1st Oct 2001, 23:09

I have read all the comments so far in this review. I know one thing, I bought my ECHO a week ago tomorrow, I travel a lot and love it so far. Once the break-in is passed on my car I will check out that time... I have a feeling he is correct, it's a snappy little car that rides like a bigger car, so far I have enjoyed it no end... but it is brand new! Almost bought a KIA but reconsidered!!!

20th Jan 2002, 13:17

I think the ECHO has the same 1.5 litre engine as the Yaris T Sport - if so, 0-60 in 9 seconds is more like it. Still pretty fast.

31st Jan 2002, 14:43

Mine is not THAT quick. Had it since Aug. 2001 and have had no problems. Great mileage and comfortable ride. Several 200 mile trips have been a real pleasure.

16th May 2002, 19:55

I think you'll all find that you are in different countries and that of you are using mph and others kmh. I think when he says 0-60 in 6.5secs he is referring to kmh and everyone else is thinking miles. I've seensome performance details published which say 0-60mph (0-100kmh) in 11.4secs.

3rd Jun 2002, 12:29

The above review does specify miles per hour (MPH) in its acceleration figure.

Although 0-60 MPH in 6.5 seconds still seems too fast for this car, it appears that the Echo _can_ reach 60 MPH in less than 9 seconds. In a February 2000 review, Car and Driver magazine said that "the 2128-pound Echo hits 60 MPH in 8.5 seconds." In September 2000, Motor Trend reported that "with the five-speed, our tester hit 60 MPH in just 8.4 seconds."

7th Aug 2002, 16:48

I have an 2002 standard Echo. Being my first manual tranny I don't think I'll get it up to 60 in 8.5 any time soon. But I have learned to shift pretty fast (if I don't stall off first that is), and this car is fast. It may not sound like a fast car cause it is after all a 1.5l engine, but it performs very well. Another thing about it is that system. the stock 6" by 9"s are very loud and bassy. My friends ask me if I have a woofer all the time.

Anyways I was just wondering if anyone knows if there are any performance after-market parts for an Echo, (the guys at the race shop laughed at me!) I'm not expecting much, but I wouldn't mind a nice cold-air intake, or performance headers, anything to get those horses over 120, to shut my friends up!

8th Sep 2002, 21:05

0-60 would take place in 6.5 seconds ONLY if the vehicle were dropped off a cliff. Which, given the appearance of these vehicles, seems appropriate.

26th Sep 2002, 08:35

Don't forget that although the volume is only 1.5 liter, the horse power is 108, that means 1 liter generates 72 hp. Many other cars only have 115hp with bigger volume like 2.2 liter. Horse power should be right parameter to judge this question consider this is so small a car.

29th Dec 2002, 17:40

You can get a performance header by calling SPD Racing at 1-866-773-7227. They can get a Japanese 5-zigen header for you; it bumped my 2k Echo to 107 WHP, and went on without any problems.

You can also buy an intake at nopi.com, which takes you up to 115 WHP. It dropped my ET to a low to mid 16 in the 1/4 mile.

There is also a body kit available at procarparts.com, and suspension upgrades at nopi.com to help get rid of the annoying body roll.

I've got the turbo on order, so I'll leave another comment when I see how it does.

2nd Jan 2003, 01:28

Hey everyone! I have a 2001 coupe Echo and I think it has great acceleration for a stock car. Even better, I added a Weapon-R cold air intake, which boosts the acceleration even more, and a big Double GT aluminum spoiler, Which helps out a lot when taking fast turns or driving in windy weather. Anyone know where I can get a body for it? I know street-weaponcan make custom kits, but I don't plan on spending that much...

Natasha.

9th Jan 2003, 04:23

It's all in the power/weight ratios, not just the power or the volume of the engine. It probably has a light flywheel and a final drive ratio that helps it zip up to speed quickly. A problem I've experienced in cars like these is that the power diminishes when you reach high speeds... as you drive, you think "where did the engine go?" Unless the 5th gear is tall enough, I bet the engine buzzes at a pretty high RPM at highway speeds.

15th Feb 2003, 14:19

I have a 2001 Echo coupe 5 speed. I'm curious about the Weapon-R air intake kits from nopi.com that a few of the earlier posts have referred to. I have no previous experience with upgrades of this sort, but have been looking for ways to increase the performance of the car. How hard is it / what is needed to install this type of upgrade? I'm interested, because it appears to be a rather inexpensive way of adding performance to this car.

15th Feb 2003, 22:42

In august 2003 toyota will be launching a new echo.

This car will come in the form of a 3 door and 5 door hatchback.

With a turbo option.

Brings it up to 150 hp.

0 - 60 in 7 seconds.

3rd Jun 2003, 01:49

I'd like to buy the turbo charged car from the dealer. Does anyone know if this is really an option? If so, what web page can this be found at? Do you sacrifice a lot of the gas mileage when you do the turbo charging additions? Or, only when you actually use them to go at faster speeds? Please email me at JamesMannheim@yahoo.com.

10th Jun 2003, 13:15

News & Features.

Toyota Echo Turbo

New Echo Sporty To A T

29/05/2002 09:13 AM - David Linklater

There's just one problem with the Toyota Sport (TS) version of the Echo hatchback: it's not very sporty. Its 1.5-litre engine is shared with the prosaic Echo sedan and it looks stylish rather than sassy.

Toyota New Zealand may rectify that with the Echo Turbo, a new model currently under evaluation. The turbocharger boosts performance of the 1.5 variable valve timing engine by 38 percent - power is up from 80kW to 110kW, while torque has risen from 142Nm to 196Nm. The turbo engine is fitted with an intercooler.

Although slightly heavier than the TS, the Turbo has a 30 per cent better power-to-weight ratio.

The suspension set-up is bespoke, while the 16-inch super lightweight alloy wheels are two inches larger than the alloys on the Echo TS.

The exterior styling includes front and side skirts and a rear spoiler. The interior features include red and black front seats with Toyota logos, a three-spoke red and black steering wheel, aluminium gear shift knob and red leather gear shift boot.

Even if the Turbo gets the green light for New Zealand, such purposeful performance won't come cheap. The standard Echo TS is a relatively expensive proposition at $30,500, but the Turbo could cost well over $35,000.