Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

llemmon

Do you guys know Hyundai's have a horrible resell value? If you sell or trade your Hyundai in three to five years you will lose a ton of money. Wouldn't it be smarter to buy a used Honda Civic or Nissan Sentra.

tlindeman1

Before I bought my 2001 Civic in May, I drove a new Elantra, both with an automatic and 5 speed. I was extremely surprised by the smooth and quiet ride and interior layout and amenities. I gave in to the "best to buy Japanese" mentality and decided to buy a Civic instead. Although the car gets phonomenal mileage (35-42 avg. mpg), the ride is bouncy and the car is very noisy. I've had no mechanical problems to date, but find the car uncomfortable due to the poor suspension and noise. I'm seriously considering trading the Civic for a new Elantra...can you believe that? As I drive over 25,000 miles per year, economy is important...but not at the expense of comfort. Honda really dropped the ball on these 2001 Civics and has made numerous suspension and noise-reduction modifications to the 2002 models. What kind of real-world mileage could I expect with a 5 spd. Elantra? As I tend to drive cars to death, I'm not concerned with lower resale value. Also, how are the heaters and a/c in these cars? The a/c in my Civic is a little weak...due to a mediocre evaporator that I also understand has been "improved" with the 2002 models (guess I should have waited). Are there any significant changes/improvements to the 2002 Elantras or would it be wise to try to find a deal on a 2001? I'm very serious about getting rid of this Civic which has proven to be an uncomfortable disappointment.

tb88

> >...Do you guys know Hyundai's have a horrible resell value? If you sell or trade your Hyundai in three to five years you will lose a ton of money...> >

Do "you guy know" that I have a 3 year GMC pick-up 26,500 miles which cost me $19,000+, and all they would offer me for it was $8,500 ! ! !

Lately, i have been noticing more disabled cars on the freeway with names like HONDA and Camry TOYOTA ... it makes you wonder why?

.

liljonson

the civic has already lost to the elantra, idon't know if the elantra will change that much, i think they might add a few "free" options to the car, so you might see more inside the elantra, the a/c and heater work great, the heater works a little too good, economy is average, performance is great and don't worry about the engine/tranny, they both are very reliable now.
i rather have a nice, quick car instead of RESALE value, if you worry about resale value why don't u lease?

silver_bullet

... but often, reliability is a function of how attentive the owner is to preventative maintenance. If you are noticing more DOA Hondas and Toyotas, it's probably because these cars are marketed to folks who HATE the idea of paying for any kind of service, much less doing it themselves. They've been told "these cars never break", so they just blissfully go through life putting in gasoline and letting the hood latch rust shut. When the car finally dies from neglect, they trade it in on another Appliance-mobile.

Regarding resale - if someone is really concerned about the resale value of a vehicle, they have no business buying a new car... they should buy used.

csandste

I looked carefully at a last generation Civic, since the new ones had been decontented so severely. I also looked at a Corolla S and Focus. In my opinion both Honda and Toyota have seriously regressed over the years. My daughter drives a 1990 Prizm and I could see little advance over the last decade in looking at the Corolla. The Civics were very disappointing, if I was going to buy a Japanese car the new Lancer actually looks pretty nice, but with far less for the bucks than the Elantra.

I've been happier and happier with the Elantra. Excellent fit and finish, I've gotten used to the rather funky seat fabric which I actually like in gray. Mileage will certainly be less than the Civic, but IMHO everything else about the car is superior and certainly more upscale.

If you compare owner ratings of both cars on Microsoft Carpoint, I think Elantras comfortably outscore Civics. Something like 8.8 to 8.2 if my memory serves me right. With exchange rates being what they are, it is simply much easier to build a quality Korean car. Japanese automakers are being severely squeezed and forced to remove lots of things from their cars, witness the cruder suspension in the latest version of the Civic.

jimarth

It's pretty clear that I have a lemon. I have a steering wheel shimmy that is not repaired after 4 attempts. This is only one of a number of problems with this vehicle.

Another problem is with brakes that engage by themselves on the freeway. When this happens, it doesn't cause the car to stop, but develops a low pitch humming sound through the vehicle and aggressive vibration in the steering wheel. I suspect this is due to the rotors over heating.

Hyundai Service cannot replicate the problem and therefore has not repaired it.

They will not test the vehicle sufficiently to replicate the problems, which are intermittent. Then, they act as if the symptoms are a figment of my imagination. This has gone on for two months. The upsetting factor for me is that I've had to get a lawyer as Hyundai Customer Service is acting in bad faith and completely ignores my calls and e-mails. I am going to submit the videotape evidence to NHTSA to start, while the lawyers deal with the lemon law issue.

