I couldn’t resist this lovely assemblage of Echo body parts. And I’ve got Echo on the brain, as I just finished installing Echo springs and shocks in my xB. Yup. They’re softer, and I’m tired of crashing over ruts, bumps and potholes on the forest service roads I frequent, as well as the coming six-day trans-Nevada offroad adventure.
Full report coming very soon.
I like the Echo, the color scheme is far more sophisticated than the actual real VW version which comes across as a little PlaySkool-ish. All the Echos I ever see seem to be white, amazing this guy found the two that weren’t along with his own. And check out the proto-SUV black fender trim! Proof that this platform was made for off-road.
There’s another up-and-coming Harlequiner in the background of the shot too.
Good to hear about your suspension improvements, it’s good to take the slow, deliberative approach over fifteen years of ownership and determine just what the issue is… 😉
Ha, I like it! Always been a big fan of the Harlequin Golf, too.
This FJ40 is in my neighborhood and sees daily use (also in the winter, unfortunately).
I want to see THIS with a lift kit, upsized tires, push bar, winch and roof basket. If an xB can do it, why not the Echo?
I remember Car and Driver dismissing the Echo early on as “something Toyota very rarely makes – a mistake.” I thought at the time this was a bit harsh, and I think time has also vindicated the Echo a bit.
We bought the Echo’s successor for my wife, the Yaris ,new in 2007, base 3 door with a manual. Fun to drive, bulletproof, wish we still had it as an extra car.
My friend’s family bought a 2000 Echo new, and I took many-a-ride in it. It was one of the early implementations of “tall” packaging in sedans: this thing was remarkably roomy for its exterior footprint, but it did look a bit dopey and slab-sided. Also in regard to the softer springs, yes I noted even then how plush of a ride this subcompact had, although between those springs and the tall cabin it was no match for our old Civic Wagon in the corners. We would take drives to a motorcycle salvage yard by the PA border, and the Echo and its 50mpg (on state roads) and tossable handling and 5spd made it the go-to parts runner.
The two door Echo always looks awkward to me. I realize that style isn’t important in that kind of car, but when the US market got the Yaris 3 door hatch it made a lot more sense. Spoken as one who has only owned three cars with trunk lids (not tailgate/hatch) in 45 years. So the xB is now taller, with softer springs. Just unhook that sway bar and the Tacoma’s will be jealous of your flex!
Already did that! Quite difference indeed. Took a long drive on rough mountain back roads yesterday. Big difference.
Yes it leans a bit in curves, but then so did my Peugeot 404s. A familiar sensation.
Those (Civic) Del Sol wheels look positively tiny in those wells!
Wish I’d have known about the springs before I swapped the echo for a 1974 Buick Apollo…for the cushy ride.
Apollo in question
Very surprisingly interesting and I have to say amazing. A Nova based springs can easily be adapted to unrelated makes generations apart cars a Buick Apollo and a Toyota Echo.
Won’t softer springs exacerbate the problem of bottoming out over bumps?
The stock springs were extremely hard because Toyota targeted a young demographic with the xB in the US. In Japan, the bB version had the same springs as the Echo.
From my initial ride over a fairly rough road at pretty good speed the other day, bottoming does not seem to be an issue. The springs now are suitable for the car, but still on the somewhat firm side. The Echo and Yaris were hardly known for a marshmallow ride.
And with the lift blocks, even if I bottom out, the ground clearance will be better.
The original springs and fat sway bar made for a very jarring ride on rough roads and potholes.
One of the few cars we got in Soviet Canukistan that was never sold in the US was the Toyota Echo hatchback. Totally changes the look compared to the 2 door sedan especially. In bright electric blue it was really sharp – reminds me of Peugeots every time I see one.
I believe it was designed in France too
To me, the Echo was a Next Gen Tercel. Tercel 2.0 as it were. Small, efficient, reliable. I don’t know why I didn’t buy one as my preference was for small econoboxes like this back when they were being sold new.