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Hyundai Elantra: Reviews & News from the Pros (Edmunds, C/D, CR, MT etc.)

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Comments

  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    we're not here to talk about other members. Let's stick to the cars, please.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Elantra Test Drive

    Uninspiring?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    It's interesting. Hyundai tried to make some styling statements in the past, e.g. XG, Santa Fe, and Tiburon. Even the 2002-2005 Sonata. Those efforts were not exactly received with wide praise. So now Hyundai is going a more conservative route on styling--a route that has proven very successful for companies like Toyota and Honda. And Wards complains about it, even though the new Elantra has some "Korean" styling cues found on no other compact sedans.

    Look at the top-selling sedans: Camry, Accord, Corolla, Civic, Impala, Malibu, etc. Not many unique styling exercises there, including Hyundai's own Sonata. Hyundai made the '06 Sonata more mainstream in styling, and what happened? Sales surged (of course, the whole car was better than the old one).

    Anyway, styling is subjective. I like it just fine.

    The rest of the article was pretty positive overall I thought. I noticed they didn't mention engine noise as have some other reviews--I wonder why? Also interesting were the notes about future Bluetooth availability--first I had seen that--and the fact that Elantras with XM radio have been built since mid-October (none of the cars I saw today at my dealer seemed to have XM, but I suppose they were all built more than a month ago). Also the note about supply constraints keeping shipments to the U.S. below 100k was interesting--that could mean HMA won't have rebates on the Elantra as big as in the past, when they were trying to sell more of them. :(

    I thought this comment was curious:

    In response to complaints from owners of previous-generation Elantras, the new car abounds with storage cubbies, including a dash compartment, seatback pockets, rear cupholders and a dual-level armrest with ample space inside.

    What's odd about it is the only significant difference in storage cubbies between the 2007 Elantra and the previous generation is the little lidded compartment on top of the dash. But my '04 Elantra has a lidded compartment in the middle of the dash, below the radio, so I don't see any significant advantage there.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Elantra Montreal Gazette

    My, my, how far Hyundai has come in such a short period of time. Famous for bringing the original disposable car to Canada (the Pony), it has blossomed into a full-fledged company with an enviable array of products.

    A handling complement :surprise:

    Where the Elantra does surprise is its ability to carve a corner. I expected it to heel over and feel skittish - it does roll gently into the corner, but skittish it is not. Credit the car's well-calibrated suspension and meaty 205/55R16 tires. On a bang-for-the-buck basis, the Elantra is tops in this category.
  • acura03gacura03g Member Posts: 76
    This article confirms that some features were not available in the first batches, such as XM radio, bluetooth, etc. My SE was produced in early September and it has a removable pole antenna, while picture in the promotional brochure has an integrated type of antenna. So I think that may come later in the production.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Elantra Runs Cheap, Feels Cheap

    quote-
    Then there's the new Hyundai Elantra.

    From the very first minute, this car like wearing socks with sandals.

    The seats are flat rather than flattering, the steering wheel has all the tactile feel of a garden hose and as you attempt to drive off you find the accelerator pedal is touchier than a domino expert at the end of a long day.
    -end quote

    Where is the ESP for USA? :(
  • acura03gacura03g Member Posts: 76
    The models for Australia are clearly not the same as those for the US. "the cheap price means side-impact and curtain airbags are not standard". Not true for US models, 6 airbags are standard on all trims. they're even standard on all Accent models.

    you might as well post a review of Chinese version of Elantra, as I'm sure they are even worse.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    The models for Australia are clearly not the same as those for the US.

    The changes in the Elantra for the Australia market are minor for the most part, not major.
    They have the same engineering, are built in the same assembly plant, use the same materials, the same 2.0L engine.

    you might as well post a review of Chinese version of Elantra, as I'm sure they are even worse.

    Really? :blush: The steering wheel may be on the wrong side, however, the review is relevant to the US Elantra.

