Hyundai Elantra 5-door

calamus

I have been using Thule components - roof rack, bike rack, ski box - for many years and find them to be adequate and well built. The basic roof rack system (i.e. "foot kit", not the bars) is generally all you have to change to adapt from one car to another over the years.

joffficer

Of a guys GT with the rack.

middletonmike

Has anyone compared the Elantra GT with the Suzuki Aerio GS? I've driven the Suzuki and was a bit impressed although I think the GT looks much better. I suspect the goofiness of the Suzuki might not age well. Any opinions on the build quality of either? I've never owned either make before.

th003g

engine is raspier....the digital readout takes a bit to get used to...headroom is very impressive...(duh)...interior quality of materials are best yet for suzuki yet still not as good as elantra... more like accent... costs more than GT... seating position mre minivan like compared to the GT where you can sit upright or low as in a coupe... styling is good start off point for those that like adding stuff... like body kits and rims....

lngtonge18

The Aerio is a neat car, especially in SX form. In fact, I plan on replacing my Accent with one. I test drove it and fell in love. The looks are different, a lot seem to hate it, BUT the uniqueness is what makes it interesting. Its sporty looks stand out more in the sea of blandness. I feel the interior is roomier then the Elantra, mostly due to the minivan-like seating and the tall roof. Visibility out front was simply amazing; it felt like I was driving an SUV. I thought the stereo in the Aerio blew away the Elantra's. It simply kicked butt for a factory system. Both engines are equally powerful and they both have roughly the same fuel economy. Build quality on both is good. I might be inclined to consider the Aerio slightly better since it's built in Japan. The Aerio I drove was completely flawless, not a rattle or squeak could be heard and it was amazingly quiet. One of the Elantras I drove had the same annoying headliner or door buzz that my Accent had. The digital gauges on the Aerio do take some getting used to, but I actually liked them (and I have always been against digital readouts). One thing to take into consideration is maintenance over the long run. The Elantra requires a timing belt change every 60k miles. The Aerio has a timing chain that never needs to be replaced. So you save about $600 over 120,000 miles. Minor difference, but nice nonetheless. You really can't go wrong with either car. Both are nice. It just depends whether you want the low slung sporty hatch look or the tall sporty wagon look. I do suggest that you compare the Aerio SX to the GT, not the GS. The SX is a hatch like the GT whereas the GS is simply a sedan with a huge trunk.

holla

Is it that hard to an auto Pewter Gt w/sunroof in the metropolitan region of NY? My dealer seems to have problems finding one for over 2 weeks!! I think I will get my deposit back.

wmoses

holla said --

"Is it that hard to an auto Pewter Gt w/sunroof in the metropolitan region of NY?"

I don't know about NY but it seems that it is hard to find pewter GTs anywhere. Makes me feel lucky.

I went to a new dealership Saturday and the saleswoman was admiring my pewter GT in such a way that suggested that was her favourite and that she hadn't seen one to that point. They had 5 GTs in the lot -- all automatics, and all over $16k toward $17k.

Seems like the law of supply and demand is alive and well. Mine loaded including spoiler but without auto was just $16k on the road. That was last November and it was a car that was brought in.

andil1

My dealer has 7 (count 'em) pewter auto GT's, followed by 4 black obsidians. They all came in in the same week a few weeks ago. None of them have been sold yet. I don't understand how Hyundai figures their allocations.

rlenihan

Just a quick review on my new GT. I was looking for about a month for a 5-spd GT w/pkg11, nobody had them. In the meantime I test drove a Protege5, Subaru Impreza (Outback Sport), and rented a Focus ZTW Wagon (ugh, automatic!). I was looking a sporty hatchback or small wagon, that I could get for reasonably cheap (15K +/-). Of the cars I drove, I liked the styling (luscious paint jobs!) and handling of the Protege5 best, but was not impressed with its engine. It seemed to need a lot of pushing to get any kind of acceleration, and makes a lot of engine whining when doing so. Next came the Subaru. I had owned a Subaru before, and had liked the all-wheel drive and truck-like construction. On the plus side, the handling felt very sure-footed in most normal driving (I did not try any emergency maneuvers), and the engine, with 165 hp was the most responsive of the lot. On the down side, styling. The Impreza is, how shall I say it, homely. If I had to drive a lot in snowy conditions, I think I could live with it, but as I take public transportation to work, I couldn't justify the extra money that the all-wheel drive would cost me. Finally, the Focus ZTW. I had not planned on looking at the Focus, but I needed a rental car, and the rental agency had this sharp-looking Wagon so I signed it out. I really could not find anything to dislike about the ZTW. Good looks (for a small wagon, which is kind of like saying "She's pretty sexy, for a nun!"), nimble handling, and plush appointments (the upgraded stereo in my rental was really nice). The engine, although putting out the same 130 hp as the P5, just felt more torque-ier, even with the automatic. Quieter, too. It's a nice car and if it weren't for the reliability issues, I would have added it to my list. (note to Ford: you've really got to address your quality issues if potential customers are choosing a HYUNDAI over your products.)

