Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

lngtonge18 · February 2004

Hmm...falling apart before your eyes?? I see a faulty horn, a burnt out bulb, wheel alignment, and a tire balance that beeds to be done. Nothing major there and nothing qualifies as falling apart. You could have hit a nasty bump and caused two of the problems yourself or the problem may be in the tire, which Hyundai can't help you with. Sounds like your only real problem is the horn. Gee, I think some people would be thrilled if that was the only thing that went wrong with their new car.

jlflemmons · February 2004

Having just replaced the tail light lens on my '02 elantra, (mailbox, don't ask) I will let you in on a little secret. Remove two phillips head screws on the felt trunk liner behind the lamp assembly and remove the cargo net hook (if equipped. don't know what is there without the cargo net)then remove the felt panel. You do not have to pull out the plastic push-locks. This will expose three 8mm nuts which must be removed. Now, if you look directly below the upper outboard nut location, you will see a black plug looking thing with no wires about the diameter of a thick pencil and about an inch and a half long. This is a friction retainer that a stud on the tail light assembly pushes into. So, even though you remove the three nuts mentioned above, you have to pull like a son-of-a-gun to get that lens assembly off.

Jim

tiredofelantra · February 2004

I'm not trying to compare my problems with anyone elses nor am I seeking anyones approval as far as what my definition of falling apart means. What I'm asking for is some advice and yes thank you PULGO for some new ideas. I have tried several dealers and it is just soo frustrating. The light issue is serious because I get pulled over and have to deal with tickets. Driving without a horn not only teaches you to drive defensively but is HAZARDOUS and can endanger mine as well as anyone elses lives and the issue I've had with the tires has been going on even after I've had them checked. I will try Midas next and take the car to my dad's garage to see what I can do about the light. Once again. Thanks.

csandste · February 2004

These (but not tail lights) are covered under warranty. I have had a lot of problems with aftermarket bulbs--burned through about 7 with my '01. The dealer supplied bulbs seem to last a lot longer. Lots of dealers don't understand alignment. Can't figure out why they couldn't be able to repair a horn. I think that dealer network is still a weak link in Hyundai.

jlflemmons · February 2004

I could recommend an awesome Hyundai dealer. These guys are like bulldogs on problems.

Classic Hyundai.

And no, I don't work for them or have any financial links. They just take care of Chigger on stuff I don't do myself.

jimbeaumi · February 2004

Well, my little Betsy is out of surgery and recuperating happily at home. The damage went up to $1500 after discovering that the bumper "pad" and beam under the cracked cover had also been damaged. The paint match looks pretty good and everything seems to be in its proper place. If the alarm doesn't go off I'll be happy. They even cleaned off my carpets and put some sort of freshener inside. I didn't expect the car till about Friday.

gruntm60 · February 2004

While driving down a winding road in my home town my engine "bogged-down" and my check engine light came on. I immediately pulled over to inspect my vehicle. It idled roughly, but never stalled. I decided to gently drive the vehicle home and get it off the road.

Later that evening, I decided to re-inspect the vehicle; the problem became evident in the flood lamp of my garage. I had exhaust pouring out from the passenger side front tire of the car. I pulled the vehicle in the garage to notice a 7 inch gash in my exhaust.

I took the car to my garage and they informed me that the two catalytic converters were destroyed and that my #3 cylinder was malfunctioning ("skipping"). They recommended that it be towed to a dealership. My heart sank. My father, uncle, 2 cousins, and of course, myself have worked for dealerships. This is the last thing you want to hear from a trusted mechanic...at this point, trust is not earned, but found by random chance and is infinitely RARE.

I brought my care to the nearest Hyundai dealership. They confirmed my worst nightmare. Both catalytics were gone (apparently Hyundai has two for a car 1/2 the size of a real vehicle), O2 sensors destroyed and the engine needed some work (plug fouling). I brought it there for warranty work and they said that I needed my 30K checkup forms and since they did not know who I was (was towed from one garage to another) they quoted me a price. It would cost $2,200.00!!! Lots for exhaust parts that have no mechanical parts. Just talked to a sales representative from my company who had an oil pump fail on a Dodge Durango (V-8 engine)...It only cost him $3500 for a new engine installed (all labor included). I bought the vehicle new for about $12,500 and they quoted me a price of 20% of the entire vehicle, new, to repair an exhaust? THEY ARE BASICALLY SAYING THAT 20% OF THE COST TO MANUFACTURE MY VEHICLE IS LOCATED IN THE EXHAUST. NEVER MIND THE OVER 360 MOVING PARTS IN THE ENGINE AND THE COUNTLESS OTHER PARTS IN THE TRANSMISSION...20% IS LOCATED IN A SIMPLE PIECE OF "PLUMBING" UNDER MY CAR with virtually no moving parts.

