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Pheo, Lijonson -- did you hear any "buzz" about the GT while you were at the show? I overheard some favorable comments from passerby. It also seemed like a lot of the people hanging around the Hyundai area were current or former Hyundai owners.
Also, traction control comes with ABS on the regular Elantra, but it's not mentioned on the GT. Must be an oversight.
I'm on a 2-4 month timeframe to buy a car so I can take my time. I'm considering the GT auto($16K MSRP loaded), the Honda Accord Value Package auto($16K discounted), or the new Subaru Impreza Wagon auto($18KMSRP). The honda did better in crash tests (w/side air bags option) but the Elantra GLS is no slouch. You get a lot more for you money with the GT and I like the idea of the hatch. If I can get a GT at a discounted price I will probably go with that unless the Impreza knocks me off my feet (165hp, AWD, more cargo room, but no side airbags and a shorter warranty).
BTW, not sure if the group has seen these pics of the GT but this looks like the version we are getting. Under owners picture gallery click on the elantra and the first three aross the right top are from an unknown auto show.
http://t-h-c.org/station-a1/
Hosts - why doesn't Edmunds have any info posted yet?
Erik
Hopefully Toyota/GM will get it right with the Matrix/Vibe.
I have no idea why car companies do this. Both the Protege5 and the GT require a moonroof in order to get ABS. I don't know what the decision makers in Hyundai were smoking when they made this decision, but, apparently, they are not the only car company executives smoking it.
It is interesting to note that on the regular Elantra, you CAN'T get a moonroof and ABS on the same car. They must use a dart board to decide what options to put in the option packages.
Tom
On the GT:
Package 7 (Package 6 + ABS + traction control???) is $1,175
Package 6 (moon roof) is $650
You pay $525 more for ABS (+traction control??)
On the GLS
Package 5 (Package 2 + ABS + traction control) is $1,150
Package 2 (whatever) is $400
You pay $750 for ABS + traction control.
Does it look like the GT won't have traction control or just that someone at Hyundai priced them while smoking something?
I am really grateful that the Canadian version of the Protege5 will have ABS standard, and I can get it without the moonroof.
Nomi
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ship the GT model to the East Coast. Quickly, I beg you. This is the only hatchback that my wife likes! We already admire the GLS and we need a new car. Please hurry.
Thank you,
Chris
PS - Anyone hear of dealers accepting deposits or establishing waiting lists for the GT?
They're already in port. within 28 days, the GT will be in all dealerships in limited supply.
It's cool, though. They're basically putting out a feeler to see how many people snatch it up. After all, since it's arriving before the Mazda, It'l be the first TRUE five-door hatch(besides the Golf) released to the public since the Escort dropped the 4-door in '97.
I'm ready. I've got pre-arranged financing.
It was a hair too expensive, anyway.
Nomi
Now, if I could find even one local dealer that KNOWS ABOUT these cars, I'd be all set. As of yesterday, none of them claimed to have any knowledge of the Elantra GT, even though the cars are in the country and less than 30 miles from several of them.
What is Hyundai up to? I literally can get within five feet of one of these cars, but I can't test drive, purchase (if I like it), or even talk about the vehicle with anyone in the supply chain. It's maddening.
I found the Elantra to be more pleasant to drive than the ZX3. I'm not sure whether the Corolla is any better than the eleven year old Prizm. The Elantra seemed as nicely finished with the exception of the seat patterns. That certainly wasn't the case with the earlier Prizm/Corolla v. the first generation Elantra. My suspicion is that the 1993-97 Corolla/Prizm was the nicest of the lot and that the present generation is a step backward.
Given a friend's somewhat negative experiences with the Focus, I've got the Elantra GT at the top of my list. I'll also take a look at the new Mazda and it would be real nice if Honda would bring in the 5 door hatch back to complement the reintroduction of the 3 door hatch.
not well informed car buffs like us! :@) They won't tell you when a car is coming in because they hope you will say.... "Oy! I can't wait another day..... give me the beige and grey box on wheels sitting right there with the $200 taupe pinstripes right now! Don't forget the undercoating and fabric protection and spoiler please! Oh wait! I'm really worried so charge me $1200 for extended warranty!
