Overview & Reviews

The oddly proportioned and slightly cartoonish Toyota Echo economy car debuted just before the start of the new millennium. A successor to the Tercel and precursor to the Scion brand, the Echo was meant to bring younger U.S. buyers into the Toyota family via its low price and Toyota heritage.

However, this was one Toyota that uncharacteristically failed to garner much success. Although the Toyota Echo offered an impressively roomy cabin thanks to its narrow and tall greenhouse and an economical 1.5-liter four-cylinder that propelled it with decent pep, the car's faults made it one of our editors' least favorite subcompacts. An unusual centralized gauge cluster was deemed poor in design, and once underway, the Echo's small tires and upright stance contributed to a "tippy" feel at highway speeds and excessive body roll when navigating tight corners.

No doubt the Echo, being a Toyota, enjoys a reputation for higher than average reliability. And though we complained of poor value for the dollar -- mostly due to the Echo's low price resulting from Toyota charging extra for common conveniences -- the Echo's slow depreciation has offset that somewhat. Still, anyone on a budget and shopping for a used economy car has better choices that offer greater overall performance and value.

Most Recent Toyota Echo

The Toyota Echo was launched in 2000 and ran through 2005. Sedan and coupe body styles were offered. All Echos were powered by a 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine capable of 108 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. Thanks to a light curb weight, this was enough power to give the Echo decent acceleration. Fuel economy was also impressive, with real-world mileage typically in the mid-30s, quite possibly the best of any non-hybrid, gas-powered car from this time period.

At the time, Toyota kept the car's base price low by making most of its features optional. Standard equipment was very basic, including AM/FM four-speaker audio, a tilt steering wheel and 14-inch wheels. Optional was an all-weather package (including a heavy-duty battery and rear window defogger), antilock brakes, air-conditioning, side airbags, a CD player and keyless entry. Even power steering was an option, as were power windows and mirrors, a tachometer and a split-folding rear seat. In 2001, side airbags became available. The following year, Toyota began offering optional 15-inch wheels. The Echo also got a restyling in 2003. In the car's final years, Toyota made the Echo available by special order only, which caused sales to drop drastically.

Design-wise, the Toyota Echo's most impressive features were its spacious cabin and trunk. The tall greenhouse and narrow roof pillars offered unobstructed visibility and lots of headroom. Front seating was comfortable as long as the pronounced, upright feel didn't bother you, and rear seat legroom was just fine for two full-size adults. Interior materials on the Echo were about average for this class, though the cheap plastic pillar covers, hard steering wheel and foam headliner were subpar. Also, its center-mounted instruments took some getting used to.

Those seriously considering the purchase of a used Toyota Echo should seek out a well-equipped model. They shouldn't cost much more and should make the car much easier to live with.

User Reviews:

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  Echo Best Gas Mileage, Reliable, Roomy! - 2003 Toyota Echo
  By family2kids - August 11 - 3:23 am

  The best car ever. My wife and our two kids fit in just right. Bought the car with 17K miles in it in 2004, now has 140K miles. Drove from Frankfort KY to Chicago in one tank (38-40 mpg) everytime. Very easy on the wallet, usually pump gas once or twice a month at most ($20-25 bucks/mo). Drove through the worst snowstorms (Nebraska, Illinois) and did well. Carried five adults with trunk full of suitcases to Chicago airport from KY just fine. Able to pass cars or trucks on hwy real easy. VERY ROOMY, more space than Corolla, Camry, Taurus, etc. Father in law 64" 300 lbs drove comfortably over 400 miles, that says something :). Toyota is awesome. Odometer easy to see while driving.

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  Buy One - 2005 Toyota Echo
  By Kev - August 10 - 7:40 am

  This has been an interesting car to purchase. After a lot of research we decided on the 4dr Echo with automatic and air. I like the idea of a timing chain instead of the wimpy belt! A nice piece of car that is just as comfortable at -40 celsius as it is in hot weather conditions. It is really reliable as we live in Canada, and you can go for a very long period driving and not see another car or house. A very fuel efficient gem, and with our Canadian gas prices as high as they are, we can get our initial investment in the car, out in gas savings in 3.2 years, compared to what we had. Once you get past its unique look, the car will actually pay you in reliability and few repairs.

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  My Little Echo - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By sarahjh - August 8 - 2:00 am

  First it seemed as if I was sitting on a board..a hard wooden board. The seats needs more padding. Hate to reach over to lock the doors. No salesman offered me extra options such as automatic windows, etc !!

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  good little car - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By ray - July 25 - 9:40 am

  great little car, little gas to operate no major problems so far

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  Milage as promised - 2004 Toyota Echo
  By Cariade - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I commute 110 miloes a day and love my car. Gage placement takes a little getting used to but is really much better since nothing is ever blocking your viw of the gages

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  Great Car! - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By Krystal - July 4 - 5:30 am

  This car is tops! I got an ECHO in 2001 for Christmas, Ive never had a problem with it (other than a recall in 2006). Starts up in bad weather and is a great car for teens. Cheap to maintain and the gas mileage is wonderful. I drove from Madison to Chicago and back (~350miles) and still had 1/4 tank of gas left! Very roomy, especially the trunk. People are always surprised how much room is in that small of a car. Extremely reliable and REALLY fun to drive (5 speed manual)!

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  Ignore bad press - The best value! - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By Jan - June 6 - 3:10 pm

  This car is a delight to drive and own. Interior and storage room are far greater than much larger cars (including my Camry) and far more thoughtfully designed. The instrumentation took a second to get used to, but now I resent conventional look- through-the-steering-wheel displays. This is more natural and allows you to continue surveying the road. Super fuel efficient and surprisingly safe -. My Echo handled a bad side collision (I was plowed into) like a trouper. Not a hair was mussed. I thought the handling was nimble and responsive. Its a 1.5 liter and takes a moment to get up to speed, but I dont gun it from a stop anyway.

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  Echos got Zoom - 2000 Toyota Echo
  By wasabiJo - June 4 - 9:56 pm

  My little red Echo spoils me - incredible fuel economy, roomy interior, peppy attitude, and very durable (mine has been rebuilt twice from two accidents - I just didnt want to get rid of it). Ive used mine for zipping around town and cross-country trips (over 2,000 miles at a time), and hauling my junk to and from colleges for years. My friends (and some mechanics) think Im nuts when I say I plan to run this car into the ground before I buy another one. As long as you keep up with the regular maintenance, nothing short of a collision with a semi will destroy it.

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  Great commuter on a budget - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By Vivorodz - June 2 - 12:36 am

  I have never been displeased with the impact on the pocket book. This car has been driven as a commuter to college (20 miles one way) and as a teacher (25 mi one way) with LOW impact on the pocket book. When gas was in the $1 range I could fill up for around $15, now a days I spent closer to $25 but I am not complaining. I avg. around 30-35 miles per gallon in my automatic and make several trips to San Antonio a year for conventions. This car makes it from the Dallas Fort Worth area to San Antonio (around 300 miles) on 3/4 of a tank easily, fully loaded and with the air conditioner running.

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  Great Commuter Car - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By jludes - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car almost a year ago to commute back and forth to college. I am getting 37 mpg on average(not too bad). There has been no problems for the first 18500 miles. Acceleration with the 5 speed is suprisingly good. I put on aftermarket 16" TRD wheels with low profile tires. This helped the horrible handling a lot. Overall, great commuter.