Overview & Reviews

In an effort to better protect occupants of this lightweight economy car, Toyota makes side airbags optional for 2001. Brilliant Blue Pearl is a new color.

• Good gas mileage, speedy acceleration, roomy and functional interior, likely to be reliable.

• Cartoonish styling, dopey gauge placement, lousy handling, deceptively low base pricing.

User Reviews:

Showing 31 through 40 of 91.00

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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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  Cute as a Button! - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By sarah - May 1 - 9:43 am

  I have owned my Roxy Echo for over 6 months, and I wouldnt change a thing about it. I have a 4 door with all the optional features, and despite what this review says about the cost versus what you get, I think this is one of the most fun to drive cars on the market! A lot of people cannot get past the look of the echo, but I dont understand why. Even though its about the gas mileage, I love the look! Then again, Im an eclectic kind of person who wants to drive something unusual and still hip. I also have to say that its easy to get into-its taller to provide more room-and that really helps because im not short! I was looking for an SUV, but fell in love with this echo!

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  super car - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By volunteer - March 2 - 10:00 am

  This is a well-made car that is so very fund to drive. The high seating position makes for terrific view. You can see traffic so well in this car. It is simply fun to drive--so smooth yet peppy. Ive only two minor complaints: my 2002 seems a bit noisy at highway speeds, and the wind tosses it a bit. I spend 99 percent of my driving in commutes, and nothing beats the ECHO for this.

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  Speed Demon - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By Piero - January 18 - 11:00 pm

  I have learned to drive in the great land of Italy where the love of cars and speed is greatly loved. My little funky Echo make me miss the driving there. However to drive fast around the turns I have found that you need to oversize your tires to 195-60-14 and keep the front inflated to 35 PSI instead of 32. I have Bridgestone Potenza RE 950 and love them.

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  Sometimes you go with your gut instinct! - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By echooooooooooooo! - November 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2002 Echo and I concur with all of the other previews. This car purrs! Im gonna give mine a cool look this summer (03) Im gonna give it a new stereo (double din video touchscreen with cd changer which will fit nicely with the Infinity Kappa Bass Link amplified sub-woofer I bought which only takes up the right side corner of the trunk. Some nice 205 "15 tires like the dude above did to his. A front mask. Tinted windows. And sime nice interior and exterior neon lighting. All in all this is one heck of a nice toy. I guess thats why they call them TOYotas because theyre so much fun to play with! Peace and safe driving you guys :0)

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  Great commuter car - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By paul a - November 5 - 2:00 am

  I have driven the Echo for 22 months. It is a great vehicle for local driving & short trips. Local gas mileage, with auto, is 30 MPG & on the road 40-42. Great visability,head room, easy to enter & exit, more height & room than my Cherokee, a huge trunk, & a surprising amount of storage space with the rear seat pulled down. Acceleration is barely adequate & cornering is poor, also high winds demand slower speeds & greater attention to the road. No problems so far after 14,000 miles.

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  Great for me - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By donwayne - September 27 - 4:57 pm

  I bought my car in Feb. 2001 with the sticker telling me that my MPG would be 38/43. I have been lucky to have had company cars, so I now have barely 69K miles on the engine. I now have been using my car more for work, driving in town, and out of town. Besides oil changes and new tires, I have not had to have any other work done on my car. I calculated a month ago that I was getting 38 MPG, so I am very happy with this car. I just hate they do not make it anymore. The big space is so unexpected for such a small car.

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  4 years old and going strong - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By OTTR B - August 9 - 10:00 am

  Almost right away used it in place of broken down Plymouth minivan for a reenactment. Were able to haul everything we had in the minivan in the Echo--more careful packing. Drove it to Alaska over the Alaska Highway and back summer of 02. 10,748 miles. Averaged 38 mpg--best was 43 worst 32 (driving in Montana with A/C on and somewhat over speed limit if there was one). Only problem whole trip was the A/C condensor line came off because of washboard road--Alaska Hiway--Yukon Ty--reconnected it dried floor & kept going. Wife used it to commute to school and work--both long commutes. Never failed her. Work is closer now so well see how it does for shorter commutes.

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  Love the Echo - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By CAT - February 26 - 9:36 am

  Bought my 5 speed stick shift, Indigo Ink Blue Echo, new. New it got 45 mpg/highway -- down to about 39 mpg/highway with 165,000 on it. The first tires lasted 65,000 miles. The battery lasted 7 years. Did the first tune-up at 145,000 miles just because it had never had one, NOT because it was running badly. Faithfully change the full synthetic oil & filter every 3000 miles, other filters as recommended. Loved this one so much, now own two (bought a 2005 Echo to replace a 1995 mini van).

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  Not only for young drivers - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By fishinguy - December 19 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Echo after measuring the ground-to-seat height, and finding it similar to my elderly fathers favorite chair, the one he could most easily use. The law of gravity aided his descent into his own car, but getting out of it was another matter. After 6 months his health and strength improved. The "master plan" was to then sell the Echo, but Id grown very fond of it, enjoy driving it, and also appreciate the ease of access and superior side visibility for viewing scenery. The variable valve timing makes this little 1.5 liter engine seem peppy. I plan to keep my Echo forever, and I expect no problems for quite a long time.