Did you see any orange ones by the way???
I've been keeping track of the Elantr GT for months now and guess what I'm driving? A silver Golf GLS 1.8T with Luxury and Monsoon packages. Simply the best five door ever. Bought it through carsdirect.com for 19,543. Its like driving a BMW and people respond to it. Some how I just don't think the Elantra would have went well with my brass rat from MIT. My suggestion:
If your going to buy get the Golf GLS. It will hold its value and the 150 hp turbo will leave any five door out there now in the dust. The 1.8 is even better than the v6 with a mod chip; gives it 30 extra horses.
The GLS has traction control and abs standard so if you don't need alloys and s sunroof you can get the car for less than 18,000 (2.0L 115hp engine).
Forget Hyundai, what if the Elantra GT doesn't penetrate? Your looking at being stuck with a car that no one has experience with. Who wants to be the first person to take the leap, take the risk?
-velly
Different people have different priorities. The Golf (other than with the 2.0L) is a very good car.
The Golf and the Elantra share a similar power train warranty, but the bumper to bumper warranty is decidedly skimpy on the VW. Yes, I know there's "free" scheduled maintenance in the 2/24k period.
I have to tell you that the build problems on VWs are not in the power trains, especially now that the Audi/Porsche tech is trickling down. However, that 2/24k bumper to bumper expired far too soon for a lot of VW owners whose power train was otherwise in fine fettle.
Trim/switch/latch/seal/fit and finish/hardware problems sometimes become quite bothersome. VW America did a great job of training its sales consultants and service technicians to recognize and cope with these issues.
Now, who's to say the Elantra won't have the same issues? Certainly not me. But if I drive it and like it, I'll take the longer bumper to bumper warranty, the extra $4k or $5k, and the newer overall design and engineering (new Korean[?] vs. 4 yr old German[!]—what a concept to ponder!).
The Golf is a terrifically underappreciated car, and if it had a better price point it would be on my list. I never regretted selling one; I can't say that about the Vanagon.
That contributes to a high cost of ownership if you do it right. I know two former customers who threw the "regular works fine" mantra at me who experienced medium term drivability problems and were forced into out of warranty repairs as a result of their desire to save 20 cents a gallon.
The Elantra GT is born and bred for regular unleaded, and that's a big selling point in my cost of ownership analysis.
Velly, protect your investment and use the correct fuel. That 1.8T will give you all it's got.
RE: Dealer lack of knowledge. I would use that dealer ignorance to my advantage and keep hitting different dealers until I found a great deal on a brand new model.
Erik
My new vehicle search is heating up now that the tranny seals on my 87 Ford Mustang finally blew last night. Should I wait for the GT or should I buy two Kia Rios so my wife and I each have one to drive to work... :-) Come on Hyundai -- get those GTs to Jersey!
And I know that Hyundai dealers don't seem to have a lot of info on the GT yet, but I'm going to cut them some slack. HMA's sales are skyrocketing (possibly because people are starting to discover value?!?) and they've probably had to hire a lot of new salespeople recently. Of course, this should mean good things for the auto buyer.
Velly, best of luck with your new VW. I really like the Golf but as noted by other posters it is kind of pricey for my budget. I'm sure you will be happy with yours.
Happy Motoring!
I've tried to make contact with dealers who have Internet sales. Their sites list the Elantra GT and even let you submit a request for a quote, but the quotes never come. When I contact the dealers by phone and ask why there's no response, they stonewall by saying it's a mistake, no such car exists, etc., etc. When I tell them about the build your own link on Hyundai USA's site, it's news to them.
In a sense, I'm tired of just talking about it, and I'm a little peeved at Hyundai's handling of this. Someone at the port, or at Hyundai HQ, or at a dealership, or SOMEONE ought to know what's happening with these cars.
Let's see: they've got the car, they've got some consumer interest, they've got some media interest, they have some potential buyers, they have the dealers and distributors to deliver and sell them, so what's missing? Oh yeah, a sales plan and the will to connect customers with their product.
Come on, Hyundai, let's get it together.