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Hyundai Elantra 5-door

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Comments

  • jc77jc77 Member Posts: 14
    Does anyone know if the GT's are in high demand in SoCal. i'm moving there in a few weeks and would rather not have to wait long.
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    Well, I've owned my new GT for 4 days now and have already racked-up 600 miles. So far, I have begun to notice some intermittent noises:

    (1) I am having what I think is seatbelt vibration noise from the front passenger shoulder belt area. I think others reported this. It's not too annoying, since it only happens on rough roads and is not very loud.

    (2) When I take sharp turns, whether low or fast speed, I sometimes hear a "clack . . . clack . clack" type noise, in a random pattern. It almost sounds like one or more front wheels might be rubbing on an inside fender piece of material. The car tracks and drives fine, so I'm not sure what this is. I'll have to take a closer look.

    Other than that, I am getting bored waiting for the end of the 1200 mile break-in. Actually, I just goosed it a bit today and got the rpms up to 4500 one time in second gear. Felt great!

    As far as gas mileage goes . . . I have a 5-speed and dealer filled up gas tank when I went to pick it up. The mpg read-out above the odometer read 29.8 mpg as I filled up at about 430 miles. It took about 13.2 gallons to fill it up. Since the car had 55 miles on it when the dealer filled it, I got about 28.4 mpg, with about 75% highway driving. Not too bad for break-in period first tank. I expect it will get better with the next tank since I am now driving more highway miles than with the first tank.

    Enjoy!
  • jdunne78jdunne78 Member Posts: 11
    In the last couple days I've test drove two different GT's. One was an automatic, and the other was a 5 speed.

    Has anyone else felt like the automatic was "unintelligent" in it's shifting? The car that I took out felt like it didn't know what it wanted to do. Most of my problems were under stop and go traffic. I felt like it would downshift too early and left you stuck in too low of a gear killing any acceleration.

    When under hard acceleration, I had to let my foot off of the gas to allow it upshift as well. The car had only 50 miles on it, so I didn't want to drive it too hard without proper break in time.

    It may just be me as well. I haven't owned a four cylinder, especially a small 4 cylinder, for close to 4 years now. I just may be used to the low end grunt of a big V6.

    I was pleasantly surprised by the pep of the 5 speed though. I found myself easily going over the posted speed limit. It was also much more relaxed at highway speeds than I thought a small 4 cylinder would be.

    As for the ride, I thought it felt very well composed. It felt much lighter than a 3000 pound car. Turning radius is great, and the right side visibility is superb.

    I can't complain about the interior too much. All of my other vehicles have been Ford or GM products, so the Hyundai is actually a step up :)

    The seats were fairly comfortable. I'm hoping that they will soften up just a wee bit though after being sat in for couple thousand miles.

    Back seat space was excellent for a car this size and this price. I'm 6' with very long legs and I can put the drivers seat into a comfortable driving position for me, and then hop into the passenger seat behind me and still fit in there very comfortably as well.

    I did have problems with the seat height adjustment and lumbar support knobs. They were so taunt that I could not adjust them from the seating position. The only way that I could get them to budge was by getting out of the car and using both hands to twist them. There is no way that my girlfriend would be able to adjust them herself. Hopefully that could be fixed by releasing some tension off of a bolt or something.

    For 14,000, I really don't if you can buy a better new vehicle. I was very, very impressed.

    The only thing stopping me is a horrid trade in value on a 2000 GMC Jimmy 4x4 :(

    With luck, I'll shortly be an owner of a Cobalt Blue 5spd.
  • jdunne78jdunne78 Member Posts: 11
    I was curious what sort of prices are people are paying for these cars. Are you actually getting below invoice with the $500 manufacturer rebate?

    The car we are looking at is stickered at $14,500. I was hoping to use the TMV and knock it down to about $13,600, and then use the $500 rebate to bump it down to about $13,100.

