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I had the chance to drive a '03 Cavalier LS automatic sedan for a couple of days in Miami a few weeks ago. I was actually pleasantly surprised that the driving experience was not as bad as I remembered from earlier models. Yes, it was the same cheap interior bits, the same cheap-sounding doors, the same uncomfortable rear seat. But pickup was very good for an automatic 4-banger, there were no rattles or squeaks, and the handling was tolerable. In other words, for someone who needs a car to go between point A and point B without fuss and wants a GM nameplate, it will do the job for low bucks. I've seen coupes advertised in my town for around $10K US, so they are definitely in Elantra territory. For the money though, I think the Elantra is a much more refined car (also safer).
--Civic is more spartan and underpowered by comparison. Very "tinny" feeling with rattles unbecoming to a Honda. About $14K after negotiations
--Corolla, with its supposed superior build quality, the shifter knob came off in my hand. 5-speed shifted very stiffly. Still slower than the Elantra. About $14K after negotiations...not nearly as well equipped as the Elantra.
Echo--not even worth a comparison
--Protege was a nice piece, but suffered from the Civic's "tinny" feel, weak engine. Handled nicely with a nice interior...still around $13K.
--Sentra was a nice piece, too. Still about $12.5K after negotiations with fewer features than the Elantra...slower, too.
--Cavalier could have been bought for about $10K, but build quality suffered.
--Focus was another nice piece. Could have bought one with A/C (and little else) for around $10K. Build quality suffered with "squeaks and rattles" on a brand new car.
Long and short of it, I coulnd't find a better built, safer, feature rich car for the money.
Oh, and then there's the warranty.....
~alpha
I would believe you will see even lower price in LA.
~alpha
Some advantages of Cavalier...
1. Antilock brakes and traction control
2. Slightly lower maintenance--although I haven't spent much on the Elantra either.
3. Four speed automatic is pretty good, although I can't compare since my Elantra is a 5-speed.
4. It's had three recalls, additional ignition problems right out of warranty and a broken alternator-- other than that it's been pretty reliable for 80,000 miles.
5. Cheap off the rack headlamps that don't crap out every 6 months.
6. 95-02 Cavalier was one of best looking Chevys IMHO-- 03 Monte Carlo snout and dowdy looking rear end screwed things up!!! They should have saved their money.
Disadvantages..
1. Very crude in comparison
2. Moaning, rental-car 2.2 engine is underpowered although new mill in 03's is probably a big improvement.
3. Much less room, bathtub sitting position, much less comfortable.
4. Drove it less because it's a lot less fun to drive.
5. Suspension is much cruder although handling might actually be better than "floaty" Elantra.
All in all I can't say I was cheated by buying the Cavalier, but the Elantra is a MUCH better deal for the money.
csandste, the '03 Cavaliers no longer have ABS standard. But the EcoTech engine is a big improvement over the old standard powerplant--still a bit harsh, but no worse than the Elantra's motor, and good power.
After going through a couple of used cars, I came to the conclusion that the Elantra couldn't cost any more per month (given my son's cash outlay) than the repairs bills per month he was spending on the older cars he was driving.
The actual price for the 5-speed '03 Elantra GLS was $9,795. I can't remember the option package # but, it included side airbags, cruise control, power everything, floor mats. I'm sure there are some features I'm missing.
The one downside to the Elantra was it's depreciation. Given it's $3K-$4K price advantage over the Corolla, Civic, etc (all with much less equipment and weaker engines), plus the much higher equipment levels, the safety rating and the lower price, all this more than makes up for the depreciation issue. In addition, with the warranty in place, my son can drive it all through college and not worry about any big maintenance bills. In addition, he also got a coupon book that gives him free oil changes and free car washes for the length of the warranty. If there are any warranty issues that the dealer has to keep the car for more than 4 hours, they give him a loaner to use, too. For all intents and purposes, the Elantra will make it beyond the 100,000 mile mark while still under the warranty for all the major components. That should take him well into this decade without worry of major repair costs
All the cars we test drove were "stripped" down models compared to the Elantra. If you add anti-lock brakes, automatics, and traction control to any of the models, then the price would go up accordingly. With a 5-speed, I question the need for traction control, anyway.
While not as effective as anti-lock brakes, I've taught my son the "art of pedal pumping" whenever he is in the position that he has to stop quickly.
