Hyundai Elantra 5-door

mpgman

Go to a hardware store or Home Depot and get some of the gray felt backed self stick strips that you use on the bottom of furniture to prevent scratching a floor. Fix them to the door post or to the metal part of the belt where the contact is. Problem solved and it will blend into the woodwork.

jillymarie

Has any one been able to find a spoiler that fits the GT yet? I looked at HDKAutosport, with no luck. My dealer said he'd try to locate one, but I'm sure by the time he does, I'll be on my next car purchase! I suppose it's too new, considering I can't even get a proper insurance quote on this car. A few agents told me "they don't make Elantras in a GT..." Anyone else encounter this, and if so what rating category did you eventually find the GT in? I really find it hard to believe the rates are that much higher than my last car.

luck11

I received a response from Hyundai: (MY OWN COMMENTS IN PARENTHESES)

"October 29, 2001
The test in question on the 2001 Elantra was performed by the United States
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The conditions simulated
were very severe with the vehicle travelling at 65kph and crashing into a
solid barrier. (YES SEVERE, AND WHICH PROBABLY BETTER SIMULATES A REAL WORLD CRASH THAN A LOWER SPEED) A similar test was conducted by the U.S. government's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). In this test, the Elantra received a five star rating (the highest score possible) for passenger's side protection and
a four star rating for driver's side protection. These tests were conducted
by crashing an Elantra into a solid barrier at 50 kph which is equivalent to
striking a parked car at 110kph. (NO ARGUMENT HERE, GREAT RESULTS)
Additionally, the European New Car Assessment Programme Tests performed a
virtually identical test and did not show the same results as those found by
the IIHS. (I CHECKED THEIR WEBSITE, AND UNLESS I WAS IN THE WRONG SITE, THE EUROPEAN NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME NEVER TESTED ANY ELANTRAS ACCORDING TO THEIR ON-SITE LISTS) In fact, out of 11 crash tests at 65kph, Hyundai is not aware of any results similar to those found by the IIHS.( WHAT OTHER 11 CRASH TESTS?...I HAVE ASKED HYUNDAI TO CLARIFY) We wish to assure you that all vehicles sold by Hyundai Auto Canada meet or exceed the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards established by Transport Canada. The 2001 Elantra complies with regulations and no defect is indicated. (THAT'S WONDERFUL, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LATE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG AND SEAT RAIL ISSUE?)

We are not aware of any crash tests performed with 2002 vehicles.

Thank you for writing to us."

I asked them to clarify yesterday afternoon on the European tests as well as the "other 11 crash tests". But have not yet received a response. If I do, I will post.

Its a moot point now. My mother test drove the GT (auto without the leather, ABS and sunroof) yesterday, and as much as she liked the car and the extra features, she found the ride and seats too firm (she has problems with her hips so she needs a relatively flat and less firm seat. So, the GT is off the list.

Good luck to the rest of you GT owners. I like the practicality of the hatch on the GT, and you can't argue with the price.

sjhso

For those of you who are wondering what price to pay for your 2002 GT... I live in VA and recently got a quote for 2002 GT automatic with moonroof, mudguards, & floormats for $13,500 (including destination). I'm going to pick it up this week. Good luck...

pearlbluesoul

I checked the EuroNCAP site and wasn't able to find anything on the Elantra. Its possible the car goes by the name "Lantra" over there, but I couldn't find any recent results for that one either. Usually, if test results exist, you would be able to find them on the database at www.crashtest.com. Its sort of troubling to see the attitude Hyundai is adopting towards this serious issue... not very encouraging for a prospective buyer.

A few months ago, I was ready to purchase the GT then the IIHS crash test results were released. Since that time, I've been looking for a replacement, but basically the only other vehicle that comes close to a similar level of equipment and luxury I've seen has been the Golf/Jetta.