    I'm very disappointed you did not find the review to your liking. :P
  • acura03gacura03g Member Posts: 76
    You call 6 airgags minor difference? That's pretty major in my book. Did you see a complete list of features in aussie models or it's just your assumption that they have only minor differences? Cars sold in different countries by the same manufacteur can be quite different. Several years ago I heard some cars sold by major makers in China don't have seatbelts.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    There's more differences--see the follow-up article below. Note the different steering tuning for different parts of the world. Now the question is, which steering set-up does the U.S. get? The Aussie tuning or the Asian tuning, or something else?

    http://carsguide.news.com.au/story/0,20384,20707994-5003140,00.html

    And there are lots of other differences in Elantras from one country to another, besides steering feel and airbags and ESC. For example, the old Korean-spec XD got heated seats, active front headrests, automatic climate control, a nav option, rear-seat center armrest, and a bunch of other stuff the '01-'06 Elantra didn't get in the U.S.

    The most important comment in the whole (original) review was this one, IMO:

    ... indeed, amid the mundanity of everyday driving, the car's failings would hardly be noticeable.

    Meaning for people who buy the car to do with it what people who own compact economy cars do, it's a good choice--which the reviewer finally comes out and says at the end of the follow-up report:

    For those who simply have to have a new, family-ish-sized car, but don't want to spend a lot of money, the new and improved Elantra is an obvious option.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    You call 6 airgags minor difference? :sick:

    Did the Elantra get crashed DURING the review? No.

    The number of airbags is not going to affect the way the car drives.
  • acura03gacura03g Member Posts: 76
    but missing the airbags certainly contributed to the reviewer's conclusion that it "feels cheap". Besides, i wouldn't be surprised if the aussie models differ in other aspects that may affect its handling.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    but missing the airbags certainly contributed to the reviewer's conclusion that it "feels cheap".

    I disagree about the airbags contributing to feeling cheap.

    I also disagree that the car feels cheap overall. There are only two small items in the interior that I would consider cheaply or poorly done. The storage compartment on the top center of the dash and the storage compartment on the center console (below the climate controls) opening mechanisms both felt cheap to me.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    If I wanted to nit-pick, I'd say the non-damped coin box/ashtray (was damped in the '04-'06 Elantras) and the plastic (vs. metal) interior door handles feel a bit cheap--until I remember the price point of the car and the fact that not even a $30k Azera or Santa Fe has metal door handles.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    If I wanted to nit-pick I could make a long list of faults.
    I'm fully aware of the class that Elantra is in and it's competitors Corolla, Mazda3, Sentra, Rabbit, Cobalt at similar price points have certain items that may be improved upon.

    I like the Elantra and am a fan of several recent Hyundai products, yet I am not so thin skinned that I am offended when viewpoints not worshiping Hyundai products are made.

    The only car in this class that I feel would be offending to own would be the Cobalt. Cobalt (or Crapbolt) is the topic of a different discussion....
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I think you are under the misconception that my post was somehow directed at you. It was not. It was my exercise in picking nits on the interior, to add to the list of issues you mentioned.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    edmunds now has their full test on the elantra ready to be, well read. Interesting points, i will say i was impressed with the hyundai's performance, but it seems that even edmunds has noticed hyundai's trend for identity crisis; corolla comparisons abound and a reference to the guage's being 'just like volkswagens' in coloration is also noted. As is the interior plastics that woud never find their way into a civic. ;)
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    Muchas gracias pat! Se aprecia mucho.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    So having blue interior lighting like a Volkswagen is a bad thing? Some people have carped about the green lighting on the old Elantras (other than the GT, which always had purplish-blue lighting). So Hyundai changed it. The reviewers seemed to like it.

    If it looks like a current-gen Corolla, it's the best-looking Corolla I've ever seen. No Corolla has the upswept greenhouse in back, the windows behind the rear doors, and the wave-ish character line on the sides. No Corolla has the aggressive front-end styling of the Elantra. Someday I wish Hyundai would make a car with six wheels, a lightbar across the front end, and a huge fin on top of the car. It would look hideous, but no one would say, "It looks just like [name of Japanese car]."

