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Hyundai Elantra 5-door

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Comments

  • southpawbostonsouthpawboston Member Posts: 29
    that's why i bought a one year old elentra and saved over $4000 over the best new price around. the bulk of it's depreciation already occured.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    That's the most economical way to do it, especially if you can find a used Elantra with the extended warranty.
  • southpawbostonsouthpawboston Member Posts: 29
    unfortunately, that's something i had to sacrifice-- the 10/100 extended warranty. i also had to sacrifice the 0.9% financing that hyundai offers. as a used car, i had to find my own financing and 3.99% was the best i could find.
  • jinx1224jinx1224 Member Posts: 8
    Thanks Southpaw! I'm going to get the tv tuner cleaner and give it a try.
  • harlequin1971harlequin1971 Member Posts: 278
    In no hurry to drive a bunch of miles. I am looking forward to having that rare 5-year old '03 GT on the market with under 40k miles! Right about the time the world finally gives up the old prejudices about Hyundai and finally accept that Honda and Toyota have indeed slipped from Valhalla to commonplace in a market tight with competition.

    I did, however, just get a new job and will be driving a bit more. Kinda snuck up on me and changed my plans...the purpose behind the GT is now obscured (plans to go back for my masters degree is on hold) and I am earning decent coin...might be hard to resist all the great cars coming out in the next two years.

    Heck, the Lotus alone has me wondering how I might get a 40k loan approved. :)
  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    We took delivery of a new 2004 GT 5-door 5-speed Elantra a short time ago. Took 3 weeks from order date. In that time the rebate went up $750, so that was OK. Our car is crimson in color, and since we wanted ABS we had to get a sunroof also, but I think we will like it. The gas mileage went from 21 to 24 in 700 miles mostly city. Thanks for all your help in helping us chose an Elantra. Hope for a good owner experience.
    Niels
  • dovid2dovid2 Member Posts: 90
    inharmsway, on your new GT! I'm sure you'll be happy. I bought mine in December and have just loved it. I bought it right before Christmas and
    Hyundai had increased the loyalty rebate from
    1 to 2 thousand so I got $2750 off. We have a
    2000 GLS with 60,000 nearly trouble-free miles
    on it so I was confident. I'm sure you'll
    get good service out of it as long as you keep it
    'out of harm's way'.
  • shado4shado4 Member Posts: 287
    I've had my 2002 Elantra GT 5 door since November of 2001. So far, I've put just over 20,500 miles on it in mixed city/highway driving, with a couple of 1,400+ mile round trips from Pennsylvania to South Carolina.

    This is a GREAT car. The only "major" troubles I've had have been a couple of burned out bulbs (one headlight and one taillight, both replaced FREE of charge at the Hyundai dealership), a busted CD player (CD stuck inside and wouldn't play. Hyundai installed a brand new unit under warranty. Unfortunately they couldn't get the CD out of the old unit and had to send it back to the factory to remove it!), and a front wheel shimmy at highway speeds (solved by balancing the front wheels). That and the brake line recall, which was performed in under an hour.

    The car has started on the first try every time, even in nearly zero degree conditions we experienced a few weeks back. Still have the original tires and brake pads. I've changed the oil every 5,000 miles and have never had to top it off (i.e., no leaks and no burning oil).

    The car is showing some signs of wear and tear, door dings and scuff marks, but no pealing paint (it's the Platinum color). The occasional rattle or squeak can be heard, especially in sub-freezing temperatures, but it's nothing that really annoys me.

    MPG is around 26 with an automatic trans. I admit to having a lead foot, and my average highway speed is close to 75 MPH.

    I'm very pleased with the Elantra. It has proven itself to be more trouble free than my previous Volkswagen GTI. But even as much as I like this car, I feel a trade in coming up this summer when the Tucson makes its debut.