I'm close to making a deal on my ulitmate choice -- the Subaru Impreza -- but I wanted to check back on this board one last time to see if Hyundai had fixed the airbag and seat-latch problem yet. If they had I could have saved myself about $15,000 Canadian! It will be interesting to check back in a few months when the IIHS tests the 2002 models and see if the problems disappear...

mpgman

13,500 sounds a bit low. What was the invoice? If you got it for that, it is a great deal. Were there any incentives, loyalty rebates, or college grad rebates involved?

diploid

from Edmunds. This time, Liz Kim did a very good job (if you read her 02 Sonata review, you'd know what I'm talking about). The article is informative and precise. It's on the Edmunds home page. High praise for the GT, overall- you owners will be very proud of your purchase.

urbanzephyr

I was of the impression that IIHS ran the test twice at Hyundai's request. I assume insurance rates effected by the IIHS results. I similarly assume consumer reports is going to be reluctant to give them the checkmark if this isn't resolved - which is going to make my resale value more problematic. How accurate is the implication in the alleged (no slight intended, just want to be careful) Hyundai's letter reproduced above that the other public tests are similar; I thought that wasn't really the case. My totally random theory: Hyundai is actually baffled by the results, that they have trashed quite a few cars back at home and haven't been able to reproduce the problem - hence they haven't changed anything - the "eleven" mentioned in the letter is probably those tests. All in all it's a painful situation.

beeryr4

To see which I preferred, I test drove a 2002 GT 5-speed manual. Then immediately test drove a GLS 5-speed manual. For both test drives, I took the same back country roads that have some hills and curves. The weather was sunny and pleasant.

Sitting in the driver's seat. The GT leather seats seemed hard and without cushion. Perhaps they soften up in time. The GT's leather wrapped steering wheel slid through my fingers a little too easy. I had to make myself hold the steering wheel with a firmer grasp. Thinking ahead to January, I would expect the leather seats and steering wheel to feel quite cold. I liked the easy to read GLS instrument panel. With my sunglasses on, I almost had to stare at the GT's speedometer and tach. Even with the headlights turned on and the instrument lights turned up, I couldn't see my speed with only a quick glance.

The GT back seats also seemed hard. And I had a little less rear head room in the GT. In the GT, my head bumped the ceiling. In the GLS, my head slightly rubbed the ceiling. Perhaps it is only a half inch difference, but it was noticeable to me. I'm six foot.

I wasn't able to test out the GT's handling like I wanted. I was stuck behind a slower moving car part of the time. However, the GT hugged the road better and seemed more sure footed than the GLS. On a couple sharp curves, I felt the GT's contoured seat sides holding me in place from the lateral forces of the curve. On the other hand, the GLS handled acceptably to me. Certainly better than my 1988 Dodge minivan which I took on the same roads for comparison. Both Elantra's accelerated and shifted fine. That is to be expected since they both have the same engine and tranny. Although, both stalled when I used reverse gear to turn around and head back to the dealer. I don't recall much difference between the "rides" of the two; they both seemed to smooth out the road's tar strips and bumps.

Minor gripes:
- I wish the GT's hatch back opened a little higher. It seemed I was an inch or two from hitting my head when I leaned in as though putting a box in the trunk.
- I wish the GLS center A/C vents could be directed more to the right, toward the passenger seat. This is probably the case the with GT also, but I didn't try it there.
- The GLS front grill is attached to the hood. So when you open the hood to look at the engine, you have a big black tooth hanging down to bang your head on. I suspect the GT's front grill is the same.

So, is the GT worth an extra $$$? To me, no. Most of my miles are commuting back and forth to work. I don't have any particular need to show off a more sporty car. In a few years, my oldest will start driving. She doesn't need extra reasons to be tempted with a car that is any more "fun" to drive than the GLS. And in a couple years I'll need to replace our primary family minivan with a new one. And that minivan will cost at least twice as much as a GLS. So, I'll save my cash.