    Has anyone gone below dealer invoice?
  • therhinotherhino Member Posts: 21
    We just bought our GT last week,what a great car! Due to limited availability went with the cranberry color in a 5 speed. It was either that or black, not a fun color in Florida (IMO). Anyway, as far as I know there is no rebate on the GT, if there is I guess I missed out! We paid $14550 for the GT with sunroof, and 5speed, I also had them include window tint at that price. That price is with destination charge but before adding tax,tag. We've now sold both our Acura Legends, and we really are impressed with both of our Elantra's (one 2001 GLS and one 2001.5 GT). Take it easy everyone!
  • grr02grr02 Member Posts: 6
    I have bought my GT and loving it to death! The only complaint so far with my GT is that the car is so quiet that I can hear a buzzing noise coming from the headliner or dash area. I have read some of the postings here about the noise. Has any of you got this problem fixed? Well here in NORCAL they weren't offering any rebates for the GT so I bought it for 16,100 + tax and lic. This is a automatic w/package #7 (sunroof,ABS w/TCS)Pewter. MSRP $16,500. I don't really care what the price is, the only thing is that I love this car. It is like your driving a really expensive sedan with a very great price. 100% recommend this car for any of you that wants every bang for your buck! Kudos!!! San Jose GT_GUY
  • cheverlycheverly Member Posts: 7
    I got my GT (5sp, moonroof, ABS) under invoice for $14,456--a full $1400 under MSRP, but that was over a month ago, when the sales manager mistakenly thought the rebate offer applied to GTs (it does not). So I doubt you now get get such a deal. And as for colors, I think cobalt blue still has not been released at this point. Anybody read any reviews of the car in newspapers, magazines, or on the internet yet?
  • jdunne78jdunne78 Member Posts: 11
    I was just at a dealer yesterday afternoon here in Iowa that had a Cobalt Blue 5spd w/ no extras. Just the base vehicle. I was also told repeatedly by the salesperson that the $500 rebate applied. I'm pretty sure that the sales representative even double checked with a higher up sales manager about the rebate.

    I don't know if it's a regional thing, or if it is a VERY recent promotion, but it appears to be legit.

    I'm not complaining :)

    For those who are interested in the Cobalt blue, and haven't seen it in color, let me tell you that it is georgous. The blue with the gray leather is an excellent combination.
  • azzi1azzi1 Member Posts: 3
    I bought my RED GT 2 weeks ago and have over 800 miles. I am very happy with it. Rides alot better than my 99 elantra and has all the toys. I havent heard anything about a rebate and if i do my salesman will hear about it. he assured me it was only on the elantras, not the GT.
    I probably would have bought it anyway.
    I did buy the diamond kote package. has anyone had any experience with that. i hope i didnt get taken.
  • diploiddiploid Member Posts: 2,286
    The rebates are for Elantras, but excludes the GT.

    First, they're starving, we buy their products, and now they get all selfish and greedy on us!
  • mattwamattwa Member Posts: 16
    I checked with my dealer and he seemed pretty certain there were no rebates on GTs anywhere. That's also what the autosite

    says:


    http://www.autosite.com/new/grabbag/rebatet.asp


    Where did Edmunds get the information?

  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    Edmunds.com gets their incentive/rebate information directly from the manufacturers. I should also mention this is a new system, which is suppose to be pretty accurate. However, the fact that this is a new system may mean there are some gliches that need to be worked out.... especially if many people here are saying their are no incentives available in the areas that Edmunds.com lists.

    Btw, did you see Post #609, by jdunne78 "I was also told repeatedly by the salesperson that the $500 rebate applied. I'm pretty sure that the sales representative even double checked with a higher up sales manager about the rebate."

    For more information regarding Edmund's incentive & rebates, or to report what you may think is an error with this system, you can contact Edmunds technical/editorial staff through our Help Section. Look for contact information near the bottom of the page. Good luck.

    Pocahontas
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    Hi Everyone -

    To follow up on previous discussions regarding Edmunds' Incentives & Rebates information, I went ahead forwarded some your messages to the Edmunds' management, and asked them to look into this matter. Here's the information I just received:

    "Hyundai has confirmed, however, that the new GT hatchback is excluded. The cash incentive has been removed from our database and will be deleted from the site when the data is refreshed tomorrow night. The special finance rates on our site agree with the current Hyundai programs. Dealer cash that is dependent on the dealer's sales volume is not included in our database because the incentive may not be applicable to a customer if the dealer has not met the volume threshold."
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    As I mentioned above, the fact that this system is new may also mean there may be some glitches in the system. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you... and thanks for your patience as we're working to correct these problems.

    Also, a special thanks to Mattwa and Diploid for helping to correct this error! ;-)

    Pocahontas
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • mattwamattwa Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for the update!

