Good Fuel Efficiency

It’s essentially a stock 2000 Toyota Echo Coupe, as basic as they came: manual transmission, no CD or tape, no folding rear seats, no interior clock, no power windows/locks, no ugly plastic cladding (amen), no ABS– bare. It has power steering and had A/C when we got it, but has since been decommissioned as the local Toyota dealer failed to notice the clutch was melted out of the A/C housing. But that makes it light– roughly 2200 pounds (guessing, if I include the heavy A/C compressor power-steering, and fuel– estimates of 2020 curb weights likely do basic and empty tanks). . . The 108hp 1.5L dual over-head cam (DOHC) with VVTi on the intake cam, and even a muffler with a small valve to open up at higher RPM’s made these relative rockets in 2000. While other economy cars like the Hyundai Accent, and even the base Ford Focus (better for handling) would do 0-60 around 10 and 9 seconds respectively, but the Echo was good for 8.4 seconds– and that’s in a heavier and better equipped sedan. Equally, the handling was fairly compliant for being a tall skinny car on rather small 175/65R14 tires which didn’t give it the most grip a car could have, but holds surprisingly well giving a nice progressive feeling of the car slowly letting go (as opposed to ripping your face off and then letting go more violently). Some reviews, though not hugely known reviews, have even claimed it felt like a “four door Miata.” No small feat. No it’s not an M3 or Camaro, but compare it to even the …

Nissan’s Interior Design: Trading Safety, Fuel Efficiency for Spa-Like Comfort?
Nissan’s just released information about a new concept for its cars designed to generate a “comfortable” and “healthy” environment for drivers and passengers. Is this viable, in our eco-conscious energy-saving era? The overall goal of the “Health and Well-Being” design is to “reduce stress and fatigue of drivers and passengers” by “providing body and mind” with all the comfort needed to produce …

Published Jul 22, 2010.
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