Hyundai Elantra 5-door

esto

From what I remember, the rollout of the GT was held up so that the GT "badges" could be put on. But that was done HERE in the US, after the cars were unloaded. Anyone confirm this?

Erik

esto

Does the GT have a "trip computer"? You know, readouts of fuel consumption, direction, outside temperature, stuff like that? If so, can someone tell us exactly what info is available?

Thanks.

Erik

pedennison

The GT does have a trip computer. It has 3 modes: trip odometer, miles until empty, and miles per gallon. The miles until empty mode resets automatically if you put in more than 3 gallons of gas. It counts down the number of miles left on the tank until it reaches 30 miles. The display then blinks but no longer shows the number of miles left to keep you guessing. The trip odometer and mpg calculator must be manually reset.

cjaccetta

The GT has a type of trip computer. By pressing the "reset" knob for the trip odometer, the display changes to show current MPG, miles until empty or the trip odometer. I think there is also a "Trip B" setting but I havent figured out how to work it yet.

After a few hundred miles mixed freeway/city driving I'm averaging about 23 MPG. The car feels comfy and likes to run at about 80 mph. Gotta keep it lower for the first 1000 miles...:(

With regard to rustproofing, the dealer who told you that Hyundai's warranty depends on aftermarket treatments is full of BS. Take your business elsewhere.

seguy

almost bought a GT, but gave it a day and decided not to. Well about the rustproofing, the dealers here in Colorado Springs, half of them owned by a certain dealer, put their cars through a prep center and put that stuff on saying that all cars in colorado need it. But in Denver, located a hyundai dealer that sold them without extras. Tell the dealer you want one without the rustproofing, and if they insist they can't get one without, don't pay or go elsewhere.

uryourword

Our new red GT is finally parked in our driveway. The car is definitely a looker. We love the leather seats and the alum wheels. Make no mistake, the Elantra 5 door has class. As for those of you knocking the fit or finish, please go to your nearest Honda or Toyota dealer and test drive a base model Civic or Corolla. Try to tell me the interior workmanship is top quality, or that the ride is excellent or that the motor is quiet and powerful or that the cabin noise is minimal. It simply isn't, and having the brand name does not make it so either, no matter how great the resale value is.

-uryourword

dougndo

I didn't actually see this happen but I have circumstantial evidence. I took some pictures of the GTs when they arrived in the Port of LA back in May, and they definitely did not have the GT moniker on them. Perhaps they shipped them back to Korea to have children install them as intimated above, but more probably they paid American lot boys to do the installation.

I'm not implying that the use of American labor devalued the cars, only that an error in Korea required the use of American workers whose forte is not likely the installation of auto badging. Knowing what I do about Korean children, they would have worked very hard to protect coupe2001's "kibun" (sense of well being).

cjaccetta

I must agree with the post # 362 -- the fit and finish of our GT is top notch. Our neighbors own a 1999 Protege ES and it is parked next to our E/GT. I was outside this weekend and I noticed that the panel gaps between the doors, fenders and front fascia on the Protege were twice as wide as on our Elantra. The Protege is a fine car (in fact, it was our second choice behind the Elantra) but the Elantra is, from what I can tell, built to the same or higher tolerances.

And our GT is much quieter than our friend's 2000 Civic EX, and *much* roomier than the 1999 Toyota Corolla LE we rented while on vacation last year. Hyundai has made great strides in vehicle assembly. Frankly, the domestic manufacturers (Focus, Cavalier, Neon) must have skipped class on the day "quality control" was discussed.

Happy Motoring....

mpgman

Dorve the P-5 several times at several dealers. Great car! Then drove the new Elantra GT 5-door hatch. Ouch! This is decent competition, at least dollar for dollar. If you haven't checked out the Elantra GT, you should. Let's set aside Mazda vs Hyundai for a moment. The Elantra is loaded. For around $16K with package 7, I believe, you get leather, fog lights, 4 wheel discs, ABS, traction control, moonroof, AM/FM/CD with 6 speakers, full power, alloys, Michelins, keyless entry, security system, etc. The driver's seat, lumbar and height adjustments and leg room are great. The center arm rest and dual level storage is a big plus. Rear headroom is excellent as a result of the moonroof being positioned the way it is leaving a higher ceiling for the rear seat passengers. The black insert belt line and bumper moldings might go a long way to prevent dings and paint scraping. Side mirrors retract and there are 4 overhead hand grips. I'm not saying this is a better car, just that it is worth a look in comparison shopping. The purple dash lighting is also a lot easier on the eyes than the red on white in the Pro. Yes...I know the Elantra would be better with the 2.0 Pro engine. Happy motoring.

bri70

Please elaborate on "...I know the Elantra would be better with the 2.0 Pro engine."

