• 06-12-2004, 09:49
    DavisTrade
    Can a Toyota Echo be cool?
    Just like any company trying to save money to pass that on to the consumer. What economy car would not be embarrasing to our young employees. We know we can get a great deal on a fleet of the Toyota Echo, but our feedback so far is 50/50. How can we make a Echo cool for under 2,000.00.
  • 06-13-2004, 09:37
    Slanter
    Define cool.
    Being somewhat devious-minded, I happen to think that a slow-looking car with a huge amount of horsepower is cool. However, to give an Echo a big enough boost in power would probably take a turbocharger or supercharger. If such a kit existed for one it might be priced at around $2,000. However, I haven't been able to confirm the existance of any such upgrade for the Echo, and if one does it might cost even more. It's not likely to cost significantly less. On the other hand, this sort of thing is most likely to appeal only to people with me who have a warped sense of humor, or to street racers looking for sucker bets. I don't know what sort of business you run, but this may not be the type of employees or image you want. And that price doesn't include installation. I've heard of Echos built for handling, but I'm not sure how that would go over with employees.

    If you want to make an Echo look cool rather than raise eyebrows at the dragstrip, you've got a different issue. I think the biggest problem with the Echo comes from its proportions, which can't easily be changed with aftermarket add-ons. The Echo is a narrow, upright car that manages to look pretty gangly and awkward. Proportions have been changed before, though - it's got quite a tradition in car customizing. You might see what a local custom shop would charge to chop the tops about 3". However, having this done right may be a bit costly. Also, Echos have a very strange quirk - the windshield ends so far below the roof level that some drivers who can comfortably fit in one find that the windshield ends below eye level, making it hard to see things like traffic lights. Chopping the top may exasperate this problem depending on how the work is done.

    I'd say the Echo is a difficult choice to make cool - could be done on a low budget by a determined enthusiast building it to his own personal vision of coolness, but if you're having a fleet built and paying someone to do the work, and worse, trying to please everyone with an identical fleet, it's likely to go over budget. The Echo not only lacks power and handling in stock trim, but it just plain has very awkward proportions. You might want to look for a more acceptable small car. Unless you want to do something totally offbeat, like a fleet of restored Ford Falcons. I know one company not too long ago used a fleet of 40 year old Simcas!
  • 06-16-2004, 07:21
    lincoln
    No, a Toyota Echo will never be cool. It could be the fastest car on earth but it would still look like the mutant baby of a Camry.
  • 07-21-2004, 22:41
    lopvin
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by lincoln
    No, a Toyota Echo will never be cool. It could be the fastest car on earth but it would still look like the mutant baby of a Camry.

    theres a few cool echos in my street.. same family got 2 of them.. similar bodykits, small wheels, skirts, double lights etc.. i used yto think the same echos could never be cool but i was walking to the traino first time i spotted 'em i thought it was a peugot cos i only saw it from a distance but it looked rather decent
  • 08-10-2004, 17:18
    Hattaresguy
    Buy Ford Focus's they seem to be popular, plus Ford seems to sell to company's all the time.
  • 08-28-2004, 16:31
    toptech
    Sure Echo's can be cool (My 2004)
  • 08-29-2004, 04:07
    Slanter
    You've got pretty good photo editing skills, and that's not a bad set of graphics. But I suspect that the 5-lug conversion and massive 4 wheel disc brakes you have there might blow the budget. :)
  • 08-30-2004, 05:14
    FordXplod93
    If I ever saw a Toyota Echo blow away a VTEC Honda, 'Stang GT, or LS1 Camaro my first thought would be "COOL!" :cool:

    ~FordX
  • 09-03-2004, 18:13
    toptech
    the pictures continue.
    This is my 2004 echo (the same in the first pic in my earlier post) I wrote it off yesterday in a 4 car pile up on a country road caused by a cow.
    The damage to the front end was $12000 and another $6500 to the rear end. I will be getting my 2005 echo next week.
    http://www.members.shaw.ca/chris1008/wrecho.jpg
  • 09-03-2004, 20:36
    BlueZQ8
    Sorry. Echo can't be made cool. At least not without spending an insane amount of money. Like someone else said, a Focus might be a little more on the "cool" side, or even a Cavalier or Sunfire. Check out www.bcjbody.org to get an Idea of what can be done to these cars. I'm really more into Domestic gas guzzling cars myself, but the Cav's And Sunfires seem popular around where I live.
  • 12-09-2004, 20:13
    Surestick Malone
    The hatchback really kind of cute, it's for this reason I suspect that the 50/50 split in opinion over the Echo is probably pretty much a male/female spilt too.
    The sedan is just horrid.
    One positive thing the car does say about your company is that you have a social conscience. You could be driving something like an H2 or a huge SUV and basically giving other road users & the environment the middle finger...
  • 12-11-2004, 08:15
    Slanter
    Unfortunately, the Echo hatchback never made it to the United States, although it is sold in Canada. They only have sedans and the two door coupe, which doesn't look much better, in the States.
  • 12-26-2004, 19:20
    turboterror
    Dude, my dad has a toyota echo and they are super sweet, it's got so much headroom, and the body roll makes it wicked fun especially when trying to go over the speed limit (happened a couple times). It's incredible fun in those, I love the two tone idea, you know, how the bumpers are grey and the body isn't... Echos are already maxed out in their coolness.
  • 06-14-2005, 12:36
    civic2000
    5 Attachment(s)
    I think those Echo from the Pirelli Echo Cup are cool. But you can't transform a stock Echo into this with only 2000$...
    If you want one race prepared, it's 26900$ CND click here to get specs http://www.echocup.com/car_specs.php