    Hyundai has proven itself to me to provide a reliable, inexpensive form of transportation with the Elantra. Anyone who thinks Hyundai can't compete based on past offerings is denying themselves a truly wonderful experience.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    Just a reminder - the boards aren't classifieds - no buying/selling in Town Hall.
  • indomieindomie Member Posts: 10
    I'm still trying to replace my recently totaled 2001.5 GT, and have quickly come to realize that finding a 5-speed GT Hatch within 150 miles of Jackson, MS, is about as likely as winning the lottery.

    A dealer in Louisiana told me that he located a pewter 5-speed GT fully loaded at port which he could redirect to LA for me. I had never really considered the ABS (I was very pleased with the stopping power of my non-ABS GT) or Traction Control (since winters are very mild in MS).

    Those of you with the ABS & TCS - are you happy with these extras or are they not worth the money? Also (and this may be a really stupid question) does having traction control decrease gas mileage? I know AWD and 4WD have a major negative impact on gas mileage.
  • aznmontyaznmonty Member Posts: 66
    I have the ABS option and I do not know why anyone would want to go without it. It does rain in Mississippi and the ABS comes alive in those types of situations. Why not have the peace of mind that you have a safety feature that you do not have to worry about. ABS and TCS are safety features in which you do not even appreciate their worth when they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. It has saved me from several spin outs and from slipping into a telephone pole. I will always have ABS on the cars I own.

    Its probably not that stupid of a question with TCS and mpg. TCS only comes on when you lose traction, it is standby mode most of the time and I do not see why it would drain your mpg. AWD drains mpg cause it requires more axles to be powered. TCS only comes online in those times when traction is decreased. Typically, your TCS would not be active for an extended period of time. Once your wheels get moving, the TCS is standby.
  • blackandblueblackandblue Member Posts: 66
    Not to mention the insurance reduction.
  • indomieindomie Member Posts: 10
    I have always felt like an idiot because I wasn't clear as to what exactly TCS did. I'm going to check w/ State Farm to see how much of a reduction they give for these options. Depending on the number, it could end up paying for itself!

    At the moment, I have a seemingly unbelievable deal on a base 5-speed. 13851-2000 regional rebate-400 grad student rebate= 11451 delivered (destination included). Problem is that the car would be almost 900 miles away. I'm waiting to hear back from a few dealers who are a bit closer in the hopes they can come near that price. Fingers crossed!
  • dairyshickdairyshick Member Posts: 129
    I'm also eligible for the college discount, but the dealer I am working with said that if I take the $400 discount, I would also have to finance through Hyundai, which would mean a worse APR....are you in this same situation???

      Does anyone else know what kind of APR I would be looking at for a 60 month loan through the Hyundai financing??

    I'm really close to the total I wanted to spend on the car, but not close enough. Although, I think the dealer may have made a math error when adding up my offer because the numbers they used should have been roughly $14200, but they were quoting me $14600. I was hoping to get them down to about $13600, but that was as far as they'd go because they said their invoice for that car was about $15300..Here's the numbers:

    $16,149 : MSRP
    $15,400 : dealer's offer
    -$2000 : elantra discount
    -$500 : loyalty discount
    ---------
    $12,900 + Tax(6%), tags, title

    Then they offered me $4200 for my trade in that has a $4800 payoff.
    Someone please let me know if they actually get $14600, because I keep getting roughly $14200 total out the door. I use the 6% PA sales tax, but is there a chance they're using a different percentage???
  • indomieindomie Member Posts: 10
    Dairyshick, I had not realized that you were required to go with Hyundai financing. According to Hyundai's website, though, it's true. Fine print #3. Hmm... That takes some of the fun out of it. I have no idea what rates HMFC is charging & whether they're competitive.

    As to the math error, from what I've heard it may be an advertizing charge that they sometimes throw in. I could be wrong, though...
  • aznmontyaznmonty Member Posts: 66
    Well if its $450, then its basically one or two free years of financing.

