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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 502 of 582

#5006 of 5807 clutch by kneisl1

May 21, 2006 (10:05 am)

I got 250,000 miles out of the clutch (both parts) on my 74 Beetle. I got 153,000 miles on the clutch on my 79 240D. The Beetle was used almost exclusively in a long distance commute. The Mercedes was strictly around town. I worry a little about the ECHO clutch because the engine does not have the low down torque of the two previous cars. You have to rev the engine a little more in first to get it to move, especially on a hill.
   If I needed another car right now I would go with a used ECHO. I saw a 2002 with 27k on it for $7995. Unfortunately by the time mine wears out all the ECHOs will be history also. They arent making any new ones. Maybe not though a lot of older people who dont drive much own them. If I keep putting 6k a year fron now on, after 18 years it will only have 90k on it! What would REALLY be nice is to get a Canadian hatchback ECHO and drive it under my American sedans registration. Just say "Hey this is my ECHO I bought here in 2000". I wonder would they catch on?
 As long as Im likely to have my ECHO I worry about getting parts for it in 20 years. They didnt sell a lot here. (although there are lots of Canadian ECHOs) I just put a muffler on my daughters Camry (my mothers old car). Get this. The nearest Toyota dealer told me "We cant find a Toyota muffer for a 92 Camry in the US!". I called another dealer father away and they got one for me. I didnt buy my ECHO from them and Im glad I didnt!

#5007 of 5807 so by nippononly

May 23, 2006 (9:57 pm)

I was messing around tonight and figured I would see what a top speed run would produce, and took the car up to 100 mph. It pulled strongly the whole way! I would have taken it to the top, but I saw a highway patrol sitting in a wayside further up, so I hit the brakes.
 
This is something I used to routinely do with every car I bought, but had not yet done with the Echo, because it is kind of counter-intuitive to the reason I bought the car.
 
The engine is turning pretty fast once you hit 100, but it is still pulling willingly, which is more than I can say for my Subaru I had a few years back, which had another 30 horses but was pretty much all done at 100. I believe the Subaru's actual top speed was like 106, but it took forever to increase the last 15 mph over 90.
 
What is the Echo's official top speed anyway? I was kinda surprised (given the car's intended purpose) that it was still so willing to go faster at 100 mph. Maybe the rev limiter was about to kick in, I dunno.

#5008 of 5807 top end by kneisl1

May 24, 2006 (6:25 am)

On the NJTPK once there was a Saab doing 65 in the left lane (3 lanes) He was blocking traffic and when someone tried to pass him on the right, he would speed up so they couldnt pass. I observed about six people try to pass him. He would go over 80 when they did this, then drop back down to 65. In all the jostling that took place, I found myself in a position to pass him. So I literally put my foot on the floor and left it there. I was going so fast I didnt DARE take my eyes off the road (and him) to look at the speedo. I think he was a little stunned that a tiny car would attempt to go so fast, and after a determined effort to keep up with me, I got by him. When I was in the clear I looked at the speedo and it said 106. Ive heard that there IS a limiter and the cars tops speed is in fact 106. It didnt feel to bad at that speed really.
  This one is a little long. Another time I was coming home from work at one in the morning. I was all alone at a light. When it turned green I went ahead and began a slow shift into the left hand lane so I could make a left up ahead. I was on a bridge, with two lanes each way. Out of nowhere these two monster SUVs racing each other came up behind me. I was basically in the middle of the two lanes when one passed me on the right and one on the left! So we have three vehicles in two lanes! These guys were going like 90! The fenders of the SUV on the right were hitting the side of the bridge and throwing up showers of sparks! I thought "Its all over!" Somehow they didnt squash me like a bug. One ended up in front of me and the other behind me. The guy behind almost flipped over. I made my left turn into a development and headed for home. Both SUVs turned around and tried to chase me down! Holy crap! Remembering the 106 mph incident on the Turnpike, I floored the ECHO. I think I went like 40 in first and 60 in second. The engine responded like a Formula One race engine! (or at least, I imagine thats what one sounds like) Since we were in a development it was sprint to 60, slam on the brakes, turn a corner, repeat over and over. The SUVs fell farther and farther behind. They could not accelerate and brake and corner as fast as the ECHO! I thought "Head for the police station!" until I remembered no one was there at night. I didnt want to go home and reveal to the idiots where I lived. But I lost them so completely thats what I did. I came out on my street about half a mile from my house with no sign of them. About half way there, they spotted me! I decided to make a break for the house, run inside and call 911. I got in the door just as they pulled up. Im thinking "Im OK but theyre going to trash my car." I dialed 911 as they ran up to the house looking for a way in! Then I got my shotgun and waited in the dark. (wife is hysterical) If they enter my house, they are both going to be VERY sorry! Finally they give up, get in their vehicles and drive away. Cops come, do nothing to catch them, give me the third degree trying to find out what happened. Cops leave. Wife gives me hell!
   So yes the ECHO will go 106 all wound out. Try going 80 in second some time also!

