Rightly said, I have a 2005 echo and it a super durable, super economical on gas. People think why I even bother to drive it in 2020, but only a true Echo lover knows why he holds on to this car. It's an emotion, the initial struggle one had gone through the initial days when getting the first car, the pride of getting it, the feeling of it never letting you down, the fact that echo owners only spent basic money for oil and filter change every 5k kms since the purchase, the fact that it is still strong and will keep on going strong till you are long gone. It's a saviour for people, saviour for mother earth as it extremely fuel efficient. Glad to see you made a video like this, letting the world know what Toyota Echo cars really are.
Ive driven my moms echo a 2001 from 2011 , in 2017 I got into an accident with it , at an intersectuon a driver turning into my right of way damaged my drivers side door. Real sad about that and purchased a 3rd hand 2003 that had no power steering , 97,000 miles on it and still drives really well I been using it daily for work, very reliable and will be fond of all echo models everytime I see one.
I love these cars. So practical and fun to drive.And I don’t care what people think. I’m thankful to have an echo It was my parents. They are now in Heaven. I’ve been driving it for 11 years.
Awesome video, man! I have a 2003 Echo with 322,000 miles on it and plan to keep it for a very long time and make a number of upgrades to its looks and performance. It is my commuter car for work (90 miles) each day and has been for many years. This will go to my now 10 year old son, when he can drive. My 19 year old son (in college) just received my 2007 Yaris with 264,000 miles on it. Both run like a top. I loved your enthusiasm for these reliable little go-carts. I know I have loved mine.
I had an 03. Probably would have the sane amount of miles you have. I have a used 09 yaris. I got it at 153k amd now have 268k. Hope to keep it for awhile
My dad gave me his Toyota echo. It's a 2door 5speed manual. It was my first car. It super reliable. I still have it. Has almost 400k miles on it. It's a crappy looking car, but it worth fixing it up when something breaks since it can last a long time with minimal maintenance
Hi, what oil do you put in it? I just got one and the previous owner says she has check/ add oil every 1k. I heard you should go up an oil for older cars.
Good call . You can't lose with Toyota. I bought my son an '05 Echo and we work on it together so he will see how easy it is to do and build his confidence . The only upgrade we did was I bought him an 7" infotainment center $80 off amazon for his birthday and it was a game changer for him . He was so excited he couldn't wait for my help and installed it himself . Cars like this are also a valuable tool to teach our children responsibility and develop problem solving skills (If you make them do the work) Also a great time to bond with your son or daughter.
Echos are the modern day antique VW Beetle. I love mine. 2002, 307k miles. Taking care of your belongings assures that you will have respect for your past. Hard to put into words.
I grew up in a big family with a relatively tight income (only one parent could work). The Echo was the first new car my parents ever bought, as by that point only me and two other siblings were home. My dad had a 100 mile commute to work, so he needed economy. Before the Echo he had Mk1 VW Rabbit diesels and Geo Metro three doors. By comparison, the Echo was, and is, amazing. The ride was smooth, the engine was smooth and responsive, the interior was roomy (I was 13 years old when we bought it, and I could almost stand up in the back). He put 320,000 miles and gave it to me in 2006, replacing it with a 2006 Corolla S manual. I was 19 when he gave me the car, and of course I drove the piss out of it... and it took that beating all the way to 475,000 miles. I cheaped out on an oil change and had a low-end knock. Replaced the engine with a 35,000 mile engine because-- hey, I already know where this car has been, and have a lot of memories with it-- the body now has 607,000 miles and a bunch of upgrades to the interior and suspension-- many straight from the Scion parts bin. While I'm absolutely biased about these cars, I've been a in the automotive wholesale profession since 2014 in one form or another. At first I was just an auction driver, pulling things through the auction block for dealers to bid on and either fix up and sell to other dealers, or fix and sell to the public. Eventually they brought me into the driver pool, picking up and delivering vehicles to and from dealerships. Now, I'm working at a wholesale dealership, and get to evaluate and recondition them to go to the auction to be sold as frontline vehicles to retail dealerships. Even though I've experienced a lot of newer, better cars-- from the third generation Cadillac CTS-V, Challenger Hellcats and Ram TRX's, a couple of Maserati Gran Turismo's, an early Viper RT-10, to classic's like the 240Z, MGB GT, Porsche 944 (including a Turbo) and many in between... I still love the Echo. I can get in and revel in how light and analog it is. How I have had my boss and two coworkers in it shuttling them back from dropping cars off at the auction, and even having my boss chuckle with a surprised "damn!" about this underrated little econobox (and none of those guys are small). By no means are these pretty, luxurious, or feature laden. But they are robust enough that they give cars 10-15 years newer a run for their money in terms of performance, space, etc. Sure you may miss out on some safety aspects (ABS was a rare option, and I'm not even sure on side or curtain airbags though I think they were later-- again, as a rare option). But the fact it holds its own so well objectively speaking... that's amazing, and I'll always recommend it and praise how surprising it's been.
