Junkyard Find: 2000 Toyota Echo
The Toyota Echo, known as the Platz in its homeland (the hatchback was named Vitz), was available in the United States for the 2000 through 2005 model years. It was an inoffensive and reliable little commuter appliance, but something about its proportions seemed wrong to American car shoppers and few signed on the line that is dotted.
These days, even a Daewoo Lanos is easier to find than an Echo, but I was able to find this forlorn silver ’00 in a Denver-area self-service yard.
Part of the Echo’s image problem stemmed from its use as the car driven by the skin-crawlingly creepy character played by Robin Williams in the 2002 film, “ One Hour Photo.” Echo sales, already low, crashed completely.
Under the hood, a 1.5-liter four-cylinder making 108 horsepower, which made the 2,035-pound Echo reasonably quick. Not that anyone cared.
The Echo was supposed to be a hit with young Americans, which (sort of) happened when the Scion xA and xB were put on the same platform. The Yaris is descended from the Echo as well.
The digital odometer meant that I couldn’t get a mileage figure for this car, but the interior looks damn near new and much of the body damage looks like junkyard-forklift-inflicted stuff. Was it some family’s seldom-used extra car? Owned by an elderly driver who drove only to church on Sundays? We’ll never know.
Note how the youthful-and-athletic Echo owner literally shakes his butt in the faces of some Detroit Iron-driving old farts. This ad makes me embarrassed for Toyota.
In Japan … well, maybe a Japanese speaker can explain what’s going on in this Platz ad.
Murilee Martin is the pen name of Phil Greden, a writer who has lived in Minnesota, California, Georgia and (now) Colorado. He has toiled at copywriting, technical writing, junkmail writing, fiction writing and now automotive writing. He has owned many terrible vehicles and some good ones. He spends a great deal of time in self-service junkyards. These days, he writes for publications including Autoweek, Autoblog, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars and Capital One.
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Remember the summer day and the white walkway just outside a strip mall where I saw my first Echo yanking and banking into a spot nearby my feet. Four large and loud ladies inside with arms all out the windows. The passenger bailed and ran into a store. Well I thought the looks of the car were striking. It was also silver like in the pictures. Glistening and brand spanking new. I thought it was a new Toyota electric car! So I roll on up to the driver and I ask her, "What's it like?" She gives me this sort of slow, gum chewing, surveilling half-smile. Her eyes bright and dancing. "Goes over curbs great!" she says. And the two girls in the back giggle hard. I don't recall if any other little things were said and don't know why that incident sticks with me, but that's my Toyota Echo memory.
Late reply I know... Currently running a 2005 ECHO bought off the daughter. Now at 207,000 KM. Automatic. Hate it. Love it. 42 imp mpg regular fuel. Rust is insignificant. Certainly nothing structural. Silent running timing chain. $200 for brakes on all fours. $40 MAF. $20 oil change. Cheap. Cheap. Cheap. Everything works dammit!