I thought Protege5 has a 130HP engine. The Elantra GT has a 140. I have not driven either car, do you believe that the Protege5 is faster off the line? What about twisties?

The Protege5 is a sweet looking automobile.

mpgman

My impressions are that the Pro 2.0 is a more refined engine than the Elantra 2.0. Quieter, more responsive, less hesitation under full acceleration....at least to me.

liljonson

the protege is better at speeds than the elantra and the elantra is better than the pro of the line. thats been my experience.

coupe2001

Regardless of who put the emblem on, Hyundai is responsible for the quality.

If you go to Pizza Hut, and your wife dies of food poisioning from some bad pepperoni, who you gonna blame? The nasty cook scraping the toppings from the floor? I don't think so. Your gonna go after Pizza Hut.

When I saw the emblems all over the place, I'm thinking I can't believe these cars look like this. I've sold cars before, and I would hate to do a walk around with a customer. It just gives a bad impression of quality. Another thing the emblem is not "classy" at all. Too big and cheesy plastic looking.

coastroad

I purchased a new Elantra GT, Pewter, 5-sp manual yesterday morning. I offered the dealer 100 dollars over invoice and he accepted. I drove the car back to back with a Honda Civic LX, 5-sp, (comparable cost) and believe the Hyundai is a significantly better car. Handling, Steering feel, acceleration, gear shifting all seemed a bit better. The Hyundai may be quieter too, hard to tell. Added features make it no contest ie. rear disc brakes, leather interior, utility of hatchback. The Elantra's more powerful engine is a trade off between the Honda's higher mileage. I'm very curious to see what kind of mileage I will get. At 120 miles on the odometer, I see exactly 1/4 tank gone. Will report after a fill up. One interesting note: the GT badge was missing. I'm trying to decide if I want to have one installed or not.

300silverbulit

That is a great deal on such a new model. I went to the Hyundai dealer today and looked at a red one. It was the only one I saw and it had a $1,700 "apperance package" added on by the dealer! Yeah right, I won't even bother buying a car from them with those kind of tatics. It brought the "dealers sticker price" up to $17,200. I'm sure they would go down some on price but adding that $1,700 profit into the price gives them a big margin to say take $800 off the price just for me like I would be getting a deal. I am looking to get one in the spring but I just had to see the car in person now, I may just make the same offer $100 over invoice like you did. Did you go by the invoice price here on Edmunds? Or did they show you a invoice price in writing that they had?

coastroad

Invoice was $12885 + 95(CA emissions) + 45(carpets) + 495(transportation) + 376(advertising-yes this is a legitimate charge) + 100 = $14017 Total

guz

I am looking to buy this car for my daughter. It passed my test drive yesterday. The sales person told me that Package 7 (ABS brakes) will not be available until late fall. Has anyone else heard of this. These are the same people who, a month ago, denied this car ever existed. I hope they are wrong. They also said that cobalt Blue was VERY difficult to get.

cjaccetta

Coastroad: Nice deal you got there. I also think it is much quieter than the Civic LX. I'm averaging 24.5 mpg in city driving with a lot of A/C use. I'm on my third tank of gas. I'd also love to get your $45 floor mats! My dealer had none....

300silverbulit: Try another dealer. They will negotiate on this car, but you may have to do some detective work. My dealer was willing to forgo the $695 "appearance package" consisting of pinstriping (ugly) and 'paint sealant" (wax) and he also took my first price offer. I ended up doing the deal on a base model with A/T for $14,500 (a tad over TMV).

Guz: I think the ABS package is available now and I believe it comes bundled with traction control. It is very hard to locate one of these so-equipped GTs. The first one I test-drove had it, but the car was sold two days later when I went back. I have heard that Cobalt Blue GTs will be available in the 2002 model year (probably this fall) because Hyundai is still test-marketing that color.

Good luck with your purchasing & driving....

coupe2001

no GT emblem. Cool.