I figured this was a mistake and decided to have AAA tow the vehicle back to were I purchased. The other company scared me to the point that I did not want them even touching the vehicle! I towed it 18 miles north to "my" dealership.

Later that day, I was called by the customer service representative for the dealership. She immediately went on the offensive and stated that I hit something with the car and that it is not warrantied. I saw the cut in my exhaust and it was almost exactly perpendicular to the ground and that the pipe appeared to have blown outward given the fragmented metal ridges extruding from the exhaust. I cannot argue this though, it is a possibility I might have hit road debris and shot it though the pipe. Otherwise, I would challenge if I hit something in the road, how did the gash end up on the side of the pipe and not the bottom? I know how dealerships work (put you in a position where you have to defend yourself, I am also a certified bill collector and know the technique...oh, by the way did I mention I used to work for a dealership?) They stated this is not warrantied and would cost $1760.00 to fix the exhaust and would talk about the engine later.

As of today, I needed two new catalytic converters, oxygen sensors (more than 1???), new plugs, new ignition wires and a coil pack. The total cost is $2,400.00.

I have given up...All I am requesting is written statements from the customer service rep, mechanic and service manager, whom I have confirmed also saw the vehicle prior to repair and for their copies of all contracts I have signed regarding purchase and warranties.

I am not surprised that the warranty was too good to be true and that they know how to "place the aces" when it comes to customer liability. The only thing I found ironic is the fact that after all they repairs were done, and only then, someone newly discovered that I had not had my 30K checkup done(never came up before). They stated that for $500.00 they would inspect my car and that would ensure that my warranty was continued for the 6 years/ 60,000 miles duration.

I NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD IN MY LIFE!

P.S. Told them I would rather save my $500.00 and invest in a firearm!!!

lngtonge18 · February 2004

That is a high repair bill, but in all honesty, I'm not surprised. You must never have had to deal with replacing emissions equipment on newer cars. Catalytic converters are extremely expensive, usually $500 a piece, and considering your car has 2 of them, there's half your bill for those 2 parts alone. I used to own an 84 Mazda RX7 which had 3 catalytic converters. Midas quoted me $1000 to replace the exhaust from the header back (no oxygen sensors were involved). This was on a car that I bought for $200! I of course said no thanks and dealt with the nasty intoxicating fumes permeating the interior.

Sorry for your mishap, but I wouldn't expect the warranty to kick in for that repair to begin with. For all they know, you ran over something that gouged the pipe (which is the most probable cause. Exhausts don't just explode). Road hazards aren't covered by any warranties (except those extra tire warranties you can buy).

jlflemmons · February 2004

How did the damaged exhaust pipe take out two catalytic converters?

5port · February 2004

Catalytic converters are designed to run at a very high operating temp. If the exhaust header pipe that feeds them has big gash the converters will never reach temp and they will *load up* with gas. In time this causes them to fail.

My guess is the dealerships are looking at the gash as road hazard and not covered under warranty.

jlflemmons · February 2004

I guess that would explain the downstream converter, but not so sure about the upstream manifold mounted converter. Seen too many times where the "shotgun" approach was taken instead of the systematic diagnostic approach.

obsidianblack · February 2004

Glad to hear jimbeaumi's Betsy is well again!!
  Sounds as if there's a lesson to be learned from some of the above stories. That would be to make sure we keep up with our vehicle's warranty checkups. We can skip them if we want, but eventually we'll have to pay the piper. Granted it's not going to prevent the calamity that jimbeaumi had when he had his "fender bender', or gruntm60's exhaust woes. But for a vast majority of the problems that could and will eventually start to happen if we don't get these checkups, it's a whole lot less to pay for these than to get caught with our pants down when we least expect it. I look back to neglecting all of the warranty checkups on all the previous vehicles I've owned, and I've regretted it. These have led to paying mega $$ right through the nose at the worst possible moments. Always!!
  Our '03 Elantra has close to 7,500 miles on it. I had the first oil change at around 3,000 miles. So in my mind, it's due again. I've had nothing but good to say about my dealer. They've treated us "A-1". I'd rather have the oil changed on a more regular basis than the owner's manual calls for.
  After signing off this morning, I'm heading out to the car and find out what's due to be checked on our car and get it done. Again, I'd rather have the preventative maintenance done when I want it and not be surprised when I suffer a breakdown when I least expect it.
  Again I end by saying this is the best car we've ever owned!! A heckuva lot of car for the money!!

