as long as something gets here it will be cool. There is a post in the rabbit forums that lead to a german comparo of the mazda 3, golf and kia ceed. If the elantra hatch/wagon looks anything like that, but with more hyundai styling, i will definitely check it out.
Do you mean literally a wagon, or the 5-door hatchback that was revealed in photos earlier in Town Hall? To me there isn't much difference, but I know some people distinguish between wagons and hatchbacks.
Based on those Elantra 5dr photos from the prior post, Saturn shouldn't bother bringing over the Astra. The Elantra has it beat, and I'm betting it'll be cheaper too.
There's not a big difference between the two that I can see, other than the wagon is a few inches longer in back, with a larger (and more practical) window behind the C-pillar. Probably holds more cargo than the hatch also, so that's OK with me. But I am disappointed in the powertrain choices--looks like the same as on the sedan. No six-speed stick, or larger engine option such as the 2.4L I4 from the Sonata and Optima.
It looks something in between a hatch and a wagon and leaning far more towards a wagon. Well I can say that I am glad that Hyundai is bring back the wagon.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Yeah, sad to still see the same powertrain. But as long as that powertrain's still offered in the much heavier Tucson (acceleration must be *awful*, but I've never seen any actual numbers), I don't see much hope for getting any powertrains updated anytime soon. The Tucson especially is just begging for the 2.4L/5-speed auto. It'd be nice if this wagon came with the new 158hp 2.0L at the very least...how come we haven't seen those new 1.8/2.0's in any Hyundai products yet?
I think that Hyundai is being smart holding back on the new powertrain for a year or so. Let Dodge and Mitsu get any bugs out before Hyundai puts them into production. I would also like to see Hyundai go with the CVT and get rid of the 4-speed auto.
A station wagon has a flat cargo floor that can be extended forward by folding the second row seats down and farther back by folding the tailgate down. A wagon does not have a one piece hatch door that opens from top mounted hinges. A station wagon has quarter panels that extend backwards from the rear wheel opening at least a distance equal to the diameter of the rear tire. The cars not meeting the requirements are either sedans or hatchbacks, NOT station wagons.
This is a question for anyone with an Elantra GLS: does it come with a trip odometer? I know you have to get the SE or Limited for the multi-function trip computer, but does the base GLS come with a regular old trip odometer?
I don't know ANY wagons these days on which the tailgate folds down in order to extend the load floor. For example, the E Class wagon's back door has a one-piece hatch door. If the E Class wagon isn't a wagon, I don't know what is. And there are some hatchbacks, such as the '01-'06 Elantra hatch, that has long rear quarter panels--as long as on the sedan. But I sure wouldn't call it a wagon. I do agree that a wagon tends to have longer rear quarter panels than a hatchback, in general, because wagons tend to be built on (extended) sedan platforms, while hatches are usually on shorter platforms. Also I think another distinction is that wagons tend to have a squared-off back, although many hatches are kind of boxy too, and there are some wagons (like the E Class) that are pretty streamlined.
Here's what ol' Wikipedia says about (station) wagons:
I think another distinction is that wagons tend to have a squared-off back,
I think the one way to tell the difference between a hatch and a wagon is the presence of a side window behind the back seat. Compare the Elantra Hatchback with the Elantra wagon for an example.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Dimensions aside there still seems to resistance to marketing "hatchbacks" in the US. Hence, "sport wagon" and other terminology. I have one of the first 01 Elantra GT hatches---so rare it has ABS and Traction Control. I am waiting for the next generation to appear. For me, either configuration would be fine. I've come to the point where I really appreciate flexibility in cars, especially in putting large objects in the rear. No more sedans for me.
The Elantra hatchback only offers a minor increase in what you can fit into it over the sedan. I bet you that I can fit things in my '00 Elantra wagon that won't in your Hatchback.
If cargo space is what you want a wagon is much better any day than a hatch.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
yeah, anyone can post or change an article there. All they or anyone else have are opinions. Just because a person can point to an article that spews the same opinion does not make it any more true.
Except Hyundai's (Theta) engine is at Hyundai's own plants. Further, the building blocks and cylinder head are designed by Hyundai, and the automaker is receiving loyalties.