Easy fix. Go to your local Toyota dealer and order the GT emblem for a 2K1 Celica. It's a nice clean chrome emblem. Nice lookin' and you will be one of a kind. Not joking here, all of you new GT's owners should do this. Take the old one off with a hair dryer.

bemccdle

I just bought the gt tuesday,pewter w/ sunroof.
As a passive negotiator I walked (drove) out at 15100 with floormats incl. not great but not bad either. One problem the rear seat-back release on one side is recessed and non-functioning. the dealer broke it down yesterday and had to order a part. i noticed a red one on their lot had the same problem. otherwise the wife and I love it, she mainly from a distance. stereo is good, great for me. best looking car for the dollar.
I should say the drive out price was 16200, 15100 was incl. destination only. i also got 500 for my 91 cavalier running on its last wheel. so end cost is 15700.

uryourword

To post # 371: We picked up our red GT last Monday, for $15,400 total price, including destination and emissions. The sticker was $16,044, and included package 1, which is a moonroof for $650. Our rear seat button on the 60 side was also jammed into the opening. This seems to be a common problem. The problem is that people are pressing the button, expecting the seat to easily pop forward. IT DOES NOT DO THIS. You have to physically pull forward on the headrest after the button pops up. When the seat doesn't pop forward like most expect it to, people are pushing down harder, and jamming it inside. To unjam it, remove the two pan head screw on the trim plate at the side, inzip the leather from the bottom, all the way to the top. Only then will you have a clear view of the inner workings. You can then push the underside of the button upward to release it. When it jams though, the plastic piece that holds the steel rod in the underside of the button gets mangled, and will need to be replaced. Now we have to be very careful pushing the button down, (not that we ever plan to use it that much) past a certain point, it jams all over again. I plan to order a new button.
So far the car has been a pleasure to drive, but we did notice a slight front end shimmy between 60 and 70 mph. If it still does this after 1000 miles, I'm taking it in. My hope is that the tires need to be broken in. Also noticed today that the alum wheels do not have a locknut. Is it worth buying four locknuts to protect these wheels? I'm not sure. People steal wheels to get a set of tires, too!

-uryourword

pedennison

- I finally got the check engine light, faulty CD player, and lack of paint on the fuel door fixed. While my car was at the dealer, they put a nice ding in the bottom of the drivers side door. It looks like someone opened it on a high curb or some piece of equipment. I'll be taking it back down to get it fixed next week, my 4th trip back to the dealer since I bought it.

- By the way, the black side moldings have shown no wear yet, but they evidently don't protect against truck doors. I have a nice new scratch on one of my doors from a big Ford pickup.

- uryourworld and cjaccetta: I don't seem to have the shimmy problem. Luck of the draw I guess.

- My Elantra is very quiet, but I have noticed 2 rattles. One comes from the overhead light (the one that comes with the sunroof). I know that the manual crank for the sunroof is behind the cover, so I don't know if it is coming from the light or the mechanism. The second (and more annoying) rattle is coming from the passenger side seat belt buckle. When no one is sitting in the seat, the buckle vibrates over every bump and rough patch of road. When I took my car in the first time, they told me both rattles were caused by leather rubbing against the center console. That was complete bull$#%*. I pointed this out to them second time, and they asked whether the driver's side buckle also vibrates if it is not buckled. They were able to get both buckles rattling, so they then explained that there is no defect, so they can't do the repair. Does anyone else have similar seat belt buckle rattles?

mpgman

Got a pewter automatic with package 2 (roof, ABS, traction control) mud flaps and cargo net for $16K. Impressions so far:

Ride---firm, solid feel. I like it.

Seats--superb legroom (5'11/200lbs.), excellent lumbar adjustment, leather feels and looks great, well designed center arm rest and bi-level storage. Good positioning and form to armrests on doors.

Visibility---better than I thought it would be even with the sloping rear hatch.

Drivetrain---engine loafs at 60 mph around 2300 rpms. Quieter than I thought it would be although will not let it out until after break in.
Cruising at 80 should be no sweat. My test drive car barely hit 3000 rpms at 80 mph.

A/C---top notch. Quiet at low speed and darn right cold!

Brakes---4 wheel discs. Quiet.

MPG----too new to be accurate. Got 33 on first tank of mostly open road at 50-65 mph. Averaged 27 in mixed residential/highway driving. Then, about 36 on a straight 150 run averaging around 60. I drive with a light foot.

