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2009 Hyundai Elantra
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Comments
There are rumors about a revised grille and taillamps for 2009, ala what was shown at the Beijing Auto Show, so if you don't like the current styling that might be something to sway you.
Keep in mind also that historically when Hyundai introduces a new model year, the rebates and discounts on those cars drop until the old models are gone, or nearly gone. So if you are going to buy this fall, a '09 might cost you more than a '08.
My wife has a little contoured lumbar support cushion that she uses sometimes on long trips in our van; it's about the same color as the grey interior of the Elantra. Maybe something like that would help you with the Elantra.
I figured I'd 'fix' the lumbar situation with a cushion on the '08. I have a herniated disc in my lower back so that's a pretty big concern for me. I had an '08 for 48 hours a few weekends ago, and found the seat to be adequate enough.
Unless there's some big improvement in MPG or safety, I'll probably stick with the '08. Slightly different styling on an '09 is not a reason to wait, IMHO. A lack of discounts or increased pricing IS a good enough reason go with the '08.
Fitzgerald has one that just came in, I discovered yesterday morning. It's supposed to be mine as I put a $500 deposit on that specific VIN number several weeks ago. Hopefully they don't sell it out from under me. :surprise:
I would put a bigger bet on August/September, as I've now heard that timeframe from multiple sources--all of whom were not trying to sell me a 2008 Elantra.
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2008/07/01/091631.html
i was in a similar situation as you- i didn't need to buy now, but if the right deal came along i would. the pics of the touring does appeal to me but i doubt i would get it for 14700 before TTL like i did the SE. that's why i got the 08 SE- the deal was right!
good point about your trade in. hopefully gas prices settle a little so you could get at least something for your suv. there are a couple dealers here who are major low balling trades with suvs since no one is buying them.
as moocow said, if you can wait, then wait; however, my $.02 is don't expect similar prices as now or a month or so ago. if you get a good price, that's just an added bonus.
enjoy!
I hadn't really thought about the possibilty, but now I'm drooling over the idea of a hybrid version of the Touring. I hope they announce some time table for the states. It'll have to be progressive to keep up with Chevy's Volt and all of the other eletric cars slated to hit the market in 2010.
Bud H
The promo/teaser pics of the Elantra Touring that is due out at some point in the '09 model year are quite another story! The new nose, the flow of the sides and even the way they pulled it together at the back all look AWESOME! I currently have an '06 Mazda3 5-door and I cringe at the thought of returning to a traditional 4-door sedan with a trunk. Small 5-doors/Hatchbacks/Wagons or whatever you choose to call them are like having the utility of a small SUV with the driveability and fuel economy of a compact car. The only reason I'm thinking of trading is because I have an 84-mile round trip commute M-F and my Mazda has a manual transmission- I'm dying for an automatic.
Does anyone have any information about when the new Wagon will show up at dealers? I'm also curious if any of the sleek styling cues will also show up on the sedan?
The only possible thing that could make the new Touring even more perfect would be replacing the current 4-speed automatic with a 5-speed automatic unit. It would easily boost the Elantra's highway mileage by a few MPG and provide a bit of a power boost at the same time. I'd gladly pay a few hundred bucks more. With the Accent serving the entry-level role, the Elantra could fill more of a premium compact role in line with the Mazda3 and Honda Civic.
Regardless, I'll be at the dealer as soon as they have the first Elantra Touring ready for a test drive.
I've found a bit more information, although the closest specific date I've found is 'Winter 2008'.
On the HyundaiUSA.com website, if you click on the 'VEHICLES' menu, the last item on the list is 'Concept/Future' and that takes you to the page for the '09 Elantra Touring. It's rather hokey and takes a bit to load, but once it does you can download specs, see key features and even configure color/wheel choice and choose interior color. Only five exterior colors are shown Black, Vivid 'Electric' Blue, Chilipepper Red, Quicksilver and Carbon Gray- I think it would look sharp in White and a sand/champagne hue. The Vivid Blue is my favorite and it offers either 16" or 17" alloys- the 17's look great!
The only problem I had with the site was trying to sign up for updates- it errored out using Firefox and IE7.
Hyundai's Canadian site actually has a much sleeker looking design and a lot more color photos. Ironically, I was able to sign up for email updates from the Canadian site....too bad I'm in Atlanta.
I'm getting kinda stoked about it....wonder when Winter 2008 will actually be?
Although most attention will be placed on the advent of the 2009 Genesis luxury sedan, Hyundai is bringing a few other offerings to market. A lightly-revised form of the midsize Sonata sedan is already at dealers, while an all-new five-door Elantra, dubbed the 'Touring,' arrives in North America in January.
http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6291140/future-cars/future-hyundai-products-focus- -on-fuel-economy/index.html
Hmmm... if the Touring does debut in January, I wonder if it will be designated a 2009 or 2010 model year?