    Edmunds.com does a great job.
  • focusmatt2focusmatt2 Member Posts: 106
    I have a Focus ZX3 that I have had problems with and would replace with an Elantra GT if I could afford to pay the upside-down costs of my loan.

    So is it true when the Hyundai USA website states that Elantra GT's come standard with alloys and leather?

    I love alloys and leather :)
  • therhinotherhino Member Posts: 21
    Sorry you're having trouble with your ZX3. I just bought the GT almost two weeks ago, and yes they all come standard with alloy wheels (and four wheel disc brakes) and leather. The leather is also on the shift knob, the steering wheel, and the door panel trim. My car has about 800 miles so far, and I love it. I couldn't find anything close to match it for the price/features/ride. We have an Elantra GLS (2001) as well with 7500 miles, and no problems so far (aside from an air cond. smell that my wife always smells and does not like!) Both cars are a great value IMO. Good luck with your trade...
  • therhinotherhino Member Posts: 21
    Referring to my last post, does anyone else notice any unpleasant smell from their AC? I brought the GLS in twice for the ac smell, and both times they did some type of cleaning on the system. It worked for a couple days, then the slight musty smell comes back. It goes away after the air runs for a few minutes, but it is a little odd. The air is ice cold, and their are no leaks of water anywhere into the vehicle... That has been the only problem with this great car!
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    ... is one of the most common complaints with any car. If you live in a very hot and humid climate (like I do - Houston), you'll suffer with this almost all the time. What you are smelling is mildew and mold growing on and around the evaporator core, since the core is usually wet with condensation. Cleaning it is a hit and miss job unless you take it out of the car (very difficult!), but there are powerful sprays made by companies such as Wurth that kill the mildew and deodorize the core. Here's a tip to try: shut off the A/C and run the fan on a higher setting for the last few minutes of your drive. This often dries the moisture on the evaporator core and minimizes mildew formation.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    Getting set to take it in for the first oil change. Now that I adjusted the tire pressure from the 50 psi they sent me out the door "dealer prepped" with to a more reasonable but still hard 35 psi, I am getting more realistic mpgs. Looks like 33 on the highway and 26 around town. So far, only the fuel gauge refusing to read "full" and a stuck rear seat back release button are the only problems. I let the fuel tank get a bit low on my way to $1.19 gas at the southern end of NJ and saw the yellow low fuel pump light up on the dash at 50 miles to empty. Great car. Great value! For an earlier poster...paid $16k flat for the auto with ABS, roof, cargo net, and mud flaps. This was when they just came out and supply was nil. This is the best buy for around $15k but have to admit that the 5-speed sedans that are advertised for $9790 or whatever are truly the best buys considering the content and the price. New Accent buyers who can drive a stick should really look at these Elantras before deciding. Once you add air to an Accent the price starts climbing into deeply discounted Elantra territory.
  • focusmatt2focusmatt2 Member Posts: 106
    Apparently Hyundai has issues with smelly interiors and smelly A/C's. I was reading a review of the Elantra over in the UK and they said they noticed a "Saab-like fishy smell enimating from the HVAC" and that the leather smelled noxious.

    Before I bought my Focus, I test drove an Elantra sedan back when that was all that was available, and it seemed nice enough, but I noticed some things, and I'm wondering if they carry over on the Elantra GT:

    1. entering the freeway onramp, I noticed that little rocks and debris hitting the lower half of the car resonated unpleasantly-- a lot of thunks and thuds. I took a Focus and a Golf down the same onramp and didn't notice the sounds (on the same day), so i know it wasn't due to paving or some other phenomenon. It was very noticeable how hollow-sounding these thuds were.

    2. The handling and steering were mushy; the automatic was smooth shifting but the manual transmission felt like a 1992 Saturn or something, notchy as can be. The steering was limp and not heavy weighted like the Focus.

    3. Those fake plastic wheel covers were about the grossest things i've seen. Ordering alloys is difficult due to its placement in one of those option packages.

    If those conditions were any different, I would have picked the Elantra over the Focus. But, 7 months have passed. I love my Focus to death, it's more european than most VW's in terms of its handling and ride and steering manners, but my rotors are warped, my balance is still off after several attempts to fix it, etc. When it came down to it, the Hyundai dealer acted like I was trying to rob the bank when I asked for an Elantra GLS with Option 4 I believe? Automatic, Sunroof, CD player, etc. for drive-out. So, basically, 14,300. I went to the Ford dealer, and they gave me a ZX3 with a faster engine, 16" alloys, CD player, automatic, power everything, for 14,300.