Hope my test drive impressions help anyone else wondering which to get.

urbanzephyr

The basic model (manual, no moon roof, no abs) is hard to come by. Invoice (with destination and emissions) for that is $13,464; so it's possible a dealer would quote you $13.4. I've had lots of salesmen on the phone make initial offers they couldn't follow thru on - they didn't have, it, they miss understood my request, they can't get it from another dealer, etc. etc. Being the very very nice caring people that they are, they just really hate to say no :-). In late sept calling ten dealers around me turned up only two of the basic model plus two false reports of them. In mid oct there were around 5. I found one in a color I wanted but the dealer was distance and we couldn't agree on price. So; still shopping...

backy

Consumer Reports has stated at least twice (that I have seen) since their review of the '01 GLS that they would recommend the Elantra if it demonstrated at least average reliability in their next annual survey, due out next April. IIHS crash test results will have nothing to do with it. If you read the CR comparison tests (the ones that are in each issue), there is no mention of either IIHS or NHTSA tests as a factor in CR's rating.

luck11

The Impreza is a great car. Perhaps, as an owner of a 00 Subaru Outback, I am biased. I love my Outback. My mom had the Impreza on her her original short list.....she loves the car, the ride the feel everything, especially the AWD. Prob? It is a little out of her price range right now. Demand is so high and supply so low, that they are not offering competitive financing rates. Also you may have to wait a while to get one. However, if you can hold out, the way the economy is going, even Subaru will find sales dropping and will have to become competitive.

Those two safety issues aside, I think the GT is a great car for the price. Its unfortunate that Hyundai has simply chosen to ignore rather than address the problems id by the IIHS test.

BTW, Hyundai (who responded to my original question within hours) has not responded to my subsequent request to clarify "the other 11 crash tests" they mention in their response. If these tests were performed, and they were all positive, it would certain put my mind at ease that maybe the test by the IIHS was simply a fluke(sp?). So why not publish the info?

PS. If you are looking for Cdn invoice pricing, try www.carcostcanada.ca or www.apa.ca. Note that Car cost canada includes the dealer hold-back in their quotes (or so they say). Make sure you check they have pricing on the models you are considering before signing up. APA is a bit more expensive. Advantage with APA, you can speak to someone about your purchase and get advice if you pay their 1 year membership fee.

If you go Subaru...you won't be disappointed. If you get losts of snow in Winter, you'll never turn back to a non-AWD vehicle after having a Subaru.

My apologies to all for getting a bit off topic.

Good luck!!

sjhso

Although there was a $750 rebate on the GLS, there were no rebates on the GT, nor any other rebates or incentives. The invoice (adding freight, moonroof, floor mats, mudguards) came out to $14735. However, that's not the true COST to the dealer. They almost always get factory to dealer rebates & other incentives that we don't know of. In addition, the dealer gets a holdback of 2-3% of the MSRP. From the research that I've done, you should never pay more than the actual invoice price of the vehicle. In my case, I'm paying $1,235 under invoice. Good luck...

cjaccetta

Crash tests conducted by the IIHS, NHTSA, etc. don't affect an insurer's rates or your policy premiums. Rates are based on reported real-world dollar losses. Premiums are derived from those rates. The more I think about it, the more I believe that crash tests are nothing more than a sales tool. Automakers will strive to build a "safer" car so it will appeal to more potential consumers. The illusion of "safety" sells cars. Believe me, NO car is a safe place to be when colliding with a stationary object at 40 mph.

Remember: the less insurers have to pay in repairs to a car and its injured occupants, the less they will charge to cover it. A perfect example is the Honda Civic. That car knocks 'em dead (pun intended) in safety ratings every year, yet it is one of the costliest cars to insure.

As for base models of the deathtrap, unsafe-at-any-speed, coffin-on-wheels Elantra GT, if you are patient you will find one. It took me about three weeks of phone calls and trips to dealers to find the model I wanted. If you're not dead-set on a particular color, your search will be easier. Most base models I saw were either Pewter or Black. Just don't over-pay and don't forget about the "California Emissions" which adds $100 to the base price.

