Hyundai Elantra 5-door

dstormes

Same problem here with the paint peeling and the chipped lenses. Mine is red too. Dealer ordered taillight replacements 1 1/2 months ago and are still waiting for them to come in. They said the work would take a couple of days once the lenses come in.

cjaccetta

Torque steer? I've been posting on this thread since #17 and I can't recall seeing any mention of torque steer. If I'm wrong, please respond with the post numbers so I can re-read them. If you're referring to "tire shimmy" then yes, there have been several reports of this and it seems to be a problem with Micehlin's tires, not Hyundai's design. Plus, I believe it was the steering wheel veered which from side-to-side, not the front end of the car.

I've got 7,000 miles on my EGT and I have not taken it back to the dealer for any reason. The car has not given me even the slightest bit of trouble. It is reliable to the point of being boring. Certainly, there are things I would change (like swapping the wiper blades for some Bosch units and replacing the mast antenna with a shorter flexible type) but I like the car better now than the day I bought it. There is absolutely nothing about this vehicle which gives me cause for concern about its long-term reliability.

Dude, if you are really interested in buying a GT then re-read the posts in this thread (and the GLS thread). You'll find the answers to your questions. Otherwise, anything you read here probably isn't going to change how you feel about the car.

Good luck & happy motoring.

mpgman

I am doing the best I can but am only at 8,600 miles. So far, the GT is as good as cars costing $10k more. Will it hold up? Only time will tell. For now, nothing out there comes close. My only concern at this point is resale value which is an unknown. Given that you can buy a base Elantra GLS for under $10k, there is no telling what GTs selling for 50% more will fetch in a few years. I suggest you buy one if you are seriously in the market. You will be a positive poster here in no time.

roadwarrior6

my wife traded her 2001 Civic 5 speed that we owned for about a year for a 2001.5 Elantra GT.

Civic likes
-excellent steering
-quite ride
-nice seats
-handles very well over smooth roads and curves
-tremendous gas mileage 39 mpg highway fully loaded running 80 mph on interstate.
-looks, BMW styling cues
-excellent brakes for disc/drum setup
-excellent safety rating
-excellent resale value

Civic dislikes
-severe hydroplaning above 55 mph when raining
-poor suspension over bumps, feels like very little wheel travel, car dispises speed bumps
-crappy stereo
-chessy wheel covers, feel like you can pull them off with one finger
-doors feel very cheap and thin (mental issue)
-bumper covers thin
-door panel fabric started coming off, dealer replaced
-1 recall for gas tank torque
-gas gauge reads 4 gallons low, dealer had to replace entire instrument panel to fix, this fix reset the odometer when vehicle had 9 K miles on it.
-requires 5w20 oil, not sold in stores
-power windows are slowwww
-clutch is junk in my opinion after 5K miles, engages too late and very light
-couldn't consider automatic due to small engine

Our Elantra GT Opinion

We made a good choice. This car has everything. Handling is very good on all surfaces. The Michelin tires are great. (No hydroplaning!) brakes are pretty good. gas mileage is pretty good. visibility is excellent and car gives a spacious feeling. super fast power windows and moonroof. Leather interior is very nice. Stereo rocks! i can go on and on, this is just a great car with a super warranty. i am totally impressed with hyundai.

csandste

It only seems like it handles better, is screwed together better, has more power, has a better stereo and better clutch and transmission. Its a Korean car so you must be mistaken. Everyone knows you get what you pay for.

mpgman

I would agree with you if I had never bought a GT. Almost 9,000 miles later, I disagree with you. I am shopping for a second new car. I just drove an Echo, an Accent, a Golf, and Pro-5. IMHO, the combination of the ride, the handling, the content, the interior space, the driver comfort, and the warranty of the GT beat anything new on the street for the price. I am not knocking any other car, just telling it like it is so far as a GT owner who wouldn't touch a Hyundai a year ago.

lngtonge18

So what are your thoughts on the cars you compared for a second car? I'm particularly interested in which Accent model you drove and if it was the 1.6, how competent did you feel the acceleration was (I currently have the 1.5 and am thinking of trading up)? Heck, I'm interested in hearing the pros and cons of each of the cars you drove!

rnburd

1. Has anyone "upsized" their tires? The Elantra GT looks great, but I'd love to put 17" rims on. Anyone looked into this?

