We show that the economical 3-3-1 model poses a very high new physics scale of the order of 1000~TeV due to the constraint on the flavor-changing neutral current. The implications of the model for neutrino masses, inflation, leptogenesis, and superheavy dark matter are newly recognized. Alternatively, we modify the model by rearranging the third quark generation differently from the first two quark generations, as well as changing the scalar sector. The resultant model now predicts a consistent new physics at TeV scale unlike the previous case and may be fully probed at the current colliders. Particularly, due to the minimal particle contents, the models under consideration manifestly accommodate dark matter candidates and neutrino masses, with novel and distinct production mechanisms. The large flavor-changing neutral currents that come from the ordinary and exotic quark mixings can be avoided due to the approximate $B-L$ symmetry.