Happy Motoring.

cjaccetta

By the way, there are some decent GT reviews in the "car reviews" section of cars.com. Not one review mentions safety or crash tests. It's pretty clear that Hyundai is selling this car on feature content and value, not its crash-test peformance. I suppose if you have a problem with that strategy then you're not in Hyundai's marketing crosshairs...?

revka

here's direct link to Edmunds' Spin Around Town: 2002 Hyundai Elantra GT,, by By Liz Kim. Let us know what you think. Happy Motoring!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards

claywaterfill

If you want a good review of the Elantra GT, look no further than page 57 of the November 2001 issue of Road and Track. They say this car is "upping the ante in affordable fun." They say it "proves Hyundai is building better cars each year" and they invite you to "test drive the new Elantra GT, you'll see what we mean." That kind of exposure will help the whole Hyundai brand in its quest for respecatibility.

rftsr

Hi Guys,

I was lucky enough to get into a 2001.5 Cardinal Red GT for $12100!!! (I traded in a 93 Nissan Sentra SE-R with 117K on it) The GT has 140 miles on it as a demo (or a rollback) so my b-b warranty is reduced to 5 years,
60000 miles. Oh well, let's hope I don't have to use it too much. Anyone purchase an extended warranty that they're happy with?

But, man, is this thing loaded... it has every option you can get... including ABS and traction control.

Can't wait to do some real driving... the test drives were creamy smooth on highway and taut and tight on the curves!

optical2k1

Hi All, I just testdrove an automatic GT and I like it! But I do have one problem with the car: the horrible blind spot! When I was driving I couldn't even tell if there was a car behind me to the left when I looked over my shoulder, has anybody else noticed this or is it just because it's an unfamiliar car to me? I think it may just because I've never driven a hatchback before, but it made me a bit nervous when changing lanes to the left.

Other than that I like the car very much and I'm planning to get one in the next week or two. Can anybody post the price they paid for theirs, especially if you bought in California, SF Bay Area would be ideal. I'm looking to get moon roof, ABS, mud guards and floor mats.

rt3d_fello

Is that the price you paid AFTER your trade in?
-jason

mpgman

Interesting that you mention this. I thought it was just me. I've been startled a few times when changing lanes thinking all was clear, only to find someone right along side me. Might be the need to adjust to the car and twist one's head instead of just relying on the mirrors. Don't know, but I am more aware of it now than before.

rftsr

Yes, 12,100 is the price after my trade...

I got refered to the dealer from Vehiclesonline and he called with a firm price quote the next morning.

I have to say this has been the most pleasant experience I've ever had buying a new car. (which I've always thought was akin to having a cavity filled without novacaine!)

So now I'm ready to enjoy the car... I love a bargain and I LOVE fun cars like this. I just can't believe how loaded with features it is... especially for the price!

cjaccetta

I drive on congested roads much of the time. What I do is set the side mirror at an extreme outward angle so as to make as much of the blind spot visible as I can. It takes a little getting used to but it works. The side mirrors on the GT are huge.

claywaterfill

I'm glad you love the GT. Nothing would make me happier than to see a bunch of new Hyundai owners running around in love with their new cars--but I don't know if it's the car for you. You mention the terrible blind spot. If you are uncomfortable driving the car, or feel your safety is in any way compromised, you may want to keep looking. The fact that a couple of other people spoke of blindsposts may mean this is an area Hyundai will need to work on. Again, if you can work the mirrors to your liking--maybe you can put one of those little round convex mirrors in the bottom corner of the mirror--then more power to you. You may want to look around a little more and see if you can find a car you are more comfortable in, though. Nothing would be worse than getting into an accident 2 months from now because you couldn't see the guy next to you! Good luck to you!

svenj

I had the opportunity to kill some time while waiting for my wife one afternoon, so I took a very quick test drive of the GT.

Handles quite nicely, didn't notice the blind spot. Have heard a few complaints from people about water leaking into the spare tire compartment.