My videotape shows 25 minutes of driving and then the problem develops with really good detail--exactly as I described in faxes to the service department and to customer service, for which they report they cannot find the problem (by not evaluating sufficiently). It's the bad faith Hyundai has demonstrated that is really upsetting... I guess their standard policy is to ignore serious complaints as many customers may just give up. I would have accepted an exchange provided they stood behind their product. Hyundai has demonstrated that they are still the bad company of the past, as their reputation precedes them. I took a leap of faith that this was a new company, and boy have I learned the hard way.

Be forwarned... If you have serious issues with your car, be prepared to DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, keep excellent records, as you will have to hire an attorney. Also, make sure, that for each repair attempt, you insist the wording of the problem is entered into the service log exactly as you stated it, as the lemon law is specific about repeat repair attempts (they will claim any variation as different problems).

To the high mileage Civic owner, considering trading, how would 11 trips to service in 4 months compare to your current experience?

intrepidspirit

You can't lose a ton of money if you you didn't pay a ton of money!

If I bought a new Civic for $15,000 and sold it 3 years later @ 55% of original value, I have lost $6,750 from the original price.

If I bought an new Elantra for $11,000 and sold it 3 years later for @48% of original value, I have lost $5,720 from the original price.

So for 3 years, I will have driven as good or better car in the Elantra (in my opinion) and saved $1,030 in resale loss. And my investment would be lower, resulting in lower monthly payments for the 3 years.

Hmmm....why would I buy the Civic?

majorthomecho

I was thinking about something last night and I am hoping someone might have an answer.

Regarding the seat on the Elantra sliding forward on its track during the IIHS crash test, do we know that someone from the IIHS didn't make sure the seat was locked in place before the test?

I don't know about you, but there have been times where I have adjusted my seat (not in my present car) and had the seat slide forward or backward because I did not actually have it locked as I should.

Perhaps the seat sliding forward was human error and not a design or structural defect.

intrepidspirit

I know this is of little consolation to you, but your experience is not unlike most car dealer service departments. I have heard "cannot duplicate problem" and "operates within specifications" (no specifications given) too many times in the past from various car dealers. Steering pulls to the left or right are caused by "the crown in the road", regardless of which way the car pulls! They want to deal with the 95% of the service they can perform easily...and they want the persistant customers and their problems to disappear!

You could try another Hyundai dealer's service department and/or getting through the Corporate structure to find someone who can help you, if you haven't already done so. Continue to be persistent!

Good luck!

tonykrapil

With all due respect, Many of us have had the shimmy problem and it was the tires in our case.
Many of us, including me went to a tire joint and had them balance the tires and trouble is GONE.

As you telling the service department that IT SEEMS like the brakes are being applied while driving, UNLESS you have tractions control, that is a weird report. Maybe in their mind it is such a far out description of a trouble it cant be taken as valid.

As some one suggested, go to a different dealer. Dont bring any previos baggage with you. Tell them you have a problem, let them work it, its their job.

Relax..... from reading your post, it seems to me you want this car to be a dog and will do whatever it takes to use the lemon law.

I bet even if it were fixed, you would still have a gripe.

Best of luck.

lngtonge18

Sounds to me like you have a bad tire. It is not possible for brakes to apply themselves. Even If they did, you would see smoke pouring out of the wheel wells, would smell something burning, and would feel the drag on the car's speed. The fact that you have not indicated either problem completely discounts any problem with your brakes. The fact that you described a humming noise which leads to violent shaking of the steering further points to the tires. When tires go bad, they tend to make a loud humming noise and will vibrate harshly. My guess is that you have a bad tire, one that is either way out of round or has an internally broken belt that does not show itself as a problem externally. Take the car to a tire shop and have them dismount and inspect the tires. That's your best bet for alleviating the problem. If it turns out to be a bad tire, I would hope you give Hyundai another chance, as it was not their fault but Michelin's.

cjaccetta

That's an interesting note about the seat tracks, majorthom. Our Elantra GT has a finicky left side seat rail on the driver's seat. When I drive the car after my wife, I have to move the seat back a few inches. Every time I do this, I've got to make sure the springs catch and the seat stays where I want it. It's almost as if the left side seat rail can get caught "between settings." This doesn't happen often; only about 30% of the time

If I forget to properly adjust my seat, it will "pop" into place the first time I make a stop.