Finally, the GT. I had placed an order with Autobytel and with CarsDirect. CarsDirect struck out, and finally told me they just couldn't do it and cancelled my order. I had more luck with Autobytel. My local dealer, Tom Hyundai in Norwood, MA called me and said they were on the case. They located the car (in pewter, my first choice), invited me to test drive it, and it was pretty much love at first drive. I thought the styling was just a notch below the P5, the standard features were, as you know, miles ahead of anything in its price range, the fit and finish was as good or better than any of the other cars I tested. I liked the engine: while not as powerful as the Impreza, it seemed to have a lot more grunt than the P5, I even like the throaty sounds the engine makes when pushed. The week point was handling. There is just more body roll, even in low speed turns (for instance, making a left hand turn from a stop) than I would expect from a "sporty" car. It's the kind of handling that discourages you from overly spirited maneuvers, which may be a good thing :-)

Well, in spite of the so-so handling, I still fell in love with the GT. And I have grown to love this car the more I've driven it. In addition to the great price and features, it's a car that, for lack of a better word, fits. I've driven in mixed conditions for about 1200 miles now and am averaging about 27.4 mpg (another big plus over that Subaru), using the AC most of the time. I had a chance to drive it to/from western Mass, including a jaunt through route 2 in the Berkshires (the Mohawk trail), the kind of twisty two-lane you see in car commercials. It brought out the best and worst in the car's power and handling. While the car had no trouble maintaining speed on the hills, the handling required using caution (read: observe the speed limit) on the turns.

Minor nits: leather steering wheel is very slippery when new, which was kind of disconcerting at first, but now with use is becoming less slippery. The stalk for the cruise control is mounted on the steering wheel, not on the steering wheel column, often hitting me on the knee in turns. Why not put it on the column? Ash trays: this is really minor but I think a cupholder for the rear seat would be more useful than an ash tray back there, especially since the back seat is best suited for small children. The power window lock: when the lock is in use, even the driver can't raise or lower the passenger-side or rear windows. Rear hatch: where's the light back there? Stereo: pretty nice sound from CD's, not so great from FM (weak reception). And really that's about it.

All in all, if they improved the handling (putting a little more "GT" into the GT), this would be a great (as in 10 years down the road, a classic) car. As it is, it is a very good car, and a great value. Because of the trouble locating this car and because I was driving a rental that was costing me $200/week, I was not prepared to haggle (I'm not sure that I could have) and paid pretty close to MSRP for the car ($15,545 with pkg/11, mud flaps, floor mats, and cargo net). I had a very good experience with the dealer, too. Ask for Bill McNearney (sp?), their internet sales manager.

Happy Motoring!

-Rich

chef1

I have found, that the more aggresive one drives the car, the stiffer the suspension becoms. I believe that this is the nature of gas filled shocks. I however agree, the low speed handling kinda sucks; sort of wallows. I have never had the car break loose -- even at ulta-legal speeds on canyon roads.

good luck.

chef1

I have found, that the more aggressive one drives the car, the stiffer the suspension becomes. I believe that this is the nature of gas filled shocks. I however agree, the low speed handling kinda sucks; sort of wallows. I have never had the car break loose -- even at ultra-legal speeds on canyon roads.

good luck.

jimbeaumi

GT doesn't have rear cupholders built into the front of the rear seat bottom cushion, like the GLS? Also, you must be incredibly tall if a) there isn't enough rear seat room (except for kids) and b) your knees are that close to the steering wheel and cruise switch. I love my GLS, and also love seeing more GTs on the road.