    Try not to finance too long though. If you can do it, pay if off!
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    The college rebate does require Hyundai financing. I got stuck with it. Thanks to my upside down trade and small down payment, I got a quite high interest rate. But with the numbers mentioned above, I would think they can offer you reasonable rates if your credit is good. I think their standard rate is 5.9% for 60 months.
  • blackandblueblackandblue Member Posts: 66
    The dealer rates are negotiable as they often add points to the rate the pay. They are allowed to this for offering you the service but sometime they take advantage of people. See what other dealers are willing to do for you when you tell them you are shopping for the best rate as well as the best price on the car.
  • dairyshickdairyshick Member Posts: 129
    Does anyone know for sure when tax is calculated on a car purchase?....I know that the trade-in value they offer you is taken away first before taxes, but what about rebates??...Are they substracted from the total before or after taxes are calculated?
  • blackandblueblackandblue Member Posts: 66
    Tax is always calculated and added on before the rebate. This is not usually shown in advertising as it makes the math a little more complex and the dealers want to highlight the rebate.
  • mehuljmehulj Member Posts: 15
    Hi,

    I've Nissan altima with nearly 75K miles on it, no major issues on it. I'm planning to trade my car for a more compact car with good mileage (we owe Honda Ody for long trips). I want to know which would be good.
    I'm looking at Elantra GT 5 door with fully loaded (option 8).
    Mazda 3 5 door Hatchback (interior of 3 looks very good -atleast online).
    Toyota Matrix XRS (I think Pontiac Vibe would be better as it is copy of Matrix but could be had for discounted price compared to Matrix).

    Any recommendations ?

    thanks

    MJ
  • southpawbostonsouthpawboston Member Posts: 29
    i would recommend the elantra GT from a cost, comfort, and reliability standpoint. i would also recommend the mazda 3 on a design, performance and engineering standpoint, but the reliability remains to be proven. mazda reliability has plummeted with the recent introduction of new models such as the 6. plus the mazda 3 shares a lot of components with the ford focus, which has had many reliability problems in the U.S.

    the matrix/vibe seem good on paper, and should have very good reliability, but i can't stomach their looks. the elantra GT and mazda 3 both have a nice, sport-euro look to them. the vibe/matrix just looks trendy in my opinion, and lacks timeless style.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    You really need to get out and DRIVE these cars. That may be enough to let you decide. The cars have different handling and ride characteristics. The 3s has the sportiest handling and a more powerful engine than the Elantra, but the Elantra has more feature content at a lower price (the 3s can be optioned out to exceed the GT's features, e.g. nav system, but now you're looking at over $20k). The Vibe is the best hauler of the bunch, but I've seen complaints in reviews on the driving position and the driveability of the optional engine. What you need to do is figure out what criteria are important to you, then go out and take long test drives of all three cars to narrow things down. You will probably find that one or two cars drop out based on your criteria and test drive. If not, then you can play all three dealers against each other in negotiations. ;-)
  • mehuljmehulj Member Posts: 15
    Thanks for your advise, I've test driven Mazda 3 liked the way it drives but still I feel you need to push little bit more to get speed out of it (might be bcoz car was brand new) compared to my 155hp 3 yrs old Nissan Altima. I'd like to know what is GT in Elantra ? Does that mean this vehicle is turbo charged ? Will it give more smooth ride , means will respond more to gas ?

    thanks

    MJ
  • aznmontyaznmonty Member Posts: 66
    Howdy,

    The GT means that there is tighter suspension than the regular, fog lamps, leather, upgraded stereo mp3 player, and vtec for the 04 model. All together, the Elantra GT is not really a GT in its natural sense of the word.

    I would go with the Mazda 3 cause it just looks so different. I think the instrumentation in the Matrix/Vibe is not the most friendly; along with with the ride height. I am just not comfortable in the Matrix.