Amenities---really like the little things such as variable intermittent wipers on the front and intermittent setting for the rear. All power window switches light up. Illuminated key ring at night. Trip computer also a nice touch. Rear seats fold flat if you remove the rear seat cushion and stow it behing the front seat. Would like to have a warning chime for the emergency brake instead of just a dashboard light.

Overall: At this price, how can you beat it? Looks like an early winner, unless it falls apart. For an extra 2K over the Elantra GLS with package 5 (ABS and traction control) you get leather, the hatch, the moonroof, alloy wheels, larger tires, Michelins, fog lights, trip computer, a stiffer suspension, the purple backlit dash lighting, a slightly different dash layout, and AM/FM/CD 6 speaker stereo.

compensate

Since many of you seem to be fairly knowledgeable about the Elantra (and cars in general) I had a few questions about the new Elantra GT:

(1) Does anyone know what type of manual transmission fluid the car requires? Many manuals I've driven require a heavy weight gear oil (like 80W-90), but a few out there use automatic trans fluid.

(2) Does this car have an interference or non-interference engine design? I, of course, prefer a non-interference design, because if the timing belt breaks unexpectedly, the engine will not suffer major damage. Also, what is the manufacturer's recommended timing belt changing mileage?

(3) One article I've read said that the 5-speed revs very high at highway speeds in 5th gear - about 3400 rpms at 65mph. This seems a bit high for an overdrive gear. Anyone owners have any issues with high revs at highway speeds with a 5-speed?

Thanks for your help!

mpgman

75W90 is the fluid. Not sure about the engine design. Timing belt change intervals are recommended at 60k miles. Auto revs around 3000 rpms at 80 mph and at 2400 or so at 60 mph. Test drove a manual and found the gearing tight and the engine very responsive...much more so in passing situations than the automatic. Can't say as to the rpms.....the EPA mileage figures for the auto and the manual are the same for the highway so it shouldn't be too bad. Bought the automatic because I needed a car fast and a silver auto came in with the anti-lock brakes/traction control/moonroof package I wanted and had only 3 miles on the odometer.....hate having dozens of people test drive the car I want to buy while it is in the very early break in period. Good Luck. So far, so good. The fit and finish on mine are top notch and the ride is great.

carchatter

First, the Elantra Hatchback is the BEST car in it's class. We drove a Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla SE and a Mazda Protega. The value is incredible, compared to the others. But, the local dealer we worked with was difficult. Several times, we almost called it quits. Only the fact that the car was just what we wanted for the price we could afford, kept us negotiating with the dealer. We first test drove an automatic GT with package 7/AG (ABS and moonroof). We liked the car, but definitely not the automatic tranmission. We wanted to drive a 5 speed. The dealer couldn't find one, so we parted company. Then, a week later the dealer called because they found a 5 speed GT in another state. The dealers traded cars and we finally, got to drive a 5 speed. What a difference, perfect match, WOW. Then, we had to haggle over the price. Mostly, over the issue of rust proofing. We did not see the need for rust proofing, since Hyundai covers rust perforation from the inside out for 5 years. The dealer interpreted a statement in the warranty regarding halt, salt and acts of god, as meaning because we live in a state that salts it's roads in the winter time, we would need added rust protection (Ziebart). Then, I called Hyundai US and heard from several different people that the 5 year rust warranty was to cover rust perforation from the inside out and that this was considered a manufacture defect covered under the warranty regardless of salted roads. We pushed back on this and the dealer and his management danced around this issue. I should have walked out. They said, 'Well, you can do what you want but it's cheap protection if you keep a car 10 years' (which we tend to do). We did decide on having the car undercoated to reduce noice and protect the bottom of the car from road salt and gravel. But, only when when we started to slip away did they come back with a reduced package price with rust proofing. They must get some hefty kick back to push this so hard. In hind sight I should have asked for less, but we needed the car soon. I'm sure the dealer made a nice profit on us, but we figure we paid less then if we went with another model. I was so glad that the whole ordeal was over. When they asked if I wanted to purchase the 10 year bumper-to-bumber extended warranty, I choked and laughed. I probably would have bought it if I hadn't felt so manipulated. I hope my Elantra GT lasts a long time, so I can forget this whole buying experience. But, not before I fill out my customer survey.

