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For everything that the warranty covers, go to the dealer, but for everything that you have to pay for (i. e. maintenance), get it done at an honest independent garage.
I got all of my maintenance done at the local dealer (Pitre Hyundai) for the first 60,000 miles, but the will never get another penny from me. When I went in for my 60,000 mile service, they charged me about $120 more for the 60,000 then was printed on their price sheet. The original price was crossed out and the higher price was written next to it in pen. I should have been more vocal at my annoyance, but I am too non-confrontational. I should have let my wife deal with him, she would have had him begging for mercy before she was finished with him.
This wasn't the first time that I was burned by this service department. I ended up paying for a part that I believe they broke working on a previous warranty repair. They replaced the lifters on one visit, and then the next time I went in, I had to pay them to repair a broken valve cover.
You should try out your local dealer. Not all dealers are as bad as this one, but keep your eyes open. I wish that I had figured out sooner how bad my dealer's service department was.
Tom
By the way, I wrote a mini-review of the Elantra GLS/GT from the New York Auto Show. Anyone can read it by going to the "New York Auto Show" link on the front page and scrolling down to the "contest winners" section under "reviews".
CJA
Way to go Chris, good work!
Pat
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I am losing interest due to all the confusion.
I dont suppose Elantra is high on the K&N company list of filters to make that could make them some money.
Lets see if there is some other low restriction air filter on the web somewhere!
Later
Tony
If any of you are interested in discussing the concept of the article, please join us here: Are women treated differently in the car-buying process?.
What do you think? Follow that link, read Edmunds.com's editors Carmen Tellez and Philip Reed's attempt to answer that question, and share your thoughts on the process and the article itself.
Pat
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(At least we are getting more questions now about door fit and air filters than the famous Hyundai "aroma".)
further, i would appreciate hearing from owners of the 2001 to hear their feedback.
thanks to all
Another consideration is that brand-new designs, like the '01 Elantra and '01 Civic, tend to have more problems in their first year than usual. To get a sense for these problems, you can check out the forums like this one, the Honda Civic forum, etc., where posters are not bashful about talking about even the smallest glitches in their brand-new babies (e.g., plastic screw-hole plugs that fall off, sticky fuel-filler doors, and--my personal favorite--truck lids that can be depressed a millimeter after they are closed). They also report more serious problems. But the question is, are the serious problems common or only present in the occasional "lemon"? Personally I've had no serious problems with my Elantra over its first six months and 3200 miles and am very happy with it. The car mags and CR have given the Elantra generally positive, even glowing reviews. So it's clear the serious problems noted by some posters do not occur on every Elantra.
If you really want the most reliable small car, your best bet is to buy a car that has a proven track record. Examples are the '96-'00 Civic (avoid the '01 since it is a brand-new model), the Sentra (new design in '00, so the bugs should be shaken out by now), the Corolla and its twin the Prizm (last redesign in '98), the Protege (last major redesign in '99), the Impreza (but not the brand-new '02 models), and the Saturn SL (not a great car, but a time-tested design). Steer clear of cars with a poorer-than average reliability record, like the Golf/Jetta, New Beetle, Focus, Cavalier/Sunfire, Neon, and the Elantra. You will have taken several fine cars off your list--including the VWs, Focus, and Elantra--but have a much better chance of getting a reliable car, which seems to be your major buying criterion.
You are definitely taking a risk buying a '01 Elantra, given it's a new design and given Hyundai's reliability history. I decided that the car was worth the risk, especially with the great warranty to back it up. And all evidence points to Hyundai's reliability record improving in the past few years. Still, it's not for everyone. If you really want an Elantra, you'd be better off waiting for the '02 model. Then most bugs should be taken care of and we'll know more about its reliability. You'll also be able to choose from the 4dr or the new 5dr GT, due out in limited numbers in a few weeks. Good luck on your car hunt!
The only problem now is trying to get all those bug marks off the front of the car! But that's why I also lurk over on the Maintenence and Repair forum here in the Townhall.
Look how long Chrysler has taken to fix their 4 speed transmissions which first came out in 1990! How about alternators that don't last on GM products, year after year of new cars or Ford with Heater cores that don't last or ...... But I guess those aren't bugs, just bad designs that don't last long enough. Is there a difference?
