Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

jlflemmons

" it is the primary car for my wife (who lived most of her life in Texas)"

backy, I was born and raised in Texas. Weather may not compare to the northeast, but I am here to tell you that a young man driving an unloaded pickup on crowned, one lane gravel roads with five foot bar ditches on either side will quickly learn the nuances of elegant braking!

Jim

backy

No slight to Texans intended, but my if you could see my wife drive, you would know what I meant. What I meant that she did not learn proper winter driving techniques while learning how to drive in Texas. Also she did not have the benefit of driving pickups on dirt roads.

jlflemmons

or as we used to say, "learn to drive or learn to push, pull, cuss, and walk."

mpgman

ABS will also lower your insurance with several companies that offer discounts for safety features. Anyone have any info on the 06s in terms of standard equipment? I'm hoping they come packed like the Tucson and the side curtain airbags are included. Also, word to the wise for 01 and perhaps 02 and 03 Elantra owners. Check with your dealers about wires corroding in the track that runs under the center pillar. I hear that the problem is more widespread than people think but dealers are mum about it. I had my entire wiring harness replaced under warranty and the wires were really corroded. I had to ask and told them my doors were locking automatically. Given the 8 hours of labor that this took you'll want to explore this under warrranty.

codata99

never heard of that. Who's your dealer?

jimbeaumi

I'm a bit late to this discussion, but here's my two cents. As with Backy's experience, I have found that I don't need ABS on my '01 GLS. Braking is so good on this car! However, it would have prevented my fender-bender a year ago. Plus I LOVE slamming ABS brakes.

george_s

All good points. My dealer has tried involving his district manager to get one allocated to his dealership with ABS, but no luck yet. Are there any other makes/models I should be considering for about the same price with ABS? I'm getting a little frustrated, and I'm thinking about just forgetting the ABS, but the quote he gave me for one w/o ABS was only $200 under the one for the ABS equipped car ($13500 vs. $13700). Anyone have any advice?

backy

There really aren't many new cars available at this price with ABS. You could go the used route and probably find a mid-sized car with ABS for under $14k--ABS seems to be more common on larger cars. You could also look for a used Civic EX--all of them have ABS standard. Mazda3's with ABS are pretty easy to find, but will be much more than $14k new, and there aren't many used ones. You might be able to find a slightly used Focus or Corolla with ABS for under $14k.

ericf1

Cobalt's w/ABS for <$14k.

themanx

Only problem with a Cobalt it is a GM product.
No warranty like a Hyundai!!!

ElantraStan

backy

Pretty good crash-test scores though. But the cramped rear seat and lack of adjustability on the driver's seat, compared to the Elantra, are enough to strike it off my list--and the warranty and the fact it's a first-year GM product.

jeff94vic

I just purchased a 1994 model with about 75,000 miles on it. I don't have any previous maintenance records, so as a precaution I will likely be getting the timing belt replaced.

My question: is the water pump close to the location of the timing belt? In other words, if I'm going to be changing the timing belt would it be worth my while to change the pump at the same time (to save the labour required to get at the water pump)? Or, is the pump not that difficult to get at?

csandste

Six small but likeable things that my Maxx has that the Elantra didn't.

1. Power pedal adjustment
2. Electric seat height adjustment (rest is manual in basic Maxx)
3. Telescoping steering wheel.
4. Automatic lighting
5. Driver info. center with temperature and MPG feedback (neat!)
6. Standard CD player.

(some of these shortcomings have been corrected in later Elantras and especially the GT)

Five things that my Elantra had that I miss w. the Maxx:

1. center storage has two levels rather than one big bin.
2. Lighted key ring
3. Auto-off headlights in any mode (no run down battery if you don't have the lights on automatic--which the Elantra didn't have)
4. A sunglass storage bin
5. Separate clock and radio display, although the clock quit working.

backy

I think the standard cassette on the Elantra GLS is doomed, now that the new Accent will have a standard CD. Also, the next Elantra will have XM standard.

I guess the temp readout would be useful in the winter, so you know that the roads might be getting icy. But I usually have my news radio on that gives the weather every 10 minutes, so I can live without it. The mpg readout is really nice, I appreciate it on my GT.