2. Will upsizing the rims (and going to lower profile tires) affect the supposed shimmying or torque steer?

3. Anyone know of companies selling after market spoilers or possibly a roof rack for the Elantra GT?

Thanks in advance.

csandste

I posted this on the sedan threads and didn't get an answer. Thought I'd try here.

On my first oil change the tire tread came back as 8/32 in front and 10/32 in back. If I figure this correctly it would mean new tires at 40,000 miles, even with rotation. I did check and the dealer had set the tires at 26psi which I have now corrected. Should have checked the tires earlier.

Are any of you with higher mileage totals experiencing tire wear? Frankly, with this, plus vibration (is it just me or is this less of a problem with the GT?), noise on concrete surfaces, the tires seem to be the weakest link in a wonderful car. I don't think I'll necessarily stay with Michelin when I replace them.

Other than that I love my GLS. Wanted a GT but was forced to move early when my car gave out and there were no 5 speed GT's in stock. After reading about bad luck with Toyotas in the "engine sludge" thread, and being underwhelmed by the obvious decontenting of both the Corolla and Civic in their most recent platforms, I feel the Elantra represents a wonderful choice.

compensate

I still can't understand where all this talk about torque steer came from. ALL front-wheel drive cars will have some torque steer under heavy acceleration from dead stop. Torque steer increases as engine power increases, but I don't see the GT having any more torque steer than my 1999 Protege ES.

The only significant torque steer I ever experienced was with my 1990 Plymouth Laser Turbo (front-drive, not AWD). With 195hp, you had to hold on tight to the steering wheel when accelerating quickly from a stop. Man, that was a fast car!

urbanzephyr

I'm in the Boston area. At this point most of them have 5-7 Elantra GT in stock. But they are all moonroofs and automatics. I'm sad. Looks like I wait. I suspect that as the 2002 arrive they are going to have to discount some to move the 2001.5

I've had an amusing experience asking for quotes over the net. It is unbelievable the number of replies I got saying they had exactly the car I wanted and I should come on down - but when I called or asked for the particulars - well no it wasn't the color, or the transmission, or the options I'd requested. A few dealers were straight forward and professional. The majority don't even answer their email.

cjaccetta

I agree, csandste...the Michelin Energy tires are disappointing. I will replace mine as soon as is practical with some Bridgestones or Yokohamas. My Michelins are not wearing prematurely, however. I run 34 PSI front and rear. Come to think of it, last season I had some Michelin mountian bike tires and I didn't like those, either!

Still love the GT, though. What a great car. Took three co-workers to lunch today and all of them raved about it.

mpgman

Well...a tall order!

I drove the Accent GL with the standard 1.6L. I drove a 1.5L last year and did not like the way the automatic shifted. Seemed too jerky, although Hyundai will never win the seamless shift award. The GL was fun to drive and the driver's seat was comfortable and the left leg room was good. I appreciated the full instrumentation, as opposed to the Echo, for example, and the center arm rest which although somewhat skimpy, was as good as the one on the Civic EX. Add in the warranty and you get a nice car for the money, but any new Accent buyers should price the Elantra GLS in the lower package number configurations to see if their budgets would allow a little bit more room to get a much more substantial and far better equipped car. Otherwise, the car rode well and the engine was peppy. The automatic is rated at 25/35, which is not a heck of a lot better than the 24/33 of the heavier and more powerful Elantra. I will discuss my other impressions in my next post.

mpgman

Here is my next installment of the cars I tested before and after I bought my GT. These cars I placed in my Group A:

Golf GLS: I thought the Golf was the best small car package. Super safety ratings, the most complete safety equipment including side air bags, ABS, and side curtain air bags...although no traction control in the base 2.0L. Driver's seat and the superb height adjustable passenger seat are top notch, and the telescoping steering wheel and center arm rest are also plusses. The negatives are the price relative to the other cars, the rather mediocre fuel economy except for the diesels, the reputed high repair costs, and the lingering question of VW reliability which seems to have plagued the sister Jetta according to Consumer Reports. The ride and handling were top notch and the versatility of the hatchback is great.

Protege ES and 5: I thought the Pro was the closest thing to a sports car with 4 doors for under $20k. Great handling and a solid engine. I could not get as comfortable in the driver's seat as I could in the Golf and the Elantra GT however, and that was a big negative for me. The leg room for the driver was not as good as the others and I did not like the low center arm rest that would be worthless if anyone moved the driver's seat too far forward. Performance also takes its toll on fuel economy and ABS and side air bags are not that easy to find. Traction control is not available.