Perhaps the IIHS had the same finicky seat rail in the GLS model. I don't really consider it a problem, rather an annoyance. All drivers ought to make sure their seats are properly in place before setting off for a drive.

backy

Funny, I had a similar thought about the seat track on the IIHS tests, because when I adjust my driver's seat I wriggle my backside a bit to make sure it's locked, and sometimes it's not. I figured that's something the IIHS or Hyundai would have thought to check--but then it is real hard for those crash dummies to wriggle their bottoms.

backy

Have you tried writing directly to Hyundai's president? I recall awhile back someone on this forum did that regarding a problem and received a quick follow-up. The Hyundai Customer Service hotline can probably give you the address. In addition to your problems, the prez should be made aware of the treatment you are receiving from the dealer, e.g. not testing the car thoroughly enough to replicate and diagnose the problem.

av1998

As a cash-strapped teacher, I have finally gotten a small loan to purchase a cheap, new car as my very first brand, spanking, new automobile. After months of research, I have made an attempt to get one from a local dealer. Negotiated to the best of my ability, and finally agreed to settle at $13,700 after the $500 rebate. The net total after taxes, title + other misc. fees added on by the dealer ..... I have my car "out-the-door" for $14,660.38

I had automatic transmission and Package 5(ABS + Traction Control). Carsdirect.com wanted $13,900. I am pretty happy even though it was only $200 below Carsdirect.com, because I have no prior experience buying a new car from a dealership and no prior experience doing negotiations with the car salesperson.

It had been 2 days, everything seems to be working perfectly. I am loving it more each day. Will keep y'all updated as the long-term 'road test' goes on. Thanks for all the advice and feedback all this time.

dreamwind

Congrats on your new car!

stevesail

We bought a 2001 GLS 5-spd, pkg 2 in mid-July. It now has 3200 miles on it and so far we love it. I notice the exact same thing as mentioned above on the driver's side seat tracks. The only other thing is that, a few weeks ago, the idle would shoot up when we first started the vehicle, and it would stay up too high between shifts. Took it in and they said that there was oil in the PCV valve, so they replaced it. Seems to be fine now. What would cause oil in that valve? Something serious, or just new vehicle break-in?

silver_bullet

Two possible causes that I've seen are: excessive blow-by (combustion gases getting past the rings and crudding up the PCV valve, and overfilling the crankcase with oil. I'd check my oil level to make sure it is not the latter problem, then just monitor the situation to see if it recurs. Another possible cause might be a pinched, misrouted, or disconnected vacuum line, so that might be something else to check.

mpgman

I started out really wanting to get the Civic, loaded with high hopes about the 01 redesign and the great mpgs and Honda rep. Can't tell you how much of a letdown it was just sitting in the car. I thought the legroom was just fair in the front. The arm rest is like that on the Accent. The front pillar curvature prevents easy entry and egress in my opinion. You have to get the EX to get ABS and then must also take the hole in the roof. The driver's seat on the EX was a pain to adjust. Expect to hit the EPA numbers for the Elantra and to have one cold A/C unit. I find the content superb and the driving position and seating comfort to be outstanding for a car in this size and price class. Heck, with the money you'll save you can even install after market leather, or just step up to the loaded GT hatch.

hyundaima

Does your copy of work order list the part number of the PCV valve?

mpyne

I recently purchased a toyota corolla, and it came down to hyundai/civic/corolla.
i actually liked the hyundai allot but liked the looks and famed depenability of the corolla better
i thought the new civic is ugly (except ex)
the thing now is i love my corolla but their sales and service suck.(sales person rude)(after my oil change the tech left oil all over the inside of the door, this is not a big deal but shows no respect for the customer)
my girlfirend is looking now and am convincing her to maybe get the hyundai

csandste

and drove the 2001 S before getting the Elantra. IMO Toyota has severely deconted its cars during the last few years and it wasn't even close between the Corolla and the Elantra. I looked closely at the Focus and think that it's probably a better handling car than the Elantra but I was concerned about the troubling reports concerning Focus reliability so settled on the Elantra.

With the exception of wheel skip, which seems to be a Michelin, not a Hyundai problem, it seems like the Elantra is providing trouble free response to most owners. If you look at the owners ratings in Microsoft CarPoint, you will find that the Elantra is significantly higher rated by its owners than the Corolla or Civic (I think approximately 8.8 v. 8.2 if memory serves me correct.)

