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Comments
Good eye. I agree. The GT should have a revamped tail light from the Elantra GLS or even the Accent. At the least, the amber portion should be clear to keep up with the standard. Many car companies do that, though. They will design a beautiful front and carry it through the rest of the car, and then apply a 'Friday Afternoon' tactic to the back. The lights next to the license plate only need to be back-up lights. A different tail light will give the GT the stout finish to the hatchback design. I would also like to see side marker lights like most of the German makes. This will enforce the Euro design they are shooting for. Hopefully in the future.
Finally, Hyundai has revised their website to include the GT on the homepage.
I think 30 PSI seems too low for the Michelin tires on the GT. The sidewalls seem to sag way too much and the car feels sluggish, espcially on the highway. Maybe 30 PSI is more suitable for the Korean-market tires? Are they also Michelins?
BTW, I am NOT a fan of the Michelin Energy tires on the GT. They are noisy and seemingly cannot be made to balance properly. Check out the Elantra Sedan thread for more info. The right rear and right front tires made a persistent bip-bip-bip-bip-bip niose on certain pavements during a recent 1200-mile highway trip. Gonna get me some Bridgestones or something when these wear out.
At night, with the brake lights on, the rear of the Elantra GT reminds me of one of the little UFOs from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".
Does the keyless entry/alarm system chirp when you arm it? I thought it was supposed to. The lights flash but no chirp.
If you manage to trip the alarm be prepared for an ungodly howl.
Not the first time you "arm"; but if you want to make sure it did arm, then press "Arm" a second time and it will chirp!
At least that's what mine does!
I pressed it a second time and the lights flashed 2 times with no chirp. I like the chirp sound cause i don't have turn around and look at the lights when i arm system.
Completed 1000 miles today in exactly 14 days. I like the car very much.
Have some problems though. My moonroof does not work intermittently. I think the realy is having some problem but no time to take it to the dealer yet. The other thing I noticed is that there is a shrill sound from the A/C every 60 seconds and lasts for about 5 secs and it really goes to a very high pitch. I have seen the same problem reported by many people in t-h-c.org forums. Does some one have any solution for this?
I am getting 31 MPGs so far. Bought a sub woofer and have to fix it during the weekend. Mine does not make a chirp even when I arm it for the second time. I really like that since I do not have to verify the lights.
Saw one more GT in my area. But GT seems to be a very rare car here in Hudson valley.
Anyone else noticed this when running A/C?
To be honest, I'd rather NOT have the chirp. The lights flashing are enough for me.
Anybody out there know WHEN a Thule rack might be available? I got tired of throwing $800 at my Saab every couple months and traded it in... but now my canoe and I are landlocked. Oh, well, at least I can still throw my bikes in the hatch. And take the long way home. I think Yakima might have one for the GLS that should fit, but I have all Thule attachments.
Thanks.
PS--The GT is VERY similar to my old '94 900S... not just in shape. Performance is about equal thanks to a lighter car. The measurements are all very close, tho the Saab was a few inces longer overall. And it's nice to upgrade to decent wheels, CD player and leather. Never thought I'd go from a Swedish car to a Korean!
Too bad GM won't let Saab build a 9-2.
I hope and pray you were not involved in the Manhattan disaster.
Please reply - hope you are doing well.
I know that phone and internet services have been spotty in our area (NYC/NJ/LI)) for the last few days because of the overloaded and damaged circuits. Hopefully, all of our pals from this thread are OK and simply unable to use their PCs.
I'm checking in from Montclair, NJ, where we are all fine and await the news of our missing friends and family. Luckily neither my wife nor I were in Manhattan when the terrorists struck. My sister-in-law narrowly escaped, though, and actually watched the first tower fall down. And until six months ago I worked in Seven World Trade Center, which I saw collapse on TV later in the day. I guess I am lucky to no longer work there.
Our Elantra is running fine. 6000 miles and no problems.
Good to see you are still with us - glad you left the World Trade Center when you did!
Take care!
My Blue GT is now having 1500 miles. I am beginning to notice rattles on the door panels and some squeaks in the seats or head rests? Any body else have same problems?
It is pretty annoying when you get rattle at 30-40 MPH.
Thanks in Advance.
The only interior gripes I have are these: First, the insides of the windows are impossible to keep clean (especially the rear hatch) and second, the interior leather has a strong odor to it. Can anyone recommend a leather cleaner or polish that helps remove odors? Thanks.
(1) When I am cranking the music with a song with good bass, sometimes the passenger door panel buzzes a little (but not bad).
(2) The passenger-side seatbelt sometimes buzzes against the plastic pillar it is attached to, usually when hitting bumps.