Elantra GT: I bought it so I am partial. I thought the content, the fit, the availability of side air bags, ABS, traction control, 4 wheel discs, fog lights, leather, heated side mirrors, trip computer, lumbar support for the adjustable driver's seat, center arm rest, hatch, intermittent wiper even on the rear window and variable intermittent for the front, etc., etc., were too good to pass up with the great warranty for under $16K. Negatives are the historical resale and reliability and the recent issue with the late deploying air bag and the driver seat track. Positives in addition to the above are the solid quiet ride, comfort, and reasonably good (33-35) highway mileage.

I'll get to my group B in another post.

mpgman

Here are my Group B cars, those I thought were a cut below:

Civic EX: The plusses are Honda, fuel economy, resale and reliability. Not too bad a combo, huh? However, I was disappointed with the ride, noise, lack of true center console and the poor armrest (for an EX). I thought the A pillar impeded easy entry/exit. Driver leg room was only fair for me and you could skin your knuckles trying to adjust the driver's seat. ABS only on the EX. Nevertheless, can't see how you can go wrong buying one.

Echo: Give me a darn center arm rest and something other than idiot lights on the dash and I'm sold....although I still might buy one. Why no ABS or side air bags? Keep the price down? Give us the safety stuff and the comfort and many more will pay up than for the Roxy edition. Super mpgs, great ride for the weight, great visibility, nice handling in the city. Wish the tires were wider though.

Elantra GLS: Same comments as for GT without all the content. Can't stand the design on the seat fabric though....personal opinion. I can live with the Echo's......barely.

Corolla LE: Great Toyota reliability and resale and outstanding drive train and fuel economy are the plusses. Felt cramped in the driver's seat which I thought was mushy, and it was easy to hit your right knee on the center stack. Why buy now when the 03s promise to be a baby Camry?

Focus ZTS: Loved everything about this car except for the 2.0 Zetec mated to the automatic and the recalls and reliability. Great interior packaging but front seat cushions could be a bit longer. Telescoping wheel nice but should extend more. Dash design left me cold. Thought upshifting occurred too soon and too abruptly, an issue in the Elantra unless you have a light foot. Would buy the wagon though if I had to have one since the rest of the competition is sparse. Would love to see the 2.3L 4 banger coming in 04 here now. The ability to get all the goodies like leather, traction control, side air bags, and ABS a big plus.

I did not look at any other models so I cannot comment on them. Personally, any of these cars should get you from point A to point B quite well.

Good Luck.

lngtonge18

Thanks for the insight. My personal favs out of the above mentioned cars are the Elantra GT and GLS, Accent GS, Protege LX or 5, and the Golf GTI. My dilemma is that I love the size, looks, and handling of my 00 Accent L, but I despise the fact I bought a stripper car that wouldn't keep me totally happy in the long run, and it ticks me off some that my city mileage is pretty much the same as what Elantra owners are getting. So I keep asking myself, why am I forcing myself to put up with slow around town acceleration when I'm really not getting any fuel economy advantages? A fully equipped Accent GS could be my answer as it has quite a bit more power than my car and it would have all the options I would want (would get the power package and spoiler), but then its price bumps up against a base Elantra which is a more solid and substantial car. But I'm not sure I could be completely happy with such a large car that I really have no use for (and the Elantra would lose some of the agile handling of a smaller car). I have so many conflicting desires that I know I'm gonna have major problems choosing my next car.

I do have a question for ya. I'm considering trying to trade in my Accent for an Accent GS or Elantra GLS/GT in the next 6 months or so. I already know that I owe quite a bit more than what the car is worth. I'm thinking about offering to pay sticker price for the car if they completely pay off my current loan without adding to the new car price. Do you think that is a reasonable offer since paying MSRP should offset the difference between what I owe and what the car is worth? I know its silly to pay full sticker for a Hyundai, but it would actually benefit me to get out of my loan because I'm paying a high interest rate from being a first time car buyer. Now that I have paid for my car a year and a half, I figure I have established myself enough to get a much better interest rate. So what do you think baout my idea? Could it work?

roadwarrior6

i don't understand complaints about the michelin tires. the tires sell for over $100 a pop. they are excellent quality. you think bridgestone makes a better tire? no, just a cheaper tire.