Does the power seat adjust in two planes, like the Elantra's seat? I know most power seats do, but I drove a car the other day (can't even remember what it was) that had a power seat that adjusted only in one direction. Pretty useless I thought.

csandste

goes up and forward or down and back in straight line. Seat angle stays even and you have to make other adjustments manually. Leave it to GM to cripple their power seat in low end models, bet most of the other adjustments could have been made for minimal cost, but that's reserved for LT.

Doesn't bother me, however. Seems better than new Spectra, for example. Hyundai seat adjustments were a bit clunky with the two dials (which were always hard to move, maybe I didn't adjust enough), but they did give you a ton of adjustment options. Maxx probably gives you the same flexibility but with a confusing mish-mash of electric and manual seating until you move up to an LT.

Both the Maxx and the Elantra were tremendously comfortable cars although I haven't made a long trip in the Maxx yet. Elantra passenger seat wasn't nearly as good as driver's seat, think the Maxx's passenger seat (as well as back seats which also adjust back and forth and recline) are probably better, although seat fabrics are uglier than the '01 Elantra which I found cheesy at first--but which grew on me as I kept the car.

Of course this is a car which competes with the Sonata (the new one will probably be much nicer). The Maxx is, however, FAR superior to the Impala which I found very uncomfortable on a short passenger trip.

lngtonge18

I believe the water pump is driven by the timing belt so yes, you need to replace it. In 94, the Elantra's engine was a Mitsubishi design and all of their engines have a water pump driven by the timing belt.

ericf1

The adjustable seat in the newer Elantras actually lower the crash-test ratings. Lol.

backy

Would you mind elaborating on that assertion, since there is no evidence I have seen to back it up?

larryben

With the recent jump in gasoline prices, a report on my new 5-speed Elantra GT's fuel mileage may be of interest to readers and potential buyers. Having driven 3276 miles on 93.6 gallons since leaving the dealership with a full tank, it's averaged 35.0 mpg. Not great compared to some Civics and Corllas, but one mpg better than the Elantra's EPA highway rating.

Most of these miles were accumlated between 60-70 mph with one passenger and lots of luggage on highways and interstates from Albuquerque to Phoenix and Southern California and back via Las Vegas. I also pumped the tires up to 34 psi for the trip.

ericf1

It's in the impact test ratings, wherever that page is. It states the 2003+ versions of the Elantra w/Lumbar seat adjustment have poorer head/whiplash performance than the non-Lumbar versions.

I can't find the page. It's in there somewhere tho.

Still, I'd rather have the lumbar support.

backy

That is very interesting because there is no such thing as an Elantra w/o lumbar adjustment, at least in the U.S. Which crash tests are these?

ericf1

Good luck, I'll probably never find that page again. I did note that it was the Elantra and the impact ratings went down with the lumbar support. Has the US Elantra always had lumbar support?

backy

At least since the '01 models, maybe before that.

BTW, the lumbar adjustment on the Elantra is similar to the non-power adjuster on many other cars. So I'd really be surprised if there were any relationship between the lumbar adjustment and crash test results.

Is it possible you are thinking of the IIHS frontal offset crash test on the '01 Elantra, where the driver's seat moved forward on its tracks more than it should have? That's the only crash test I've ever seen on the current Elantra design that even remotely referred to a seat adjustment. And note that there was no mention of this issue on the retest for the '04-05 Elantra. (The seat track was redesigned, that may have taken care of it.)

mpgman

The dealer was Lester Glenn in Toms River, NJ. Freehold Hyundai agreed and did the repair (all day in the shop) under warranty. This is more common than you think and I urge you to get your cars checked out. Bad news: CR just removed the Elantra from its recommended list due to a "poor" rating on a new side impact test.

backy

The Elantra along with several others, including the Focus and Mazda3. Let's see what Hyundai can do with a car that was designed after the IIHS' side impact test was introduced--namely the next-gen Elantra.

backy

I just read CR's review of the Elantra GT sedan in the May issue. Did you know the passenger seat on the Elantra is height-adjustable? I didn't until I read the article--and I own two Elantras!

CR seemed to go out of their way to find fault with the Elantra. Examples:

"Although well-equipped, the Elantra is just basic transportation." Hmm, let's see: quiet, comfortable ride; brakes performed well; well-finished interior with leather (the only tested car so equipped); comfortable driving position; logical controls and gauges; traction control (only vehicle tested with it); standard side air bags (only vehicle tested with that). They didn't call the low-scoring Cobalt or Ion "basic transportation."