    But i chose the Elantra GT cause its just the best value out of them. Fully loaded its comparable to the others. And i will trust Hyundai reliability with the best warranty out there over the others.

    I agree with backy as you need to sit in the cars and see how it will feel. Looking at pictures is deceiving. I think Elantra has the most luggage capacity overall. Definitely take a longer look at the GT. The thought will grow on you.
  • jacobi1jacobi1 Member Posts: 32
    Good day,

    I have an 02 GT with factory RIMS, I've been driving the car in harsh Canadian winter weather for about 2 yrs (125,314kms to be exact). The finish on my RIMS are wearing in areas, some spots it's shows white spots through (imagine its undercoating?). Any ideas to brighten them up without having them refinished? If they do have to be refinished, any ideas what the cost may be? (realize it may vary).

    Thanks.
  • harlequin1971harlequin1971 Member Posts: 278
    I've test driven Mazda 3 liked the way it drives but still I feel you need to push little bit more to get speed out of it

    None of these cars are scorchers in the performance area. If you are looking for get up and go, you aren't likely to match it with high mileage and low cost.

    The Elantra GT is 135-138 hp engine (depending on state/emissions) and is the weakest link of the Hyundai value equpation, IMO. It has gotten stronger as I have owned my car (now at 8k miles) but it doesn't pull. My BMW 318ti (138hp/very close on weight) seemed to pull better, a combination of gearing and transmission design, no doubt, but it also used premium fuel and would return about 24 mpg in mixed driving.

    The Mazda should be the strongest runner of the group. IIRC, you get two choices of engines, including the 165hp one from the 6. If that isn't enough punch, you aren't looking for an economy car, you are looking for a 40mpg WRX. If you find one, let me know. :)

    The Vibe/Matrix has been criticized by several sources for being very blah in the driving/acceleration side of life.

    A sneaky fourth option might very well be the new VW Jetta Wagon with the TDI Diesel engine. Most of Jetta's recent reliability problems seem to stem from the popular 1.8T engine. The TDI engine was upgraded from 90hp to 100hp. Doesn't sound like much, but torque jumped as well, to 177 IIRC. I have driven the old 90hp Jetta and while it is no barn burner, it had plenty of pickup for around the town driving. The gobs of torque that a diesel delivers makes the engine feel stronger than it is. My Elantra drives like it is being "pulled" along. The Jetta TDI drives a little more like it is being "pushed" along, a much more rewarding seat of the pants feeling. Plus, you get 40-50 mpg.

    Of course, Jetta Wagons are much more expensive then Elantra GTs, don't have as good of a warranty, and the wagon style is very straight-forward and not as up-to-date as it once was.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Actually the same VVT engine is used on the '04 Elantra GLS and GT. The suspension is the biggest performance difference, also standard rear disc brakes on the GT (which you get only with ABS on the GLS). And of course all the other goodies that have been mentioned.
  • jimbeaumijimbeaumi Member Posts: 620
    I am curious: who is reporting on the reliability of the Madza 6? Also, about the Mazda 3 -- it is based on a new Focus platform which is unrelated to the U.S. Focus (we are keeping the old platform for the time being). FYI
  • jinx1224jinx1224 Member Posts: 8
    Southpaw..... your trick of using the tv tuner cleaner to fix the noise when the volume was turned worked like a charm. Thanks again! Anyway, are there any other uses for this stuff around the house?
  • carlisimocarlisimo Member Posts: 1,280
    I hated the Vibe when I rented it. Mostly because I'm used to early-90s subcompacts, so it might not be a fair assessment... it was the driving position that I couldn't stand. I'm used to looking over my left shoulder when I change lanes... it was useless in the Vibe.
    When I sat in a Mazda3, I felt even more like I was in a black hole. A nicely decorated one, but still.
    I sat in an Elantra GT and rearward visibility wasn't great, but not too bad. And it felt more like a regular car. More airy and less somber than the other two.