mopr340man · February 2004

I bought a new Elantra GLS in Aug. of 2001 and this car has been fantastic. No problems at all to report. The very first tank of gas it got 29 mpg and it's never been that low since. Normal mileage is around 33 or 34,with a high of 40 mpg on a trip to Florida with 3 adults and averaging 70 mph. The original set of tires were replaced this past Sept. with 60,000 miles on them. they were just getting to the wear indicators.I always kept them inflated according to Hyundai's Specs. and they were rotated every 6,000 miles.I replaced them with Kumho's which I highly recomend.They give great traction in all weather conditions,they ride better and are quieter than the original Michelins. now have 75,000 miles and the car just went through PA inspection and the front brake pads are probably going to be good for at least 100,000 miles. Who knows when the rear brakes will ever need to be replaced. Also an interesting note is that I use Amsoil synthetic oil in the engine which only needs to be replaced every 25,000 miles with a filter change at the midway point. The engine runs extremely quiet and smooth and doesn't use any oil between changes. I'm so proud of this car that I recommend Hyundai's to anyone that is considering buying a new car.

jimbeaumi · February 2004

I will submit my 40K report today -- everything's just fine! I am within 50 miles of 40K, but today is my 40th birthday and was hoping to reach 40K by 40. Perhaps if I go out now and just drive around...

I couldn't be happier with this car. It is still very comfortable and quiet, peppy and looks good in non-winter months (car washes don't last long). Warranty work has never been problematic and overall the problems have been few. This is my very favorite car!

ellandry · February 2004

ok I just hit 4000 miles on my 03 GLS and dont know if I should be disappointed in the mileage. I had my first oil change at 3000 miles. Here are my milages since my first tank of gas. ( I may have missed one or two) Plus I fill up with 87 Octane unleaded and 95% of my driving is city.

22; 24; 19; 22; 19; 26; 24; 20; 23; 19; 21=AVG-(21.7)

themanx · February 2004

I have 5500 miles on my 03 GLS and as it breaks in the mileage is getting better.

Last fill up I got 25.2 around the city.

ElantraStan
http://www.stanarseneaux.com/elantra/
My 03 Silver Elantra GLS

ellandry · February 2004

so do mine look a little low to you guys?

newhartford · February 2004

I have a '03 GLS 5M. Summer mileage around town was 27-29. The best I got on a trip was 35. I have always seen a big drop in mileage during the winter (in the northeast) in every car I've owned. Haven't bothered to check it this winter. Another factor is if you drive in the city in a lot of traffic - sitting at stoplights or jams.

jimijames · February 2004

I drive a 03 GT, 5 spd and the wife drives 02 GLS auto. My commute is about 20 miles each way, mostly highway (if you can call MA traffic 'highway') and I get between 28 and 33 mpg. It's been on the lower side during the cold weather. Wifey has a shorter commute, all city, and she averages between 22 and 26 mpg. On a recent trip to CT we did manage to get 30mpg in her car (all highway). Her car has about 20k miles. I think your numbers aren't too far out of whack. To get the best mileage it seems you need to do more highway miles than city.. and a 5 spd is definately more efficient. This can be said for all cars though (except for hybrids, but now I'm vearing too far off topic).

oh yeah... my GT mileage didn't top 30mpg until after 5000 miles or so.. your mileage should increase a little with more break in time.

jlflemmons · February 2004

Anybody tried Goodyear Eagle GT-HR as a replacement tire? Been rainin down in Texas and the 28K Mickys are more than a bit dicey on the wet roads. While I do know how to handle a hydroplane, I prefer not to do it in rush hour traffic. Gives a whole new meaning to the word "pucker"

Jim

malachy · February 2004

Couple of items:

1. Thr trip computer is off by 1 MPG. I calculated 23.5, the computer 24.5. Mostly city driving with the 5 speed GT. Only 1200 miles on it. I switched over to Mobil 1 last Saturday. I hope it gets a little better.