They complained about the handling ("isn't very agile, cornering with notable body lean", "steering is vague and reluctant", "handles clumsily but securely"). Yet they had no issues with the handling of the GLS they tested four years ago, even though its suspension is Buick-like compared to that of the GT.

They noted they "had to purchase a GT trim line to get [ABS]." Well, they had to buy the EX trim line (or even costlier Si, SE, or Hybrid) of the Civic to get ABS on that car, but they didn't think that point worth mentioning. They also didn't look very hard, if dealers in my area are any indication. I've seen GLS 5-doors with ABS every time I've checked the lot this year. (Yes, the other cars were sedans, but that didn't stop CR from comparing the Prius hatchback to four other sedans last year.)

CR praised the Elantra's interior and even had a photo of the leather seats, but noted "The Elantra GT's seats are leather even though they look like vinyl." C'mon, folks--that can be said about 99% of leather upholstery. But I can tell you, they don't feel like vinyl, they don't make you sweat like vinyl, and they sure don't smell like vinyl. They had a photo of the Focus' bargain-basement cloth seats (remind me of my first car, a '66 Coronet) and the worst they could come up with is, "less stylish than the original"--although they also noted the low-grade quality of the interior materials.

The Civic has "handy storage nooks" and is praised for dampened lids and handles. (Hey, for almost $20k the handles should be dampened!) No mention of the pint-sized center console in the Civic, nor the two-level large console in the Elantra, nor the Elantra's dampened sunglasses holder, ash tray, or glove box.

Headlights were "poor". I don't know what they consider good, but my Elantras have some of the brightest headlights of any car I've owned. The bright headlights have been noted in other reviews too. I wonder if there was something wrong with the tester or if Hyundai has changed the low beams for '05.

baltychen

Anyone knows the timing belt replacement interval?? 60,000 miles or 100,000 miles on 2005 Elandra?? Thanks.

backy

60k

dclurker

Great post, as usual. I thought this month's test was lousy, with several factual errors and that obvious bias against the Elantra. I've always respected CR, but they've got to do better or else I may be forced to withdraw my coveted Recommended from the magazine

pat

LOL!

dclurker

While I'm in ranting mode, did you see that letter to the editor asking why CR lists only the sticker prices rather than including what they actually paid? Their lame excuse was that they often test newly introduced vehicles and thus can't bargain very much. Well, anyone looking at this month's test would think that the Elantra was only about $1k cheaper than the Civic. Those of us who have bought Elantras know that the real-world difference is more like $3-4k, a major consideration for this class of cars. I've never claimed that the Elantra is the best small car, but I believe it is a very good car and a great value. Also, CR didn't bother to mention the Elantra's superior warranty. Grrrrrr! OK, let me take my medicine now and chill out.

backy

One thing about CR is that they never include pricing into their ratings, except to classify cars into ratings groups. So the "small car" class includes $10k Accents and $25k Priuses. I know Edmunds.com takes price into consideration in their comparos and I appreciate that.

Now that you've had your medicene, I'll note that CR did mention the Hyundai warranty--as a "plus" for the car. But they were too busy talking about how the leather interior looks like vinyl to talk-up the warranty.

baltychen

Thanks.

jeff94vic

I just bought a used '94 Elantra that is getting approx. 19 MPG. All of my driving is in the city, and is relatively short drives (5KM or 3 miles max) with the usual stop-and-go you get in the city. I drive the car very gently (no quick accelerations, etc.) and the car is never left idling. The tires are properly inflated. When I had the car inspected before buying it, the mechanic said the wires, plugs, etc. all looked fine.

The '94 is rated at 23 MPG city. Would you say that a 4 MPG drop is reasonable given the driving conditions and the age of the car? Or do you think better mileage should be expected?

jlflemmons

Seems reasonable for such short drives. The engine is never getting fully warmed up and efficient.

njdevil

we owned a 2003 elantra gt 4 door that had the wiring harness replaced under warranty when it had 47,500 miles. we were having trouble with the the drivers side mirror vibrating all the time so we bought it to lehigh valleyhyundai. They fixed it but also told us that there was beginning signs of corrosion on the wiring harness and they wanted to fix it before it got worse. we left the car with them for the day and we got a loaner. i like their loaner cars better than the ones from lester glenn ( no big advertisement of the back )

adu1

Any idea how Edmunds' editorial staff can be prompted to fix outdated info. in their overview of the 2005 Elantra? The list as a "con" the car's "poor offset crash test score" and go on to say "the car's frontal offset crash test performance was troubling." The crash test performance WAS troubling before Hyundai made a running change to the airbag-system software. An IIHS re-test improved the car's score to "good" (the highest category). All Elantras produced since Dec. 2004 have the software change, and all 2004 and 2005 model-year Elantras are eligible for the software upgrade (at no charge). I think it's unfair to continue to tell people that the offset crash test results are bad.

