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Problems I have had with my (bought as new) 2002 Hyundai Elantra
1) ~6K - Sticky remote release for fuel door (door would not open when latch was pulled, had to pry or hit the edges of the door to get it open. Took about 3-5 separate trips to dealer to get thing fixed
2) ~7K - trunk did not latch closed properly. Had to apply pressure to specific parts of trunk to latch (problem was never fixed until I was rear-ended and they had to replace the entire trunk assembly)
2) ~15K - Gasket that seals the trunk began to leak (took a while to realize this and must have been driving around with a good 2 inches of rain/snow water in my spare tire well for weeks/months)
3) ~35K - Bad Throttle Position Sensor (car engine revved up to 4000 RPM and stayed there while car would not go over 35 mph)
4) ~50K - Gasket seals around door frames have come off (no biggie)
5) ~65K - during warm temperature months, car will not initially move when gas pedal is pushed at engine startup, i.e. slight hesitation before gas "feeds". Multiple trips to dealer (including new engine), still not resolved.
At ~90K now, no problems (knock on wood) for a while. Hopefully can get a few more years out of it. May consider another Elantra, but who knows for sure right now.
Regardless of where it is made or who makes it, there is no question that Hyundai has a product line that has the interest of a lot of people. They are hitting the right price points with the right features and I believe the issues they once had, people for the most part have forgotten about.
I was recently at a car show and the Hyundai part of the floor was packed with people while the rest of the place was close to deserted in comparison. It was especially embarrassing for GM, IMO because their floor space was easily 3x the size yet the only people there were looking at the display of the Corvette-Z but shaking their head that anyone would pay so much for such a vehicle. There was a little interest in the Caddy, but again, the price point is all wrong for this market.
The only other manufacturer that had as much interest was Suburu and Ford was a remote 3rd with the Taurus SHO that nobody could get close to. Can't imagine why they thought that was a good idea since Mercedes would let people get in cars that cost 2x as much.
I rented a Hyundai Elantra and drove it across the state a couple of times. It was awful. I don't think they've heard of sound deadening, the seats were hard, the armrests in unusable locations, and the whole thing seemed tinny. If it were cheaper, I could understand. But there are better cars out there for the money.
Couldn't agree with you more. I rented an Elantra on my last trip to Florida, and never again. It was so powerless it was a safety hazard in traffic. Half the time I tried to pass someone or change lanes, I thought I would get into an accident or rear-ended. You can have all the quality in the word, but it doesn't mean very much with 138 hp.
All of my future trips will be a Mustang or Corvette
a Hyunda Elantra (or any other mainstream compact car) is not a car to cruise down the interstate in luxury car comfort or luxury car quiet. these complaints are par for the course in the segment, and the criticisms are largely subjective
i have driven many a car, and the armrests in my Elantra are well placed for me, and while road noise could be improved over rough pavement, otherwise at cruising the car is quieter then a last generation Accord
that is just a measured fact. is the car "tinny." not really. its body is 9% stiffer then a Toyota Corolla and never gets upset or shudders
if you want to argue the compact economy class is not the sort of car which offers ultimate comfort and performance, well, you'd be right. but the cars are not unsafe or unrefined for what they are
i would highly recommend anyone renting a car for long distance travel to get a premium small car or a midsize. no way will you rent a Civic / Corolla / Elantra and be satisfied with it. unless not terribly picky about some things others can look past. such as road noise and ultimate horsepower
the fact of the matter is my Elantra is as good as my neighbors Civic for commuter duty, and as quiet and smooth as my ex's Corolla. it gets around city streets well, and goes like mad on local freeways. it is fairly smooth, reasonably quiet, well equipped, and solid in its class
passing power? well, its not a 'vette or a mustang. but it goes from 60mph to 90mph on the highway no problem and with no fuss. and we have a hill here out on the 10 Freeway (Kellogg Hill) which is a long, high grade. it kills cars, literally. and others can just barely make it over. my car cruises over it with a little downshift, no problem. and with no loss of speed. even with my air on
a person can know what they like and don't like. but a car like an Elantra can't really be judged until you live with it awhile. its the same reason why some places give you 100 days to return a new bed. they know a lot of people will HATE it in the first month or two. just can't get used to it. its a very personal item and you are used to another. even if the other is old and crappy. but retailers know if the person lives with the bed at least 100 days, the bed they hated and were on the verge of returning earlier, will be comfortable and satisfying to the person. even if not perfect. but you won't know that by sleeping on it a week or two or three. same with a car driven for a day or two or a week or two
is a "better car" a better car? sure. of course
but thats obvious. what isn't so obvious in the compact class is when a car is near as good as it gets in its class and price range. the Elantra is at that point. it truly is
does it use plastics inside? sure. does it have a small four cylinder engine? of course. but is it a modern, well equipped, and safe to drive automobile for everyday use in its class. absolutely
I drive Hyundai Elantra 2007 (bought new in 2007 for about $ 14,000). I love it. It has everything I need. But then again, I'm not picky and don't care about 'status'. I just wanted something that takes me from point A to point B and it good on gar, which Elantra is. VERY good actually. It's my first new car, so I can't complain.
I'm surprised how many Elantra haters are on this forum, but I love my baby.
Couldn't agree with you more. I rented an Elantra on my last trip to Florida, and never again. It was so powerless it was a safety hazard in traffic. Half the time I tried to pass someone or change lanes, I thought I would get into an accident or rear-ended. You can have all the quality in the word, but it doesn't mean very much with 138 hp.
All of my future trips will be a Mustang or Corvette
At what speed were you attempting to change lanes or pass someone?
Couldn't agree with you more. I rented an Elantra on my last trip to Florida, and never again. It was so powerless it was a safety hazard in traffic. Half the time I tried to pass someone or change lanes, I thought I would get into an accident or rear-ended. You can have all the quality in the word, but it doesn't mean very much with 138 hp.
All of my future trips will be a Mustang or Corvette
138 HP powerless? I'm not believing that one. But then again, you want an overpowered rear drive vehicle in a state where it rains everyday and expect safety. That doesn't compute either.
138 HP powerless? I'm not believing that one. But then again, you want an overpowered rear drive vehicle in a state where it rains everyday and expect safety. That doesn't compute either.
At least for the last 15 years, less than 150 HP is considered pretty weak for a standard passenger car. I’m not sure what cars you are used to or comparing it to, but yes it is pretty powerless. Especially mated to an automatic transmission. Trust me on this, I owned a 140hp Mercury Cougar as a teenager and the car couldn't get out of it's own way.
It pretty much comes down to basic physics. As velocity increases, the force (hp) needed to move an object increases exponentially. That means accelerating from 60-70 in a short amount of time will much harder for the Hyundai than 30-40.
So you want to compare safety between the two cars? I frequently drive my 400hp Corvette in the rain; I don’t understand what the issue is. As long as you control the throttle and give it the respect it deserves, it won’t be any less safe than the Hyundai. With traction control, it’s advanced active handling system and better crash-worthiness it is easily the safer car.
I'm not saying the Hyundai is a bad car. It's a great appliance for trotting around town from point A to point B, very reliable, gets great fuel economy. However, that's about where it ends.
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