2. This is not a quiet car is it? The only DOHC car I had in the past was a 93 Saturn SL2. That was a bit noisy as well.

3. Experiencing some brake moaning when coming to a "brisk" stop. Others have noted the same thing.

4. I regret getting the 5 speed. We test drove an automatic and was impressed with how it pulled. To save a little $ we opted for the manual. Oh well...

5. Was I ill informed regarding the stock Michelins. These puppys wear out quickly from what I gather. I figured I would get at least 35-40k. For what Michelin charges to replace them, you would think they would last to 60K.

6. When getting my oil changed on Saturday I poked around the Hyundai showroom. I noticed that 5 speeds are rare birds. I also sat in the 4 door sedan (base). The driver seat seems more "snug" than the leather.

7. What is the overall feeling about the quality of the leather. I looked at the Tiburon, Sonata, Santa Fe and X350. Did not see a huge difference in leather quality. I would have thought that for a 15K car, Hyundai would use "cheaper" leather. Any thoughts...

jimpimms · February 2004

The Goodyear Eagle GT-HR tires look very good, as good as the Kumho HP4s, according to TireRack's buyers surveys. The only difference is the Goodyear ratings are based on feedback from 32 buyers, whereas the Kumho's ratings are based on 455 buyers' feedback (and 2.8 million miles). I seriously doubt that the Kumhos are more popular; rather, Goodyear has retail outlets throughout the country, so most people buy Goodyears from their local tire dealers, whereas Kumhos are difficult to find locally. Of course, this doesn't help centralize feedback data for Goodyear.

backy · February 2004

Not quiet compared to what? Quieter than a Protege, Mazda3, ION, Civic, Forenza, Cavalier, Spectra, ECHO; noiser than a Corolla. It is noisy at full throttle, but cruising I think it's very quiet for its class.

Personally I like the 5-speed because of its extra measure of control and sportiness, but I've driven the automatic and thought it pulled just fine.

southpawboston · February 2004

malachy, to address a few of your points--

the MPG computer: being off by only 1 MPG is pretty good in my opinion. in your case, the computer is 97% accurate.

the leather quality: i personally think the leather is a little cheap feeling; however i have sat in much more expensive cars that had what i felt was cheap-feeling eather. one difference between the $15k GT and the more expensive hyundais is that there is probably less leather overall in the elantra-- remember that only the seating surface is leather; the seat sides, backs, headrests, and the armrest and door inserts are all vinyl. also it may be from thinner hide than what they may use in their more expensive cars.

the seat "grippiness": as far as i know, hyundai uses the same seat and padding for the base and GT models. the difference in grip you noticed is probably due to the fabric versus the leather. leather seats tend to be "slippery".

jimbeaumi · February 2004

Hooray!!

blackheat · February 2004

My present car is a 97'Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 which is killing me at the pump(at least here in NYC). I do about 20k on the road each year. I'm thinking of getting a "Go to work car" + "Take the kids to school car"
It it is 22mil to work one way, and 15mil to school one way(2 kids 4th and 5th grade). Also I'm 6'2" 275lbs, will this model be good for me,and what about a 5speed?

malachy · February 2004

Are the seats all leather, or part vinyl? Is that what they mean by leather "trimmed"?

jimbeaumi · February 2004

Seating surfaces are leather. There's no need to use leather on the backs of seats or even on headrests. Go look at the car, you'll be very impressed, leather or not.

malachy · February 2004

At cruising speeds the car is fairly quiet. I have not driven most of the cars you mention. I am just going on past experience.

Have people complained about topping off the fuel tank? Sometimes the nozzle will click a few times, you jump in the car the gauge does not read full. I am trying to keep track of the mileage vs. the computer. I really want to take a road trip and see how it does on the highway.

I jumped on the engine today. Actually the engine sounds pretty good a 5000 RPM. It pulls nice up the on-ramp.

On superbowl sunday, it was mistaken for a SAAB. One of my buddies commented that I must be making the big bucks, I thought he was giving me the business because it was a Hyundai. Needless to say, he was caught off guard...

I really like the fact that do not see a lot of GTS on the road. Are people buying the sedan GT rather than the hatch?

One more thing. The 5 speeds must be rare birds!

backy · February 2004

Sometimes the nozzle will click a few times, you jump in the car the gauge does not read full.