(3) The rear hatch sometimes makes a clunk when I hit a decent bump - but never rattles otherwise.
Overall, these noises do not bother me as I've owned other cars that had many more squeaks and rattles (include a Toyota Corolla).
Someone here (or another Edmunds board) mentioned that they go around their cars and tighten all bolts/screws/etc. every so often which supposedly helps minimize sqeaks and rattles. I'd try that to see if it helps, including checking the door panel screws and clips (which I intend to do in the future myself).
Good luck!
Can I ask the dealer to fix this?
Thanks.
I hope mpgman is OK.
8,000 miles! Wow! I thought I might catch you in mileage, but that isn't looking likely!
Take care!
Driving the GT to Pittsburgh tomorrow (going to a Pirates/Cardinals game at the new PNC Park). By the time I get back to Jersey I should have over 7,000 miles on the clock.
One new rant - the stock wiper blades on my GT are lousy. Gonna try to replace them with some Bosch units when I get back.
One new rave - gas mileage getting better; now averaging just over 26 mpg in city driving.
Still love the car. Best deal out there if you ask me. Stuck a small US flag in the rear window so if you see a Pewter GT with Jersey tags roaring across the Penna. Turnpike, honk your horn!
ABS and moon-roof last Thursday.Paid $15400.Everything seems to be in
working order after only 200 miles. Only flaw
seems to be in the paint around exterior tail
light lenses.Seems they neglected these areas
and paint is already flaking. Also Lenses are
such a tight fit that the upper corners of the
lenses have developed minor chips. Anyone else
experience this problem?
I've noticed you've mentioned lack of a warning chime for leaving parking brake on a few times. I don't know of any car that has that feature, at least not a compact. Which cars do that?
to look at the vehicle close-up. Wow! It's much
sportier than a Honda Civic and or Toyota Corolla -- no doubt about it! However, Hyundai's
quality reputation continues to lag the more
prominent, established, import leaders. After reading some of the "minor" complaints owners have
cited, it appears Hyundai continues to sacrifce
quality for a lower price. For less than $16,000
it is difficult, if not impossible, to find a comparably equipped Honda or Toyota. Nevertheless,
is Hyundai's price advantage also an AGGRAVATION
disadvantage? Peeling paint, rattles, inadequate wiper blades -- what's going to go wrong next? How would current drivers assess its road noise? Is the car's interior quiet at highway speeds? Or
is more insulation needed to cut down on tire noise and/or wind howling?
Looks can be deceiving. The Elantra GT wins the
appearance contest over more costly Civic and Corolla compacts -- no doubt. But what about the car's overall quality, durability, reliability, and user friendliness? Does anyone envision spending more time at the dealership beyond routine or scheduled tune-ups? Will the car hold up after a few snowy winters? Are the materials used of lesser quality?
I would be interested in reading detailed answers to my questions. Nobody wants to buy a sporty, nice looking, car and wind up at the dealer's garage every other weekend for unforseen repairs.
What's your opinion? Speak out, please.
Wind noise is lower than any other car I have ever owned, which includes, Mazda Protege, Mazda 626, Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Escort, Plymouth Laser AWD Turbo, Toyota Corolla, and more.
My "problems" have all been minor. A Toyota Corolla I once owned gave me more major problems by far. Getting under the car during my first oil change proved Hyundai's quality even more - all parts looked high quality (bolts, supports, etc.). The 1998 Escort I owned looked crappy underneath - lots of cheap parts, many rusting after only 2 or 3 years.
Only time will tell, however, but I still feel comfortable with my purchase. And I saved a fortune over the Protege5 I was also considering. Better sales staff at Hyundai than the Mazda dealership I went to, too.
I think it's important to look at the whole picture. Almost no new car is flawless--not even Hondas or Toyotas. If you need proof of that, just browse through some of the other boards. The Honda Civic board is a good one because it too reflects experience with a new-for-2001 model. You will notice problems with paint chipping, radios losing their settings, fuel system problems, rattles and squeaks, and complaints about cheap tires, bouncy rear suspension, uncomfortable drivers seat, road and engine noise, and other things. In comparison, the '01 Elantra's most prevalent problem as noted on the Edmunds.com boards seems to be wheel shimmy, with a few other problems noted by some owners (gas gauge does not read full, tricky rear seat release buttons on the GT being two of the most often reported). Early Elantras (last fall) had a recall for the side air bags. Civic has had at least two recalls, and maybe three (I lost track). My experience has been very pleasant. The biggest "problem" I've had since delivery last October was two screw-hole covers that popped off the armrests in cold weather. My GLS has been the most trouble-free new car I've ever owned--that includes two Civics, two Corollas, a Celica, and two Sentras.
