Pax, the four-legged police academy dropout, fits nicely into the back of a four-door Toyota Echo hatchback with plenty of room to spare.
And while that's not the only point to this road test, it's an important one for this $14,600 grocery-getter. You see, if you are a buyer on a serious budget, there is arguably no more sensible purchase than a hatchback.
Pax, our family's black-faced, 45-kg Czechoslovakian shepherd, can attest to this, though not in so many words. But if a picture is worth a thousand of them, it is easy to see that with the Echo's rear seats folded flat, there is room for three-year-old Pax, maybe a canine friend and some supermarket bags.
The Echo is a mini station wagon with the road manners of a subcompact sedan. Pax, who came to us after he failed the police department's aggressiveness test, was completely happy in back as we drove to the vet for a booster shot, then on to the mall. He had room to spare. We did, too -- for the whole car when parking the Echo between the white lines.
Even Pax's sensitive hearing didn't seem to mind the "tin-can" noisiness of this lightweight, fuel-efficient and, by reputation and research, durable runabout.
It's true a spin through North Vancouver's tree-lined suburban Lynn Valley neighbourhood is not exactly a blood-stirring test of handling and performance. But why would you bother to stretch the legs of an Echo?
Let's be real here. Subcompact drivers are primarily interested in economy and reliability -- and if they get some style mixed in with the versatility of a hatchback, it's a bonus.
The Echo delivers on all those fronts. With gas prices heading towards a $1 a litre, it is not surprising that in April alone Toyota Canada sold 9,766 Echoes. That was a whopping 34.2-per-cent increase compared to April of 2003.
With its 1.5-litre, 108-hp engine, Natural Resources Canada reports a five-speed Echo is the most fuel-efficient gas-powered car you can buy. If you drive an average of 20,000 km a year, you will need just 1,205 litres of gas. Average annual fuel cost: $819, based on a 55/45-per-cent mix of city and highway driving.
Then, there's Echo quality. To date, it has been great. The Echo gets top marks in the most recent J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study and it is on Consumer Reports' "recommended" list.
As for price, consider that the Echo lists from $12,995 to $14,600, with the bare-bones model a two-door hatchback. How cheap is that? Last year, the average selling price of a new vehicle in Canada was north of $30,000.
You'd be hard pressed to get the most-expensive Echo -- hatchback or sedan -- to creep past $20,000. Even if you configure it with everything from the fancy RS appearance package ($1,700) with its side skirts, spoiler, scuff plates and so on, to air conditioning ($1,610), cruise control ($504), keyless entry ($453), a four-speed automatic transmission ($1,000) and multi-spoke alloy wheels ($1,144).
The extra cost for those items makes sense. But it is a bit bold for Toyota Canada to charge an extra $154 for a block heater, don't you think?
The affordable Echo is priced to go head-to-head against Korean-built entries from Hyundai, Kia and General Motors' Daewoo subsidiary which are sold as Chevrolets.
But the Echo is at the top of my list, especially the flexible hatchback version. Unlike the sedan, the Echo hatchback's short-and-tall design with wheels placed at the extreme corners looks radical rather than quirky.
The little four-banger engine is powerful enough and the manual gearbox delivers acceptable, if not slick, shifts. The cabin has loads of head room, space for four adults and the switches and controls are easy enough to find.
The side mirrors are a tad small, though and the seats are thinly padded, which means on long trips you will grow uncomfortable. If you drive quickly, you'll find the Echo plows or understeers in corners and the braking is only adequate, not great.
Worst is the central location of the speedometer, right on top of the dashboard. Toyota may think this looks sporty; I think it's awkward and distracting.
Overall, though, the Echo hatchback scores huge on the value-for-dollars scale. Not a bad car if you tote around a big hound, either.
Specifications
2004 Toyota Echo LE
Type: Four-door hatchback subcompact
Price: $14,600
Engine: 1.5-litre inline-four (DOHC)
Transmission: Five-speed manual or four-speed automatic
Horsepower/Torque: 108 hp/105 lb-ft
Fuel economy: City, 6.7 L/100 km; highway, 5.2 L/100 km
Alternatives: Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Dodge Neon, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Suzuki Swift, Saturn Ion, Chevrolet Aveo and Cavalier, and Pontiac Sunfire
Likes: Very good quality history, outstanding fuel economy, versatile hatchback design, good ratings in crash-test
Dislikes: Fairly noisy on the highway, odd location for speedometer, thinly-padded seats
