2004 Toyota ECHO LE review from North America

Changed the water pump under warranty at 114 000 km; but this again it was my fault.

I left the car outside at a temperature of -25 C for about 24 hours and I put it in the garage afterwards, but I didn't wait for the engine to warm up. Consequently the drastic change of temperature (from -25 C to +21 C) caused some metallic component of the water pump to expand and the coolant started leaking.

I own the 5-door hatchback model and this car is simply perfect! It is really really reliable (the so well known bullet-proof reliability of Toyota) and really really fuel-efficient. The Echo is really cheap in maintenance since all the parts are easy to access, they don't cost you a fortune and the car has a timing chain instead of a belt.

In really cold weather (-15 C to -20 C) I've obtained an average of 7.5L / 100km. Stats Canada show 6.7L in the city and 5.4L on the highway; but these are only theoretical numbers calculated in PERFECT driving conditions.

The front and rear seats are very comfortable and really high. While driving you have a very good visibility of the road. Trust me, the fact that the speed indicator is in the middle of the dashboard is really not a problem!

The car is small but inside it feels like a Camry or a Corolla. Toyota put a lot of storage spaces in it. I was able to fit a couch in the hatch!

The only things I didn't like about it is the fact that the suspension is maybe a bit soft, since you tend to bend a lot in stiff turns; the engine can be noisy since it has a timing chain and not a belt; the ventilation tends to be really noisy also when positioned at the highest power.

The rest is pretty OK. This car is perfect for a student or for anyone who is looking for a simple fuel-efficient and reliable car to drive around the city, or get from point A to point B in safety and lower costs.