Maybe you should post your opinion about "what is a wagon?" on Wikipedia then, to set everyone straight.
If you are waiting for Hyundai or anyone else to offer a wagon with a drop-down tailgate, ala the Family Trucksters of yore, I think you are in for a long wait. I think there is one SUV out there that has a pull-out shelf of some kind, but I can't remember which one it is. SUVs have become the wagons of today--which is why there are so few wagons out there I think. Maybe people think, if I am going to get a car that looks like a big box, it might as well be a TALL box so I can hold more stuff.
That can be said for ANY source of information and opinions... including Town Hall. But I don't understand the issue with citing an independent reference as part of this discussion of whether the upcoming Elantra 5-door is a "wagon" or not. At least, I think that is the discussion... Anyway, if you don't like Wikipedia for some reason, fine; feel free to ignore it or cite whatever references you want.
I agree with you that a wagon will hold more. My Forester will definitely handle more types of packages than my Elantra GT. However, I think a hatch has it all over a sedan because you are not constricted by the back shelf being fixed or by a limited opening when the rear seats are down. The SUV with the slide out load floor may be the Dodge Nitro. That could be its only redeeming feature though.
I think that is generally true, but some hatches such as the previous-gen Elantra hatch broke that mold with a hatchback that is the same length as the sedan. And I think some wagons (like the Focus) are actually longer than the sedan. But a lot of hatches are truncated in back.
I am hoping the new Elantra wagon/hatch/whatever will show up before early 2008. I'll bet it will have a GT variant, like the old Elantra hatch did. If so I hope it also has a lower-end trim i.e. GLS from the get-go; with the old Elantra we didn't get a GLS hatch until a few years after the GT hatch debuted.
My opinion always was the station wagons had the open (non-trunk) cargo area, folding rear seat and the passenger compartment roof line that extended to the rear of the car. (Some minor styling changes may have lowered the rear portion of the exterior roof by an inch or so and the top portion of the rear may roof line may have similarly moved somewhat forward. Think of the Chevy Caprice station wagon of the early 1990's.)
Backy, you know a station wagon when you see one, as do most people. Fold down tailgate and lift up rear window, or entire piece lifts up does not define whether a car is a station wagon or not. (What about the old Ford's with the side swinging rear door. Were they a station wagon or not, depending upon how the rear door was opened?)
I think I'm replying to the wrong post..should be to the guy who said a sta. wagon HAD to have a fold down tail gate.
Even though the differences between the wagon and hatch are subtle, I definitely prefer the wagon style. The slight increase in length makes for a much better proportioned vehicle in my eye as I am NOT a fan of "stubby" looking hatchbacks. (ones that look very short in length compared to their height . . . as has become more popular in the last few years) I really enjoyed the fastback styling of the previous generation Elantra, but this wagon with a gently sloping roof toward the rear is a great follow up for me. I could see that being our next car purchase a year from now.
Well, if you are one who likes published opinions better than off the cuff ones, here are a couple of the former, these from Dictionary.com and Wordsmyth.net:
hatch: Automotive. Also called liftgate. the hinged lid of a hatchback that swings upward to provide access to the cargo area.
So, one might guess if it has a hatch, it must be a hatchback, right?
tailgate: a hinged panel or board at the rear of a...station wagon...that can be let down for loading or unloading.
So, maybe if it has a (fold down) tailgate, it is a station wagon?
hmm...so i guess since a wagon can have a hatchback, what determines what it is is not how it opens, but how long that area is. (this is also regardless of how long the sedan version of the car may be.)
IMO, it's also that a station wagon roof extends to (or near) the rear of the car. A hatchback typically has the roof (or rear window) starting to slope down from the roof line in approx. the same area where the rear window of a sedan drops down to meet the trunk lid level.
I don't think it is how long the cargo area is but rather the height of the cargo area.
So in other words, cars like the Aveo, Rabbit, and Spectra5 are wagons because the roof extends to the rear of the car? I think length of the cargo area still has something to do with the classification. Notice for example that the Elantra 5-door coming to the U.S. has a longer cargo area than the shorter 5-door that was previewed earlier here. Is the longer one a wagon and the shorter one a hatchback? It will be interesting to see what Hyundai's marketeers call the U.S. version when it's officially introduced.