That is so incredibly sad. If January turns out to be actual release, they will have delayed this thing almost a year from it's original projected release of spring 2008 . . . right when small car demand has reached levels not seen since the 1980s. It seems like they're really missing out on some nice small car profits on this one. I would believe they would be extra motivated to get this one out on the dealer lots. Perhaps the tardy release portends serious problems in getting this car consumer-ready . . . though that would be very surprising since this model is so similar to the European I30 model.
I guess I am just bitter since we're going to need to replace one of our cars soon and we're basically waiting for this car, but I don't want to buy it during the first few months of crazy demand, so January would realistically mean April '09 for us. *sigh*
He also said he's heard it would be "a few months" before the Touring comes out, which is consistent with the January 2009 date mentioned here earlier.
Notice all the new features listed are "late availability." That means, apparently, that for awhile the 2009s will be just like the 2008s. :surprise: I wonder if there will be a price increase for 2009? (The price link wasn't active on the linked article.)
I am disappointed that the GLS won't have ESC. Hopefully Hyundai will ship more SEs here for 2009--they were pretty hard to find for much of 2008.
P.S. Another local (Twin Cities) dealer confirmed that 2009 Elantras would be coming in the next 2 weeks.
The actual website is HyundaiNews.com then choose the Media Kits tag at top and choose 2009 Models. The new suspension tweaks and the 24 inch and 20 inch front and rear bars make for some nice wheels and very sporty drive now for sure I hope.
I am also hoping in more SE's available and accessories for sure. I can't wait to see how the new SE performs!
Uh, sorry... no way that will happen. That is not an official statement from HMA, but wishful thinking on the part of the author of the article. Consider that a GLS with Preferred Package (A/C, stereo, fogs, some other bits) is over $16k. Compare the equipment on the Touring to that of the GLS. The Touring is much closer to and in some ways exceeds the SE in equipment. Also consider that the last Elantra hatch, from 2001-6, sold for a little more than comparable sedan versions. So I don't see any way the Touring will start for less than the price of the SE, which would put it over $17k with a stick and over $18k with the automatic. In a few weeks, we'll see for sure. But don't count on a $16k sticker for the Touring. Although I wish it were true...
Large photo gallery included.
"Two weeks ago I got the chance to drive an early version of the Elantra Touring due out later this year. I was impressed with the little wagon as were others on our staff like Bill Jackson, our resident Weekend Athlete. We’ll be posting a video with his thoughts on this car in the near future, but for my initial impressions and a photo gallery keep reading.
I enjoyed driving this economy car a lot more than I thought I would. Besides a lot of buzzy engine noise — it’s amazing how you rarely hear buzzy engines anymore — the little wagon did everything right. The ride was comfortable, and there wasn’t a lot of road noise. The manual transmission was a joy with light clutch feel and smooth shifter.
As a package, the Touring seemed a bit nicer inside than the Elantra sedan. The backseats folded flat with one button, and there was a lot of cargo room. But I was shocked by the starting price of nearly $18,000 for a manual transmission. Although Hyundai hasn’t announced its official pricing yet, there was a sticker inside our test car, so I assume the price is accurate.
While the Elantra Touring is a nifty economy wagon, the Scion xB offers more utility and style, the Pontiac Vibe is more fun to drive, and a base Subaru Impreza gives you all-wheel drive. And all can be had for a similar price. Economy car indeed."
"mileage is 23/31 manual, 23/30 auto"
Not sure why the driver was surprised that the price of the Touring was nearly $18k. The price of a comparable 2008 Elantra SE, with a moonroof as on the Touring tester, is $18k today. And it looks like the tester might have the optional 17" alloys. So I am actually surprised that the price is under $18k. And if you compare prices of comparably-equipped Scion XBs, Vibes, and Impreza wagons, i.e. with moonroof, alloys, leather wheel, fog lamps, etc., I'll bet they will be over $18k. I know a base Impreza wagon with steel wheels is at least $18k if not more, and there's no moonroof on that car (but there is AWD).
I'm not a fan of the Vibe/Matrix. There used to be Corolla Wagon, Focus Wagon, Cavalier Wagon (not missed by anyone), and other fuel efficient, space efficient cars available.
It will be good to have Hyundai back in this category.
There's still lots of fuel-efficient, space-efficient cars available. But most are known as "hatchbacks" now vs. wagons--even if they really look like a wagon, as does the new Touring. So for example, we have the Matrix instead of a Corolla wagon version. Not much difference except the Matrix has different styling than the Corolla sedan--but mechanically they are both Corollas, and I think Toyota even counts Matrix sales in their Corolla sales.
The new Touring looks really good, but I still like the "fastback" lines of my '04 Elantra hatch. Practically speaking, i.e. with safety in mind, it holds as much cargo as the boxier hatches/wagons and looks sportier (to me anyway).
http://www.cars.com/go/video/index.jsp?makeid=19&year=2009&modelid=219&location=- CC_2009_Hyundai_ElantraTouring.flv&cat=r
Niels