    BTW, the comment about some plastics not finding their way into a Civic is because the platics in the Elantra are far too tasteful to fit in the Civic's weird interior. ;)

    While the review was overwhelmingly positive, the comment about tricky clutch engagement was puzzling, since no other review--professional or otherwise--I have read about the car have mentioned that. In fact other reviews have praised the smooth clutch and shifter. So I wonder if Edmunds got car with a glitch in the clutch?
  • percussionistpercussionist Member Posts: 204
    it seems that even edmunds has noticed hyundai's trend for identity crisis

    There is no such thing as a completely original set of ideas. Humans tend to favor recognizable influences. This happens in all areas - car design, arts, music, etc. Comparisons are made to Corolla because people recognize Toyota as a quality manufacturer. VW's gauge lighting has been copied by virtually every car maker to some extent over the last 6 years. The reason for this is simple - people like it.

    ...is also noted. As is the interior plastics that woud never find their way into a civic

    I read the review twice, and must have missed that comment. Could you site that reference for me, or did it come from another review elsewhere? Here is what Edmunds did say about Elantra's interior.

    the 2007 Hyundai Elantra has a cabin with a surprising combination of good design and good materials.

    and

    Hyundai hasn't got the image Honda has in the U.S., but once you take a test-drive, you'll realize that the Korean company is trying hard to deliver the same spirit of practicality and fun that you find in every Honda Civic.

    In fact, the only time any form of the word "cheap" appears in a comparison with the Civic can be found here:

    Consider that the '07 Elantra SE is:

    $580 cheaper than a comparably equipped Civic LX ($16,960)


    Just for the record, I have had 3 Civics, and all of them had cheap plastic interiors. (Although at least one of them had decent cupholders ;) )
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The comment on the plastics was a caption on one of the photos.
  • percussionistpercussionist Member Posts: 204
    Thanks, I missed that. I was looking in the review itself. I almost never read the photo captions (too busy looking at the pictures)
  • onlooker1onlooker1 Member Posts: 3
    http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?Vehicle=2007_Hyundai_Elantra&ReviewID=1987

    Quite positive overall, and in some ways contrary to what Car and Driver says in their comparions review. They praised Elantra's handling, and also liked how it drove at 80 mph on the highway, with 5-speed manual.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yes, that's very interesting that they didn't think the noise at 80 mph/3500 rpm was too high, nor the engine "buzzy" at that speed, contrary to a couple of other reviews. Sometimes I think people see/hear what they are looking/listening for.
  • nodulenodule Member Posts: 118
    Well, lets he honest here...why the heck is anyone
    drving 80mph anyway? Last time I checked, its illegal!
    Also, very unsafe and irresponsible, im my opinion.
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    See the sign in Texas.

    Speed Limit Sign
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Plus there are now many rural interstates with 70 and 75MPH speed limits. Doing 80 in a 75 would be common for a passing manuever.

    I'm in Chicagoland and while the posted highway limit is 55, traffic usually moves at either 70+ or 15-. Hitting 80 is not hard to do if one simply opts to go with the flow.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • tsgeiseltsgeisel Member Posts: 352
    I drive 80 all the time. I've even been known to do so *on* 80.

    Illegal? Sorta. Usafe? Not really; it's just cruising along the freeway, at a speed comfortable for me and the car.

    Irresponsible? Completely subjective.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    This is not the "illegal/unsafe/irresponsible speeds" discussion, is it. ;)

    Anyone read any more reviews or reports on the Elantra you'd care to share?
  • onlooker1onlooker1 Member Posts: 3
    http://cars.about.com/od/hyundai/fr/ag_07elantra.htm

    In short, the reviewer says Elantra is an excellent car, except for the styling.

    To be honest, 2007 Elantra looked a little out of ordinary at my first glance(especially from either side), but the more I look at it, I find it rather surprising to realize myself that it does have an understated, unassuming look to it.

    Perhaps Hyundai feared that giving it a venturous styling could be more of a risk than a benefit?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Styling is subjective, isn't it.

