Toyota Echo making a comeback?

"Frosted" (frostedbuns) 01/06/2015 at 16:55 • Filed to: None

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What the hell is going on with these? When they came out, I rarely ever saw one and it seemed like everyone dismissed it as crap. But in the last two weeks, I've seen a dozen. Someone on my block just bought one too, black with black steelies. Why are they suddenly gaining popularity? Just cheap, reliable transport that gets good MPGs? There's a ton of other options out there if that's really a reason...

XJDano > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 16:57

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Buddy had one and it was at over 300,000 miles when he sold it last year. He said he saw it recently still driving.

He also claimed 40mpg consistently without trying.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 16:58

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I have a 94 Accord to go to work in the city and park in garages, if it ever dies I would totally consider one of those. Its smaller too so it can fit in spaces the Accord won't go into.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 16:59

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RCR may have helped. I saw one at autoX the other day.

Cé hé sin > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 16:59

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Isn't there a Yaris lurking under that?

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 16:59

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Very boring, but reliable cars, that's why.

Takuro Spirit > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:00

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Mr. Regular had one. The fever is catching.

ninequattroquattro > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:01

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I bought one with 297,000 miles on it. Original clutch. Drove it for a year and made money on it. All it ever had were brakes tires and oil changes. Just don't turn the A/C on, you'll never get anywhere.

Nibbles > Cé hé sin 01/06/2015 at 17:02

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Yes, yes there is.

XJDano > ninequattroquattro 01/06/2015 at 17:03

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Same about my metro with A/C. You can feel it suck the power from the engine.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:06

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In indonesia you can buy a brand new version of it. Sort of. At least it looks similar, in my mind.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:07

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The Echo never went away. It was merely renamed to Yaris.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:08

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My dad owns one, and it's 15 years old. We have some money into it, but we reckon that it's a fantastic little car. Surprisingly steady, even at 140km/h+

Your boy, BJR > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:19

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I used to knock boots with a girl who had a Roxy edition. Great little car. Neoprene seats were easy as hell to clean too.

EDIT: finished typing, looked up, saw this. THE ECHOS ARE TAKING OVER

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:22

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I had a roommate that had one. He had me drive it once. I have no idea how those things manage to get decent fuel economy when the gas pedal was basically an on/off switch.

Cé hé sin > Nibbles 01/06/2015 at 17:27

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Yarises last forever too!

Justin Hughes > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:32

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I knew a guy from New Zealand who would throw on some R-compound tires and autocross the hell out of his Echo. He was fast, and his cushy H-Stock PAX often put him at or near the top PAX at our local events.

Frosted > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/06/2015 at 17:33

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I actually hear that a lot about the Echo. Believe it or not, I used to want one. I still remember seeing one for the first time and thinking it was a rad looking little car. I was about 12 at the time though.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:34

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Toyota Echo, the official car of Mr. Regular and poop jokes.

Frosted > Cé hé sin 01/06/2015 at 17:34

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Didn't the Yaris just replace this?

Frosted > ninequattroquattro 01/06/2015 at 17:35

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My 1st gen xB was like that. Same engine IIRC but in a less aerodynamic package.

Frosted > Your boy, BJR 01/06/2015 at 17:36

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I guess I'd rather have a Echo than a Prius, so I'm ok with out new Echoverlords.

Frosted > Takuro Spirit 01/06/2015 at 17:37

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Sooooo in a couple years, first gen Fits will be all the rage?

Takuro Spirit > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:39

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Soon as he crashes it, maybe.

Cé hé sin > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:41

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No, that's a Yaris Mk1 .

It was called by various names including Echo in America and several others in Japan.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:45

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That's ok. I used to think the 1992 Sebring looked good.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:49

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We Canadians also got the hatchback, which spawned this commercial.

feetinesamady > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 17:52

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By definition an "echo" is a comeback of sorts.

Killing-Machine > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/06/2015 at 18:09

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Agreed, when I worked at Enterprise Rent a Car we use to drive them like Go-carts, gas to the floor at all times, all turns we hand brake, not one of them ever broke down.

E92M3 > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 18:11

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Winter beaters maybe?

13" snow tires for $40!

Wurrwulf > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 18:16

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IIRC, the first gen xB was on the Echo platform. I had one with the 5 speed manual. I loved that car.

ranwhenparked > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 19:39

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I think I recall Car and Driver referring to it as being something rare from Toyota - a mistake. They didn't sell all that well new, and the numbers on the road are certainly way less then they used to be. Chalk it up to either coincidence, or you've got Echos on the mind, so you're noticing them more than you otherwise would.

Rico > Frosted 01/06/2015 at 21:38

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Oddly enough there's one parked in my drive way, a lady paid us to park it since she was going out of the country for a few months. It's perhaps one of the worst cars I've ever been in as I have to occasionally run it so the battery doesn't die.

axiomatik > Frosted 01/07/2015 at 09:52

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I saw them all the time when they were new, even the occasional Roxy edition. I was in college at the time, so they may have been popular choices among college students/parents of college students, being cheap, basic, reliable transportation. I even remember a specific conversation I had with my mom at the time about them. The 1st-gen Prius came out at about the same time, and my mom kept looking out for one on the street, but every time she thought she saw a Prius, it turned out that it was an Echo.