20th Dec 2005, 02:39
I have a 2003 Echo. I loved the car until I got it out on the highway a few times in slightly bad weather. The reason it has such great acceleration is it only weighs 2000 pounds. I find driving on the highway with normal gusty winds to be very nerve wracking, almost scary. I feel like I'm gonna get blown off the highway in strong winds. I just don't find the car safe to drive on the highway. It's too light and tends to loose control with a little wind. If they had made the car heavier, with a bit lower roof line, it would have been a perfect car.
3rd Mar 2008, 00:05
I agree with your assessment of the Echo in bad weather. Its tall profile, while providing a huge amount of interior and trunk room makes it very vulnerable to wind. You get blown all over the road in wind. I also find it harrowing to drive in winter conditions, but that' mainly due to skinny tires. My old Suzuki Swift felt much more secure in winter conditions, and windy roads. Otherwise, I really love my Toyota Echo.
Frank S.
22nd Feb 2015, 21:30
Bigger does not always mean safer (lots of roll overs, longer braking distance, bigger blind spots, difficult for some people to drive safely since good driving skills are few and far between here, and even sometimes impact safety of larger vehicles can be poor). Manufacturers and the oil industry want you to think that way though. But I have no real opinion of the Echo itself (having not yet researched crash test data).
19th Dec 2005, 11:56
Your fuel savings will be worthless when you are dead from the accident the car could not save you from. I have seen Echos on the road, and they look like tiny death traps. The way people drive today, I want something big and safe! Unfortunately, this almost always means lower gas mileage.