I'm now approaching 4000 miles on my Elantra and have had absolutely NO problems. It's truly a wonderful car and has significantly more room than the Corolla. Sales experience was better than the last Chrysler product I purchased new, but not as good as my Cavalier or Saturn SL. I think GM's practices for sales and delivery have become much better because of their Saturn experiences.

The Hyundai dealer did go out of his way to repaint two panels with slight paint damage after having paintless dent repair for slight hail damage. I expected only a slight buffing out, but they completely repainted two panels and gave me a free loaner car. This is not statistically significant, but I'd be a little bothered by some of the Toyota service posts, especially the famous oil sludge posts. My own experience with a Toyota dealer with one of the Prizms was not good. They quoted work at a lower rate than the Chevy dealer and then added on a lot of extras, which I now think were unnecessary. I think Toyota's strength has been in manufacturing, not distribution or a strong dealership program.

backy

I've had my '01 GLS for almost one year. I've been very pleased with the dealer service from Rosedale Hyundai/Dodge in Roseville, MN. First, when I bought the car and went to drive it away, the salesman told me that the airbag light came on during pre-delivery inspection (it had just come off the truck) and they could not let me drive it like that. Because I still had my old car, I did not ask for a loaner. Turned out the car needed the side airbag recall work which affected some early '01 GLSes, and it took 10 days due to lack of parts. But the repair was done flawlessly. The dealer also gave me coupons for a free oil change and a tank of gas for my trouble. When I went in to set up my 2nd remote (early '01 GLSes were shipped with only one remote--another parts shortage), they did it in 10 minutes. They also provided a free one-month inspection and a free car-care clinic (with some very nice door prizes) for new owners. Other than the (free) oil change, I have not needed any other service, but I've been impressed by the professionalism and service so far. Fortunately I haven't needed to test their wheel-balancing skills. Also, this dealer provides free loaner cars if a repair takes more than a day. Maybe it's the Dodge influence. I've also received excellent service over the many years from another Dodge dealer near me.

elantra00

My dealer has been EXCELLENT. I had 2 minor troubles. 1, warped rotors. Called and took me in that day and had me out in under one hour. Covered under warranty. They didnt even argue or try to make me pay. Second time, O2 sensor went out. Fixed under warranty too. I have been very pleased with my dealer and plan to buy a santa fe from them next year. In contrast, my other car, a Jeep Cherokee, the dealership where I got it from sucks. I stopped getting my servious done there. Breaks kept pulsating and then the guy started making me pay for the brake jobs. A load of BS if you ask me. I won though, after a recall was issued for the rotors. Stupid service manager. Its sad that these people act more like kids then professionals as they are suppose to be.

csandste

Just like reading a novel that I couldn't put down.

Makes me glad I didn't buy a Toyota, even though I think that this problem is not horribly widespread. Hyundai is in the process of upgrading dealers, and variations of quality do exist. However, it appears the company is trying hard (except for the IIHS tests). No where near as disturbing as Toyota's corporate arrogance.

beeryr4

Anybody have ideas on how or where to find a GTS with Option 5 – ABS and TCS?

The local dealer had several 2001’s with option #2 and #3, but he said they haven’t had a #5 in several months. He gave a little hope for a 2002, but it would be at full sticker price.

beeryr4

Where are other Elantra discussion groups?

beeryr4

I have to remember not to cut and paste from Microsoft Word, or at least go back and edit after pasting! Now, here is my question again without gibberish for punctuation:

Anybody have ideas on how or where to find a GTS with Option 5: ABS and TCS?

The local dealer had several 2001's with option #2 and #3, but he said they haven't had a #5 in several months. He gave a little hope for a 2002, but it would be at full sticker price.

backy

Do you mean GLS or GT? (There is no GTS.) Since you said Package 5, I'll assume you meant GLS.
Do you live in a region with multiple Hyundai dealers? Is your dealer willing to trade with another dealer for a car with Package 5? There may be slim pickings on '01s, but there is no price increase on '02s and the rebate should continue due to the current economic conditions. So if you are willing to wait a bit, you could ask your dealer to find you the first Package 5 '02 GLS that comes into your region, even if from another dealer. The dealer wins because they will get to keep 100% of the holdback on a newly-shipped '02 if they sell it immediately to you. You may get with a car with a few miles on it, if it has to be driven from another dealer some distance away. Ask if they could transfer the car on a trailer, likely for additional cost, if that is a problem for you. Don't accept their "list price" story. GLSes are not rare cars that should demand list price. I think it will be tough to sell new cars for the next few months, so they should be willing to deal a bit. If not, find another dealer, if you have that option.

csandste

Just had my first $11.95 oil change at Wal-Mart. Had to scream and yell (and put a big sign on my dash board) insisting on a Super-Tech or other Champion Labs filter and stating that if I saw orange (Fram) they would have to pull the filter. Told them that they should be ashamed of themselves for even offering Fram filters. It worked, they put the Wal-Mart filter on.

