Hi friends,
I bought an Echo HB when it was first introduced in Canada. The car is great on gas but unfortunately, driving a small car, I got a feeling that big cars do tailgate or cut in front. Do you all experience this. I am thinking of switching to the new FJ Cruiser. I appreciate any thoughts on this subject.
Show em you aren't going to take crap and they gain a little respect...quickened heartrates from my breakstanding tailgaters tends to get them to back off...
I do share your feelings! There are irresponsible drivers every where and we meet them all the time. I agree that I do not feel comfortable when cut in too closely or tailgated. Who does? But apart form staying cool, there is little we can do. There are also people who honk or flash headlights behind you unneccessarily and who ding your doors at the parking lot. Many of them are talking over their cell phones or having other distractions while doing all these ugly acts, leisurely. Our society needs to educate them. Every one has a part to play. Your posting here is some good effort to draw people's attention to these problems. I will respect those driving instructors who, apart from coaching their students to pass their driving tests technically, also tell their students to respect other peoples' rights and properties e.g. not to ding other cars' doors and not to speed in parking lots etc. What's the point speeding in a parking lot after all? Some timid and slow learner drivers we see on the road may become irresponsible drivers as soon as they become more confident with driving. How sad? After passing the driving test and obtaining a driving licence, a driver still has to educate himself/herself constantly in order to be a safe driver, and a society should do whatever it can to facilitate safe driving.
Coming back to our little Echo/Yaris, because our cars' fronts are short and there is no trunk to keep cars following further behind, cars will be seen a few feet closer to us from the rear view mirror. Cars cutting in can also make closer cuts because our cars' fronts are so short. These make us feel that they are too close for comfort. Imagine, if a car wants to stay 30 feet away from the car in front whatever it is, it will be 30 feet plus the length of the trunk of the front car(actually all the distance between the driver in front and his/her rear bumper) away from the driver of that front car. So if your trunk's length is 0 foot, the car behind you is one trunk length closer than usual.
They're probably jealous becuase they're probably driving some old POS beat up American car, while you have a high quality Toyota.
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1994 Toyota Pickup Xtra cab 4x2 22R-E 44,000 mi
1998 Toyota Avalon 1MZ-FE 137,000 mi
2005 Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab 49,000 mi
2006 BMW 330i Sedan 85,000 mi
2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid 2AZ-FXE 62,000 mi
It's not just small car owners that have this problem, truckers have been complaining about this for years. My work van is a 2002 Dodge van and I get cut off/tail gated more in that than any of the small cars I own. It's a little more scary in a small car when it happens because you are right there.
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My Cars, 2006 Corolla CE, 2003 Corolla LE
Hi friends,
I bought an Echo HB when it was first introduced in Canada. The car is great on gas but unfortunately, driving a small car, I got a feeling that big cars do tailgate or cut in front. Do you all experience this. I am thinking of switching to the new FJ Cruiser. I appreciate any thoughts on this subject.
Unless these drivers are really harrassing you on the road, don't be imtimidated, although I have the sedan I don't know if that makes much of a difference, granted both are "small" cars. For me personally it happends as well, I think people see that I have a small car and feel they can bully me around cause well they can practically smash me. Where i live its not too bad, not that I notice. I usually try to ignore them, unless its really bad. If you really feel strong about this, maybe perhaps have both cars-the new FJ Cruiser and the ECHO HB. Use the ECHO for a communter car and the FJ Cruiser for...well cruising! I don't know, just a thought. Like you said the HB is good on gas so...that's why you should keep it? Granted if you can afford to have both cars. I personally love having a smaller car cause you can manuver around traffic especially during rush hour. I had some cases where I was turning right or left and a bigger car was coming into my lane cause they didn't see me! Either cause I'm small or they're not paying attention, so I have to lay on the horn, and I'd be yeah that's right! I agree with "0_5 Echo" in that I'm sure small cars are not the only ones. Like big semi trucks, I know they get cut off. I try to be considerate and don't get in front of them too soon cause I know they can't see right in front of them cause they have the hood (if applicable) and I have a small car. That's my novel. Hope that helps!
