Eat Your Heart Out U.S.A.
It's back-to-school time, and its wrath is felt all over. The streets are busy, the traffic is bad, there are line-ups galore, and the mall is packed. It feels like Christmas, but it's only September.
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| The sporty new Toyota Echo Hatchback is tiny and makes parking in the city a breeze. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
So I'm at the mall and it's super busy, but I spy an open parking stall. Yes, I think to myself, but wait, the two SUVs that I want to sandwich between have parked way too close to the stall lines, argh. I hate that. Normally, this situation would cause me great angst but not in the new
Echo Hatchback. I just moseyed on into the spot, parked and went on my way as other driver's stood baffled. Yes, this tiny Toyota fits into many places regular cars can't go, astounding passers by.
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| Although compact, the Hatchback is peppy, equipped with a 108-hp 1.5-liter, 16-valve, DOHC 4-cylinder engine. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press) |
Although compact, the Hatchback's features are not compromised. My temporary tester came with a 1.5-liter, 16-valve, DOHC 4-cylinder engine, with 108-horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 105 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. This particular Echo had a 5-speed manual transmission, which I particularly appreciated since the car has relatively low horsepower. The clutch was also very easy to use, and shifting was smooth. No complaints there. A 4-speed automatic is also available, and its acceleration should be decent considering the car's overall light weight.