    Keep in mind that the Sentra, praised by the cars.about.com review, was roundly bashed by C/D et. al. for its styling. And we all know how hard it is to sell cars that have boring styling. Look at the sedan sales leaders, what do you see? Cars with pedestrian styling like Accord, Corolla, Camry (more daring for 2007 but it sold great with more mundane styling), Impala, and Malibu. Hmm, maybe Hyundai saw a trend there?
  • acura03gacura03g Member Posts: 76
    I think the about.com review is funny. He mentioned Elantra's "bad" styling so many times and called Civic/Corolla/Sentra/Elantra a "subcompact" car class.
  • onlooker1onlooker1 Member Posts: 3
    I did some more googling and found this first drive article.

    http://www.autoweb.com/content/shared/articles/templates/index.cfm/article_id_in- t/2243

    Again full of praises and few complaints. Loud engine noise under (hard) acceleration is mentioned, but that's about it. (Styling sure seems to be a subjective matter after all)
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    Aggressive styling? I would hardly call the elantra 'aggressive'. Lets not talk about tasteful interiors backster. You want aggressive? Look at the civics interior, its bold and very new and fresh and regardless of what you think, no one else is doing. That just cant be argued. And its one of the civics selling points, and honda has no problems selling this car despite its very original interior.

    Having blue lighting is not a bad thing. I know you like inserting words here and there, but i didnt even insinutate that its a bad thing. Copying vw is lame imo. The civic has blue lighting, but it doens't copy vw.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    exactly. Very run of the mill.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    were any of your civics current generation? because those seem to be the ones we are discussing...it makes no sense to compare the brand new elantra to an older civic, although the idea is very flattering towards the civic. Honda isn't known for cheap plastics. Ever. But uh hyundai well has. So if you want to carry that argument further we can.

    Theres no need for me to be lectured on familiarity and why people imitate certain ideas because they are well recevied. I have mentioned before that hyundai just has a really obvious trend of doing so with many of thier vehicles, more so than other brands in my eyes.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Copying vw is lame imo.

    I agree-especially if it means copying VW's lame fuel economy, thrashy 5-cylinder engine, or poor reliability. ;) I've noticed from photos of the Elantra's gauge cluster that it actually looks nothing like the Rabbit's gauge cluster. Since other cars such as the Civic have blue lighting too, I'm not sure how it can be claimed that Hyundai copied VW with the Elantra's blue lighting. It's not like VW invented blue dash lighting--or did they?

    I know you will bring this up, about how copying VW is lame, the next time someone we know suggests that Hyundai copy VW and offer ESC and traction control on the Elantra.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    So...what are you trying to say? That the elantra identifies with these so called 'boring'styled sedans? Does that not negate your 'aggressive front end' argument?
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    Who said they looked like the rabbits? They mentioned the colors being the same. Don't splice my comments backy: i used the civic as an example to show exaclty that: that not eveyone copies vw with blue lighting. I think they meant blue lighting with red needles as on the elantra is exaclty what vw does; therefore the civic doesn't copy vw's with blue lighting alone.

    Don't bring up traction conrol, if the elantra offered it it would be a nice addition.

    As far as fuel ecomomy goes, a lot of rabbit owners are getting much better than sticker, including myself. Remember i used to own an 06 civic, it took a lot to sway me, i know what good fuel ecomomy is and the rabbit does good for a car of this weight and engine displacement and amount of cylinders. I know you have said you have driven the rabbit, but the engine is hardly thrashy, it actually very very smooth and since both the elantra and rabbits engines are iron blocks, you can rest assured that a smaller engine is going to have to work harder and thus as a general rule of thumb, be louder and whinier. The vw is not thrashy, its far from it. My rabbit has held up very well. No reliabilty problems at all. You cant call it unreliable in the here and now, because you are judging the previous generation, not the rabbit.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    What I am trying to say is that Hyundai didn't go "far out" in styling the Elantra, because that risks turning off some large segment of the market.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Don't bring up traction conrol, if the elantra offered it it would be a nice addition.

    Unfortunately, if the Elantra offered traction control standard, some review or some poster here would say that they copied VW (since I believe the Rabbit/Jetta is the only car in this class to offer traction control standard even on the base models, isn't it?) and there we are all over again--more "lameness" from Hyundai, right?

    I get much better than sticker on my Elantra in fuel economy too. Big whoop. And it's other reviewers (MT for example) that call the Rabbit's engine thrashy.

