Rental Car review: Toyota Echo

Ah, the unloved Toyota Echo:



Basically, this is the car that spawned Scion. Styled by Toyota's California design center as the replacement for the utilitarian Tercel, this bug-eyed, misproportioned design is the camel of the automotive world: Better in most respects than competitors, but it's UGLY!

And so it is...these same underpinnings form the chassis of the Scion Xa and Xb.

It has tiny wheels, but since it only weighs 2000lbs, the 108hp engine feels powerful.

The other thing: This car has 50k miles on it, all in Rental Fleets, but it's still tight. No squeaks, rattles, or wobbles even at highway speeds.

Impressive engineering, even in this little bug-eyed auto.

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