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Honda Civic vs. Hyundai Elantra
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Comments
Trade in value is probably the original scam in the car dealing game. If you're satisfied with wholesale on your trade you'll get a lower price on the new car. If you want top $ for your trade you'll pay a higher price for the new car. The net price comes out the same.
But then there's the old trick of trading in one brand for a different brand. The new brand salesman knows you want to change brands so he'll trash the brand you are trading in and low ball you. Likewise, trade within the same brand and the dealer will make it look like your trade is worth more to reinforce your decision to buy that brand again due to it's high resale value.
When my 05 Sonata was 9 months old I saw the dealer I bought from had the exactly same equipped car, even same color, with 18K miles on his lot for $1K less than I paid for mine new. Dealers often make more $ on used car sales than they do on new.
http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/pressrelease.asp?ID=2006082
The link, by the way, has changed; they moved it from the jdpower.com server to the jdpa server. The new link is now
http://www.jdpa.com/news/releases/pressrelease.asp?ID=2006082
The 2006 Civic is much improved over the 2001-05 Civic. I think it is a superior car in most respects to the current Elantra. The Civic shines in fuel economy (although I am happy with what I have received on my two Elantras), safety (IIHS "Gold" rating), powertrain (smooth engine and transmissions), and refinement. I think the Elantra has perhaps the most comfortable driving position in its class (thanks to the 8-way seat), a very smooth and comfortable ride for the class (esp. with the GLS and Limited sedans), very good quality (the 2006 Civic has had some teething pains, the Elantra is an old and tested design), and of course is an excellent value.
What it boils down to I think is if the advantages of the Civic are enough to justify its price premium over the Elantra, assuming you like driving both cars. Also, be very tough negotiating on the Elantra. It's an old, outgoing model (all-new Elantra due shortly) so there's no reason to pay over invoice before rebates.
And while the Civic gets great reviews, the fact is that the Elantra is still a fine car. And, I drive a lot, so I like the longer warranty, and the 5 years of roadside service that's included (although Honda may have something similar. triple who?).
If you feel you can wait a couple of months, the 2007 Elantras should be out soon, and at that point you can have the fun decision of choosing between a 2007 Elantra, a Civic or, likely, a 2006 Elantra for a really reduced price.
You likely won't go wrong with any of those choices. Sorry to be of no help in the decision making process here... :P
here is my brief review of civic(1200miles so far)
1. i'm not too satisfied with fit and finish. it's honda and i expected better from them. a panel below the steering wheel is misaligned, windshield wiper makes noise, and the back seat window seal(rubber thingy) sticks out a little. also rear pumper on the right sticks out more than the left side. i would say 7.5 in build quality.
2. vibration, and A/C noise too often too loud.
3. radio-sound quality is not as good, and AM is very very bad. our focus zx3 had much better radio quality.
4. noise when i drive backward. sounds annoying and very loud.
5. tan cloth. although it looks very good, i'm little worried that it would be very hard to take care of it. both driver and passenger side is getting dirtier, and stain is very hard to remove. we should've bought the grey interior. we were forced to put an aftermarket car seat over them.
6. i don't like the location of the parking break. my right thigh is leaned against it often, and it's very uncomfortable.
7. i hate openinig the trunk manually. wish i had the keyless trunk open button like all other cars.
8. the last 2 fuel bars are acting very weird. the orange indicator comes on when you are down to 2 bars. few miles later suddenly the both bars disappears for awhile. 10-20 miles later 1 bar comes on, but it kinda freaks me out because i ran out of guess alot with my old firebird(guage didn't work properly)
well, it's a nice little car with good looks but there are many room for an improvement. just my 2 cents.
Some automakers worry that long warranties send the wrong message. "We see it as a sign of weakness," Honda Executive Vice President Dick Colliver says.
Honda and longer warranties
Maybe just a little arrogant? :confuse:
I suppose Honda thinks that the longer warranties offered by many of the luxury makes are a sign of weakness, too.
vibration, and A/C noise too often too loud
When I was shopping last year, I went to a Honda dealer expecting great things, and I was rather disappointed in the fit and finish and the road noise in the car. I really wanted a hatch with an AT which was not offered in the Civic, but even if it would have been available, there's no way I would have bought one.
In pictures, the new Civic looks downright awful to me. But when I see them on the road, I find myself doing a double take and saying "ooooooh!" quietly to myself. They look much better in person.
But if the fit and finish and road noise is still not too hot, I don't think it's worth the money.