    I didn't call the Rabbit unreliable--I referred to VW's reliability overall or lack thereof.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    so is that an easy way of saying boring? Or a dressed up way to say 'unaggressive?" :blush: Your choice backster. :P
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    Really? which reviewers have said this? How many owners have said it? And if they have how big of a percentage of rabbit owners do they represent? A very small one. There is a whole world outside of carspace backy; hate to break it to you. The engine is great. Not thrashiness on my part. I'll drive home now in peace and quitet with an engine that stays at a tame just barely 1900rpms while i go 80 on the interstate. Thrashy. Puh-lease.

    To be honest with you i wouldn't have thought them lame. Traction control is going to be like airbags soon; it would have been nice to see hyundai on the same boat. I honestly wouldn't have seen that as lame. Such and angry post backster. Just go and drive your way. :P
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Neither. I said what I said.

    Here's what some professional reviewers said (getting back to the topic):

    The exterior upgrades include distinctive headlamps, bold hood design, chrome accented grille, an aggressive looking lower air intake and new fog lights.

    http://www.carlist.com/newcars/2007/ncr1161.html

    The upside-down trapezoidal grille, combined with canted headlamps and a narrow lower intake give the car an unusually aggressive look...

    http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Hyundai/review/2007-hyundai-elantra-preview/18- 51/
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I think you are confusing anger with ROFL.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    We seem to have gotten rather far afield of the subject here which is specifically reviews and news from the pros. I'll invite a couple of you to check out the list of Elantra discussions and pick a suitable one for your concerns.

    Also, let's remember to not make these exchanges personal.

    Thanks.
  • percussionistpercussionist Member Posts: 204
    were any of your civics current generation?

    Admittedly, no. I have mentioned this in the Civic vs. Elantra post previously, but I have owned the following:
    95 CX Hatch
    01 DX Sedan w/air
    99 LX Sedan (currently driving)

    The only one of those without really cheap plastics is the 99. The 01 plastic dash was scratched by my wife's engagement ring the first week we got it and it was not repairable. I have not driven the 06 or 07 yet. I don't care for the exterior design of the sedan, and a coupe is not practical enough for me. Also, a bad quality/service experience has forced me to no longer consider Honda a top rated manufacturer. For the full story, please visit Civic vs. Elantra post #1421.

    Honda isn't known for cheap plastics. Ever.

    Again, I site that two of my three, which are all fairly recent (I'm not comparing to 1974 early civic, which probably also had cheap plastics). I'm sure that Hyundai has used cheap plastics in the interior in past generations as well. I have sat in and examined the 07 Elantra, and I don't see a great deal of "cheap" plastics used, but maybe you and/or the reviewers did. Okay, we each have our own opinion.

    Theres no need for me to be lectured on familiarity and why people imitate certain ideas because they are well recevied. I have mentioned before that hyundai just has a really obvious trend of doing so with many of thier vehicles, more so than other brands in my eyes.


    Sorry if it came across that way, my point was just that even ideas that have been recorded as most effective in history were influenced by previous ones.
  • eldainoeldaino Member Posts: 1,618
    Also, a bad quality/service experience has forced me to no longer consider Honda a top rated manufacturer. For the full story, please visit Civic vs. Elantra post #1421.


    I'm sorry that this is what has made you no longer like hondas as much, initially it sounds like a stupid reason that could only be on a few dealers, but i understand.

    I have not driven the 06 or 07 yet. I don't care for the exterior design of the sedan, and a coupe is not practical enough for me.

    again i think you should take a look into the sedan with a darker interior, its tremendously nice. I love the way the new civic looks, it just grows no you, very adventerous design.
  • percussionistpercussionist Member Posts: 204
    I'm sorry that this is what has made you no longer like hondas as much, initially it sounds like a stupid reason that could only be on a few dealers, but i understand.

    I'm not sure I understand this response - did you read the entire post? Because I don't consider a major transmission problem to be stupid. Just so you know, though, I did bring that car to four different dealers, none of whom were able to address the problem to my satisfaction. I contacted Honda's corporate office and they also could not identify the problem or assist me with service departments. Eventually, I decided to cut my losses and trade the car.

    again i think you should take a look into the sedan with a darker interior, its tremendously nice. I love the way the new civic looks, it just grows no you, very adventerous design.

    The interior design is not what bothers me. I do not like the look of the sedan's exterior. I feel it is out of proportion (the windshield comes down too far forward).

    Thanks for the input, though!
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