jackyl100

I recall that someone was working on changing all the accessory lights from green to purple so that it all matches. Any luck?

th003g

i actually though about changing the lighting on th dash to all blue/ purple... but then again it would clash with the A/c blue which means cold... so i went and got a blue light CD Deck...and kept my lights green otherwise...there is a light source in the hatch area on the passenger side by the wheelwell...the GT does not have the pop out cupholder that resides in between the floor and the rear seat cushion on the GLS...getting lower profile tires helps with the handling... less sidewall flex...but is still keels over soon than i'd like...so im gonnal lower it with eibach springs... only an inch though...and get the front strut tower bar...

wmoses

Has anyone actually sourced front and rear strut tower bars for the GT? Tom?

rlenihan

No, the GT lacks the cup holders in the front of the rear seat bottom cushions, probably so that the seats can be lifted up. As for leg room, I am 6'0" tall, but with relatively long legs (34" inseam). Without sitting too far back from the steering wheel, my knees tend to point up, thus occasionally contacting the cruise control stalk in turns. Also, while the rear seat might comfortably sit two adults, maybe two adults and a child, I would not want to be one of those adults on a long trip.

wmoses

rlenihan said --

"while the rear seat might comfortably sit two adults, maybe two adults and a child, I would not want to be one of those adults on a long trip."

Why? I am a 5'-8" / 190 lb adult and find the sculpted back seat of the GT one of the most comfortable seats (front or back) I have been in. I would not have a problem spending extended periods in the back seat of my car.

jimbeaumi

You're right, being tall with a long inseam may mean less comfort in the back seat for you. For me and my friends, it is roomy (we are 5'9 or less). After I posted my last message, I guessed that the seat cushions probably lift up first before seatback is folded down, as my last hatchback did. The smartest feature: seatbelt clips to keep them from falling out of the way when putting seats back into place.

th003g

sharkracing has them...it just does not show on their website... the rear bar would decrease usability of the trunk... which is why i would not want one...

im also 5'9 and sometimes I drive with 3 people all over age 17 in back seat... not really an issue... much more comfy than in xjr.. we actuall did that one day... drove the jag in the morning and GT at night... same 5 people same positions... jag is much more cramped inside... requiring me to move the steering wheel to all the way to the dash and my seat forward so my knee is at a 100deg angle...in GT im more comfy legs can stretch out more...

wmoses

Thanks for the info re Shark Racing, Tom. I will ask them for pricing. I agree about the rear bar being a hindrance on a hatchback. I will probably hold off on that as well.

azldw

Just an update on my request for help in Arizona. I took the suggestion to use carsdirect.com. My first attempt the only contact I received from them was a cancellation notice three days later. I resubmitted, was contacted by a rep, told them what I was looking for and was assured it would be no problem, then three days later received a cancellation notice. Resubmitted AGAIN and received a call from someone who chewed me out for not being serious!

kentavos

sorry about that. I had always heard great things about them. maybe try autobytel.com? if you're not sick of using web-based dealers.

bri70

Here we go again. Over at "The Hyundai Connection" there is a Hyundai mechanic in Canada who goes by the name of "Duke." He has always insisted that people should be using more than 87 octane in the summer months. In the middle of the following thread someone mentions that their fuel economy has fallen since they went back to 87.

http://www.t-h-c.org/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.cgi?board=elantra;action=display;num=1022195685

Supposedly the new (2002)manual states that '87 octane OR HIGHER is recommended.' Can someone confirm this? I did try using premium fuel for a couple of fill ups. I did notice a small improvement in fuel economy driving in the city and the engine seemed more eager to rev. I don't know if that is related to the higher octane fuel.

jocko9

higher than 87? It's a four cyclinder engine, not turbo or supercharged or anything, simply a straight 4 banger that puts out 140 HP. There should be no need for any high octane gas in that type of vehicle. Perhaps that poster "Duke" really works for one of the big oil companies, LOL.

csandste

I thought ethanol raised octane but contained less energy than gasoline and so cut mileage. Of course an 87 octane gas with ethanol might have lower octane rating on the base fuel. What am I missing here? I thought that higher octane in an engine not requiring it was throwing $$$ away.

