at about 50 mph in 4th gear as we approached a curve. I suggested that she slow up somewhat and shift down to 3rd ahead of the turn. By the time she had slowed to about 40 she pushed it into 1st and let out the clutch. The engine revved extremely high and pulled car speed down quickly before she got the clutch back in. But there were no worrisome sounds or anything else and the Echo seems to have no bad memories of it. Nice to know that this situation is tolerated nicely, although certainly not recommended.

#2891 of 5807 overdrive button by janbee

Mar 07, 2002 (3:32 pm)

I have an automatic ECHO and the day I picked it up off the lot, the sales manager showed me all the buttons inside and explained that the overdrive button should always be on, but I was so excited about my new purchase (my first car) that I really dont remember why its to be on.

#2892 of 5807 Overdrive button explained. by slugline

Mar 07, 2002 (5:32 pm)

I'll start by saying that, 99.44% of the time (maybe even more), you want overdrive (O/D) enabled on your automatic transmission. When you hit that switch, and the light goes on in the gauge cluster, what you have done is instruct the ECHO to refrain from using fourth gear.
 
Now, why would you want to do that? Well, you might want to do this if you are towing a heavy trailer. Forcing the car to stay in third (or lower) will give you more torque. You may also want to do this if you are on a steep hill. Older automatic transmissions would get confused on hills and "hunt" from gear to gear; disabling overdrive stops the hunting.
 
The hill scenario doesn't happen too often anymore though. Today's automatics can usually tell if they are on a slope (or "grade") and cope accordingly. Honda calls this their "Grade-Logic" technology. I forgot if Toyota attached a catchy name to theirs.
 
Now I'll end this long treatise by saying you'll want to keep O/D active just about all the time. Your car's engine is quietest, least strained, and most fuel-efficient when it has the opportunity to choose fourth gear. Hope this clears things up!

#2893 of 5807 re Overdrive by aeroterremer

Mar 07, 2002 (5:45 pm)

Thanks for your responses. It did clear up my mind. Our salesman told us when you go on long stretches, over 40mph to engage overdrive. We took this to mean whenever we go <40mph in city driving to turn it off. Needless to say, the past 3 days, we've been driving with it disengaged. Now it's easy, I don't have to remember to disengage! By the way, I love our new Echo, especially the smoothness of the ride and the nooks and crannies.

#2894 of 5807 2000 Echo, 24k miles in Honolulu by echowrangler

Mar 08, 2002 (3:37 am)

I bought my 4dr ECHO in December 2000. It has 24k miles on it now, no problems, except a trunk lock that broke. It was replaced free of charge when I went in for regular service.
 
I was driving a 1991 Chevy S-10 pickup before I got the ECHO.
 
Is it boring to drive? I don't think so - I think it is the perfect city car. I can zip in and out of parking spaces that the SUV crowd can't get into with an 8-point turn. That's important in Honolulu! It sips gas, which is not cheap in Hawaii. It has plenty of room inside for my 6' 250 lb. self, and my family, and a trunk full of junk for a day at the beach.
 
I like the seating position - the visibility is great.
 
My only complaint would be the outside mirrors - they're too small. I have to look over my should er for lane changes, etc.
 
Oh, and leave the O/D on all the time. The only time I come out of O/D is when I downshift like I would a manual trans - usually slowing up coming down a hill.
 
Aloha!

#2895 of 5807 And I'm shopping for a Matrix by echowrangler

Mar 08, 2002 (3:40 am)

And I was so impressed with the ECHO, my first Toyota, that I'll probably replace my wife's '93 Chevy wagon with a Matrix around the end of this month. I like the Matrix a lot - I've been saying for two years that if Toyota were to bring the Yaris Verso (ECHO wagon) to the US, I'd buy the first one off the boat, sight unseen. The Matrix is close.
 
Aloha!

#2896 of 5807 Keep it. by babyboomer

Mar 08, 2002 (4:59 am)

I read somewhere that a typical owner keeps a car an average of seven years before buying again. Seems that smart buyers should get a very reliable car if they want to keep it until the wheels fall off. The Echo fits that description. My other Toyota is a Cressida, a 1990 Cressida, and after twelve years it keeps on being very reliable.

#2897 of 5807 tire pressure by kneisl1

Mar 11, 2002 (7:28 pm)

Just checked the tire pressure today 17 pounds in all four tires. It stayed at 32 for six months after I bought the car so I got lazy. MPG fell to 34-36 from 38 plus perhaps that is why.

Messages Page 290 of 581

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