GLS shimmy-vibration is coming from the wheels being off balance from the factory. GT's do not shimmy-vibrate.

urbanzephyr

You want a 5-speed GT. There is a Red one with moonroof that my dealer can't get rid of. They told me nobody wants 5-speeds. Probably get a deal on it or have it Dealer Traded if your local dealer would give up a Automatic. They currently have none. It's in Virginia. here's some info. www.jimmitchellhyundai.com (1-888-385-5012)

cjaccetta

The Michelins may well be quality tires, but that hasn't been my experience (so far). And I never claimed Bridgestone makes a better tire...I just prefer the Bridgestones I've used to the Michelins I've used.

Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it's good.

mpgman

Your best bet is to try to sell your Accent privately, unless finances require going back to Hyundai to consolidate your loans. If you want more fuel economy but still love a small sized car, I suggest you take a ride in an Echo. If you want a heck of a lot of car for your money, get the Elantra. It's only about 10 inches longer than the Accent and I doubt you would lose anything substantial in handling.

urbanzephyr

Thanks roadwarrior6 I did locate a gt-blue-moonroof-manual today; but I want a silver and I don't like the moonroof.

Meanwhile this is how my numbers go...

The GT doesn't get the 500$ rebate - so for the around $1,500 difference in invoice (GLS with pkg2 v.s. GT) prices you get CD, rear disks, fog lights, hatchback, pseudo alloy wheels, leather - though you lose some negotiating room since most of the bigger dealers have a huge inventory of the sedans
v.s. more reasonable inventories of the GT.
(Though they all seem to have plenty of both)

I'd point out that the holdback is only 2% of invoice - so that's only around $270. So the dealers don't have a lot of room to negotiate below the invoice.

silver_bullet

The GTs I've seen have real alloy wheels. The GLS sedans have steel wheels with "bogus alloy" plastic wheel covers.

compensate

Actually, the $500 rebate does apply to some GTs. However, this rebate is based strictly upon each area market. I got the $500 rebate on my GT (in Nashville, TN) and was told that some areas offer it, others don't. Not sure why.

As far as getting your desired equipment/color, I knew I wanted the pewter color only and a 5-speed. I did not want the moonroof or ABS. However, I could not find a single GT within a 100-mile radius that did not have the moonroof. My dealer said that every GT he ordered had come with a moonroof, whether it was a 5-speed or auto. So, I went ahead and paid the extra $600 for the moonroof so I could at least get the color and tranny I wanted. If you find the color you want in a 5-speed, I'd use your not wanting the moonroof to better haggle with the dealer. Maybe you could get the moonroof option well below invoice?

th003g

I've seen the new is in commercials and am surprised at how my blue GT looks so similar to it. Now only if I could get a set of clear lense taillamps and lexus badges. About the tourque steer... it is evident, mine pulls to the left above 50under acceleration. The fuzzzy logic is also a slow learner. otherwise I'm pretty happy with my $14k Lexus. Hey its bigger on the inside and better quality materials too. I just need to save enough money for a set of low profile 17 inch rims and 215's.

urbanzephyr

Yup, I was wrong it has aluminum alloy wheels - I wonder where I got the impression that wasn't the case.

Has anyone seen the brown/tan leather yet.

Apparently if I order one it takes around 10 weeks to fill to my specs - though I wonder how accurate that is.

The rebates are listed on the hyundaiusa site, you click on "showroom" and then on "rebates & incentives" then you can browse the regions. They appear to all be the same. I think they stopped offering the rebate on the GT in september.

pantherfan

Can't believe that there is only one other person with tail light lenses that are set so tight that
the upper outside corners have chipped and the paint is flaking. Also poor paint application
around the lenses and exposed primer inside the fuel cap door. Also noticed my red GT has a
right rear door that is not flush with the
rear panel at the seam.

I'm still checking out the car since I have owned
it for only 2 weeks. Believe the floor panel
over the spare tire in the trunk area could have been supported more adequately. Can't really put
much load on it before it deflects. Also noticed
a bad stich on the steering wheel leather cover
and exposed foam around the release button for
the right rear seat(poor leather trimming).

Anyone noticed all the exhaust components under
the car? How many converters/mufflers does this car have? Wonder if this could be an ultimate expense.

What non-Hyundai Brands of Trans. and P/S fluids
can be used in this vehicle?

Went over car and lubricated door hinges, hood and hatch hinges etc.Seems Hyundai or dealer didn't think this was important.

Seems like they couldn't decide what color lights
to use for instrumentation.Guess they decided on christmas tree -like lighting (red, two shades of
green,orange,purple etc.)