    But I'll consider the GT because I need 5 doors and can get leather and alloys.
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    Stepping from our ZX3 into the GT, we noticed the same thing - the Elantra doesn't have the ride quality or steering feel of the Focus, but Hyundai sure gives you a lot of "toys" for the price... take your pick. I also noticed the leather smell - an hour after driving the demo, my clothes still reeked of leather, and it wasn't a pleasant smell. I'd take a nice, simple, sturdy cloth interior any day - or perforated leatherette, like Audi offers on the A4.

    Warped rotors? Join the club. Just bite the bullet and get some higher quality aftermarket rotors from EBC or Brembo, and you'll solve that problem.
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    OK. I'm now at 960 miles after 9 days of ownership of my GT 5-speed with moonroof.

    So far, here is my synopsis:

    (1) I don't notice the bad-smelling A/C stuff other people have talked about. Then again, my sinuses are not the best in the world. . .

    (2) The CD/sound system, in my opinion, is pretty awesome.

    (3) The A/C get cold faster than any other car I have ever owned.

    (4) The car is beginning to pull VERY slightly to the left. I've checked all tire pressure and all were set to about 31psi by dealer (so, no overinflation for me). I'll wait before I make a trip to the dealer to have it fixed (probably minor mis-alignment issue).

    (5) The only real bothersome problem I am having is that when I take a fairly sharp curve to the right, I hear an intermittent clicking sound from the front left wheel well area. This sound doesn't happen in right turns/curves, only when turning to the left. I don't know if this is a front-end/suspension issue or what. I may wait to get it checked. I wonder if this might be realted to the slight mis-alignment issue, since th car pulls slightly to the left and this clicking sound only happens when I make sharp left turns. Strange one... Anyone have any ideas?

    Overall, this is a great car for the money.

    focusmatt2:

    I'd seriously look at the Elantra GT. I myself traded in my 1998 Escort Wagon and was pretty "upside-down" with respect to payoff on the Escort. My Hyundai dealer worked with me on increasing the selling price on the GT to compensate for the negative equity in my trade.

    To answer your questions:
    (1) I never noticed anything like this with my GT.
    (2) The handling and steering might still be considered a little soft, but this simply makes the car more comfortable on long trips - better than the stiff sport-economy ride in my wife's 1999 Protege ES for sure. There is less road feedback to the driver, but the car still corners and handles very well, in my opinion.
    (3) No wheel covers on the GT! Alloys are standard and not part of a package on the GT.

    Good luck!
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    I think the two conditions (noise and pull) might be related, but only an inspection will tell. Is the clicking mostly noticeable only at low speeds? If so, you might have a damaged or defective CV joint. I'd also suggest checking all the lug nuts with a torque wrench to make sure you don't have a loose wheel - I've seen it happen on new cars. Other than that, I'd snoop around to see if there is a piece of trim or wheel well lining getting in the way during turns. Good luck!
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    Boy, a defective CV after only 900 miles would be a bummer. I think I'll suggest that as a possibility to the dealer. They darn well better buy the whole left-side axle and replace it, as I don't trust the idea of them trying to rebuild one of the CV joints.

    We'll see! Thanks for your comments.
  • focusmatt2focusmatt2 Member Posts: 106
    I was reading a BBC Top Gear article about the new Elantra... before this generation model it was called the "Lantra". Apparently there is a 1.8 engine offered that's far better than the 2.0. It has less horsepower, but the gear ratios are better. That's what i dislike about the elantra.

    And I know the handling can be foresaken, but people don't believe me when I tell them how great the handling is on the Focus. The ZX3 it's different than the sedan, actually, it has a sportier suspension and 16" tires (on my version). They're Z-rated tires and I've managed to turn 90 degrees left at 40 mph and still stay on the pavement. That's beemer territory.

    But I'd be willing to foresake that at the right price. I have seen a few used Sonatas for sale with V6, with about 20K on the clock. I'd much prefer that when it comes down to it...I've driven the Sonata and it is a very wonderful well-screwed car.
  • coastroadcoastroad Member Posts: 8
    I bought a pewter 5-sp Elantra GT a month ago, and have managed to accumulate 2000 miles. My commute is 80% freeway, and I recorded my first three fill-ups at 27.5 mpg, 30.0 mpg, and 34.5 mpg., in that order. The car now seems to be consistent at 33-34 mpg for my commute.

