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Comments
They say the elantra is small, slow, cheap, lacks features, but I researched it and found it is the biggest,strongest, most luxurious, feature laden car in its category.
i could care less about what CR says about the cars I buy (they seem to love honda like Car and driver loves BMW).
Rich
P.S. Definitely have Hyundai replace your system! They owe it to you. Even if you decide the next day that you want an aftermarket system, still make them do it! If you decide to sell the car later on, you can have the Hyundai system put back in and not lose the cost of your aftermarket system.
I am sick of hearing the GT or GLS referred to as being a cheap buy, bargain etc....
Sure it is but it deserves to be considered on its other merits which make it superior to other cars we considered. I work at Costco and right now we have a Blue IS 300 SportCross displayed outside as part of the dealership affiliation program. Everyone who knows me or has seen my car comments on how similar my Cobalt Blue elantra looks to the IS300 SC. The similarity is even greater because I have 17 inch rims on my car. The GT is actually bigger than the IS in almost all dimensions, has Leather standard IS leather is better but still not Lexus level. Hell even the rear light cluster is similar. My car does not have ABS, TRAC, or sunroof but the car can be had with such. the only things the GT lacks are auto climate control, HID, power seats and homelink. all of which can be found on the other car I drive, "my" 1996 Cranberry Red XJR... no biggie ... smirk....
and the SportCross looks downright frumpy from the rear 3/4 view, its got a bad case of round rump syndrom. as evidenced by the following pic:
http://www.lexus.com/images/showroom/model/is/morephotos/ph_is300_sportcross_2_r.jpg
If the stigma of the early 90's Hyundai got me a better price, good for me. As long as MY car runs well to at least the end of the warranty! Having a better car, compared to the others I looked at, is even better.
"Should I make Hyundai replace it, if only out of principle, or give up and get an aftermarket system? Have any of you had as much bad luck as I have?"
You bet you should make Hyundai replace it under warranty. Do not let up on this, since you will be doing them a favour, IMO. The more they see things like this, the more they will realise that their radio supplier has problems (?) and they can then do something about it. And to make sure that they know about this, write Hyundai America and cc the dealer. If the dealer was nice about these replacements, you could commend them in the letter to help smooth things over.
If everyone having this problem were to not try and get it fixed under warranty, there would be no problem, as far as Hyundai are concerned.
I have not had any problems whatsoever with my factory radio/CD, except for the occasional odd glitch when playing back CDs I burned myself from MP3s. But then it never said that it was CD-R compatible and the reproduction is not perfect either. So, no problems here.
IMO, they are not qualified to review amusement park go-karts much less the modern car.
One of the things that particularly ticks me off is their way of taking one test car and making pronouncements on the whole model line based on problems that test car might have. And I am not even speaking about subjective issues here. Not very scientific, and not even worth the same as the paper it is written on.
They have clear biases when it comes to cars, and people who love cars know this. Publications such as these continue the stigma against any cars that are not Toyota and Honda, in spite of compelling evidence that their findings are often out and out wrong.
Still, like supermarket tabloids, they have their following ...
I switched to 87 octane in the GT recently and car is running fine. Now I notice that my gas mileage is actually getting better (slight increase from 23.8 average to 24.0). My driving habits have not changed,only commute back and forth to work with a heavy foot. Can anyone see a reason why the mileage would improve with lower octane? Thanks.
You are correct that going to a higher grade can alleviate pinging, but that's indicative of a engine that's not running like new.
"Plus all the major gas brands put the same additives in each of their petrol grades. So you're not losing out on any special additives."
I recently found that this is by law. You shouldnt have to spend more $ to get the additives.
candste
"however your mpg increase (which I doubt is statistically significant) might be the result of the switch from winter to summer gas grades."
The timing would be right. Interesting. Its amazing how accurate the mpg computer is at keeping track of me. Once a week I take a highway trip for about 30 miles. If I miss one week the mpg drops by about two tenths.
http://hdkautosport.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=HA&Category_Code=E7
Otherwise, smooth sailing.