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Live faster than the speed of fear
Last edited by ECHOKnight2000; 12-18-2005 at 11:08 AM.
Although I'd never want to own it again, I used to drive a 3/4 jeep truck that was the ugliest piece of dung on the road. Bad paint, ugly wheels and a "hunk of iron" for a bumper. Gotta say the best part was never getting cut off, and turning on the turn signals to change lanes always got the desired effect - lots of space ot move into.
__________________ Neil Speers - home - 06 red 3dr yaris
Hi friends,
I bought an Echo HB when it was first introduced in Canada. The car is great on gas but unfortunately, driving a small car, I got a feeling that big cars do tailgate or cut in front. Do you all experience this. I am thinking of switching to the new FJ Cruiser. I appreciate any thoughts on this subject.
You should have thought long about this before purchasing such a small car. Things like tailgating and being intimidated will always be there no matter what you drive, just more noticeable especially when driving such a small vehicle. I rarely get cut off because most of the time I leave very little room between me and the car in front, and rarely get tailgated because I drive too fast for anyone to even catch up, but not dangerously though.
Personally, I know I won't be intimidated by anyone because my balls are huge . But seriously, driving such a small car actually affords me the opportunity to GET OUT OF initimidating situations due to its speed and agility. You just have to know how and when to use it. Otherwise, if you're one of the many drivers that are just those "from Point A to Point B" kind of drivers, then I suggest you either A) let the others around you and behind you know that you feel threaten and don't wish to be tailgated by hitting the brakes lightly but not slamming on it, tapping it to tell them to get off your back, or put on the 4-ways that tells them the same; or B) suck it up and be succumbed to harassment because you let them or because of your general attitude toward driving; or C) drive a bigass SUV like all soccer moms and dads to compensate for on-road insecurities.
Forgive my bluntness as it might come off as sounding harsh, but the reality is that driving must be taken seriously (and the relatively easyness of anyone getting a driver's licence doesn't help solidify that "serious" point across). And until you take driving seriously then you can have fun and enjoy the act of driving.
oh, and in regards to whether I get any respect driving the Echohatch, many of my friends DO have a laugh when they first saw my car, cracking jokes about it having no balls or is a chick-car or what not. Then they stopped laughing when we dragged race and my HB kept up well or even beat them. In the twisties it goes without saying, no matter how powerful the cars of those friends are, they can't remove the sight of my headlights from their rear-view mirrors. Now they don't laugh at all, or just not as much. Best of all, many of them agreed (after being in my HB) that the EchoHatch is very spacious inside compared to other compact cars. And many of them are also very surprised of the Hatch's preppiness when I step on it.
In conclusion: they can laugh all the want, until they keep seeing the frontend of my Hatch in their rear-view mirrors, and meanwhile I'm still having better fuel economy when running flat-out then when the others are trying for fuel economy by being gentle on the pedals.
i think it depends on how you drive - i live in long island & the place is full of people who drive oversized SUV's which don't indicate - as a former resident of London, UK , I have learnt that if yuo are a smaller car etc you need to 'act big' ( that does not mean aggressive ) - so , create your own space .
don't sweat it.. i get cut off all the time too. But I noticed that I was getting cut off more in my 06 corolla than the 00 focus sedan. but it's no big deal.. if someone cuts you off.. just slow down and give them distance and if someone tailgates you. just change lane and get out of the way. just keep driving safe and keep out of trouble.
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2012 Rav4 4WD Touring Package with heated leather seats
2006 Corolla CE-C w/ leather seats and 17" TRD wheels
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Do you get any respect with Echo
1984 Toyota Cressida
1994 Toyota Pickup
1998 Toyota Avalon
Hope that helps!
Neil Speers - 
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