    Question for everyone... do you drive using only mirrors to change lanes? I was taught not to, but maybe that's not how things work anymore.
  • aznmontyaznmonty Member Posts: 66
    Most of the time, i do not have to check the blind spots for lane changes cause i have an extra wide center rearview mirror attachment. I would recommend everyone to get one since your entire right side is covered so no blind spots on your right. The left is a different story. There is one small area where a car could hide and they apparently like to hide there often. I have my side mirrors positioned so that I cannot see the tail of my car. This is supposed to cut down on the size of the blind spot.

    But the biggest tip: Get a Broad rearview mirror!!!

    I think the rear view of the Elantra GT was poor when i first started, but you learn to adapt your checks after a while.

    I took a defensive driving course last summer. Still do your mirror checks and your blind spot before you change lanes. You should check your mirrors every 10 secs cause the situation always changes. Leave an exit all the time. Stay away from trucks (either pass them or stay far behind). Trucks could have junk stuck between their wheels and bricks have been known to be thrown at cars that followed too close.

    Space and time are the most important things to remember. Give yourself 4 secs or 3 sec minimum between you and the car in front of you. We have all come to that situation when we are all traveling close in a pack and then a sudden stop to a complete stop. Increasing the following distance will reduce the need to swerve to the shoulder lane.

    When you drive, don't be distracted, treat it like you were working. Take driving seriously, with determination.

    Hope this bit of info helps ya'll!
  • jimijamesjimijames Member Posts: 41
    "When you drive, don't be distracted, treat it like you were working. Take driving seriously, with determination."

    That's the best thing I've read in a long time. I can't stand how so many people treat driving like it's *something else* they have to do while in a car... you know those idiots who drive 50mph in the left lane totally oblivious to the line of angry drivers behind them because they are on the phone, reading, eating, shaving, or whatever. Go ahead and pop in a cd or adjust the heat, but the primary job of the driver is to drive!
  • jimbeaumijimbeaumi Member Posts: 620
    I'll second that!!
  • orlickiorlicki Member Posts: 7
    Greetings all-- I was reading the "New Car Test Drive" review of the '04 GT on the Hyundaiusa website, and they mentioned a remote for the stereo system. For those of you who have a new Elantra-- is this true for the '04's? Could it be used as a proxy for the on-steering wheel controls of the Mazda3/Jettas? If it is something that was intended to be included but wasn't, could you get a remote from Hyundai? Cheers.
  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    We have a 2004 GT and it came with a remote for the Kenwood. It is handy because you do not have to take time to look for the rather small buttons on the stereo. Also kids in the back seat always want you to change the station...now you can just hand them the remote and they can do it on their own.
    Niels
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    My driving habits were ingrained into me by my Driver's Ed instructor in 10th grade (over 20 years ago). The guy made driver education fun and interesting and he had a lot of good tips.

    One of these tips is that you should ALWAYS be scanning your rear view mirror every 5-10 seconds, even if just a quick glance. This way, you always know who is behind you and who is closing in on you from behind. I used to have trouble doing this, but now I do it automatically without thinking about it.

    I concur with the quote, "When you drive, don't be distracted, treat it like you were working." If we all did this, there would be a lot less accidents (including less people driving while talking on cell phones and putting on makeup). Good advice!
  • jinx1224jinx1224 Member Posts: 8
    How am I supposed to keep checking my mirror when I'm taking an important call or am on my coffee break? Hey, a guy has priorities you know :) I saw the funniest bumper sticker the other day, it read "Hang up and drive!".
  • lovetosavegaslovetosavegas Member Posts: 73
    Though I disagree with a statement "treat driving like work" - most of us already have too much work, I found visibility in GT when changing lanes, better then Matrix and about the same as in Protege5. I think that a driving position is very important, since you don't want b-pillar fully obstruct your left blind spot. When I found a comfortable position in Matrix, I found blind spot to be huge :( When changing lanes while merging on-ramp, I couldn't see a car just behind me at all. Started to change lanes and at that time saw part of a car, which caused me to pull-back into my lane. Salesman, in passenger seat saw the car and was pretty scared.
  • vadpvadp Member Posts: 1,025
    ...the mazda 3 shares a lot of components with the ford focus, which has had many reliability problems in the U.S.