By the way, I never complained about the lack of an inside hatch release and they sent me a check automatically. They also paid $500 to replace my oil pan assembly when one of their dealers stripped the threads doing an oil change.
So far, this is America's best warranty.
"Every time I take my GT in to the dealer they do more damage than they fix. I hope you all have better luck than me."
Any examples? Maybe others can relate to your specific experiences.
Overall impression, after all of 900 miles, is that everybody in the family really likes this car. I haven't opened it up yet and driving with a light foot I am managing 33 mpg. Nevertheless acceleration seems fine (remember my perspective comes from driving a diesel rabbit for 13 years!). The rear end does look a little funky IMHO, but from all other angles this is a very handsome car.
I went into a dealership while down in Florida asking about touch up paint. They wanted the paint code. Can someone tell me where the paint code can be found? I couldn't find it on the car or in any of the paperwork from the dealer. This is a 2002 with pewter paint. The parts guy told me that paint can change within a model year, so that one 2002 pewter may not match another 2002 GT's pewter. This sounds reasonable, but I wouldn't have thought it mattered for touch up paint as the differences would have to be small.
My first visit to the dealer was the first oil change and I complained of a squeaky clutch pedal. In process of lubricating the clutch pedal they lost the hardware for the air filter. Before leaving the dealers lot...check the work!
dieselhead
The paint code is on the drivers door edge. there is a metal panel that gives the paint code and build date. The paint code is a 2 letter code as in (LH).
http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/techwrapper.jsp?PID=1051-250&CID=1051-041602C
the odometer a little confusing-to reset the trip part does that function have to be displayed?
manual says on refueling to turn gas cap until you hear 3 clicks otherwise kcheck engine light comes on. is this really true?
if you are in the new york city/burbs i highly reccommend healy bros hyundai in mt kisco, they were teriffic. thanks for all prior posts. they were helpful in buying the car
just passed 16,000 miles on my GT, and have not had one problem with my fuel gauge... it has read full every time i fill it up... i'm wondering if its the gauge itself that's defective since people have had them replaced and had the same problem later...
Got what I thought was a great deal on a 2002 GT.
Auto, absolutely loaded for $14.8k
However about 2 miles from the dealership, I turned around after finding the air conditioner wasn't working. Even though this problem irked me, I was impressed by the manager's response (Loaner of a 2001 holdover within 2 minutes). Still it would have been nice to drive my new one home.
Has anyone else been "pressured" to give the dealership all excellent marks on the JD Power survey after the sale? This was the second new car that I bought in 6 months (got a 2002 Kia Sedona also), and both dealerships seemed to suggest I put nothing but top mark on each line.
Even after this A/C problem, he asked not to mention it on initial quality! All I can say is at least KIA gave me a free oil change coupon for filling out their survey!
The A/C was fixed the next day. Said it was just a
half connected connector.
A question. Does anyone know where the alarm is located for the GT? I know I'll probably get used to it, but can't stand the alarm going off when I open the door with my key. Why would they put a key lock on it if you can't use it? Besides, when was the last time you heard an alarm and called the police!
Also, anyone have luck with the woodgrain console kit?
Let's hope the A/C connector was a fluke. But other than that, I still feel like I stole the car! Can't beat the price!
When I don't want my alarm to go off, I simply lock the doors manually without using my remote.
As for the half connected AC. It sounds like sloppy assembly at the factory but at least there wasn't anything really wrong with it. Good luck!
Congrats on your new GT. Great choice!
"Has anyone else been "pressured" to give the dealership all excellent marks on the JD Power survey after the sale?"
No. I slammed my dealer for the way they handled the sale. Everything from an empty gas tank to scratches on the body. The quality of the product far surpasses the quality of the dealers.
"Also, anyone have luck with the woodgrain console kit?"
They sell these at <http://www.hdkautosport.com>
. If you look back a few posts there was a discussion on this.
"But other than that, I still feel like I stole the car!"
Do what I do...drive it like you stole it!