    For those of you who have heard a persistent clicking noise at low speed (sounds like it could be behind the dash), it was the right, front strut tower bearing in my car. The dealer was aware of this problem and reassembled the bearing assembly, which usually fixes the problem. In my case, it lessened the noise, but it comes and goes. the dealer said their fix from now on would be to replace the bearing and they have ordered the parts.

    I changed my own oil at 2000 miles with Mobil 1 synthetic. I am curious to see if there is any affect on mpg. The oil change was easy - everything accessible.

    I am use to luxury cars, which is an unfair comparison to the GT, However I believe the Elantra was definitely worth the money and a good commuter car - fun, well equipped, and fairly quiet for a compact.
  • pgh_elantra_gtpgh_elantra_gt Member Posts: 6
    Just joined the club. I have a pewter GT with auto trans, moonroof, floor mats and mud guards. I started to read this club's messages from the beginning and haven't finished yet, so I hope I am not repeating anything. I have a rattle at the front of the sunroof, pushing up on the headliner stops it. Anybody else have this problem? If so, how can I fix it myself (my dealer is about 1 hour away from where I live)? Also , I bought an air deflector from the parts department where I bought my car from, but I can't get it to fit. Only the j hook on one side will fit, the other side is too far away from where it should be. I noticed the deflector is the same width as the moonroof itself, on other cars with the same kind of deflector, it is alot wider than the moonroof. Does the GT have a bigger (wider) moonroof than the GLS? Anybody have a GT with a factory deflector and is it alot wider than the moonroof? Sorry for the long read and all the questions. I love my GT and couldn't wait to buy it. It amazes me every time I drive it, excellent value and so many features. Thanks.
  • therhinotherhino Member Posts: 21
    You both got the color GT I wanted!...I live in Florida and my only choices were two black ones and one cranberry. I'm starting to like the cranberry in a way, I just hope it holds up better than red usually does. I still haven't seen any cobalt blue ones around, or any other GT's on the road for that matter.
    I have the moonroof too, but no deflector so can't answer that question,( no rattles either ).
    By the way, to protect my alloy wheels from being stolen I checked out getting locking lug nuts from Hyundai (about $25 for four), then found a set at Discount Auto Parts for $10. To save anyone the trouble, they are 12mm x 1.50 acorn shaped (Gorilla Guard # 61631N)
    Take it easy, thanks to silver_bullet for the answer to the AC dilemma...
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    That was an interesting comment about the sunroof wind deflector not seeming to fit properly, as I have had a similar problem with my mud flaps. I tried to install one of the rear-wheel mud flaps (directions were hard to follow and the photograph looked like a 10th generation photocopy). There were only 3 holes per mudflap, but I couldn't get all three to line-up at once. One of the holes did not seem to be in the right place. I called the dealer and they verified the proper part number. The dealer also said that the part number for mud flaps was the same for both the GT and GLS. That made me wonder if the GT wheel-well is actually slightly different, but they didn't catch it.

    Anyone else had problems with the mud flaps (and the wind deflector)?

    Thanks!
  • cjaccettacjaccetta Member Posts: 236
    rhino: thanks for the tip about the locking lugnuts. I may invest in a set for my GT. Do they look odd once they are on the car?

    pgh_elantra_gt: the "pgh" in your username wouldn't signify "Pittsburgh", would it? I grew up there but relocated to NJ in 1992. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Steel City and I still follow all the mighty Black & Gold sports teams. Looking forward to the Steelers season -- Cowher Power!! Nice to have a Pittsburgher in the thread.

    I find it interesting that some GT owners are having problems getting Hyundai-spec parts to fit their cars. Could it be that the GT and GLS are not so similar after all? I've had my GT for over a month now and I keep noticing small differences between the two:

    -- The GT front grille insert (sloped bottom) is slightly different from the GLS (straight);
    -- I think the front and rear seats are shaped differently in the GT and not just leather-covered; and
    -- front (obvious) & rear fascias are different on the GT.