I wouldn't worry about this with Civic, Impreza or Elantra. I have more confidence that they got it right the first time.
So you are welcome to have all the confidence in the world that Honda, Subaru, and Hyundai "got it right the first time" with their new models, but for buyers who are extremely cautious about reliability, it's a risker proposition than buying a proven model. Honda and Subaru et. al. have at least proven over the years that they have an excellent reliability track record. We cannot say the same yet for Hyundai, although indicators are looking up--enough at least for me to buy one of the first '01 Elantras shipped to the U.S. Besides, a little risk-taking makes life more interesting, to go along with the 140 horses.
By the way, I'm still loving my 2001 Elantra. I've had it for about a month now and have averaged about 28-29 mpg on 80% suburban driving.
JEFF
Thanks.
How much vibration is there when stopped at a stop light and the car is in gear. One thing about most 4 bangers is that they seem to vibrate excessively at this time.
How is acceleration with the automatic?
Are their many rattle and noises?
Is the car smooth when accelerating, how is it in the 65-80 range.
How does it handle in the snow, without traction control?
I received an offer of $13,700 ( not including tax, destination, license)for a pewter-2001 Elantra, mud guards, floor mats, option package #3. They then applied the $500 rebate. I was hoping more of getting it for invoice, then take off rebate, so I am wondering if maybe I am being overly optimistic. I have not countered yet, but may see if they will knock another $100 or $200 off the price.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Somebody... Anybody... PLEASE HELP!
Rattles and noises: virtually none. My car has some sort of little rattle that seems to come from the passenger side, front, that appears maybe once a week or so. Hasn't bothered me enough to do anything about it. Car is so quiet the main rattle I notice is my sunglasses (wire rims) rattling sometimes in their overhead holder.
Smooth while accelerating 65-80: yes, plenty of pep but mine's a 5spd. It really takes off at over 4000 rpms. Some engine growl at full throttle; I think it's sporty but not everyone may like it--test drive to be sure.
Handling in snow w/o traction control: no complaints this past (really nasty) winter in Minnesota, but all my driving is in an urban area so I didn't cope with deep snow. I really liked the braking, it didn't lock up easily even on ice.
Pricing: I agree with your strategy, starting at invoice and deducting the rebate. But it depends on how long it's been sitting around, since the holdback disappears over time. A lot depends also on how competitive the dealers are in your area. You are buying the more desirable automatic vs. 5spd, so the dealer may not give as much. But it can't hurt to try your strategy, with multiple dealers if necessary. Good luck! And be sure to drive the exact car you will be buying before signing the papers, to make sure there aren't some serious sample defects.
One other issue, our only problem in 6,000 miles is a low tone squeak coming from the area of the clutch slave cylinder when the clutch is depressed. No fluid leaks or loss of pressure, but we can feel the drag in the clutch pedal. Have not had a chance to take the car in for a check, just wondered if anyone else had experienced this squeak.
Maybe this will help
The 2001 Elantra uses the S1919 AMSOIL air filter. It is a special order filter so it doesn’t show up to buy. We do not have a foam air filter for the 2000 Sonata, but we do offer the AF1070 Hastings filter, however, it is a paper filter. For pricing and/or ordering information, please call 800-956-5695.
Tony
The noise is coming from the back wheels and is a clicking sound of sorts.
Cant realy feel it, but it sounds like the braing material has seperated from the brake shoe itself and catching in an oblong drum.... remember, this is what it sounds like.
Stopping hard a few times cures it for most of the day. I had it in 3 times already for this and they have cleaned the drums, turned the rotors, turned the drums..... They are talking proportioning valve next maybe.
Anyone else have this annoyance????????
Other than this the car is fine. 6000 miles, Quite, powerful and good mileage. Good a/c and handling in the heavy downpours here in Florida.
If these brakes would start behaving, this would be an absolute perfect car in my opinion.
See ya.
Tony
I also list other possible causes in Post #893.
Cost to repair the oxygen sensor should be around $100.