calamus

An Eastern Ontario retailer with several outlets does sell gasoline containing Ethanol rated as 89-octane, at regular gas price. So higher octane can be obtained without paying extra money.

joffficer

If an engine is designed to run on 87 then boosting it to 89 or even 94 octane won't make a difference. Exceptions to that might be if your engine has a problem or if you've modified the ignition system (next to impossible on a Hyundai)
Octane rating is the measure of a fuel's antiknock properties. If your engine isn't knocking (pinging) than there is no need for a higher octane fuel. Some engines will knock under heavy loads, and this is normal. Even if your engine is pinging try a different brand (or station) with the same octane before using something higher.
By me the difference between 87 and 93 octane is about 20 cents.... that works out to $120 a year for me. That would have to be a BIG difference in mpg's (if it had anything to do with it)... I'd rather put that $120 towards better wheels!

bluong1

"If your engine isn't knocking (pinging) than there is no need for a higher octane fuel. Some engines will knock under heavy loads, and this is normal."

My $.02, this criteria is no longer true for modern engine equipped with antiknock sensor (most are.) When the sensor detects knoking, it delays the ignition, lowering the highest temperature and pressure of the compressed fuel-air mixture and avoid detonation. Thus the engine will loss power but doesn't knock.

cjaccetta

Hey gang. It's been a while since I posted to this thread so I thought I would update the group on life of my "long-term" Elantra GT.

General Impressions: Just turned over 24,000 miles last week and the GT is running very well. I drive about 36 miles round-trip each day to work via semi-residential (40 mph and under) streets and the GT is a pleasure to drive. The car is very appliance-like in that it is reliable and does not distract the driver with minor annoyances. This is a compliment to Hyundai.

Fuel Mileage: Still very good. Getting about 24.5 around town with heavy A/C use during this Jersey Heat Wave. About 33 mpg highway. I fill the tank approximately every eighth day at a cost of about $16.

Repairs: My left lo-beam headlamp burned out in June which I replaced myself at a cost of $14.63. Aside from the oil pan replacement, I have had no other problems in 14 months of ownership. No squeaks or rattles yet, either. A solid car, this GT. I will replace the stock wiper blades before winter begins.

I can't think of much else to say. Our GT has done everything we've asked of it. It's a very nice car (we still get compliments on it) that is practical, comfortable and economical. We would buy another Elantra without hesitation. If you're considering buying one yourself, go for it. There's no reason to pay more for a Civic, Focus, Protege or Corolla.

Happy Motoring,

arsiong

My new 2002 GLS just have 1000 miles on it, would it be better for the car if I change the oil now, or i should wait until it hit 3000+ miles as the manual said. I heard from someone that the original oil(or the stock oil as you may refer) has some special ingredient that will do good to the engine in break-in and don't change it too early. anyone?????? I want the best for my baby.

jimbeaumi

A great report on your car. No squeaks and rattles, even from the hatch area? I'd like to know about that specific area in case I decide to buy one sooner than planned (GLS now). Thanks.

csandste

change to a regular SL grade (I use 10W30 except winter) at the regular time. I do 4K changes on my GLS.

ronmcq

Hi All.
Thanks to everyone's postings I went out yesterday and bought a new '02 GT Auto in Pewter for my wife. We are planning a 2100 mile vacation from San Diego to Boise in two weeks and I was wondering how many miles should be on a new motor prior to an extended drive like that?
As to the car, I feel it was impossible to find anything else at a better bargain and my wife absolutely loves it. Me, I inherit an '89 Mazda hatchback and can park my thirsty V-10 F250.
I'm not sure if dealer's can be mentioned here, but I got my car for $13,711 with Mats, Mud Guards and Cargo Net from Frank Hyundai in National City.
Regards, Ron

little9

Have noticed the new Edmunds townhall format takes longer for me to access this board...not much longer but I must pass Honda, Ford, etc. to reach this place. Wonder why Edmunds puts Hyundai on the "second page" not the "front page"? Well at least it's not "below the fold". As an aside, pewter GTs are as rare as IRS agents with a heart...my great-grandfather saw one when he was a boy...a pewter GT not an IRS agent.

revka

You still have the option to access Town Hall the old way. Read our Getting Started at Town Hall page for details.