    Just to clear the things up...

    The Mazda 3 shares ZERO components with the U.S. Focus.
    And even then only the U.S. made 2000-01 Focuses had many reliability problems.
    The 2002-2003 models are just fine.
    The Mazda 3 shares the platform and components with the second generation Euro Focus which won't come to the U.S. shores for quite a while.
    BTW the first gen Euro Focus proved to be super reliable - even better than the Japanese makes.
  • pheopheo Member Posts: 10
    Are the speakers in the GT the same ones there are in the GLS? Edmonds.com says 50 watts, but I've read 200 on more than one source elsewhere. I hope Edmonds is wrong.
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    Are you speaking of the speaker's power handling capabilities or the total audio power level? I assume you are referring to the audio power. If so, the 200-watt quote is correct (earlier GT's have 100-watt system).

    If you are referring to speaker power handling capabilities, that number is basically meaningless to most audio users. Speaker efficiency and sound quality are much more important, in my opinion, unless you plan to build a very high power audio system.
  • pheopheo Member Posts: 10
    I guess I was talking about the total audio power level. I do not plan to build a high power audio system because a main cause of hearing loss is exposure to noise, and you could permanently damage your ears by listening to really loud music. Do the speakers in GT have high speaker efficiency and sound quality, then? I just got a GT, and I love the custom color display. I was asking because it would be a shame if the speakers didn't live up to the head unit's capabilities.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Hyundai stereos have basic average joe paper cone speakers unless you get their high end Infinity system. Upgrading your speakers should greatly improve the sound quality. That being said, I always thought Hyundai stereos provided decent sound quality considering the price of the car.
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    Speaking from the 100-watt system in my 2001 GT, the front speakers, in my opinion, sound very good, mainly due to tweeters mounted high on the front doors and good bass response from the mid/woofer on the lower part of the door (good bass response for the speaker's size).

    The rear speakers I found to be pretty flat, but you can't really tell this unless you are sitting in the back. I replaced the rear speakers anyway, to improve high-end response in the rear.

    I agree with lngtonge18 that Hyundai's audio systems sound pretty good, compared to many others (excluding premium, high-dollar audio upgrade options).
  • pheopheo Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the replies. I think I will stick with the stock speakers. My mp3cd sounds good enough.
  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    Our '04 GT has 1500 miles on it now, and next to the last gas fill up we got 39 mpg all highway. I did'nt believe it at first, but the next fill up verified it because it was back down to 25 mpg all city as usual. Have any of you guys had the same numbers?

    Niels
  • pheopheo Member Posts: 10
    I have 340 miles on my 04 GT with automatic transmission. I didn't quite reach 39 mpg, but my trip computer read above 33 when I was driving home from the dealer, which is 65 miles away. Since then it's been mostly city driving, and the trip computer now says 26. I suspect I am getting low 20s in city.

    btw, how do you determine how many gallons you consumed between fill-ups when manually calculating gas mileage?
  • inharmswayinharmsway Member Posts: 153
    When you fill up, note the total odometer reading. Next time you fill up subtract this reading from the new odometer reading. Divide this figure with the gallons bought the second time.That would be your gas mileage for that fill up. Although it does not quite explain so in the owners manual, the gas mileage computer can be reset just like the trip meter, and then it reads the gas mileage you are getting from the reset on.

    Niels
  • pheopheo Member Posts: 10
    Well, I can simply reset the trip odometer when I fill up, but I was wondering how I can make sure I fill up to the exact same level every time in order to get an accurate measurement using the method you described.
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