The clicking noise from the rear break.. I went to deler shop and ask them to fix it.. but somehow my car did not make clicking noise in front of technicians.. So they said when my car make clicking noise, then come back again to fix it.. They said if the break makes clicking noise then they need to balance(?) the break again..
I had the same problem with the shaky and it drove me crazy.
I took it for a major tuneup at the dealership and that took care of the problem.
Just remember that with this model that the "check engine" light comes on for everything!
If the gas cap is not on tight, the light will come on. If your spark plugs need changing (and this can cause the jerkiness in the car), the check engine light goes on.
One thing I have learnt. Get tuneups when needed to have a smooth running car - at least this one.
I have 49,000 miles
During this past May day, I noticed on the nightly news demonstrations around the world. They showed Koreans burning an American flag. I know this is not necessarily indicative of the population at large. Nonetheless, I have also heard from an American soldier who spent 5 years at the DMZ that many young Koreans are not particularly fond of the United States.
Maybe I'm overreeacting but that p#$@ me off. It is causing me to think twice about actually purchasing another Korean car. I lost a family member during the Korean war. My question is (and I don't know if anyone knows for certain)just how much anti-Americanism is their in Korea?
Bri70: Now, I know you don't go burning other country's flags, but just think through what you are saying a bit more. Can you honestly say you are fond of Koreans? Probably not. I know I'm not fond of them, simply because I don't know anyone that is Korean. I'm not anti-Korean; rather, I have no opinion either way. That is probably how most Koreans view us. How another country feels about Americans shouldn't really bother you that much. That's like getting mad that the kids in school don't like you. A lot of countries don't like us, including many Europeans. I know this because I was badgered when I was 17 by some 50 year old Italian in Venice while on a 2 week trip. He went on and on about how stupid Americans are because they can only speak English and how they always butt into other country's business. We were also treated poorly in Switzerland at a restaurant. The French treated us the best I thought, against common knowledge. At any rate, how the anti-American Italian viewed us wouldn't keep me from buying a Fiat or Alfa Romeo. If you are that worried about anti-Americanism, than the only way you will feel good about yourself is to buy American cars. Another thing to keep in mind is that northern Koreans will obviously not like us because they are communist and we waged a war against them. I don't know if the flag burning was in North or South Korea, but that is something to keep in mind. Also, Koreans are Chinese in descent. It's possible that since China is not too happy with us right now that they are just expressing that view.
I have been told by more than one person that my concerns are unwarranted (I live in the NYC metro area which has a large Asian community). That the majority of South Koreans do not harbor anti-American feeling anymore than say the French or Italians. That the images I saw of American flag burning were likely of students that get carried away as some do in the United States. Unless I hear otherwise I will assume this is the case.
That does ease my mind because I happen to think that Hyundai, Samsung, Goldstar, etc make good products at decent prices.
As for buying American, when I can that is usually the way I go. It is simply that Hyundai has a very sweet deal with their cars. Loaded to the gill with features at a price that cannot be beat by the Americans. Yes, wallet trumps patriotism- to a point. I also get a kick out people thinking I am riding a piece of junk when in fact I know better.
Soon Hyundai's will be priced even or higher than their American counterparts and for me that will settle the issue. Though that Chrysler Sebring may make me make the move ahead of time. That vehicle is nice!
Floridian
Floridian
Pat
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bri70: I don't know when did you see or read about burning the flag.. but it happed 2 month ago.. South Korean burned the US flag and have anti-US feeling, because the some people in US Army base raped Korean women and they did not get any charges(Korean supreme court cannot have trial with people in US ARMY only US can..) and US Army base threw poison(paint,and etc..) in their river.. If you want to know more infomation go to http://www.chosun.com and click english and read more about it..
lngtonge18: Koreans are not Chinese in descent.
they are totaly different people.
Please stop this line of posts and get back to discussing the Elantra.
Thank you.
Pat
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http://www.geocities.com/tonykrapil/elantrabrakes.wav
See ya
Tony
its hardly worth it, but it is noisy at times.
Tony
Just in case someone didn't notice. The Elantra is now in Edmunds long term road test fleet. Nice initial comments by the editors.
If they waited one more month, I think they would have appreciated the GT more.