Also, have you tried using your bookmarks for direct access to your favorite discussions? Click on the blue bookmark at the top of this page to bookmark this discussion. The bookmarks next to the individual messages will bookmark the discussion from that particular message on.... To find your bookmark/s, click on your Message Center which is located below the last message in any given discussion. Hope this is helpful.

And now, back to the subject of the Hyundai Elantra GT. Happy motoring!

Revka
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joffficer

When I had about 1000 miles on my GT I took it to the dealer (Hyundai City, NJ) for a noisy door panel, and it's first oil change. The service manager told me that Hyundai has some kind of additive package in the factory oil... he said it was to help the engine during it first 3750 miles. That was a new one on me, and I did some research about it. I couldn't find one bit of evidence of this mystery oil additive, and dismissed the service manager's story as the bull it sounded like. I did my own oil change at 2000 miles.

BTW. The mechanic that tried to fix my noisy door panel told me there was nothing he could do. He told me because of the cold weather you'll have these noises (vibrating). His next 'fix' for this was to tell me "they'll go away in the summer". I laughed in his face at that one! After reading other GT owner's noise problem I fixed it myself. All I had to do was tighten the panel screws.... magically the noises went away (even in cold weather!). It cost me a total of 20 minutes of reading, and 10 minutes tightening the screws.

mpgman

Just rolled over 25,000 on the GT. Love it! One of most impressive things is the front seat leg room. Just rode in a new CR-V. The GT's leg room has it beat! And the GT even has a left foot rest.

skp85

I recently bought a Red Elantra GT, Auto w/ the sunroof package, no abs. I am having a really annoying problem where i am getting extremely low mileage. The last time i filled up was after 192 miles for 12 gallons. I have drive it for almost 3000 miles. Is there something wrong w/ my car or is it just not broken in yet? I read on this board that most people are getting high 20s in terms of mpg. I asked the dealer to check, but they said that there's nothing they can do about it and it's because of my driving habits (they say that i may be pushing the car too hard, being a teenage driver and all) Any help as to what i can do would be appreciated greatly.

joffficer

Are you going by just the computer, or have you figured it out by doing the math? Divide the number of miles by the amount of gas used. That should give you your average mpg for that tank of gas. Make sure you're using a full tank, and subtract what was left.
I have a 2002 with the auto, and have been getting 25-28 mpg.... mostly around town driving, with little racing. If you're constantly in the throttle low mpg's should be expected, but 12mpg does seems kind'a low! I'd suspect the computer (if that's what you're going by) is off. If your mpg's are that low, keep a good (paper) record of it with typical driving (honest) patterns. After a few tanks take it back to the dealer(with your record) and demand something be done.

cjaccetta

Jimbeaumi - Yep, no rattles from the hatch area. This has been a pleasant surprise because I expected some noise from back there. Hyundai did a swell job on the cargo cover, too.

Mpgman - boy, I never thought I'd be chasing your mileage totals but the GT is terrific on our Cape Cod trips. No reason not to drive. The wife will be using the GT to commute to Rutgers grad school this fall. I might be able to pass you by Christmas!

Update - my "Check Engine" light came on last Thursday...I re-tightened the gas cap and I'm going to try to "20 starts" method of re-setting the system fault. If that doesn't work I will return to the dealer (ugh) and let them mug me for $77 to correct the fault.

Lestrade1

having the same problem my mileage was 22mpg for first 3000 miles service manager told me it would improve after 3000 mile oil change
after change improved to 24mpg i was also told that the real kick up would come after 6000 miles
i hope he is correct
does anyone else have a "snapping/clacking noise" over small bumps? dealer heard the noise, told me to bring it in and is giving me a loaner or rental for the time it takes to fix

donl68

Lestrade1--I hear that noise too, but only with the windows down. I cannot hear it otherwise. I was going to ignore it but if its something serious I would want to take it in. Did the dealer tell you what it was?

My gas mileage was around 28-29 for the first 1200 miles. Now it has settled to around 27-28 with 2600 miles on it. I haven't had any problems so far and I love the car and get many compliments on it. The stubby antenna I got really makes the car look great too. I got no response on here about my misaligned front fascia and if its worth it to get it repaired and I haven't I'm just not sure what to do about it.

Also, has anyone explored the option of having all of the windows have the 'auto down' feature? Would this just be as simple as replacing the switches on the driver side door with the auto down switches? I think having them all auto down would be cool.

