The car uses virtually no gas due to its low-power engine, which was a godsend in the late-2000s oil price boom. I haven't kept up on regular maintenance at all and it still runs perfectly. Its MPG is close to an electric vehicle. It's an incredible little car.

The number one benefit of this car was the excellent gas millage of upper thirties. This was extremely helpful during the recession, when I wasn't making much money, but it seemed like prices were still going up, especially gas prices. It drove like a charm too. Could dip in and out of curves really well—better than expected from a car that style. Obviously, another huge benefit of this car was that it lasted forever. I was really sad when it finally broke down. I would have got it fixed -- if I could ever have figured out what was wrong with it.

It is small and relatively fast. Parking is never a problem, and it handles well. It is low to the ground, and feels solid - even when barreling down a country road at 70 miles per hour. The seats are comfortable, and the air conditioning only takes a few minutes to completely fill the cockpit with ice-cold air. The radio, while not incredible, is more than adequate with a decent sound system. This is an economy vehicle, so one should not expect excellence in the sound system - but it works well. It is also very quiet when driving on the highway. This may seem like an odd "pro" but the fact that is a Toyota Echo, I seem to be completely ignored by police while driving. I suppose this is simply due to the fact that they know I can't really get much faster than 80 miles per hour, but it may also be the fact that it is a green sub-compact! Changing tires and oil are both extremely easy. I managed to swap out a blown out tire in about fifteen minutes, and oil in twenty five or so. The seats are comfortable and there are plenty of places to store stuff. The glovebox is pretty neat and there is a "hidden" drawer under the passenger seat.