Noticed that 4-wheel disk brakes are soft. Stopping distance too-long.

Enough complaining. Still a great car up-front for the money!

smonk59

Hi Everyone, I own a 2001 Echo right now but I am getting a new car in February, I am really considering the Elantra GT. I haven't driven one, but I have driven the GLS. I assume the handling and driving is the same? any comments? Also I have noticed where people are saying "the guy showed me the screen and they only made 40 dollars off of the car) that is b/s it is also b/s when the lienance (finance) manager tells you you got a great deal. its like computer software, you pay 40 bucks for a program, and there is a 20 dollar mail in rebate, you can go around and sell that product for 40 bucks or 39 or 41 but it didn't cost you 40, it only cost you 20. it is just part of the game. try www.carbuyingtips.com this guy has a lot of good advice on how to buy a car.

anyone with a GT get it with NO option packages?

cjaccetta

Pantherfan, sorry to hear about all the little nags your GT is plagued with. I also have a faulty stitch on the inside of my steering wheel rim, but I don't have any of the other defects you mentioned. The tail lamp lens problem is news to me. Our GT is very tight after 3.5 months and 7300 miles.

Smonk59, I bought a GT with no options (except for auto tranny). I had to look over four dealers in three counties to find a vehicle w/out the ABS-Moonroof package. This was in mid-June. Good luck in your search.

th003g

Bought mine about a month ago right off the showroom floor, has automatic tranny (wish I got the manual). Actually glad I go the one off the showroom cause the seats were already softer from all the people who sat in it. if not they would be quite hard.

aniryu

..than the regular Elantra GLS. This makes the GT have better handling, I've heard.

wikid74

Got my Elantra GT 5-speed a month ago...very happy with it! I get looks everywhere I go...Just yesterday a guy came up to me and complimented the "beautiful design" of my GT...those were his exact words......than I see him getting into his brand spanking new LEXUS SC430!!!Now that's what I call a COMPLIMENT!!!

Well, now on to my problems:

1) After I drive the car for a while (15-30 minutes), the engine makes a very harsh noise when cruising in 1st or 2nd gear. Sounds like there is a whole lot of excessive friction. I know that I only have about 700 miles on it and sometimes new engines need some time to "break in", but the noise is concerning. How long before this goes away?

2) I've just noticed this problem recently...when I go over sharp bumps (both at high and low speeds)...the suspension (especially the rear) makes a very loud "thunk". With the firmer sport suspension on the GT, I should expect a little more tire and suspension kickback when I go over bumps...but this a totally differnet kind of noise...metal against metal...it sounds like there is something loose back there.

If you've had any of these problems, I would really appreciate your feedback. I will be taking the car to the dealer soon, but with your feedback I'll be able to better explain these problems to the technician.

Thanks!

cjaccetta

I know it sounds simple but this is often overlooked....you might want to check in your spare tire storage area to see if your spare, jack and tire-changing tools are properly secured. This could be the cause of the noise.

Can't offer help with the engine noise. Do you cruise in first or second gear? I assume you have a manual tranny...you must be driving slowly. Do you think it may be another drivetrain component? Clutch? Transaxle? Check your tranny fluid?

Good luck and let us know what happens!

compensate

Well, after 6500 miles, things have actually improved on my 5-speed GT.

The weird clicking sound I used to get sometimes when taking right-hand curves has now disappeared. I haven't heard it even once over the last 1,000 miles or so. I also no longer have any kind of pull to the left. Maybe these quirks "broke-in" or something. Anyway, I like it!

Also, I carefully inspected all around all the tail lights (including the inner ones near the license plate) and cannot see any kind of paint problem. Mine looks real good.

Today, I had a Saturn SC driver all over my back-end on the Interstate highway, so I decided to toy with him. Once we cleared traffic in both lanes, he whipped his car violently to the right lane and started accelerating quickly. I downshifted into 4th gear (we were doing about 75 at that time) and floored it. Needless to say, he was unable to pass, as I steadily pulled ahead of his car. When I reached about 90, I backed off, as I was approaching my exit. I looked toward him to smile as he passed by, but he stared straight ahead.

What can I say? I don't get to do that kinda stuff much anymore and wanted to see what the ole GT could do.