Anyway, the tire check showed 10/32 in the rear and 8/32 on the rear (or does the second number refer to PSI?). If the tread has really worn by 20% in 4000 miles and assuming a rotation at 8K, that would mean the tires would only last about 40,000 miles before becoming bald. Am I misinterpreting this?

Other than that I'm still extremely happy with this car. No doubt some Japanese makes have higher JD Powers ratings, but when I read about the sludging problem with Toyotas, I'm struck by the fact that Toyota's on the way down (IMHO) while Hyundai's definitely on the upswing.

lyndon5

After 6 months and 16,000 miles, we have had only two problems with my wife's Elantra. Clutch master cylinder is scheduled for warranty replacement due to low pitched squeaking sound. Airbag light came on occasionally, moving wiring harness under seat corrected this problem. Mostly highway commute miles, switched to synthetic oil at 2,000 miles and now is changed every 5,000 miles with no add between changes. Averages 30 mpg, slight tire balance vibration after tire rotation at 10,000. Good passing power and overall fun to drive.

tazereli

SMALL PROBLEM WITH FRAM FILTERS HUH? iVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FRAMS IVE USED IN THE PAST. iM OF THE OPINION OF USING WHAT EVERS ON SALE AS I DO MY OWN OIL CHANGES. SYTHETIC? NO WAY CONVENTIONAL IS JSUT FINE FOR ME THANKS.

csandste

I was trying to access the famous Mopar oil filter study which isn't loading right now on my browser. If you look through the best oil filter threads on Edmunds under maintenance and repair you can find quite a bit about Fram filters. Mainly they have about half the filtering capacity of any other filter and are constructed with cardboard, not metal ends. The Mopar study links to an e-mail by someone who was employed as a quality engineer at Fram discussing their quality controls (or lack thereof). Wal-Mart filters are made by Champion Labs and are a quality filter. Fram filters which actually cost more should be used by anyone at their risk.

csandste

Here's another Fram-damn site from the North Texas Prelude owners...

http://www.ntpog.org/reviews/filters/filters.shtml

silver_bullet

When in doubt, buy your filters from the dealer, then there's no question about suitability and keeping your warranty in effect. The little bit of extra money is chump change.

csandste

OEM's are notorious about branding just about any kind of filter, witness Honda's use of Frams for its Canadian dealerships. Look at all the different kinds of filters masquerading as AC-Delcos. I'm not even sure what kind of filters Hyundai uses.

smiller678

Hi all,

My 01 Elantra GLS with Pkg 4 just went over 15K miles. Not a single problem (no shimmy, no rattles, no nothing). This has been the best new car I have ever owned. It hasn't even been back to the dealer. Though I will need to take it in at 20K for a transmission service.

BTW, I have always thought that Fram Oil Filters are pretty good. I use them on my 3000GT VR4 which is a Twin Turbo and needs high oil pressure. I use Purolator filters for my Elantra.

wildbill11

My 01 GLS auto had a shimmy from the start,I've got 4500 miles on it. Wife took it in and the dealer replaced a rim that they said was bent, warped or whatever.The dealer was Zimbrick of Madison. They were very competent at finding out what was causing the shimmy. My wife is averaging 28.5 mpg in all around driving. It would probably do better but I like to take it out once in a while and pound the pedal.

20r

Just completed a 1200+ miles drive (OR-CA). My '01 Elantra felt like a much bigger car. At an avg of 75MPH (couldn't go faster, traveling with family), it kept up with others during up hills and did very good at handling.

I have always done the maintenance on my race cars and daily drivers. Mobil1 synthetic and hi-quality K&N or Mobil1 filter will NEVER let you down even on extreme conditions (high RPMs, heat, cold..)

My Elantra just reached 10K miles without a single problem. I selected the Elantra after watching it survive Puerto Rico's road conditions and weather few years ago. There's no better car for the price out there.

intrepidspirit

Wow...this board is dead! I hope you are all so busy driving your trouble free Elantras that you don't have time for posting!