We've had a lot of snow in the midwest so far this winter. The lack of traction control hasn't had any affect in the Elantra's ability to "go in the snow".
Truly, the other cars in comparison weren't anywhere near as much car for the money. Even if all the cars were priced the same, I don't know that the decision to get the Elantra would have been any different.
Interestingly enough a lot of people who do Korean car bashing on Edmunds always refer to the cars as HYUNDIAS, even when chided by other posters. Whether this means there's one person out there with a lot of different personas or it's some kind of a North Korean plot, I don't know...;)
Financially, my son was spending right around $200/mo, just in repairs, on the old cars he was driving. My thoughts then turned to looking at "newer" used cars. Most of the 3,4,5 year old cars we looked at (mostly Toyotas and Hondas) hovered at or above the $10K mark to purchase. None of them had warranty. I don't care how good a car is supposed to be....cars break.
With my son facing college, I liked the idea of having a car with warranty and roadside assistance (which the Hyundai does).
I believe that Hyundai, at least in my neck of the woods, is trying to gather market share. I believe dealers are being incentivized for volume, not neccesarily on how much money they make on any iduvidual deal. That's why I got the deal I got.
Again, taking away the warranty, I still think the Elantra is a better car than just about anything else we drove...it's better built, has more features and certainly a more substantial car than anything else in the "entry level" range.
I have a question. From time to time I come across an interior photo of the Elantra that shows a ticket holder in the dash. For those of us without ABS/TC, there are two fake buttons next to the emergency flasher button. The pics I've seen show the fake buttons replaced by one long slot, suitable for a parking ticket stub. Does anyone here have any idea where to find one of these? Is it perhaps available only outside of the U.S.?
(knocking on wood)....We can only hope, as parents, that we don't get that dreaded phone call from our teens stating that they've been in an accident, or worse. Of course, you can do stupid things in a used car just as easily as in a new one.
I try to put him in the safest car possible without breaking the bank.
If you would have told me 12 months ago that I would have had a Hyundai in the driveway, I would have laughed.
Fact is, if I'm a manufacturer of any other entry level brand, I would worry. Hyundai is making some good cars and undercutting their competition by a large margin. In addition, their warranty is great.
I can't speak for Hyundia's other car offerings, but if they're anywhere near the value and the quality of the Elantra, Korea will take the place of Toyota and Honda as the high quality, good value providers.
~alpha
Some competition?
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/classifieds/automotive/5218234- .htm
Thanks.
VW has priced themselves out of the entry level market. Yes, their interiors are nice, but the standard engine wasn't remotely a match for the Elantra's drivetrain. Just looking in the newspaper car ads, the chepaest Jetta I've ever seen advertised was over $16K (or about 60% more expensive than the Elantra with nowhere near the Elantra's features). In all fairness, I've only been in the current model Jettas a couple of times...always as a passenger. The Jettas are decent cars but need to be about $4K less expensive to be competitive in the entry level field.
Didn't even look at the Lancer. I've driven them as rental cars and came away unimpressed.
The Elantra gave up nothing to the cars you mentioned and came out on top, for me anyway, in comparison to the competition. As I said, even taking away the large price differential and the superior warranty, I don't know that the decision I made would have been any different.
The safety ratings I looked at were all good for the Elantra. Insurance is actually a little cheaper for it than on either the Corolla or the Civic. That has more to do with individual insurance policies than anything else, though.
I'm sure the VW, Honda, Mitsubishi dealers will love to see you in their dealership. They love to see consumers that come in who haven't done any credible research so they can overcharge you.
"...the Elantra soundly beat the Civic and Corolla. Enter the redesigned Elantra, which offers the same attributes it did last year along with a larger and quieter cabin, better handling and ride qualities, and a higher level of fit and finish. Add a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty to allay fears of long-term reliability, and it's evident that Hyundai is a company that listens and learns.
From reading the IIHS website is where I learned about the Elantra's crash test performance, and that the other cars scored better.
And I wouldn't be caught dead in a Lancer, a Civic, or a Corolla. They are too cramped feeling and underpowered for me.
One more question: do I need CALIFORNIA emissions in CONNECTICUT? Or is it just another way to make me pay extra $$$?
Not sure about CN, but some east coast states require CA emmisions equipment. That's something you want to check out with your state's DOT or EPA office.