Nah, not wagons at all. A station wagon has a flat cargo floor that can be extended forward by folding the second row seats down and farther back by folding the tailgate down. A wagon does not have a one piece hatch door that opens from top mounted hinges. A station wagon has quarter panels that extend backwards from the rear wheel opening at least a distance equal to the diameter of the rear tire. The cars not meeting the requirements are either sedans or hatchbacks, NOT station wagons.
The cars not meeting the requirements are either sedans or hatchbacks, NOT station wagons.
Do you have some official report on that or is it just your opinion?
The distinction between the two can be blurred. But I would say (and there seems to be a consensus on this from what I read) that a station wagon has a roof line going almost all the way back as the floor, 4 doors and a side window past the back of the back seat.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
That which we call a wagon (or not) by any other name would haul as much.
In other words, it doesn't matter what any one of us thinks a wagon is or is not, or whether the new Elantra-with-five-doors is a wagon or not. It's coming, it is what it is. Some people will call it a hatchback, some a wagon, some will call it something else. Maybe Hyundai will come up with some new category for it as other automakers have done in the past, since some people don't think either wagons or hatchbacks are very hip.
And just what kind of "official" report would you accept? I posted dictionary definitions previously.
You mean a dictionary definition like what is here. It states that a station wagon "has a tailgate or liftgate". Which sort of goes against what you have said about those that have hatches are not station wagons.
Also I didn't see any links that supported your opinion.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Haha. I was only curious what you were seeking. I don't care about corroborating opinions, remember? But if I did, I'd reject yours anyway.
Jeez, does everyone give you links? Look it up. (Don't see a link in your last post either) Or, look back in my posts to find links or site names if you want. Kind HOST deleted some of mine though.
In 1964 Ford made a proper station wagon. Minivans and SUVs and small 4-door pickup trucks killed and/or kept dead the station wagon. We have a lot of cars now that come as sedans and/or hatchbacks, but no station wagons at all. Who needs 'em? No one apparantly, except me. I'd like a real but small one. But I'm not really complaining. I never do. May they R.I.P. And may we too?
You are not looking very hard then. Click on the work "here" that is a link.
but no station wagons at all.
There are many station wagons out there, just because manufactures eliminated a serious design flaw in the folding down tailgate doesn't make then something else.
Proud owener of an Elantra Station Wagon.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Whether a "wagon" has 1, 2, 3 or more feet of space behind the rear wheel or has some proportion to the vehicle length doesn't seem to matter much.
We all seem to have different ideas.
I offered my opinion regarding the roof line, and backy offered a couple examples which didn't quite fit. Maybe we should just go by what the manufacurers say and make our own personal decision about any specific car.
Still $1000 on the Elantra, at least in my state (MN). I notice Hyundai has brought back loyalty rebates on most models, but not on the Elantra, or the Accent. So they must not be having too much trouble selling their smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. Either that, or maybe they consider the loyalty rebates a way to encourage owners of the smaller Hyundais to move up to the bigger, more expensive Hyundais.
Comments
2008 Elantra Wagon
I was hoping the wagon would arrive, though I really would like to see the hatch and the wagon.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
http://www.gemaengine.com
The cars not meeting the requirements are either sedans or hatchbacks, NOT station wagons.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Here's what ol' Wikipedia says about (station) wagons:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_wagon
I think the one way to tell the difference between a hatch and a wagon is the presence of a side window behind the back seat. Compare the Elantra Hatchback with the Elantra wagon for an example.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
If cargo space is what you want a wagon is much better any day than a hatch.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
What is the source of your definition of "wagon"? Or is it an opinion?
All they or anyone else have are opinions. Just because a person can point to an article that spews the same opinion does not make it any more true.