Time to make another trip back to the service dept. I know that the light may come on if you dont follow the proper "cap screw on procedure" but I've been pretty careful about this, and didn't refill after seeing the dealership.
I'll let everyone know what the real culprit is...
by the way, I was told at the service dept that I was "Completely Satisified" with the service and should definetly indicate that on the forthcoming survey. Well I did get an unexpected free carwash.
mark
I also mentioned the A/C noise (when the compressor comes on). I guess instead of listening for it, they decided to just tighten the belt and send it out. That didn't fix it! Has anyone else had a high pitched scrapping noise coming from the A/C? What did they do to fixed it? I know I read on another site I guy had it in 3-4 times for something similar.... and it was never fixed! If I remember, they changed the expansion valve a couple times.
First -- Transmission. I've been reading a lot about problems shifting between 2nd and 3rd. Is this a problem Hyundai is correcting (ie, re-program)? Also, is it a universal problem or just with the Automatic? Which would you recommend for an Atlanta (stop-n-go) commute?
Second -- Paint. Some posts have pointed out that the paint jobs on the Elantras are not top notch, resulting in highly visible scratches soon after purchasing the car. Is this true? Are there any recommendations?
Third -- Leather. Since the GT's have it standard (!), I was curious to see if there are any owners who find the leather to be a drawback (ie, too hot in summer/cold in winter, high maintenance to take care of, etc).
Fourth -- Warranty. Have any of the owners experienced problems with the dealerships with regards to the warranty? Have there been any refusals or problems getting maintenance done?
Fifth -- Safety. The standard side air-bags (!) really caught my attention. Offset Crash Test Results show the Elantra as "Poor." Any comments? How safe do you feel in your Elantras?
Sixth -- Color. While it's a matter of personal preferance for everyone -- which would you say is a "better" choice, Black or Carbon Blue?
Finally -- Lighting. I keep hearing that if you get the moonroof option, you lose out on interior lighting. This option replaces the dome light, and results in poor lighting in the rear and cargo area. How bad is the lighting? I really would prefer to get a model with the moonroof!
Thanks for Your Assistance!!!
2) The paint hasn't been a problem for me. I have black (which I liked over the blue). Of course keeping any dark car clean is a chore. In this price range I'd say it no better or worse than the others.
3) I love the leather! It smells nice, and feels good. Sure it's hot if you leave it baking in the sun, but that's why we have A/C and sun shields. I got a bottle of Lexol's leather care and apply it as directed (I also bought the vinlex... Lexol's supposed to be the best). I plan on using it with every oil change. For me that's no worse then cloth as far as care.
4) Haven't had to much as far as warranty. My dealer didn't complain when I brought it in for the transmission.... I also let them know I get alot of information from the internet.
5) Safety? It's a small car! I don't care how many balloons you have around you... there isn't much metal to distribute the force of a crash. I was involved in a side impact crash a few years back, and the side air bags sure would have helped. The key, to me, is to AVOID the crashes. With the GT you have a good chance with the ABS, TCS and power available.
6) color?... I covered that. I like the Black or Silver, but the wife had the deciding vote (of course she has yet to live up to her "I'll wash it" statement).
7) lighting? I drive it the most and sit in the front seat (naturally). With the map lights, and interior lights I have plenty of light. I do have the moonroof, and wouldn't even think of loosing it for a rear light! ( I can add that if it ever becomes a problem) The 'trunk' has some, but not much light... another side light would be nice.
Hope this helps!
JT
Thanks for your response! You answered all of the questions I had. I feel like I'm really making the BEST choice with the Elantra GT. I've looked into other models, and the options you get standard with the Elantra just cannot be beat. Plus the shining reviews here on Edmunds definitely help. Hopefully, I'll have one soon & will be able to post a follow-up. Thanks again!
Joffficer - now that it's actually getting warm enough here to need the air conditioning, I've noticed the same noise that you and several previous posters have mentioned. Every 20 seconds or so, there's a faint high-pitched metallic whining noise for a few seconds. I'd sure be interested in knowing if this is a sign of something going south in the air conditioner, or just a normal sound for this car. Other than that, the unit works great and really puts out a lot of cold air.
