2003 Toyota ECHO Sedan Review | Edmunds.com
Home / Toyota / ECHO / Sedan / 2003 ECHO Sedan

2003 Toyota ECHO Sedan

Edmunds Review (47) MPG

We didn't find any results. You can try changing your zip code, or check another model year.

We found matches for you!

View All Matches ()
Toyota ECHO Features and Specs

Features & Specs

  • Engine 1.5 L Inline 4-cylinder
  • Drivetrain Front Wheel Drive
  • Transmission 5-speed Manual
  • Horse Power 108 hp @ 6000 rpm
  • Fuel Economy 30/38 mpg
  • Bluetooth No
  • Navigation No
  • Heated Seats No
See All Features & Specs

Review of the 2003 Toyota ECHO

  • We aren't fans of the Echo. For a low-budget small car, check out the superior offerings from Hyundai and Kia.

  • Safety

  • Pros

    Good gas mileage, speedy acceleration, roomy and functional interior, Toyota reliability.

  • Cons

    Cartoonish styling, annoying gauge placement, tilt-a-whirl handling, deceptively low base pricing.

  • What's New for 2003

    For 2003, the Echo receives a new look with a redesigned front and rear fascia. The front bumper and fenders feature sharper and more prominent lines, a new chrome-slat grille and new headlamps with a distinctive bulb layout. Optional round foglamps accent the new front-end design. In the rear, a new trunk lid with chrome plate garnish, a new bumper and redesigned combination clear-lens taillights provide a more upscale look.

    A new Appearance Package adds aerodynamic body enhancements, including overfenders that blend into the front and rear underbody. A rear trunk spoiler incorporates the LED high-mounted stop lamp.

    The standard 14-inch wheels get a new wheel cover design, and, for the first time, the Echo can be had with optional 15-inch wheels. The new styling is topped off with five new colors.

What Others Are Saying

Customer Reviews

  Average Consumer Rating (30 total reviews)  |  Write a Review

Great value

by on
Vehicle: 2003 Toyota ECHO 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl 5M)

I am just writing this to make a point. Bougth a brand new 2003 4 door Echo sedan. Really this and a few others were the only cars I could afford back then. No regret! Still solid. Never had any major issues. I've been up to all the regular maintenance, and changes tires for winter every year. Never had any accidents on icy and snowy roads here in Calgary. Just trying to make a point. I compare this to a brand new 2010 Subaru Forester which turned out to be a $10k more expensive garbage. I am definitely going back to Toyota.


4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Amazing car.

by on
Vehicle: 2003 Toyota ECHO 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl 5M)

I inherited this little guy from my parents when i left for college, with 85,000 miles on it. I have since taken it up to 105,000 miles, because I commute every day to school. Even after 100,000 miles there has NEVER been a single maintenance issue. The thing still runs like a champ. I consistently get 40-43 mpg in the city, and 50 on highway trips. It has a decent amount of space, and can fit four people nicely. The trunk is pretty big, and i have crammed quite a bit of stuff in it. Honestly the most economical car i have ever seen or driven. Its also pretty spunky. The acceleration is decent, and she likes the higher rpms. I have beaten this car up and its still running strong.



Great commuter vehicle

by on
Vehicle: 2003 Toyota ECHO 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl 5M)

I drive 65 miles a day round trip. This is an inexpensive, very dependable, and cost efficient vehicle to own. It's no frills, and it's not "plush", but it's comfortable enough on long DC area commutes, and tolerable on very long trips for one or two people. There's a surprising amount of headroom for us taller people, and the backseat area and truck are more spacious than you'd expect for such a small car.


1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Best car on the road

by on
Vehicle: 2003 Toyota ECHO 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl 5M)

I am extremely upset they quit making these. If I could, I would never buy any other car forever. This is the best car I have ever owned by far. I am a mechanic and do all my own work on my cars. This car never needed anything other than routine maintenance until 167,000 miles when it needed a left front wheel bearing. It gets the best gas mileage of any car other than hybrids. We get 45 mpg hwy. It is actually fast too -- plenty of passing power. At first I did not like the tallish look of it, but it grew on me. The car is like a miracle, I don't know how they did it, but it pulls everything you ever wanted in a car, like tight steering radius, good handling, power, MPG together into one.


1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Scary driving, horrible customer service

by on
Vehicle: 2003 Toyota ECHO 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl 5M)

I will never trust Toyota with my safety again. It's one thing to have poorly trained dealers who tell dangerous, outright falsehoods about the vehicle's features and design, it's another to train the head office staff to deal with customer complaints by running them through a maze of incompetence in the hope they'll just get frustrated and give up rather than addressing customer concerns directly. One slight breeze and you're in the ditch. The fuel economy's very misleading, because you need to carry at least half a beach worth of sand just to stay on the road. The windows spontaneously rolling down is just bonus fun. I have never been more dissatisfied with a purchase in my life.



2003 echo 4dr sedan

by on
Vehicle: 2003 Toyota ECHO 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl 5M)

Dependable, economical & fun small car to drive - especially during times of high gas prices. This car is excellent for city driving and ok for shorter highway trips. It's light weight makes it easily swayed by passing trucks and not the best traction on snowy roads. It could use cruise control & arm rests.


Full 2003 Toyota ECHO Review

What's New for 2003

For 2003, the Echo receives a new look with a redesigned front and rear fascia. The front bumper and fenders feature sharper and more prominent lines, a new chrome-slat grille and new headlamps with a distinctive bulb layout. Optional round foglamps accent the new front-end design. In the rear, a new trunk lid with chrome plate garnish, a new bumper and redesigned combination clear-lens taillights provide a more upscale look.

A new Appearance Package adds aerodynamic body enhancements, including overfenders that blend into the front and rear underbody. A rear trunk spoiler incorporates the LED high-mounted stop lamp.

The standard 14-inch wheels get a new wheel cover design, and, for the first time, the Echo can be had with optional 15-inch wheels. The new styling is topped off with five new colors.

Talk About The 2003 ECHO

Gas Mileage

EPA-Rated MPG

  • 30
  • cty
/
  • 38
  • highway
Calculate Yearly Fuel Costs

Other ECHO Years

More on the 2003 ECHO