I know that on my GLS it takes about a mile before the gas gauge creeps up to Full after a fil-up. It has done that since it was new.

jlflemmons · February 2004

By design takes a few minutes to go to full from empty. Using a buffered signal to the gauge to keep from getting erratic movement from fuel sloshing in the tank. While slower to move up than most, still makes for an accurate measurement of the fuel level.

Jim

themanx · February 2004

Sounds like you are a big guy... I would recommend you sit in an Elantra to make sure you
are comfortable. I am 6" tall and 240lbs and fit fine.

I am getting 25 mpg in the city and have no complaints with my 03 GLS, but I only have 5500 miles on the speedo.

ElantraStan

jpryba · February 2004

I'm not sure if this is true for those here with smaller figures, but the seat in my Elantra makes an awful squeak here and there on right turns. The cushion also sort of shifts/wiggles if I move around too much (I think it has something to do with the adjustment knobs, not the seat's position on the track itself). So, you may want to check this out when you sit in an Elantra. I'm 5'11" and 240 lbs, and other than this, the seat is fine (and much better than the wobbly seat in the old 96 Grand Am I used to have).

blackheat · February 2004

I sat in the Elantra(with the front portion of seat down and steering wheel up)nice fit, could have used another 2" or 3" in the hip.
Sticker price on GT was 15,400 with rebate and not to much talking, got sticker price down to 11,300. I jumped on the deal, and now I own a new 2004 5 speed Elantra GT. Thanks for all of your help.

jimbeaumi · February 2004

Geez, you got yourself a terrific deal on your GT!! I paid about that for my 2001 GLS, and that wasn't such a bad deal either. You did very well.

jimbeaumi · February 2004

I have noticed this for what is now my Elantra's third winter, but have failed to post it here: the mudguards withstand plenty of gentle kicks to remove packed-in snow and ice. No signs of cracking, nor of separating from the car. They are pretty tough!

jouziel · March 2004

Just bought a new '04 Elantra GLS this weekend, and got a great deal after leveraging two NYC area dealers trying to beat eachother's price. I tried to get the last dealer to throw in a CD player upgrade but he wouldn't do it. So I settled on the standard stereo with the cassette player, thinking that I would replace it with a store-bought one. Is there any trick to installing a stereo in the Elantra or any problems I might run into? I'm trying to determine whether to use one of these self installation kits, or to have it professionally installed. I know that stores like Crutchfield make it seem that the process is so simple but I'm still a little pensive. Any advise would be appreciated.

backy · March 2004

Search this board and the related Elantra boards here for "Kenwood". There was a thread not long ago that mentioned the exact part number for a wiring harness (?) needed to plug in a Kenwood MP3 stereo, which is what the GT has. The person who posted it said it made the installation of the Kenwood unit a snap. Since the Elantra uses a standard-sized slot, other units should go pretty easily too. Personally I'd let a pro do the installation. Many shops e.g. Best Buy offer free installation on most car stereos.

browney · March 2004

Check out message #3826.
I posted there about a Pioneer CD/MP3/WMA unit and a place where you can get the matched harnes for the unit.

I would have to agree with backy though, if you can buy the unit you want at a good price with installation, then let someone else do it.

pat · March 2004

Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey is posted and ready for your input!

hmowner · March 2004

2001 Elantra GLS 5 spd purchased May, 2001. Went past 42K few days ago. It's a good car for the money.

No major complaint other than the unfixable shimmy.

Slight shimmy from front (around 65 to 75 mph) from day one. Never could get it completely/permanently fixed. Wheel balances, tire rotation, radial force balance, turn rotor, reassemble front brake system, etc all gave temporary fix, but the shimmy returned almost immediately. Funny thing is that shimmy comes and goes? Elantra seems to be very sensitive to minute change in wheel balance.

During first winter, the fuel door latch and the rear door lock froze. I now keep the car inside the garage.

On cold days (i.e., winter), there's a metallic whine from engine when rapidly accelerating. It goes away during spring to late fall. Never did find out what's causing the noise.

Replaced both left and right headlight bulb at 29K and 35K respectively under warranty.

Replaced Michy tires at 41K with Toyo TPT. Michys started to hydroplane and never had any snow traction. Toyo TPT seems to make the car feel heavier, but definitely provides better traction and was cheaper than Michy.

Other than oil/filter changes and recent coolant change, no other maintenance performed.

Gas mileage for 85% highway driving = 30 to 33 mpg.

Not much power at low RPM (less than 3000). Had to push to 4500 RPM to feel any kind of acceleration.

