Anyone own a Toyota Vitz/Echo?

fantastic, Aug 7, 4:25pm
I need to down size any opinions on this model car! thanks
kazbanz, Aug 7, 4:38pm
Great little car. It has now in new Zealand been replaced by the Yarriswhilst still being called a Vitz in Japan.
Id advise staying away from the 1.0l version unless you aqre just driving in the local area--its a bit down on power and frankly because your foot in down so much its less economical in the real world than the 1300 or 1500
The engine/drive train is pretty universal to the toyota range of small cars -Vitz,platz,funcargo ist etc so its not an oddball
-I do feel there are alternatives that are better value for money (and equally reliable/economical)but you wont go wrong with a vitz/echo/yarris
fantastic, Aug 7, 4:46pm
Do you have any suggestions regarding better for money. I am not that knowledgable with the whole car thing so any help would be appreciated. Just need something economical.
kcf, Aug 7, 4:51pm
Had a 1300 Echo, went pretty well, quite comfortable, and was going strong at nearly 200,000km with every feature still working.I've seen ex rental ones with well over 300,000km on the clock for sale.
louisesamosa, Aug 7, 5:09pm
We down sized to an Echo the for Auckland city - North Shore commute, great fuel economy and the 1.3 is nippy when you need it to be! Very happy :0)
thejazzpianoma, Aug 7, 5:12pm
I have never owned one, but did the math and found them very very little car for the money which is why I have never owned one. They are better value than they were a few years ago but they still don't stack up against what else you can get for the money.

My pic is still the Fiat Punto from the year 2000 onwards, in general, its more economical, more powerful, more comfortable, much better spec'd (especially with safety features), just a MUCH better car all round. Parts are still cheap and easy to get, service intervals are long and they are plenty reliable.

The Punto even ran rings around our high spec Toyota Corolla's which would just sit in the drive because everyone would rather drive the Fiat. (Had a business at the time and a bunch of cars and employees as well as us).

However. that is assuming you are buying an older Vitz in the 5 - 10K bracket. If you are buying new I would recommend something else as their are better options than the Fiat in the nearer to new vehicle price range.

Oh and if you are looking at an automatic Vitz the Punto is going to seem even better again!
the-lada-dude, Aug 7, 5:32pm
your a sh. stirrer kazbanz
kazbanz, Aug 7, 6:36pm
Fantastic-gosh there are so many options nowadays. For example the Mazda Demio,Nissan march/micra ,nissan cube all right awy leap into my head. All conventional jap cars with a reputation for good fuel economy and overall economy of ownership ( combining fuel,maintainence tyres etc)
kazbanz, Aug 7, 6:36pm
do wot--honesat answer in my opinion
kcf, Aug 7, 8:59pm
Actually the March has a reputation for stretched cam chains, blown headgaskets, power steering packing up, and rust in the firewall.

Which amazed me, considering how utterly reliable the older Nissan's like the N14 Pulsars were in their time.
smac, Aug 7, 9:05pm
My Ma has an echo. Getting into it after our Astra made it feel like it was made of tinfoil. Felt like you're going to dent the door just putting the key in, or pulling on the door handle.
kazbanz, Aug 7, 9:05pm
Heck I must be a lucky sun of a gun then because Ive never had one single march with any of those issues and I sell about one a month.
Honust eenjun.
datoofairy, Aug 7, 9:12pm
When I was looking for a new car a few years ago, I also wanted something small and reliable.
I looked at Echo's and the like, and in the end I bought a Toyota Corolla Runx.It maybe slightly bigger than you were wanting, but you might still want to consider one.
Being a clueless female I cant make any comment on the mechanical side of things, but I do know mine is economical and fun to drive, easy to park, reliable and looks great.
kazbanz, Aug 7, 9:15pm
Id agree totally with that. its a small area to the left of centre on the horisontal area on the FW.Its really easy to see and its always in the same spot . Basicly they have the corrosion or they don'tand in some cases its got really nasty (in Japan)
Because of that I get all my cars ramp checked before they go on a ship.
Compliance centres are right onto it now and are specifically looking for that rust area so it shouldn't affect buyers unless shonky dealers are selling the cars
thejazzpianoma, Aug 7, 9:31pm
Hopefully I can say this without starting an argument.

ANY rust in the main structure of a vehicle made in the last 15 years is unacceptable in my opinion.

Rust was something that should have been left behind in the mid 90's with galvanising, better paint and other rust proofing measures.

If it rusts and was made in the last 15 years I would avoid it as its a sign of rubbish build quality and corner cutting.

Only exception to the rule would be brackets and anciliary's. Those are easily replaced, and not really an issue.
jenny188, Aug 7, 9:31pm
Did a lot of kilometers in them relocating cars for a rental car company. All 1500 cc's. Brand new were a fun little car to drive but once around 150,000 kilometers and "trashed" found some of them cornered badly and brakes wouldn't pull them up, like when they were new. Generally found the "Starlets' were better drivers than the Echo with higher k's on them. This on a car by car basis. Toyota clamped down on fleet discounting and the firm i drove for swapped Echo for Daihatsu Sirions which felt good. But they are assembled on the same floor-pan, identical wheelbase as the Echo model.
msigg, Aug 8, 12:47am
yea great little car, no maintenance issues with those, as one poster said the Corrolla is slightly bigger and a great car too, probably one of the best shopping baskets ever made.
hardenbol, Aug 8, 2:28am
have a 2000 toyota echo has done over 200'000s ks and can't fault it great little car.ours is a 1.3 manual in no way gutless have had it 4 years and paid 6 for it.iwould recommend an echo without hesitation.
musikcrazee, Aug 10, 2:33am
We have a 1.0 auto vitz. Done 120,000km. Yeah it is gutless up hills but not too bad. Best we have done is 5.1l/100km over 500km last week. Travels 400km+ a week commuting
tgray, Aug 10, 2:48am
Just buy a Fiat Punto and all life's ills will be solved.
Don't buy a Toyota as apparently they are rubbish.
phalanax, Aug 10, 4:28am
Yep.runs on the smell of an oily rag a great little city car.good at squeezing into tight parking spaces.lol
morrisman1, Aug 10, 5:43am
thats because they have european influence in them post 1999. Pre 1999 was jap nissan and they are the best ones. The SR engine, the RB engine, the GA engine - all are close to faultless and fantastic platforms put into fantastic cars. Introduce the euros, and while yes they did a great job at turning the company around into profit, they hardly improved on nissan's heritage of cool cars with good reliability.
pieman33h, Aug 11, 12:30am
missus bought a vitz, rs model with a manual trans, has vvti all the fruit and goes really well, i dont mind driving it at all.Gave it a good caning on the back road to taupo and it was neat fun to drive, cheap to fill too!