If I had not bought a 2001 Civic a year ago and still have to make payments. I think the GT would be heading the list of cars I would be considering now.

roadwarrior6

I live in VA too.
thanks for the info.

mpgman

Just rolled through 13,000 miles. Still have not seen another one on the road. A number of mechanics have told me they look like Hondas underneath. Hmmm....think that's good or bad?! As to the rumors of a 6 cylinder GT-S, I think it more likely that they would offer the bigger 2.4L 4 cylinder if anything. Not sure that the 6 would fit. Not sure that anything bigger than the 2.0 is needed either, for that matter.

csandste

Am I right in assuming that this has been exclusively a GLS problem and unknown in the GT's? If so, Michelin can probably not be blamed.

cjaccetta

I had a tire shimmy problem in my GT but it went away after a few hundred miles. I think it was caused by the RF tire because my wife popped that one and after we replaced it with an indentical Michelin the entire front end felt smoother. I really believe it's the tires and not the car (at least in the GT). I should note that my GT is an early model with the GLS-type suspension.

9,500 miles and no problems to report. Just got my $100 window sticker "settlement" check from HMA and used it to finance my wife's surprise birthday party. So far, a great ownership experience.

csandste

at the first 4K oil change. At that rate, with rotations every 8000 they'll be gone in 40,000 miles. I'm frankly underwhelmed by the tires and will probably switch brands when they wear out as I think they're a lot of $$$ for replacement. Also most of the user ratings (Tire Rack--this from memory) don't have them that highly rated either. One negative to me is a fair amount of noise on concrete surfaces, although they are pretty good in the rain. I think some of the Korean rubber (Hankooks and Kumhos) might be better for the money. No doubt Hyundai wanted to appear upscale, but I'm not that sure how much better the tires were.

th003g

hey guess what... I must be the first and youngest GT owner to get into a fender bender. Sux but it was a minor one. Blind spot was the cause basically on the drivers side. Not much damage but the claims adjuster could not give me a repair quote becuase the car is so new he didn't know the parts that would be needed for the repair and how much it would cost. I'm used to driving SUV's so the GT was a little different for me. And it happened at about 1k miles. Anyone had any experience with the car pulling to one side at highway speeds?

csandste

since Elantra rates for insurance are quite high. Not sure if they're measuring losses from the last generation of cars. They had some real problems in front and rear low speed damage until they did the partial restyle (where they added the grill) in (99?).

blackandblue

What's this settlement all about? Is it something others might be able to get in on?

roadwarrior6

the wheel shimmy is caused by a balancing problem. Not the tire. i think the standard GLS wheels have a common problem in that they are tough to balance properly. Our GT is smooth as silk. I laugh at anyone thinking that Michelin's are just ok tires. Go and get those cheapo Kumho's and your opinions about Michelin will change. I may not get the same tires again, but im happy Hyundai was generous enough to spend the extra $$ and equip it with a quality tire.

claywaterfill

There have been two posts in the last week refernceing bad blind spots. I wonder if there is a design change Hyundai needs to look at? Doea anyone else have this problem?

blackandblue

I test drove a Celica and an Eclipce before I found the GT. Talk about blind spots, I'm sure I would have had a wreck in one of those cars by now. IMO the GT is not bad at all.

urbanzephyr

blackandblue enquired: What's this settlement all about? Is it something others might be able to get in on?

The original GT window stickers contained an error. Hyundai contacted the buyers and has been sending them a refund for the imaginary option.

jillymarie

I've had my GT for a little over two weeks now and the trip computer continues to read 22.1 mpg. Isn't that relatively low? My first 2 tanks of gas got me around 320 miles each, which comes out to 22 mpg,no? I thought maybe the computer was just reading incorrectly, but it's remaining consistent,and it reads full accurately. About 30% is city driving, and the rest highway. I checked the tire pressure, etc. Any ideas, or does this sound normal???

csandste

is pretty tight. Gas mileage should steadily improve. When I bought my GLS in July it averaged about 23 around town. Now I'm averaging 25-26. There's been some comments on these posts that the mileage will continue to improve through about 10K miles.

rftsr

Sounds low to me... I'm getting 28mph with only 325 miles on my GT. Do you have automatic or stick?