If you are waiting for Hyundai or anyone else to offer a wagon with a drop-down tailgate, ala the Family Trucksters of yore, I think you are in for a long wait. I think there is one SUV out there that has a pull-out shelf of some kind, but I can't remember which one it is. SUVs have become the wagons of today--which is why there are so few wagons out there I think. Maybe people think, if I am going to get a car that looks like a big box, it might as well be a TALL box so I can hold more stuff.
Just because something is stated on Wickipedia does not mean it should be considered true or even persuasive.
Just for references: the rabbit is a hatch version of the jetta, the sportwagen is a wagon version of the jetta.
The only difference proportion wise is how long the cargo area is.
I am hoping the new Elantra wagon/hatch/whatever will show up before early 2008. I'll bet it will have a GT variant, like the old Elantra hatch did. If so I hope it also has a lower-end trim i.e. GLS from the get-go; with the old Elantra we didn't get a GLS hatch until a few years after the GT hatch debuted.
Backy, you know a station wagon when you see one, as do most people. Fold down tailgate and lift up rear window, or entire piece lifts up does not define whether a car is a station wagon or not. (What about the old Ford's with the side swinging rear door. Were they a station wagon or not, depending upon how the rear door was opened?)
I think I'm replying to the wrong post..should be to the guy who said a sta. wagon HAD to have a fold down tail gate.
hatch: Automotive. Also called liftgate. the hinged lid of a hatchback that swings upward to provide access to the cargo area.
So, one might guess if it has a hatch, it must be a hatchback, right?
tailgate: a hinged panel or board at the rear of a...station wagon...that can be let down for loading or unloading.
So, maybe if it has a (fold down) tailgate, it is a station wagon?
No because a station wagon will have a hatch too.
Look at what Websters has to says.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
ANYWAY. I cant wait for the hatch to get here.
I don't think it is how long the cargo area is but rather the height of the cargo area.
A station wagon has a flat cargo floor that can be extended forward by folding the second row seats down and farther back by folding the tailgate down. A wagon does not have a one piece hatch door that opens from top mounted hinges. A station wagon has quarter panels that extend backwards from the rear wheel opening at least a distance equal to the diameter of the rear tire.
The cars not meeting the requirements are either sedans or hatchbacks, NOT station wagons.
Do you have some official report on that or is it just your opinion?
The distinction between the two can be blurred. But I would say (and there seems to be a consensus on this from what I read) that a station wagon has a roof line going almost all the way back as the floor, 4 doors and a side window past the back of the back seat.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
by any other name
would haul as much.
In other words, it doesn't matter what any one of us thinks a wagon is or is not, or whether the new Elantra-with-five-doors is a wagon or not. It's coming, it is what it is. Some people will call it a hatchback, some a wagon, some will call it something else. Maybe Hyundai will come up with some new category for it as other automakers have done in the past, since some people don't think either wagons or hatchbacks are very hip.
You mean a dictionary definition like what is here. It states that a station wagon "has a tailgate or liftgate". Which sort of goes against what you have said about those that have hatches are not station wagons.
Also I didn't see any links that supported your opinion.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Jeez, does everyone give you links? Look it up. (Don't see a link in your last post either) Or, look back in my posts to find links or site names if you want. Kind HOST deleted some of mine though.
In 1964 Ford made a proper station wagon. Minivans and SUVs and small 4-door pickup trucks killed and/or kept dead the station wagon. We have a lot of cars now that come as sedans and/or hatchbacks, but no station wagons at all. Who needs 'em? No one apparantly, except me. I'd like a real but small one. But I'm not really complaining. I never do.
May they R.I.P.
And may we too?
yes very often
(Don't see a link in your last post either)
You are not looking very hard then. Click on the work "here" that is a link.
but no station wagons at all.
There are many station wagons out there, just because manufactures eliminated a serious design flaw in the folding down tailgate doesn't make then something else.
Proud owener of an Elantra Station Wagon.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Whether a "wagon" has 1, 2, 3 or more feet of space behind the rear wheel or has some proportion to the vehicle length doesn't seem to matter much.
We all seem to have different ideas.
I offered my opinion regarding the roof line, and backy offered a couple examples which didn't quite fit. Maybe we should just go by what the manufacurers say and make our own personal decision about any specific car.
Very well said.
Let's move on.