Was impressed with the Sonata, but wouldn't want to buy one. The quality just isn't there. I'd rather pay a bit more for the quality and precision of the Japanese brands. But that's just my personal opinion, not trying to offend here.
The Sandman
Not sure which gadgets you didn't like on the Elantra. The HVAC controls are not all push buttons as on the Civic, but there are two electronic buttons and three dials with rubber grips that are as smooth as anything I've found in this class. The cruise control is the same as that used on some Lexus models. The turn signal is solid and smooth also. The only major control that I think is better on the Civic than on the Elantra is the stick shift--Civic's is smoother, with shorter throws.
Real-world fuel economy of the Elantra is better than that of a Sonata. I get high 20s to low 30s in around-town driving (depending on weather and how much stop-and-go there is) and high 30s to low 40s on the highway (depending on speed and transmission choice, stick vs. automatic). I don't think you will get those numbers on a Sonata, and from what I've read on the Civic discussion they are pretty close to what the Civic returns.
As for the stigma--some of us don't let that bother us. We'd rather take the big $$$$ savings up front and drive cars that have features, comfort, and room that Honda owners can only dream of.
If you think a great car for an affordable price is a stigma, then, yeah, Korean cars have a stigma. :P
The Sandman
The Sandman
Stupid me, all these years I thought a longer warranty meant the manufacturer was saying that their car was good quality and that they would back that up with a long warranty.
Never quite understood that "Jones thing" anyways. We live within our means and have no debt whatsoever, always driving economy cars. I just chose the Civic because nothing else in this class was right for me.
Don't quite understand the latent hostility in here...?
The Sandman
Civic
PROS: excellent fuel economy (one of the best for Small Cars per EPA, and hybrid is even better), excellent crash safety ratings, excellent standard safety features, class-leading 5AT, available hybrid and Si, high resale value, historically strong quality and reliability, good power, nav available.
CONS: small interior (smaller than an Accent!), odd dash layout, numerous quality issues in current model, high prices with no rebates and few discounts, low feature content for the money, options like leather, Bluetooth, and stability control not available, no hatchback available (in U.S.).
Elantra
PROS: very good fuel economy (class-leading for a non-hybrid Family Sedan per EPA), excellent standard safety features, class-leading interior room (EPA midsize), roomier trunk, smooth and quiet ride (from reviews, needs to be confirmed), best-in-class interior design (from reviews e.g. MT), lot of convenience and comfort features, low price, good power, best-in-class warranty, XM and nav available (soon), hatchback coming (early 2007?).
CONS: Resale value and public perception on quality haven't caught up with current reality, Bluetooth and stability control not available (in US anyway), XM/nav and hatchback not yet available, crash test scores not yet available.
I am still driving my '01 Protege and considering both for possible replacements. (The A/C issues in the Mazda 3 have me concerned but my current service dept. is excellent; not very familiar with Hyundai "issues" but my local service department is rather lacking) Luckily, I'm not desperate for a new car...yet!
Please enlighten me regarding the different size designations.
Thank you.
Way.
Interior Volume
Civic EX: 88.4 cubic feet (DX and LX have 90.9 cubic feet)
Accent GLS: 92.2 cubic feet
The Accent even has a bigger trunk: 12.4 vs. 12.0 cubic feet.
IMO cars make pretty poor investments--even Civics. They all depreciate, with the exception of rare classic cars.
Anyway, to try to get back on topic, the interior room of the Elantra is WAY bigger than that of the Civic--you don't dispute that, do you?
I am not sure what you mean by "usable" space. I think that depends on how you use the space. For example, there is a LOT of space in the Civic under the rakish windshield. That creates the illusion of spaciousness for the front passengers as they look out over the dashboard. Just how one would use that space escapes me. You can't sit there (legally anyway). Meanwhile, the Accent's taller profile provides more room for higher seating positions and more headroom. These could be very usable features for many people, and the tallness does provide a spacious feeling to the cabin, albeit in a different dimension from the Civic. Additionally, the Accent includes a standard 60/40 rear seat (which only the Civic EX has), which provides more usability options for the rear seat than the one-piece seat in the Civic DX and LX.
How does the more upright profile of the Accent help boost its EPA numbers? I would think that would have the opposite effect, and that the more rakish profile of the Civic was an obvious strategy to boost fuel economy.
I wish Honda WOULD get with it as far as split folding seats are concerned, as neither the Civic or Accord has the split seat feature, it is just one bench! (except for EX Civic).
And here is where you cite all your information leading you to that conclusion...
Without it, it is an empty claim that will just get you laughed off the board, I'm afraid...
Garth
How did you find the driving position and interior room/comfort compared to your Civic?