Jrs333 - Joffficer covered your list pretty well, but I'd like to add a couple of thoughts:
1) The shift flare is limited to the automatic. On the manual the shift controller computer is located between the drivers ears. (Very limited processing power in mine, hehe!) For a lot of stop and go, an auto would sure make life easier. I'm such a fan of manuals that I went with the stick even considering the city portion of my commute. Fortunately, the GT's clutch is one of the lightest and easiest that I've ever used.
2) I settled for the Carbon Blue, even though Black would have been my first choice. For a car in this class, I would agree that the paint is about average. Sitting next to my '95 Audi, it was immediately apparent that the GT's paint doesn't have that deep lustre that more expensive cars have. I would recommend using Zymol wax. One of those consumer magazines found that it tends to clean with less scratches and swirl marks.
3) Leather is great if you have kids. A chocolate shake from Mickey D's can make a mess of cloth seats, but it wipes right off of leather. I use Lexol too.
5) The Insurance Institute tests weren't the best, but even THEY thought that the cars structure was solid and held up well. The GT did very well on the government crash tests. Every accident is different and a car that did great in one type of crash might have a weakness that could really get you hurt in another. There's no way they can crash enough cars to get you a complete picture of how any particular car will perform. In the meantime, drive like they're all out to get you.
7) Without a dome light, it's a pain getting my kids in and out of their car seats in the dark. I wear a Snake Light around my neck and that really helps. Before the days get shorter again, I'm going to add some more light back there. I may get fancy and wire something in, but it would probably work just as well to strap a couple of those "tap lights" to the back of the front seat head rests. (And maybe one on the bottom of the hatch cover, too.)
I'd highly recommend the GT. It's really been a great car for me so far. Good luck shopping!
So which ones are?
"but even THEY thought that the cars structure was solid and held up well."
So you don't have much faith in the validity of the tests, except the ones that the Elantra excelled in?
I am also seriously considering the GT (down to either the Lancer or the GT), and I live in the Atlanta area as well like jrs333. I have only been to the local dealer in Conyers, and they had an addition dealer mark-up of something like $595.00 for an "appearance Package". Needless to say, I'm not going to pay close to $600 for some pinstriping and a painted grill. I don't really want pinstriping at all. My question is this, Has anyone worked with any Atlanta area dealers and if so which would you reccomend ? I am also considering going through carsdirect.com.
Thanks
Civic: http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/00031.htm
Elantra: http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0103.htm
Protege: http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/99005.htm
Jetta: http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/99001_2001.htm
You'll notice that, as I mentioned, the Elantra did get a Good rating for "Structure/Safety Cage".
As to your second question, I'm not trying to imply that the tests are invalid, only that there's more to safety than one test. If the Elantra can get radically different ratings from two different organizations, both doing frontal crash tests, imagine how much difference there will be between different types of accidents out on the road. Sure, if a buyers number one priority is frontal safety and money is no object, they would be well advised to buy a Civic, or better yet a Suburban. In the real world, though, you have to balance a lot more factors into your decision. I could have bought a Civic, (or a Suburban for that matter) but I wanted more room, a hatch, a better warranty, more features and a lower price. I'm willing to trade a lower IIHS rating for for those things.
So which ones are?
I was looking for which tests were the best. I thought you meant "The Insurance Institute tests weren't the best." (Well that's exactly what you said). But apparently you meant the Elantra did not come out the best from those tests.
No single test is the last word. In fact you can get all the crash tests done all over the world and it's still not "guaranteed" to be accurate.
People drive at 60-80 mph, but the majority of crashes don't occur at those speeds. It's like suggesting that seatbelts would not save you in a 60 mph head-on crash so defective belts in a particular model don't matter. Or if a professional car thief really wants to steal you car, he will so why equip your car with an alarm?
Having said that, there's always the possibility that car manufacturers design cars to perform well on certain crash tests only.