I bought a 2001 Elantra in July for my daughter for school. The car sat in the garage for over 2 months and is now finally being driven.

I've noticed something in the shifting that seems strange to me, but I'm not used to a 4 cylinder compact car...perhaps this is normal. When accelerating in 2nd gear, there seems to be a sudden surge of power just before it shifts into 3rd gear, even though I have not increased the pressure on the gas pedal. Is this normal? The car had only 150 miles on it as of yesterday...

My daughter loves her new car, by the way...

csandste

once you get to about 4000 rpm or so. Think it's the exhaust opening up reducing pressure. Is that what you're feeling.

First fillup since replacing original oil (with Tech2000 (Quaker State dino) 10-30 and Tech2000 (Champion Labs, no Fram for me thankyou) filter has increased about 3 mpg to almost 27 around town. After filling up I also noticed that tires were almost 6 pounds under recommendation at 26-- dealer must have done this, should have checked earlier. Increased psi to 2 over recommended to 34 psi since tires weren't completely cold. Hopefully that will increase mileage and lessen tire wear. Reported earlier that Michelins had worn on fron from 10/32 to 8/32 in 4K. At that rate I would have had to replace tires at 40K given regular rotations.

Other than a little too much noise from the tires on concrete surfaces as opposed to black top, I really love the car. Trouble free all the way!

csandste

that Wal-Mart reported only using 3.5 quarts of oil, not 4.5. Just rechecked oil level and it's on top of hash marks when cold and level. Seems clean, so I can't imagine they left a quart in the crankcase when refilling.

Any thoughts on this? Obviously they don't let cars drain for a half hour the way I used to when changing my own oil. Where is the missing quart?

Still debating whether to stay on a 4000 dino change schedule or go to 7500 and synthetic. I've generally gotten 150K or more out of engines with dino and few if any repairs. Usually the rest of the car craps out before the power train, especially with a manual transmission. $11.99 for an oil change at Wal-Mart seems like a pretty good deal. Especially if you can hang signs all over your car warning them to substitute their own filter for the (gag) featured Fram.

intrepidspirit

I remember reading a review on the 2001 Elantra that described the power boost beyond a certain speed (or RPM's). The theory is that for slower city speeds the exhaust would be quieter and you didn't need the power anyway until you reached higher speeds, the valve opens up the exhaust and the power increases...this could be it, but it almost feels like higher revs for a second -- without giving it more gas.

I guess you get used to it!

dorf47

Just turned a little over 6,000mi. After the wheel shimmy, which the dealer fixed quickly, haven't had a problem. Getting 28mpg, mostly highway driving (and at speeds I'd rather not talk about). Continue to feel great about the choice I made.

stevesail

We have 3500 mi on our 2001 Elantra 5-spd. So far we love the car. Sometimes it feels like there's a little bit of chatter (feel, not noise) when the clutch is engaging from startup and also from 1st to 2nd. Other times it's not noticeable. My wife and I have both driven manuals on-and-off for years, so we don't think we've forgotten how. Should we take it in to check clutch adjustment, or is it more likely just our technique?

aquesada

I have now 4500 miles on my GLS Manual,number of problems= 0, I increased mileage from 28.5 to 29.9(mix drive) by installing the "super fuelmax" device on the incoming fuel line.
I did my second oil change last Friday I'm using Castrol syntec blend and original Hyundai filter($2.3)

majorthomecho

I think any increase in fuel mileage numbers is probably due to the car having more miles on it and not due to any device you put on your car.

If increasing your fuel mileage was that easy, don't you think the auto makers would already be doing it?

igofast

I've been looking around the local dealer here for an Elantra with a 5spd transmission. The only dealer in town has about 15 Elantra's on the lot with a total of 0 that are equipped with the manual gearbox. What gives? Is this typical in your area as well? There are 3 other dealers but they are 50 miles down the road and I haven't had the time to check them out yet. From reading the messages here it sounds like the Elantra might be the best bang for the buck in it's car class.

igofast

Are the GLS and GT models mechanically identical (engine, trans, suspension)? I know they have the same engine and transmission but I'm specifically wondering if the GT has better suspension components than the GLS. Also, the only other 4 banger car I can use as a reference point is my ex-wifes 96 Contour with the Zetec 130 h.p. but it seems that the Contour would be a bit bigger. Can anyone give me an idea of what the acceleration "feels" like (I know that's a vague question, sorry). I'm not expecting it to accelerate like a Ferrari, I'm just hoping I can punch it to pass a few trucks on the freeway that always seem to get in my way.