Does anyone know if the mph gauge resets itself when you refill gas tank?

lngtonge18

Are you dividing the miles driven by the total tank capacity or actually using the amount of fuel it takes to fill it up? It sounds like you are using the whole tank capacity which wouldn't give you accurate mileage. By guessing when the gas light comes on, I figured your mileage is more like 26 mpg (320/12 gal).

jillymarie

Well, I havn't actually let the gas light come on yet. I got really low (alomost on "E"), but the drive to work spans a long distance w/out a gas station so I was afraid to get too low. But I added the miles left till empty in the calculation (although it still said 50 or so when the gauge was really close to "E", and the light never came on). The reading hasn't varied from 22.1 since I got it. If my actual mpg is like 26...then does the problem lie in what the computer is reading? Do I need to reset the computer next time I fill up or something? It's an automatic, btw.

yardbird

When I first got my 2001 GT last Sept.,I had a problem with my fuel gauge not reading "F" after a fill up,and the corresponding trip computer reading in tandem with the gauge (ie very incorrect on the "range of miles yet to drive").Around the 3000 mile mark I let the tank get near empty...and after my fill up the problem corrected itself.Now with a full tank my "range of miles to drive" is up around 460.
Jillymarie keep it simple.You can reset the MPG to "--" whenever you want and do your own test.I'd forget about the "range of miles" readout....it will constantly be changing while you drive,and not the best to figure MPG.Bottom line= your fuel tank holds 14.5 gallons.After a fill up reset your "tripmeter" to zero,as well as your MPG readout.Now,the NEXT time you fill up,see how many gallons you replaced (do not top off)...take that amount and divide it into the number indicated on your "tripmeter". Hope this helps.

blackandblue

The imaginary option didn't have anything to do with Calif emissions, did it?

cjaccetta

The window stickers, referred to as Monorey Labels (did I spell that correctly?), on some early GT models incorrectly stated that the GTs came equipped with a remote hatch release.

In order to compensate GT owners for any inconvenience caused by the misprinted labels, Hyundai Motor America (HMA) began mailing statements discussing the misprint to each GT owner. These statements were to be signed and returned to HMA. A check for $100 would then be mailed to the owner.

If you haven't received a letter from HMA about your window sticker by now then your GT may have been one of the models with a corrected window sticker. Of course, if you saved the window sticker then you can check it for yourself.

The settlement is a nice gesture by HMA in my opinion. Personally, I'd rather have a full-size spare tire but then again my specialty is insurance, not automaking.

As we near the 1000-post milestone in this thread, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the posters who took the time to put their ownership or buying comments in this thread. Having the information which all of you provided was invaluable during my own buying experience and also serves as a first line of inquiry when I have questions about my GT.

Some of us have had our GTs for over 10,000 miles now and the most serious "problem" posts I've seen concerned things like tire shimmy and fuel gagues that don't like to read "F" when full. I haven't seen any posts about blown transaxles, faulty starters, bad fuel pumps, brake failures or anything that could leave an owner stranded (or worse). By comparison, a close friend of mine just purchased a 2001 Nissan Altima four months ago and it has already spent close to 30 days in the shop. I've been chided by some of my pals for buying a Korean car but I have absolutely no regrets after nearly 10,000 miles.

Happy Motoring.

crayneri

I

crayneri

want

crayneri

number

crayneri

1000!!!!!

I wanted to be number 1000. I am going to celebrate by buying the elantra gt this saturday!!! For the money....we all know it can't be beat. Everybody is jumping on the warranty bandwagen.....sorry.....toooo late!

claywaterfill

People have figured out that the quality is there. The warranty helps a lot as well. Look Chrysler has a 7 year, 100,000 mile warranty now and Isuzu offers 120,000 mile powertrain warranty. People like to see the company stand behind the car.