OT: Should Dale buy a 2003 Toyota Echo?

Post by **Dale** » Sun Nov 30, 2003 6:05 pm

I love it.

And note the relative size of the vehicle and the driver.

Dale

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Sun Nov 30, 2003 8:04 pm

Congrats Dale! I hope you enjoy it. It looks like a nice one from the pic.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Sun Nov 30, 2003 8:27 pm

Good driving Dale with the new wheels.

My family has had good luck with toyota overall.

One daughter and her husband have their second 4-Runner. (although the transmission went out on the 2001 at 35,000!) The 95 never had any problems though and I think this was just a fluke.

The other daughter has a 99 Rav that she has wrecked so many times it's not even funny. Rolled it down a cliff last Nov. The wrecker company pulled it out and although it has a great deal of cosmetic damage.... she did not have to have ANY work done on it. Even the mechanics were amazed that there was no damage other than cosmetic!

I've got a 2002 Tacoma that we bought used last Dec. So far it's done a good job for us.

I just wish they- or someone other than Jeep would make a right hand drive for me. Since Subaru quit, I'm left with no options other than a Jeep Wrangler and believe me, spending all day driving over rough roads on my mail route in that thing is NOT FUN. I tend to put around 35,000miles a year on my vehicles and wear them out in about 3 years- 4 1/2 to 6 hours a day of stop and go driving daily. My 91 Subaru Loyale was the longest lived at 140,000 miles but it took quiet a bit of repair to keep it going that long.

If I actually could go out and buy a car that I WANTED, not that I had to have for work........ I'd make the same choice you did in a vehicle.

fiddling_tenor · Post by **fiddling_tenor** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 1:32 pm

Grace wrote:...There's also the option of checking its history at carfax.com, though I personally have never tried that particular site, so I can't speak from experience...

I've used Carfax.com and it's worth the few bucks to get car's history. I was considering a van a while back that had low mileage on it. And nothing else, not even power door locks or even power rear windows (should be standard on vans!).

Carfax.com's report indicated that it was a fleet vehicle bought by the dealer at auction. So I knew his approximate cost--and my offer was considerably lower than his asking price (higher than average retail BTW). My mechanic, who I asked to inspect it, also determined that the oil hadn't been changed per spec (somewhat to be expected on fleet vehicles).

Post by **Dale** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:55 pm

WARNING: THREAD REVIVED.

I couldn't remember when I bought my Toyota Echo and so I searched for this thread to find out. Here I am, 3 1/2 years later. Just so you know, I absolutely love this car, which now has over 50k. I've had zero problems with it. Not a single major repair. I'm thinking I had one minor problem recently, but I'm darned if I can remember what it was.

If they still made them, I'd buy another. I think the Echo was replaced by the Yaris and the Scion.

I was in a Toyota dealership recently and I asked the salesman which Toyota vehicles would eventually go hybrid--or at least be available in a hybrid--and he said: "All of them, unless they come up with something even better as we're porting over the factories."

Aanvil · Post by **Aanvil** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:33 pm

Hey Dale... I luv Toyotas.

A good friend just had a Yaris delivered last week. 4-door sedan dark blue metalic.

Nice tidy little car. Peppy and really roomy too and I'm tall.

Kicker is that she has family that works for Toyota and she got a discount.

She got out the door for some where around 12k! I still can't believe it.

I wish I had that kind of connection.

I'd ask her to marry me but I think my wife might frown upon that idea.

azw · Post by **azw** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:25 pm

All Toyotas are going hybrid? Wow. We have a Prius and it's fun to drive, but I do have reservations about buying another.

Most of what I don't like about it is that repairs, even brake work, can only be done by a dealer because of the special tools needed and the unfamiliar technology. You can't bleed the rear brakes unless you have a very expensive Toyota scantool.

The first week we had the car, I took it to Mr. Tire to get it inspected. Within 10 minutes they had done something to it so it wouldn't start. They had no idea what they'd done (or so they said). You can't take it to just anyone, so your maintenance costs could be higher.

BTW, contrary to what a message said back in 2003, your best mileage is supposed to be in stop and go around town driving. We're getting about 47 with mixed driving.

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:20 pm

What key will they play in.

azw · Post by **azw** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:50 pm

That's the best part, Tommy: the new ones are keyless!

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:10 pm

azw wrote:That's the best part, Tommy, the new ones are keyless!

Oh, chromatic.

falkbeer · Post by **falkbeer** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:57 pm

Dale wrote:Ok, I need a new car. I'm all about major fuel economy. I've liked all the Toyotas I've owned. I'm also all about reliability.

This is an unexpected thing. Mrs. Undisputed was the recipient of a rear-ending accident which totalled her car. I already have two other car payments and so I really can't spend much (If I could, I'd for sure buy a Toyota Prius).

The local dealer here has a 2003 Echo, 4-dr, with 6500 miles. No frills. It has A/C, power steering and that's about it. It's spartan. I'm all about that, too. I drove it. Feels pretty tight and handles well.

They are asking $10,900 and I'm thinking about offering $9500.

Should I buy this car?

Dale

I think you should get a tweaked car! (or custom made...) I´m thinking something like the Batmobile (without atomic generators) but shaped like a gigant tin whistle (a red tweaked Generation). I´m sure the people at Generation will agree to a generous sponsor deal with you!

If this don´t work out I´ll recommend a swedish car - Volvo or Saab. They´re very reliable and safe!

Anita's Dad · Post by **Anita's Dad** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:54 pm

we have a 1998 Corolla that gets us around pretty good. My P.O.S. Plymouth van died and now we've found a 1997 Honda Civic 2 door hatch with 32,000 miles on it.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:44 am

azw wrote:All Toyotas are going hybrid?

Toyota announced a few years ago that they'd be all hybrid by 2008.
I don't know if that's still their goal, though. The hurdle was getting
rid of the $8000 extra that they charge for the Hybrid version of any
model. I hope they can make the batteries last more than 8 years...

azw wrote:Wow. We have a Prius and it's fun to drive, but I do have reservations about buying another.

Most of what I don't like about it is that repairs, even brake work, can only be done by a dealer because of the special tools needed and the unfamiliar technology. You can't bleed the rear brakes unless you have a very expensive Toyota scantool.

A gentleman of my aquaintance teaches Auto repair at a local
community college. He has been giving several seminars and classes
to mechanics about repairing Hybrids, so it shouldn't be long before
you can take your Prius to any fix-it shop. I'm sure when the Toyota
line is fully Hybrid, they will dump some money into the repair
industry.

P.S., this thread was missed in the Great Bifurcation. Any chance
of moving it to the correct forum?

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:11 am

The car really has nothing to do with anything. It's all about the driver. Fred Flintstone was the loudest guy in session, and he didn't even have an engine.

azw · Post by **azw** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:27 am

Yeah, but did Fred have a whistle?

(Hey, we've got to keep this thread on topic!)

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OT: Should Dale buy a 2003 Toyota Echo?

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