Let's look at some of the attributes you mentioned:
Quietness - One of the reasons I bought the Elantra over the Protege was its smooth, quiet ride. No wind noise at highway speeds. The only noise of any consequence is some engine growl when accelerating--not unusual for a small car. It is the quietest car I have owned in 25 years, except for my '99 Grand Caravan (a $28k vehicle).
Overall quality - Based on my experience and what I have seen in a year of posts from other Elantra owners compared to other compacts, I have to rate the overall quality high. Hyundai has done a good job on the "little things" that count, like well-padded armrests and center console, smooth switchgear, solid doors, tight seams, good paint (could be a little thicker). They have 15" Michelins while $18k Civics have cheap Firestones or Dunlops. Sure, the wiper blades could be heftier, especially for Minnesota, but I got a year out of mine including the worst winter in many years, and I can easily upgrade them.
Durability and Reliability - This is really the major question mark with the Elantra. Hyundai's long term reliability record has not been good, but has been improving in the past few years. The car seems solidly put together; after one year still no squeaks or rattles. Time will tell if the Elantra holds up in the long run.
User Friendliness - This is another one of the main reasons I bought the Elantra. The driver's seat is one of the most comfortable I have ever sat in. Its multiple, wide-range adjustments let me set it just the way I like it, with a raised front edge on the bottom. I drive many rental cars and not one is as comfortable as the Elantra for me. The controls are simple and easy to use. The car has nice features not usually found in this class like heated fold-away mirrors, auto-off headlamps, and retained accessory power. The rear seat is spacious. The car does have some quirks, like a loud warning chime and tightly sealed doors that take a little extra oomph to close, but I think these are nits compared to the overall package.
Time spent at dealership - So far it's been in for a free 30-day inspection (30 minutes), to program a 2nd remote control (early Elantras only came with one--parts shortage), and an oil change. That's it. We'll see if that continues over time, but it's too early to tell. Some owners have reported problems with dealers having trouble fixing the wheel shimmy problem I noted earlier.
That's kind of long, but you said you would like detailed answers. Overall I am very happy with my GLS and would make the same decision today (except I'd probably get the GT). My only issue is that I want Hyundai to address the early airbag deployment and seat latch problems that were reported by the IIHS during their offset crash test results on the GLS. The GT has not yet been tested, but the front of the GT is the same as the GLS.
Other than that and gas mileage which hasn't quite met the EPA average, but seems to be improving as the car hits 4000 miles, I have had absolutely no problems with the car. Tremendous value, tremendous build quality in my estimation. I agree that Korean cars are coming up fast while Japanese cars are being decontented. I've been fond of four Toyota products (including Nova/Prizms), but am really bothered by the Toyota sludge postings under maintenance. That shows an arrogant company IMHO. As to Honda, I'm underwhelmed by the newest generation Civic which shows a step back from the previous platform, especially in suspension quality.
Some impressions after 12 hours of seat time:
-- If you're in the market for an Elantra GT, buy the optional mudflaps (or buy a case of goo-gone). The side panel design allows for all kinds of gunk (like road tar) to be tossed from the tires to the sides of the car.
-- On the highway the GT is an absolute pleasure. Runs quietly at 80 mph, VERY comfortable driver's chair, excellent visibility, no unwanted vibration or rattling, nice merging and passing power even with the auto tranny. The indigo instrument lighting is also very effective in sudden light/dark transitions (e.g., driving into a tunnel during the afternoon). After some initial hesitation, I find the cruise control works very well.
-- The side bolsters make it very easy to balance a bag of popcorn on the passenger seat while you listen to the Giants/Chiefs game on the 100-watt stereo. An Arizona Iced Tea bottle will just barely fit into the cupholder.
I continue to be impressed by the Elantra GT. It has met or exceeded my expectations in every way. Judging by the first 7000 miles, the long-term reliability forecast is also favorable.
This week's Sports Illustrated has a full-page GT advertisment. Cool.
have reported unforseen "torque steering" ploblems
with their new Elantra GT. Specifically, they have reported the front end veering to one side
or the other without steering. Has anyone else
experienced this unpleasant, aggravating, event?
If so, please describe in detail. How did the Hyundai dealer respond to your complaint? What
did the repair(s) consist of?
GT owners with more than 10,000 miles on your odometers, are you still happy with your Hyundai?
Or, are you second guessing your purchase decision? Why? Or, why not? Be specific, please.
Thanks!
And why are you so persistent in getting feedback on the Elantra GT? From the "tone" of your two messages, you seem to be trying to find a bias AGAINST the Elantra GT. Do you work for Toyota, Mazda, Honda, or another Japanese auto company?