This car is great! All of you visitors need to buy one today!

smonk59

hey, i've seen the hydai website pictures of the GT and such, but i'd rather see if anyone has "home" pictures of their GT?

if you do you can e-mail them to me at fcljhs@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu

much appreciated, thank you

scottsaba

OK I am convinced, but I want a 2002 Pewter 5sp for the 14,494 price. How long will I have to wait before I see one? Any Ideas???

urbanzephyr

5 speeds are very rare. They do exist, but the dealer's locator system has lousy coverage so you need to call the dealers one after another and ask. You may have to call more than once to get a sales person who is helpful and doesn't just try to get you into the show room. You may need to be a little devious since they tend to say - "Sure we have one of those, come on down." Pewter is a rare color, red and blue seem to be common. It is very hard to find one without the moonroof. So if you want all three then your likely out of luck. I had no problem getting quotes at invoice for cars the dealers had on their lot, but I didn't want any of them. The sedan rebate just rose to $750 on the '01 - so the price gap to get to the GT is getting larger. Has anybody seen the '02 in the dealers yet?

backy

Yes, I've seen many '02 GLSes at my local dealer. Other than a "2002" on the window sticker, they are indistinguishable from the '01s. Reports are that the '02 GTs will not be out until wintertime.

smoopins

I have some tiny complaints about the car... all are gripes, not real problems though. First, there really needs to be some kind of light for the back seat. I have a moonroof, which I'm guessing is the culprit, but it's almost completely dark when the lights are on. Next, there really ought to be a separate switch for locking/unlocking the doors. I don't like the thought of unlocking the hatch when I just want my door open. Also the fit of the privacy panel over the rear storage area is not too great. They obviously didn't know which color(s) they were going to go with for the dash & instrument cluster... I'd rather a boring all-green setup, but ultimately they should've gone full purple. The key ought to disarm the alarm. The car hates reverse. Getting the car in reverse is sometimes a hassle, and getting it not to buck in reverse means either having to speed backwards, or leave the clutch partially depressed. Despite all of these gripes I really do love the car. I'm searching for recall info now... since it is a brand-new design (alright so two years old other than the hatch).

ceherman

2002 GT's are in, at least in New England. I actually just purchased a 2002, 5spd, ABS & sunroof, Cranberry color in Ohio for invoice (including delivery and advertising fee). I wanted the Cobalt Blue color, but was unable to find it with 5 spd and ABS.

Hyundaiusa's website was updated yesterday with 2002 information for the GT. Take a look.

dbwells

Hi all-
I am at least somewhat interested in buying a GT, and noticed that carsdirect now claims that there is a direct to dealer incentive on the 2001 GTs (I assume that means 2001.5), but does not say what the amount is. Based on comparing previous quotes from the sight with current ones, I would guess it is in the 300-500 dollar range, but I am not sure. Unfortunately, I cannot find any info about this on any other site, and I fear that 2001 GTs will now disappear too fast for me to get in on this, if it is true. Anyone know anything?

DW

smoopins

Sure, we have our complaints about the car, we didn't custom design the car specifically for our needs... but check out the LIST of *RECALLS* on the new BMW SUV. I mean we all bought a compact-economy car that's never ceased to impress us... when for a mere THREE TIMES THE PRICE we could all be driving a yuppie-mobile that needs... well here:
2001 ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM : FAN
2001 BRAKES : HYDRAULIC : POWER ASSIST : BOOSTER
2001 POWER TRAIN : TRANSMISSION : AUTOMATIC : SWITCH : SOLENOID : SHIFT ELECTRIC
2001 STEERING : POWER ASSIST : PUMP
2001 STEERING : LINKAGES : KNUCKLE : SPINDLE : ARM
2000 STEERING : LINKAGES : ROD : RELAY : CONNECTING
2000 INTERIOR SYSTEMS : RESTRAINT : BELT ANCHOR AND ATTACHMENT

The slogan for BMW is "The Ultimate Driving Machine"... I think since there are no recalls on our economy car and there's a list on the "Ultimate" SUV we can see where paying more gets you.

bfh1

Bought a 2002 GT tonight no rebate. 2001 GT had a $750 rebate. 2001 Elantra gls $500 rebate.
Love my loaded GT , paid sticker , oh well -very happy!

roadwarrior6

2001.5 Elantra GT doesn't have a rebate.

2001 Elantra GLS has $750.

source: www.hyundaiusa.com

Glad your happy, but I wouldn't pay sticker for anything.

cjaccetta

Our silver Elantra GT, purchased in June, is nearing the 8000 mile mark and is ready for its second oil change. Some continuing impressions:

Rants:
-- still haven't fallen in love with the stock Michelin tires. Sidewalls are weak and the belts seem warped. I had to replace the RF tire (flatted) and the replacement Michelin seems OK, though. Maybe I just got a bad batch. More on this subject later...
-- strong leather smell still prevalent in cabin.
-- stock wiper blades are crummy.
-- rear mast antenna sometimes interferes with unloading/loading cargo area.