    Any other subtle differences?
  • triumphtripletriumphtriple Member Posts: 10
    You wouldn't happen to be near Ft. Myers, would you? I'm in Central Fla. near Tampa, and I can't find a dealer with a 5 speed Pewter GT with moonroof and ABS. Wondering if you, or anyone else has heard when Hyundai expects to begin shipping these in higher quantity, or if I should just go locally and place an order for one....
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    I would recommend that you ask a dealer/salesperson at one Hyundia dealership to see if they can locate the exact car you want on another dealer's lot. If this dealer seems unwilling to make the effort, go on to the next Hyundai dealer and let them know about your experience at the previous dealer and see if they can locate a car for you.

    I used this ploy. Although I ended up buying at the original local dealer, the other dealer (about 50 miles away) found the exact car I wanted by checking around. Give the dealer a few days and they'll likely find what you want.
  • triumphtripletriumphtriple Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the suggestion. Interestingly enough, this afternoon I was able to locate the exact car I want -- only about 50 miles away. Worth the drive to me so that I can possibly get it this weekend... I'll post if I end up getting the car. Sure am going to miss my Saab though....
  • uryourworduryourword Member Posts: 12
    We love our GT! There is one recurring problem: The cd player often refuses to eject. Error 2 shows up on the display briefly. When this happens, I can't listen to the cd either! Very frustrating. With a little tinkering it eventually ejects. Anyone else have this problem? Oh and we got our first "ding", on the hood. I wanted to kill somebody, but I've gotten over it. The first dent is the WORST!
  • pgh_elantra_gtpgh_elantra_gt Member Posts: 6
    I bought mud flaps from my dealer's parts department and had no trouble fitting the rear ones. They did seem to fit easier if I put the inner most bolt in first and then the others. I think the rear flaps were specific to the GT (5 door) on the paperwork that was in the package. The front flaps had both sedan and 5 door listed together. As for the air deflector problem, I am going to the dealer on Monday. The parts manager called Hyundai and they said to install a deflector for the Sonata. I hope this one fits correctly. Keep you posted.
  • pgh_elantra_gtpgh_elantra_gt Member Posts: 6
    Yes, I am from Pittsburgh. I still haven't seen any other GT's on the road around here yet.
  • saileanusaileanu Member Posts: 5
    and NOT just the airbags failing - look at the whole thing - it's "Marginal" even if the airbags were working right!


    http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_small.htm

  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    You must not have looked at the results yourself. What is so "marginal" about the whole thing? The structure was rated good, just like the Honda Civic. The only problem was the airbag. Sorry, look at the test again. You were mistaken. If the airbag had performed properly, the car would have been rated acceptable. Anyone else getting tired of people pretending to think they know how a car performs when all they look at are a few red dots and refuse to see the whole picture? I know I am.
  • pedennisonpedennison Member Posts: 21
    I remember a couple of people writing posts about the missing remote hatch release on the GT. I received a letter in the mail today from HMA that says the following:

    "HMA determined that an error was made on some 2001 Elantra GT Monroney price labels. The Monroney label, as was posted on the window of your vehicle, indicated that your 2001 Hyundai Elantra GT is equipped with a "remote hatch release". The Elantra GT is not equipped with this mechanism. We regret this error and wish to compensate you $100.00 for an inconvenience this may have caused."

    It asks for a signature and says HMA will send the check in 2-4 weeks. While it isn't a $500 dollar rebate, I'll take it. I knew there wasn't a remote hatch release when I bought it. For those who have bought your GT in the last few weeks, is the remote hatch release still on the sticker?
  • craynericrayneri Member Posts: 15
    I read your link, the Honda Civic destroyed the Elantra in safety. The Hyundai is a better deal out the door, but the money you save should be spent on helmets.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    Each of the poor ratings was due to the malfunctioning sensors combined with the seat track. Structure rated good, like the Civic.

    The leg injuries were something else again and would have occured even if the sensors worked adequately. Because of this, the Civic would have out pointed the Elantra (except for bumper damage), but not by much. Hopefully Hyundai will do a voluntary recall on the sensors and seat track.

    This was a voluntary retest, and the cars actually performed worse than the first go around, again because of the sensors, the head hit THEN the bags went off. Fix that and Hyundai will be in the top half of the ratings, altho. not up with the Civic.
  • craynericrayneri Member Posts: 15
    Although I will probably still buy a GT, the results have made me decide to wait a year. The test results to me indicate more than just replacing sensors, and seat tracks. I can assure you that even replacing those, the Elantra would remain below par.

    Unfortunately, the safety results arent really a competiition between the cars. It is an independent evaluation of each individual car. They ALL could have rated excellent. The fact that the civic has such good scores, indicates that the Hyundai can be much closer to those results regardless of vehicle size.