I don't like dealers who try to tack on fees on the "back end" of the deal. Figure what your local taxes are on the car (whatever the tax rate is added to the purchase price of the car), add in about $50 for tag fees and you should have the "out of pocket" price of the car within $15-$20 (that is the total amount of cash you need to drive the car home).
Vocus...my appologies...my intent wasn't to offend. Jettas, stripped are selling for around $17K around here. That's a huge jump from the ~$10K an Elantra is selling for. In addition, the Elantra gets 4-5 star safety ratings, same as the Jetta.
Forgetting the more powerful engine the Elantra has, in addition to more equipment, better ride, terrific warranty, and comparable handling when compared to the Jetta, it's really tough to justify the huge price differential between the two cars.
IMHO, the Elantra is just a much better car than the Jetta regardless of the huge price differential. Throw in the warranty, and that made the Elantra choice a "no-brainer".
I notice that recent auto issues of Kiplingers and Money magazines had Hyundai depreciation as less than most American makes, although still not up there with Toyota and Honda. Take that you Hyundai bashers--the ones that always spell it HyunDIA.
Thank you for your help. It was great.
I have been quoted about 13,000 for a 2003 Elantra GLS Automatic with option package 2 (including the $1000 rebate), before sales taxes. I guess this would be a bad deal in the Midwest. :-)
Does anybody know FOR SURE that an Elantra like this costs 10K in the Midwest. Where?
Thank you, guys.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
BTW, I'm at NYS and had to pay the CA emission fee.
Thank you for all the great feedback. It's been of tremendous help.
I asked the DMV and one does NOT need California emissions for Connecticut registration.
I found a dealer from NY (30 miles away) who quoted me $1000 less than the original dealer from my city. I now have an offer of $12000 + sales tax (including everything, even the plates) for an Elantra GTS Automatic with Option Package 2 (the one with cruise control and keyless entry w/alarm, $14400 MSRP). It seems that I'll close the deal on Thursday.
What was fun though was that the dealer from my city could not match the price. I swear the guy really tried to, but he simply could not understand how I got that price. He said that he would talk to his boss and call me tomorrow, to tell me if he can match the price. I am starting to enjoy this game, guys! Poor dealers... :-)
They are doing the same thing with the auto equipped GT models with option package #1.
My son's '03 Elantra GLS was a 5-speed with #2. I bought his for $9,795 after rebate. They acutally advertise them in the newspaper for that amount. Plus, they wanted to charge me $350 more because the advertised cars didn't have option package #2. After negotiation (and getting ready to walk on the deal) they "threw in" package #2 for no charge. Understand that 5-speeds are harder for them to sell given that many people don't know how to drive a 5-speed.
Your 2nd dealer still sounds about $1K too high. I'll assume you meant it's an Elantra GLS (not a GTS) with auto and #2. Unless, of course they are giving you the $1,000 rebate and not taking it off the price of the car in the quoted deal. Still, for $12K, it's still a great car.
I think the first dealer is giving you the "run around" in not being able to price match.
Travel to Cincinnati and the local dealers will give you the deal they gave me all day long. There are 4 dealers within about 30 miles of me and they are very competitive.
Seems to me that this is Connecticut: high prices on everything. :-) I couldn't pay more for many things even in Manhattan.
Is it possible that Hyundai sells the cars to the dealers for a higher price in this area? I ask because the Consumer Reports Wholesale price in my area, for this car, would be 12900 with delivery but no sales tax or registration included. From this point of view, 13k out of the door is a good price in this area.
I am really looking forward to Wal-Mart selling these cars, no-haggle. :-)
These are volume dealers. I suspect that thye are getting some form of money back from Hyunjdai based on their volume. So, they may in fact be getting their units cheaper than the ones in CT based on the fact that they hit some sort of volume target set by Hyundai. I doubt they are selling these cars at a loss. That's not a good model for staying in business for very long. Both these dealers have been in business since Hyundai first started selling cars in the U.S. That may also have something to do with how they get reimbursed by Hyundai for volume sales.
All-in-all, you still can't beat the car you're getting for the price they're selling it to you for.
My son and I both can't believe that this is an economy car. It's built great. He's getting around 30 MPG in combined highway/in-town driving.
I couldn't find anything that sold for $5K more that I would prefer over the Elantra.