Raves:
-- gas mileage still improving. Averaging 26 mpg in city driving (up from 24).
-- driver's seat VERY comfortable. Leather starting to "break in" a little. Mmmmmm....
-- non-ABS brakes continue to impress me. Consistent short stops in semi-emergency situations on NJ Route 24.
-- I love the little "multi-box" on the left side of the dash. Why doesn't every car have one?
-- headlights are VERY potent. And those fog lights really work, too. Best lighting system of any car I've ever owned.

When I take people for rides in the car, I always get comments like "feels tight", "quiet car" and "can't believe this is a Hyudndai." All are impressed. Hundai has a real winner on its hands. After four months of ownership the GT has exceeded all my expectations. We have become (gasp!) Hyundai fans.

Happy Motoring!

cjaccetta

During the ride back home from watching the Steelers/Bengals game on this windy afternoon, a huge acorn about the size of a golf ball fell on the hood and left a big, fat ding about 12 inches from the windshield on the driver's side.

At least now I don't have to worry about when I'm going to get my first dent!

Plus, I finally saw another GT on the roads today. Spotted a black one on Garden Street in Hoboken, NJ today. Go GT go!

skateman

I noticed CJAccetta and MPGMan are from NJ. Same here. I am thinking of buying an Elantra GT. Which dealers did you use, and were you happy with them?

Also, is there any difference between the 2001 and 2002 GTs? The only difference I can tell from the Hyundai Web site is the moonroof seems to be an option now, instead of a standard feature.

Were your insurance rates reasonable?

I was figuring on buying a 2001 if I can get a good deal. Thanks.

mpgman

Got mine in Fairfax, VA at the other end of my weekly commute. Couldn't find a silver one with ABS and traction control in Toms River/Freehold area when I had to have one after my car died. This was back in June. Still not sure I could have found what I wanted here, even now.

10,000 miles and going strong. I kind of like the rear hatch unlocking with the rest of the doors....unless we can get the phantom internal hatch release. Agree on the back seat lighting with the moonroof. You also lose the sunglass holder I believe. Been changing the oil every 3,000 miles to use up the 10 freebie oil changes the dealer gave me to sweeten the deal. Not sure how much longer I will be making this brutal commute and wanted to take full advantage. Also got a free 15,000 mile servicing which should be no problem to reach. Agree about the lighting...the heating and A/C are also top notch. Not totally sold on the A/C always being on in defrost mode though.

cjaccetta

I bought from Ciasulli Hyundai in Little Falls. Despite the bad press that dealer received last summer I was very happy with the whole buying experience. They were able to get us the exact GT that we wanted. Recommend giving them a look if you're in the area.

As for differences in the model years, I think the 2002 GTs come standard with the forward-mounted Death Ray Generator and Ejector Seat. Seriously, I think the 2002s are all equipped with the sport suspension. Some 2001s have a "comfort suspension" (mine included).

The only possible improvement Hyundai could make to the GT would be to put the hatch assist handle on the OUTSIDE of the hatch lid (ala the Santa Fe). Otherwise, a fantastic car.

Good luck buying.

skateman

Thanks, guys. If you don't mind my asking, what sort of deal did you get?

urbanzephyr

sakateman - I've been shopping for the last two weeks. While I've not found the model/options/etc. that I want I've had no problem getting offers via email at invoice. You can get a dealer list by using the dealer locator system at hyundaiusa.com - it coughs up five dealers per zipcode and you can then search out from that set of five. If you looking for a particular model you have to call because the online inventories are spotty. Of course I've had dealers say they had X when it wasn't true, argh.

sr_srikanth

Completed 3000 miles. Mixed feelings. My sunroof was the culprit for the sunroof problem and they replaced it after ordering the part. Door panels were tightened for rattles. But I still get the rattles and I am not able to point exactly where it comes from. When I have one more person in the car it seems to be less.

Happy with the car for the ride and comforts etc. Not happy about the problem I had with the sunroof and with the rattles. I have to see how it holds up as time goes by.