#5009 of 5807 good lord by nippononly

May 24, 2006 (7:33 am)

man! That is a very scary incident! Where do you live, LOL!
 
I never had any doubt that the Echo could out-maneuver a large SUV, that's for sure. And I certainly wouldn't be surprised if the Echo's top speed was just beyond the speed I got to last night. 106 mph is pretty good for a commuter car, and I believe the Corolla's top speed is the same then.
 
As for stability at 100 mph, I think this car's high speed stability in general is higher than your seat of the pants tells you. The very soft suspension gives a false impression that the car is on the edge, when it isn't really. If I do reach the point of buying new tires for this car rather than selling it, I am definitely going to buy some better shocks and a rear sway for it as well (along with 15" rims and slightly wider tires). With its weight, it could be great if only the suspension had been designed for anything in the way of sportiness.
 
In the meantime, I do appreciate the benefits the design of the suspension DOES provide - a very smooth ride over bad pavement and excellent pothole absorption.

#5010 of 5807 sportiness by kneisl1

May 24, 2006 (7:56 am)

I live in a very normal type of place. Road Rage is pretty much universal.
   I read somewhere that the Yaris outpointed the new Pontiac 2 seater BMW clone on the skidpad. (I forget its name) I also recall the ECHO itself did pretty good in this regard. Certainly I have no complaints with its handling! Complaints about the "wallowing" ECHO dont seem to have much in the way of substance. Its just another example of the viseral reaction some people have to an economy car.

#5011 of 5807 Re: top end [kneisl1] by pat

May 24, 2006 (2:47 pm)

Replying to: kneisl1 (May 24, 2006 6:25 am)
Yikes!!
 
Why did they go after you? And what do you mean, no one is at the police station at night??

#5012 of 5807 pursuit by kneisl1

May 24, 2006 (4:00 pm)

Probably taking out their frustrations in life. I stopped for a yellow light once by mistake. The guy behind me went nuts beeping the horn and pounding on the steering wheel. (he wanted to get through the light) Some people are seriously nuts!
    We dont have a post office in our town you have to go to the town next door for that. The police have an office in the basement of the town hall, but the main police station is also in the next town. When my wifes Accord got stolen my neighbor saw it happen. He called the police station but got a recording saying theres no one there after 8. I remembered that.

#5013 of 5807 not so impressive by nippononly

May 26, 2006 (7:38 pm)

this time: 368 miles, 9.29 gallons on fill-up, works out to 39.61 (call it 39.5) mpg on this tank. Lately the A/C has been getting a work-out, and I was doing less driving this time (took me longer to need a fill-up), so I guess it's no huge shock. Still decent though. Most of the early Yaris owners seem to be posting lower mileage than that.

#5014 of 5807 fillup by kneisl1

May 26, 2006 (8:26 pm)

I understand there is a one liter version of the ECHO engine for sale in other parts of the world. How nice would it be to have that? I wonder how much difference in mpg it would make.

#5015 of 5807 wellll by nippononly

May 27, 2006 (12:21 am)

I bet I could get 50 mpg with an Echo 1.0, but I am not sure I would have bought that version. The magic of the Echo 1.5 is its extremely tractable engine - wanna do 100 mph? No problem. Wanna drive in stop and go traffic, with the engine turning at 1200 rpm? No problem. It will pull from almost any rpm. Rev it and you can go quite fast, or baby it and the mileage will shoot up.
 
I don't think a 1.0 would be very fast in this car - it would probably make around 70 hp, which would give it a worse power to weight ratio than any car I have ever owned. You could still beat VW vans to 60 mph though!
 
But hey, with the 1.5 it already has, I can fairly easily get 40 mpg. That's enough for me for now. What I WANT is a 105 hp engine with the fuel economy of that 1.0! I remain convinced that the technology exists (without resorting to hybridization), had Toyota just devoted its time and resources to that goal, but of course it has been busy boosting power and weight instead of fuel economy. So the new Echo (Yaris) puts on 200 pounds, gains 5 hp, and side-steps (actually decreases ever so slightly) in fuel economy.

Messages Page 502 of 582

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