My mom's 2003 Echo has about 291,000 miles original motor and trans. Minor mods like fog lights, custom switches, and recently a front strut tower brace. My next project is installing a oil cooler for the engine oil. It's staying in the family for as long as it lives.
i found one for a grand about a month ago. it has a lot of miles, about 248k miles right now. im glad you showed the fuse instruction part, and i hope theres more to it, because i have the same problem, and a fuel evap leak somewhere. i took it for a long drive this past week, and it was fine the whole drive there and back. i like this car
For anyone who loves their Echo, I highly recommend trying the Scion xA front seats, the Corolla intermittent windshield wiper stalk, and Scion xA rear torsion beam upgrade (for handling and stability). There are other things that can be done on these cars if you want added performance, but those are good practical modifications overall without breaking the bank. If you're fuel conscious, consider some first generation Prius wheels as they're lighter and still narrow to keep air and rolling resistance low.
I was given my Toyota Echo by my neighbour, and have taught myself to drive in it. It's a 2004 sedan with a manual transmission. I truly love how it is modern, yet basic. A real joy to drive and work on.
When I bought the toyota echo 2004 in 2017, I was thinking to use for 2-3 months and then sold it. But Really I dont wanna sold it, It is so satisfying.
That brings back fond memories... My 2000 Echo sedan was my favorite toy, always babied and garaged, I kept it clean and shiny even with that nasty stuff on winter roads. She had a beautiful character, a true friend, reliable and undemanding, a very low-maintenance doer. Yes, eventually I switched to much more expensive cars, but I still remember my Echo with a nostalgic smile on my face. Thank you Toyota, you've managed to create a wonderful, live and spirited car!
the Echo was the car I learned to drive manual in, still got it to this day. Currently at 215,000 miles and still chugging. Can’t speak for the automatic ones but the 5 speed echos are bulletproof
My brother bought 2000 toyota echo brand new never left the family and I drove it in high-school I'm 33 and I just inherited it and has 300k miles and is reliable cross country lol
An inexpensive well-made and engineered car. Mine, a 2004 with A/C and cruise-control I've taken on the highway long distance and taken it camping, it handles less-than-optimal roads like a champ. It was Toyota's 'world car'
I have owned two Echos a 2000 & 2005. I am really into this wonderful car. Change the oil every two thousand miles and it will live forever.. Both my Echos never got over twenty nine miles a gallon. I do drive mostly city miles.
love my Matilda she is a 2000 2 door echo never thought i would love a car as much as this one my sister in law gave me. It was transported across the nullabur highway from Western Australia she looked so cute on the trailer on the big truck that was 10 years ago and still going strong except for ball joints being replaced no major dramas hopefully last me through my senior years love my little silver echo.