The side impact results are a different issue, but almost all small cars did poorly there...

pat

There are two things you can do - use the Feedback link at the top of the page to reach them, or drop by editor Karl Brauer's discussion in News & Views: Karl's Daily Log Book .

jkobb

I bought a new gls 05 Elantra just 2 weeks ago and traded my 2000 Altima in.The Altima is a very good car I just wanted something newer and good on gas . The Elantra rides as smooth if not smoother than the bigger Altima. I had a payment of $226 for 5 years on the Altima . I now have a payment of $214 on the Elantra for 4 years , this includes them paying off the $657 balance on the altima. So I moved up 5yrs. and nocked off $12 a month and at a year less payments . I don`t feel penalized for buying the smaller car , it has everthing the Altima had and even a couple extras . It rides nice as I said before, and I think they look as good if not better than a Civic or Corrolla . Oh ya and its white , which I think looks good , and actually doesn`t show dirt as bad as a dark color. Anyone who doesn`t look at an Elantra when they look for a new small car is doing them self a dis-service .

jimbeaumi

Hi Folks ... just looking for some dealer guidance. There is a possibility that I will be moving from Michigan to Maine. So, I am wondering who here has had dealer experiences near Camden. It looks like the closest are Blouin Hyundai of Augusta, or Quirk Hyundai of Bangor. Anything interesting to report? Better service at one over the other? Any info is appreciated!

pat

Check out the Hyundai Elantra: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion. You can use the "Search This Discussion" feature on the page bar to look for those names or locations, but if you don't find what you need that's a great place to ask.

Good luck - and good luck with the move if it happens. (Better you than me!! I cannot think of worse thing to embark upon than moving. )

backy

I picked up an Avante XD (Elantra to us) brochure at a Hyundai dealer in Seoul today, and I was amazed at the equipment that comes on Avantes--such as:

* CD + Cassette audio (available from dealer here)
* Automatic climate control
* Chrome door handles (interior and exterior), lock buttons, and tweeter trim rings
* Woodgrain trim (available from dealer here)
* Solar glass (not just tinted)
* Automatic day/night mirror
* Heated front seats
* Whiplash-preventing front headrests
* Navigation system
* Choice of 1.5L, 1.6L, and 2.0L VVT engines
* Fold-down center rear armrest with cupholders (and passthrough on sedans)
* Auxiliary gauge cluster (e.g. amps and oil pressure)
* Strut tower brace
* Handsfree cell phone interface (I think, based on the photo)
* "Hold" feature (not quite sure what that is, but there's a button for it)
* Steering-column audio controls
* Bag hook on the back of the passenger's seat
* Aluminum footrest cover and pedals
* A luxury trim level ("Gold") that has a nice-looking tan leather interior available
* A "Racing" trim level, like our GT but with special alloys, spoiler, gauges, strut tower brace etc.

There may be more, but that's what I was able to glean from the photos.

I'd love to see Hyundai make most of these features available on the Elantra sold in the U.S.--and maybe they will with the next-gen Elantra. Probably not the nav system though--not even the new Sonata offers that in the U.S. And the smaller engines probably wouldn't be popular in power-hungry America.

BTW, based on what I've seen in three days here, 5-door Elantras aren't very popular in Korea. There's zillions of sedans, but I've seen only one 5-door (a red Sports model).