    There is some engineering that needs to be done, and hopefully soon. I wouldn't mind paying $1000 more for the same car, but with much better results.
  • therhinotherhino Member Posts: 21
    cjaccetta: as you probably know, you put one lugnut on each wheel, they are chrome so they match the existing lugnuts, but they protude just a little bit farther, although I don't think it's noticeable. I feel better knowing that my rims won't get taken...just don't lose the 'key'tool.

    triumphtriple: actually I bought both my Elantra's at Fort Myers Hyundai ( I live in Cape Coral ). I wanted the Pewter too, but I didn't want to wait for it, I like the cranberry now that I've gotten used to it. Let us know if you get the car you want...
  • cjaccettacjaccetta Member Posts: 236
    the Hyundai Elantra got a 'poor' safety rating from the IIHS?!?! Geez, I never knew that! Were those results just released?

    Well, that settles it. I'm going to rush right out and sell my Elantra GT to some poor sucker, take the money and go straight down to the Honda lot and plunk down $16,000 for a Civic. Then I won't ever have to worry about ever being harmed in any kind of accident. Yeah, I might pay close to MSRP for the car, but I sure wouldn't want to have anyone second-guessing my purchase for me.

    What the heck was I thinking when I bought that deathtrap Elantra?!? I must have been looking for a value-laden car with more features and perfomance for the dollar than almost any other compact Asian import. Well, no more well-built highly practical Korean cars for me! I've sure learned my lesson!

    Thanks again to all the posters who keep chiming in with 10-day-old safety stories in this thread. You've finally shown me the error of my ways. Hyundai stinks! Look for me in my new car....

    I'll be the one driving the Civic.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    There's another solution! Do what I did, and attach a heavily padded cover to your steering wheel. Sure it's hard to grip the wheel and it's really hard to see out the windshield, let alone see the gauges, but at least if your driver's airbag inflates late your head will hit something soft.

    I am considering going into business to sell these padded covers. They will be black to match the Elantra's steering wheel, and will be filled with energy (and heat) absorbing gel. I don't have a price yet, but given all the ranting and raving on this forum about the airbag problem, I can probably get a lot for it--at least until Hyundai fixes the airbag problem. Well, I'd better get going and line up my venture capital.

    Just to be sure: :)
  • mattwamattwa Member Posts: 16
    Well, I pushed the rear seat release too far and now it won't reset. I looked up above for the fix but couldn't find it. Can anyone help me out? Thanks.
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    Did the same. My fix is to just let the dealer take care of it when I take it back for one of the 10 free oil changes they gave me as part of the deal.

    As to the Civic....considering that side air bags and ABS are standard only on the EX, and that you can't even get traction control.....I am not so sure I would think I was so safe. I really wanted to buy a Honda, but the Civic's interior was one hellacious disappointment to me in terms of driver comfort and amenities.
  • triumphtripletriumphtriple Member Posts: 10
    I thought you might be near Ft. Myers....I had called them to find out what they had in stock down there and a previous post of yours sounded familiar (cranberry, and two black ones, or vice versa).
    Well, I came home with my new GT on Saturday. Got the exact car I wanted (pewter, 5spd., moonroof), although without ABS. Ended up finding it in Orlando (I'm in Lakeland), having just come off a truck on Thursday night. It still had all the plastic on the seats, etc. from transport, and I was the first to drive it (it had 9 miles on the odometer...). So far, so good -- although I asked for a cargo net as part of the deal and they looked at me like I was nuts. They ended up throwing a cargo net in, but I'm not sure it's a Hyundai net -- it might be from a Jeep. Anyway, I have no way to anchor it into the car --- any suggestions? Or, should I go to my local dealer and pick up the anchor mounts? Didn't realize they were missing until I got home....
    Paid invoice for the car, so I feel like I got a good deal. Now to sell off my other two cars... Anyone interested in an 87 Saab Turbo 3dr, or a 74 Porsche 911?
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    1974 911? What version, and what kind of condition is it in?
  • triumphtripletriumphtriple Member Posts: 10
    Silver bullet -- it's a white coupe (not an "S", or a targa) with a Carrera tail. I had the car disassembled, stripped to bare metal and repainted about 5 years ago. I'll be happy to discuss with you if you like -- my email is kstahl911@yahoo.com
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