pt.1; 2000 Toyota Echo Coupe with 397000 miles running through California Gold Country backroads

Description

It's essentially a stock 2000 Toyota Echo Coupe, as basic as they came: manual transmission, no CD or tape, no folding rear seats, no interior clock, no power windows/locks, no ugly plastic cladding (amen), no ABS-- bare. It has power steering and had A/C when we got it, but has since been decommissioned as the local Toyota dealer failed to notice the clutch was melted out of the A/C housing. But that makes it light-- roughly 2200 pounds (guessing, if I include the heavy A/C compressor power-steering, and fuel-- estimates of 2020 curb weights likely do basic and empty tanks). . . The 108hp 1.5L dual over-head cam (DOHC) with VVTi on the intake cam, and even a muffler with a small valve to open up at higher RPM's made these relative rockets in 2000. While other economy cars like the Hyundai Accent, and even the base Ford Focus (better for handling) would do 0-60 around 10 and 9 seconds respectively, but the Echo was good for 8.4 seconds-- and that's in a heavier and better equipped sedan. Equally, the handling was fairly compliant for being a tall skinny car on rather small 175/65R14 tires which didn't give it the most grip a car could have, but holds surprisingly well giving a nice progressive feeling of the car slowly letting go (as opposed to ripping your face off and then letting go more violently). Some reviews, though not hugely known reviews, have even claimed it felt like a "four door Miata." No small feat. No it's not an M3 or Camaro, but compare it to even the <b>...</b>

Keywords

Toyota, Echo, Highmileage, 379000miles, californiagoldcountry, backroad, california, Coupe, cheapintake

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