Oh, and I finally found out what "XD" means: Excellent Driving.

miamixt

When you come back perhaps you can report on the New Automated American Hyundai Plant. Now that seems like fun trip, riding the Tram through the 1000 plus Acres of Hyundai. And I can almost imagine the quality will be the best yet?Still, why does my Engine Ping with less than 2000 Miles on it? I want my Excell back, that is if it would run. These toy Cars are too much!

jkobb

I`ve had my 05 gls for 2weeks now and I have to agree with several posters about the soft brake feel . The car brakes fine but the feel in the pedal takes some getting used to . I love the ride, I think it rides nicer than my 00" Altima that I traded in . The interior is nice and layed out very well, the controls were easy to learn . The seats once adjusted for tilt and lumbar are comfortable. I havn`t been on any long trips yet but I expect to have noproblems there either. I keep comparing it to my Altima because it compares pretty equally . Even though the Altima was bigger in size on the order of a Accord or Camry almost. If I`m not mistaken the Elantra wheelbase is about the same as the Altima. I love to drive this car.

rustysparks

I'm considering a 2005 GT 5-spd manual without ABS or Traction Control. Live in NY and grew up driving in snow, so I'm not stranger to it. I also live in a VERY hilly area.

Would love to hear people's experience with the GT in snow and rain.

I've tested the GT and really like the manual vs automatic.

Thanks for the feedback!

Andy (RustySparks)

backy

I haven't had to drive my '04 GT (automatic with ABS/TCS) much in snow because we didn't have much this winter, but we did have a few 6"-8" snowfalls I got to drive in. One time, I was parked in a lot with about 8" of new snow. I was able to move out of my parking space and onto the street about 200 yards away just fine--slowly but surely. Another time, I was driving home in about 5" of new snow/slush, on city streets. I had no problem maintaining the speed limit (30 mph) with a good feeling of control. I had to push the car to make the ABS and TCS engage. (I have a light foot on the throttle.)

I've owned a '01 GLS (same tires as the GT, 5-speed, no ABS/TCS) through five winters and I think it handles in snow as well as any car I've owned. I did replace the OEM tires before this past winter with Kumho Ecsta HP16s and really liked how they handled in snow and ice. The Elantra has a progressive braking feel (some call it soft) that makes the brakes easy to modulate, even without ABS. I got ABS on the GT because it's my wife's car and she doesn't have the winter driving skills I do. My part of the country (Midwest) is pretty flat, few big hills.

Because you live in a very hilly area in snow country, you might want to go with an AWD vehicle like the Impreza, Tucson, or Forester. But if you have survived all this time without ABS/TCS on a car, I think you'll find the Elantra GT deals with the white stuff just fine. There's always winter tires, too.

jpryba

If some of you think your Elantra has a soft brake pedal, you should check out the brake pedal on my 02 GLS (which has 4 wheel disc ABS). I had the pads replaced and the rotors turned about 2 months ago. The first week I had it, the pedal was fairly firm in colder weather, and then it got soft whenever the temperature was warmer (60-70 degrees). I took it back in and the dealer bled the brakes. The pedal felt a little bit better, but as of late it is consistently still "mushy" mainly in warmer and wetter conditions. (It's really noticeable when you press it to shift out of park -- it easily goes almost all the way to the floor whereas I remember there being more resistance in the past. I also have to press the pedal down further to get the car to brake to begin with.)

So, I'm having another Hyundai dealership take a look at it, and hopefully all it needs is a brake fluid flush or some simple adjustment made to bring it back to normal.

Does anyone here with a newer Elantra notice any change in the firmness of the brake pedal during certain temperatures, then? I'm thinking my issue has more to do with the quality of the work done on my car, but perhaps it's more widespread than I thought.

jimbeaumi

Sounds like an interesting trip you are having (or have had). The Avante info sounds like some of the surprises I found on the Korean site, esp. the automatic climate control feature, among others. Aluminum pedals are also available at our dealers here in the U.S. I have them on my GLS. Parts departments may list them as Tiburon accessories, as one of the parts guys at my dealer was *certain* the Tib's dead pedal was different. All of the pedals are the same.

I intended to use them only as "summer pedals" along with my summer mats, but I might use the pedals all year, they look so nice.

bikerpa

Just a note - those pedals look sweet, but the aluminum gas pedal does not fit on the 04-05 pedal assembly. They changed the design. You would have to replace the entire assembly with a 01-03 unit.

roy11

Have friend who has a GT in Canada to your north. Get some good winter tires(4)
with studs if permitted and you will have no problem.(Also get a set of rims if you have mags & intend on keeping the car)

Recently purchased an Elantra (2005) myself getting great fuel economy close to 40 MPG (US Gallon) very satisfied so far.

Roy