Toyota Echo review: a forgotten Toyota that still starts every morning
3.1/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Buy an Echo only for what it actually is: a cheap, tall-riding, mechanically simple small sedan with a bulletproof 1NZ-FE engine and next to no resale value. It will not impress anyone and it will not embarrass you either — it will simply start, run and cost almost nothing, which at this end of the used market in Bahrain is worth more than styling. Do not pay more than scrap-plus-a-little for one, because that is genuinely what the market thinks it is worth.
Pros
- 1NZ-FE engine is one of Toyota's most durable small units, later used in the Yaris and Prius
- Tall roofline gives surprisingly good headroom and visibility for a small sedan
- Purchase price is close to nominal, and running costs are minimal
- Simple mechanicals with essentially nothing electronic to fail
Cons
- Zero collector or enthusiast interest; resale value is essentially scrap-level
- Air-conditioning systems are commonly weak or failed after two decades of Gulf heat
- Light, disconnected steering and a ride tuned only for low-speed comfort
- Interior trim quality was basic new and has aged accordingly
The Echo never had a moment where it felt exciting, and that was rather the point: Toyota built it as a genuinely economical small sedan with a taller-than-usual cabin for its footprint, sold it in the Gulf for a few years in the early 2000s, and moved on to the Yaris platform that followed. What is left in Bahrain today is a small population of old, cheap examples that have mostly outlived any sentimental attachment their owners had to them.
Why it is still running
The 1.5-litre 1NZ-FE engine is one of Toyota's most durable small units, later used across the Vitz, Yaris and even early Prius, and an Echo that has been serviced at all tends to keep running with minimal drama. The tall roofline gives genuinely good headroom for the car's small footprint, and the upright seating position makes it easier to see out of than most modern small sedans.
It is not a car that rewards enthusiasm. The engine is willing rather than quick, the steering is light to the point of feeling disconnected, and the ride is tuned entirely for comfort at low speed rather than composure at highway pace.
What to expect from the used market
There is essentially no collector interest in the Echo and no reason to expect any, so treat any example purely as cheap transport. Air-conditioning performance after two decades of Bahraini summers is the first thing to check, since a weak compressor or a leaking system is common and not worth fixing on a car with this little residual value. Buy it, run it into the ground, and do not be sentimental about the outcome.