.. I have mine for 23 years .. bought it when it first came out for 8 k. Sticker price .. a lot of the parts are original.. great car .. I'm at 153 k miles.. car will go to over 200 k. I'm told .. I put in 15 bucks for the week to drive local .. driving alot I put in 15 bucks every 3 days .. tank holds 25 bucks .. but sadly will have to move on soon .. 🖐️🚗
I still Have my 2003 Toyota echo I'm replacing a driver side window glass today because my neighbor was mowing and edging the lawn and a rock hit the glass and broke it. I'll never part from this car. It's so durable reliable and great on ⛽️
I used to live in the US as an immigrant and had a muscle car for drag racing and now I'm trying to buy an Echo for some cheap JDM experience back in my country... These budget mobiles can't be underrated ya kno ;)
You are so knowledgeable about repairing these cars that I was thinking I was going to really learn something. Instead, you made a video that seemed like a quick advertisement for the full video that you are selling. It seemed like it was just excerpts clipped from a much longer and much more valuable video. I wish you would make that video.
@@CenturionKZ there is a cult following for the Yaris but not sure as to why specifically. My friend has a yaris and from what I can see is there there are minor differences but I don't know if there is a long term differences, preferences or just a different feel when driving. As for the one of the minor differences the Echo is lighter (less gas consumption) and the Yaris might hold better to the road.
Love my 2000 Echo… my only problem right now is trying to fix/replace the drivers door lock assembly (manual-not power). I already replaced the exterior handle. The door will not open from the outside. Any guidance anyone?
I have an '01 Echo. It needs a $3000 A/C replacement (yes, I need to get another estimate, but it's not going to be THAT much less.) Anyway, I know no one understands why I would put that much money into a 19 year old car. But I keep looking at all the cars I might replace it with (I am only considering hybrids, and it has to be small bcs of my limited garage space), and none of them even hold a candle to the Echo. I like my manual trans, and I'm not going to find another [new hybrid] in this day and age with that. The Echo has a high undercarriage for all the potholes, or dirt roads I encounter. I feel pretty high up - and good visibility throughout. The Echo has amazing trunk space too. There's nothing on it that can break. No power this, no power that, no computerized this that or the other thing. If I need a gps I balance my phone on the steering console. LOL, mine still has a cassette tape deck - what would I do with all my cassettes if I bought another car? This car has NEVER not started. NEVER gotten stuck in the snow. Still getting around 34mpg. I guess I just heart my Echo. The only other car I would consider right now is the Hyundai Ioniq. So if anyone sees this and wants to render an opinion on putting more money into the Echo vs an Ioniq, I'm all ears.
I'm a garage mechanic and if you have any mechanical ability, I'm fairly certain you can fix most of the air conditioning issue yourself and have a shop finish the rest of the work by filling it with R134a. Does it need an A/C compressor ? You can most likely find one at a junk yard for very cheap.
Pleasant video. Wish I knew what specifically was wrong that needed a fix, but you did show that the components seem to be easily-accessible. What year is this Echo? Also, it is not only new immigrants who might not want to throw all their money into a luxury car. Thank you. PS It is not true that something free is not valued, even more highly valued. And something doesn't have to be "free." It could be $1.00 with that psychology at play.
I was given a smashed Toyota echo not knowing anything about these cars after finding out these engines are bullet proof and what not. I put it on a frame and pulled her back to new slap a door on it and painted it!! Now 2 years later slammed on some coils and wheels with 203k I’ve had zero issues beat car I’ve had I cannot say anything bad about the echo!!!
Due to its cab-forward "cartoonish" exterior the Echo has *MUCH MORE* interior room than the larger & heavier Corolla!! So, is looking like a broke dork worth being more comfortable and getting significantly better fuel mileage? The choice is yours!
Imagine somebody modifies an echo to make it like a show car lol that would be very nice i love echos but i also love other cars too but i dont know what decision i will make to choose the good type of cars that i have in mind if you wanna help me just reply to me :)
My 2000 Toyota echo has a problem my radio is buzzing when I use the aux I have a aux tape that lets me use it with my phone to play music but every sense I hit a curb and this aligned my car my radio has been buzzing ever since but still works is there a way to fix it?
I want to bring my echo to you. please. I have tried to get someone to fix that same issue to take the parts out and replace bulb light on the odometer and no o e wants to do it. 🙂
I have a ‘03 Echo with only 49k miles on it. I use it as a commuter car now. I inherited it from my parents who only drove it to the bank and grocery store which was basically across the street. Love the gas mileage.
