Toyota Echo 2004 Review

Toyota would say it is the Echo's value, not the bottom line, and there is also a powerful premium attached to any vehicle that wears the Toyota label.

But no one denies sales of the Echo went ballistic when Toyota Australia negotiated a deal with Japan and chopped the bottom line to $14,490 complete with aircon and power steering.

The price has been bumped up a little since that $2600 rollback last year. It rose to $14,740 on January 1.

But there is no sign of any loss of consumer confidence in a car that comes complete with a passenger airbag, power steering and airconditioning. And that T badge.

Toyota sold 4373 Echos in the first quarter this year for a 21 per cent share of the baby-car class. Hyundai's Getz was second on 3786 and 18.5 per cent.

This is despite the Getz being more than $1000 cheaper, with a five-year warranty, and a much newer model than the Toyota.

The Getz is the closest challenger but there are plenty of other classy contenders in what's officially known as the light-car class.

The Honda Jazz and the Mazda2 are the best of the babies, and we also rate the new Ford Fiesta highly if you cannot stretch to the meaty bottom lines of the Japanese pacemakers.

And the Echo? Well, it's been around a while and time is never kind to any car until you arrive at a classic.

The Echo was first seen in 1999 and has barely changed.

It was radical when it came here – very tall and very short – but it doesn't look nearly so advanced in 2004. It is still compact and upright, but so is the Getz.

But it fits in better now because the shape, sketched by flamboyant Greek designer Sotiris Kovos, is no longer radical.

And the digital instrument readout in the centre of the dash, which was so advanced it needed a change to Australian Design Rules before it could be included in the car, is just as familiar.

So is the car's 1.3-litre engine, which is below the class mark on size but benefits from variable valve timing and an emphasis on torque, and the front-drive mechanical package with predictable front MacPherson-strut suspension and disc-drum brakes with 14in steel wheels.

The big difference now is that the Echo comes with power steering and airconditioning as part of every deal, and that is the ideal combination for most small-car shoppers.

A driver's airbag is essential, too, and the T-car has it.

The new deal has made the Echo the top choice with young women and taken over the spot once reserved for the Excel.

The latest Getz doesn't have the looks they like, though it is still powering strongly and has a funky cabin.

But the Echo shouldn't be dismissed as a girls-only car because a lot of savvy commuters have put it on their shopping lists – and it's also doing well with two-car and three-car families.

On the Road

IT'S been a long time since we first drove an Echo and after the latest pace-setters – particularly the spunky new Fiesta – we expected to be disappointed.

It didn't help that Toyota, which is far more focused on its hot newcomers including the hybrid Prius and all-wheel-drive Kluger, had trouble tracking down a suitable Echo.

A base-model car was eventually found, but it came after almost 12,000 kilometres with the daughter of a company chief.

So, not the best start. Still, the Echo came across fairly well.

It drove tight, the styling has become more familiar and welcome over the past three years, and we still like the digital display.

It's also roomy and comfortable, with plenty of storage space.

Compared with its rivals, and the Getz and Fiesta are the most obvious – the Hyundai on price, the Ford because it's new – the Echo doesn't have the impact or the driving enjoyment that have become much more common in light-car contenders.

It rides well and the handling is all right, but it's clear it is a price-fighter with the emphasis on reliability.

Still, there are plenty of cars it does beat, including the dowdy Kia Rio – the Rio sedan was one of the biggest disappointments of last year – and the funky but flawed Daihatsu YRV, as well as the latest Daewoo hopefuls and the outdated Proton Satria.

It is louder in the cabin than the Getz, though the grippy tyres on the Fiesta make it about the same for road noise, and the CD sound system is nowhere near good enough to compensate.

The Echo is easy to park, light to steer and is good on fuel. We also like the number of storage nooks around the dash, though it's nothing like the 30-plus Ford is claiming for the new Territory.

The seats are also pretty plump, but the dash – even with the bright and funky digital dials – is just a big slab of grey plastic.

The Echo gets along all right, but the 1.3-litre engine doesn't show much enthusiasm. It failed our personal steep-hill torque test – needing a backshift to first where the bigger-engined Fiesta flew up in second – and gives you no encouragement to push beyond the mid-range on the tachometer.

But it's unlikely most shoppers will be checking the details. They'll be mesmerised by the price and the Toyota label. And that's more than good enough for a lot of shoppers.

THE BOTTOM LINE 16/20

It's getting old, but still looks perky and the price is nice with a T-badge on the nose