Happy motoring all

skp85

Well, the last tank was an average of about 16 mpg. 192 miles / 12 gallons. I did mostly in-town driving. I admit that i sometimes do tend to accelerate a little bit hard, but that is not something that i do as a habit. The dealer that i went to said that it would get better after 3000 miles, but i'm just not really sure. He also said that there's nothing they can do about gas mileage. The computer says about 19 mpg though.

ems1

I have about 1,500 miles on my '02 Elantra. I've been checking the mileage after the first tank. I was getting a little over 22. The last fill up, I got 20.3. That was with the a/c on in 98 degree heat. By the way, the a/c is one of the best. I'm not too concerned since the driving is almost all city where I'm stopped as much as I'm moving. I figure I'm getting 0 mpg about 30% of the time since I'm stopped in traffic! I'd like to hear from people driving their Elantras under the same conditions. I've had a number of small cars and they all do about the same under these conditions. The real test will come when it has over 3,000 mile and I'm out of the city. I think these 30+ mpg reports are from highway or rural drivers.

csandste

mileage in my GLS 5-speed has decreased this summer from 26-28 mixed to 22-25 mixed. I have 22K on this car so it should be broken in. I attribute much of the decrease to summer grade reformulated gasoline. Ethanol is replacing MBTE in much of the St. Louis market so that's probably having an effect. Also the heat index has been 105+ for quite some time so the air conditioner's getting a real work out.

th003g

i only get 19.8 or so the computer says... reasonable for me since i go about 250-270miles on each fillup... my driving consisits of 8 mile roundtrip jaunts to work 5 days a week... and maybe a 50 mile roundtripper on a weekend once every other week... i am also very road ragey... and thus agressive on the gas...

skp85

So i guess that means that it's not normal to have 16 mpg despite being a little "road ragey?" Cuz I don't want to go back and talk to the dealer until i can be sure that others are not having the same mileage problem. I really like the elantra gt, although my friends have commented on the "korean car." It's a great car with a lot of kick for its buck. My dad also worries that the increase in gas mileage might result in a decrease in performance.

I'm really not sure how i'll be able to talk to the dealers though. They really insist that my 16 mpg is due to my "teenage" driving habits of accelerating hard or that the engine's not broken in yet. However, that doesn't seem to be the case from what i have read on this post. I know that they won't regard whatever is writen on this post though, so i don't see a point of printing it out and showing it to them. They also said that there is nothing they can do to fix mileage problem. So what is it that i can ask them to check specifically in order to find out the cause of the low mileage?

wmoses

skp85 asks ---

"So i guess that means that it's not normal to have 16 mpg despite being a little 'road ragey?' ... So what is it that i can ask them to check specifically in order to find out the cause of the low mileage?"

Before finally deciding that you do have a fuel consumption problem, I would suggest you do the following --

1) Use the calculation method of determining your fuel consumption, by (a) using the same pump at the same gas station to fill up, (b) fill up the same way every time (e.g. two clicks after the auto shut-off), (c) note the volume (gals) put in, and divide into the number of miles travelled since the last fill up. After one tankful, the system will be ready to yield good data. Monitor for 3 tankfuls and note the mileage. Compare with the trip computer values, resetting the trip computer at every fill up.

2) Keep the driving to below 3000 rpm (just for the duration of the experiment) and try to get to top gear as soon as you can without lugging the engine (can't remember if you had the auto or not)

3) Keep notes of this procedure -- *that* is what you need to show to the dealer. They will just scoff at Internet "research" because they know that there is a lot of mis-information on the Internet and that tarnishes credible information when it is offered.

bri70

Don't feel too bad. I am only averaging 12 to 14mpg . And I find the computer to be accurate. Most of my driving is in Queens and Manhattan N.Y.

I took my car to the dealer and they told me that driving in Manhattan will give me Ferrari like gas mileage. Someone on Edmunds suggested I go take a long highway trip and see what happens. To my suprise I get 33 to 35 mpg's on the highway so now I am just living with it.

My point, follow the same advice I received: take it out on the highway and that should let you know if you have a problem.

mpgman

Happened to me and they fixed it free. Why the $77 charge CJ...you are still under the warranty. Now I never let the gas station attendant put the cap back on. I do it and make sure the lanyard doesn't get trapped under the cap.