Getting 39 - 43 Miles a Gallon: Is the 2004 Toyota Echo Base Better than Last Year?
Several things can be said about the Toyota Echo series: including the polarizing reactions most buyers have towards their car. The four-cylinder engine is at the heart of the strong emotions, it is powerful for its class and delivers a large amount of torque.
Stop and Go
The Echo Base is equipped with a Toyota 1.5 liter four-cylinder engine that utilizes 16 valves. The engine is mated to a Toyota 5-speed Transaxle. This configuration has proven to be a successful design for Toyota.
The Echo uses power-assisted brakes, with Non-ABS support. The front brakes are disc while the rear brakes are drum. Steering is handled through a power-steering rack-style configuration. The car uses coil and coil springs front and rear respectively.
Statistics
The Echo is 163.20 inches long, 65.40 inches wide, and 59.40 inches high. It has a wheelbase of 93.30 inches. It is able to seat 5 comfortably.
The original manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $10,885 when new, with a dealer invoice cost of $10,230. This price was in line with the industry average price for a 2-door Sedan.
Fuel Efficiency
The fuel system for the 2004 Echo is a SFI system, running on gasoline . The fuel is regulated by an electronic system and is a fuel-injected MFI design.
The 2004 Echo gets 39 - 43 miles/gallon on the highway and only 33 - 35 in the city. This is below average for a sedan car.
Parting Shots
The 2004 model year was very successful for the Toyota Echo. The introduction of several trim levels (along with the Base version) meant that buyers could find the version that best suited their needs.