What was the last year Toyota Landcruisers had a manual transmission?

Is it worth repairing a used Toyota Echo you plan to sell within 6 mos to 1 year?

• I have 145k miles on a 2000 Toyota Echo, 4-door, 5 speed manual transmission.  I bought it 4.5 years ago.  It runs fantastically, but sounds like a go cart, and doesn't have much power getting up hills, etc. (I live in the Bay Area, which loves small, Japanese, fuel efficient cars, so predict being able to sell it) New catalytic converter before I bought it. Good on smog for another year. Gets 32mpg. Over 4.5 years, I put in: new clutch, tires, wheel baring, breaks, battery, a few minor electrical/cosmetic things.  It needs: new front windshield (cracked), unknown electric repairs for radio, exhaust manifold, and likely a new transmission very soon (will hardly shfit into first gear), and something in the gas line (non-urgent) that causes the check engine light to stay on. Cosmetic condition: Scrape on passanger side, both doors.  Small stains/tears in backseat.  Fine otherwise. I'm thinking of buying a new car, but need time.  Is it worth doing these repairs and driving it for another 6 months to a year, or should I sell as-is?

• Answer:

  Put yourself in the shoes of a perspective buyer. Someone looking to by a 13-year-old Echo wants no-frills transportion that gets him/her from A to B. If it's got four seats, starts and stops reliably, everything else is secondary. Do fix Exhaust manifold. The car can be failed at the smog check for an exhaust leak. It's also health hazard for the occupants. Fuel line. Anything that triggers the check engine light is an automatic fail at the smog station. It sounds like a cheap fix. Do it. Don't fix Windshield. Depending on where the crack is and how big the crack is. If it doesn't interfere with the driver's view of the surroundings, leave it. Radio. The radio is just an accessory. Some drivers care, some don't. Leave it for the new owner to decide. Transmission. Sounds like the first gear synchromesh is gone. If that's all it is, you just need the car to be at a dead stop to shift to first. Not a big deal. Let the buyer determine if it's worth fixing. Cosmetic issues. Nah. Bodywork is expensive. Fixing the scrapes could cost you more than the value of the car. Unless safety is comprised, e.g. a door jammed shut, leave it. Whether you fix the above items or not, research and get estimates on how much it costs to fix everything. The buyers are going to haggle. They are going to pull the most expensive quotes they can find, like $500 to replace the windshield to try to get you to lower your selling price. Arming yourself with the actual costs will save you a ton, regardless if you're fixing them or not.