Cost of ownership has been very low! compare to my wife's Chrysler minivan.

jimbeaumi · March 2004

And I just turned 41K miles with the usual report of "no trouble", on my 2001 GLS 5-speed. I'm even using original lights (although headlight assembly was replaced after recent accident). One tiny hood chip is showing rust, so I will go to a nearby good bodyshop tomorrow.

I continue to enjoy this car very, very much.

backy · March 2004

The NHTSA just released new frontal crash test ratings for the '04 Elantra, and they came out similar to the '01-'03 models: five stars for driver, four stars for front passenger. It's too bad it didn't get five stars for both, but the good news is that the Elantra is tied for 2nd in the class in the NHTSA ratings for Compact cars, along with the 4-door Civic, Corolla, and Golf. All have two five-star ratings and two four-star ratings. The Vibe and Matrix are on top, with three five-star ratings and one four-star rating. It will be interesting to see how the '04 Elantra fares when the IIHS retests it on the frontal offset test.

jimbeaumi · March 2004

Backy, do you know if the '04 is scheduled for an IIHS test?

backy · March 2004

Because the IIHS has removed the Elantra from its "current model" rankings, meaning it is planning to retest the '04 soon.

don1 · March 2004

hi folks. just wanted to mention that i put 213 miles on my 2002 elantra yesterday and got 40 mpg.5.2 gal used. last week in city driving,only got around 18mpg. not complaing,though! had the elantra just over two years and has 18,000 miles on it. we love the car!

alvind · March 2004

Please help. Has anyone with a Hyundai Elantra 2000 had a problem with the seat belt warning light going on intermittently while the belts are on? It is probably the most annoying problem you can think of, like water torture. Please help with any kind of remedies. My Hyundai dealership cannot seem to fix the problem since August.

woxof · March 2004

1998 Elantra 117,000 km. Replaced the front right a few months ago and now the left one needs replacing too. Anybody else got this problem?

ryman · March 2004

Looks like it has gotten fairly slow around here lately. Nonetheless, there's a couple of questions about Elantras I'd like to pose. I helped steer my mother into buying a 2003 Elantra VE (4 dr sedan) last summer, and I hope I didn't make a mistake. Looking at the many comments here, it seems that most are pretty happy with theirs. Anyways:

1) The main dash vents always seem to let a certain amount of air through, even when the controls are set to feet only or defrost only, although not as much as when the controls are set for the 'face' vents. Annoying in the winter with the heat on. Is this normal for Elantras, or is this one not quite right? If it was my car I'd definitely complain, but without knowing otherwise, I might be forced to accept a "they all do that" for an answer.

2) Does this car need additional rubberized undercoating (or something similar)? It's already been through an Ontario winter, so it may be later than ideal to do it. How about other types of rust protection for the panels, you know, Krown, Rust-Stop, etc.

And a couple of comments:

This car's engine is noisy, or maybe it's the exhaust system (no, it doesn't have a hole in it). Of course, I find that with most cars with smallish engines and auto trannies - anytime you depress the accelerator very far, it shifts down rather than using the engine's torque. Definitely noisier than my '96 Sentra (5-sp).

These cars definitely dent easier than comparable models. My sentra is 7 years old and has 245,000 km on it, and it only has a few tiny dings. Seems like every late-model Elantra I see has significant dents in its bodywork. Hyundai really needs to step up and use a higher quality and/or thicker steel for their body panels. Also, the plastics the bumpers are made out of are quite soft and easily marred, along with the paint.

And finally, the factory radio/CD player has crappy FM reception. I may be spoiled by my Nissan, however, as I've found that Nissan's antennaes and factory (made by Clarion, I believe) radios have extremely good FM reception.

One more thing - why does the driver's side windshield wiper stop so far short of the edge of the windshield? Again, not a big deal, but annoying.

If I was looking for a replacement for my Sentra tomorrow, I'm not sure I'd consider an Elantra. The features/value is great, but I'm not convinced on the long-term durability and/or reliability. Hyundai's engine refinement and body durability still needs improvement.

ps, in 245,000 km, my Sentra's engine has eaten an alternator and needed the exhaust replaced from the header back, including the cat. That's it for powertrain related issues.

jimbeaumi · March 2004

Here's reliability: Elantra has shown above average reliability, Sentra has dropped to below average, according to latest Consumer Reports auto issue.

Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

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