mpgman

I bought the automatic and also drove the 5 speed. After 320,000 miles on an original clutch, I felt I had paid my dues. Plus....NYC is no place for a clutch, if you know what I mean. The 5-speed was very responsive, although some feel it revs rather high. How many rpms are you doing around 60 mph? Did you get the ABS...believe it is now package 2 and not 7 on the GT? I needed a car fast, and my dealer felt that it might be dicey to get a silver 5-speed with ABS. Paid $16K flat with mud flaps and cargo net.

crayneri

Is this unit a 2001, or a 2002? I currently am negotiating for an automatic for $14,200 total. Sounds like a good deal, but if 2002 models arrive in 3 months......maybe I should wait. What do you guinea pigs think?

sergprofan

I've had my GT for almost a month now. Love the car!, except that my radio goes into scan mode by itself or goes off the station that I'm listening to by itself. It happens in random, on a smooth road (no bumps, etc.).Asked my dealer to order me a new radio. I hate to have these tech guys work on my car because they certainly do not take care of the car the way I do. Anyone else experience this problem?

Serg

cjaccetta

Just returned from a 200-mile round trip to the Poconos. The GT was great, a joy to drive. She loves to run at about 80 mph...very relaxed cruiser. Although I am not through my break-in period yet, I had trouble keeping the car under 75. Yikes. Only 300 more miles to go before I can open her up.

Some observations:

-- three bags of golf clubs, three overnight bags and some other junk all fit nicely in the cargo area. Hatchback is cavernous. 6 foot tall buddy in the back seat had no complaints.

-- car is quiet as church at highway speeds, although the tires are noisy over some concrete surfaces.

-- the cruise control is too quick to downshift when approaching even a slight grade. Twice during the drive I looked down to see my tach needle suddenly swing over 4,100 rpm as I climbed hills.

-- the grey instrument area washed out in sunlight and is tough to see if you drive with sunglasses on.

As for that shimmy noted by other posters: I, too, had this problem. It went away after about 350 or 400 miles. My theory is one or more of the tires had flat spots from sitting so long on the ship and in port. My front wheels are still slightly out of alignment but the shimmy is gone. Give it a few hundred miles before you go back to the dealer. Other than the alignment I have had no defects or trouble with my GT.

Sounds like everyone is finding good deals on the GT. I have yet to see another on the road except for mine, though. Where are the other owners?Good luck and happy motoring to all!

CJA

mpgman

Latest I hear is that the 02s will be out next calendar year and not anytime soon. I had to move so I got one now. I'd be a bit concerned that if these get popular fast, which they should, Hyundai might start decontenting and put some standard stuff in packages. Never know. Anyway, if you're on the Jersey Turnpike you'll see me in a silver one. Where in the Poconos did you go?

uryourword

I went to see the five door Mazda the other day, while the dealer was closed. There was only one on the lot, MSRP of $17,700, including dest charge. It looked like a cheap station wagon to me, nothing spectacular. No leather, no sunroof at that price. I had my GT parked right near it, and there is simply no comparison. Hands down, the Elantra GT is a better looking car, and a much better value for the money. I also have yet to see another one on the road in Providence, RI. Been seeing a lot of 4 door Elantras though. We had a garage sale the other week. Someone drove up in a 96 or 97 sonata with 200K+ miles on it. The owner said it was still running like new, which I found very encouraging. So far, the car is a joy to drive, and turns heads everywhere. We're glad we didn't buy the bland and noisy Toyota Corolla, the chintsy overpriced Civic or the wannabe Mazda Protege. In fact, the extra $3000 in the bank makes us very happy as well. Those of you interested in a GT, I strongly recommend it. If money is a little tight, the next best thing is a 4 door model, which doesn't have all the toys but will save you about $1500-2000, and it has the same motor, same hp. Good luck to all.

-uryourword

zcman

Value in a car is determined more by the quality of the materials, quality of the manufacturing process, and design/engineering. Hyundais are improving but they do not yet have the reliablity of the Japanese brands. The Hyundai warranty is necessary to TRY and convince people to buy a Hyundai even with real concerns with their quality and reliablity.

The Mazda P5 more likely competitors will be the Civic HB, Focus ZX5, Matrix/Vibe, etc all cars whose price will be similar to the P5.

mpgman

Remember that VWs also have a 10/100 on the powertrain. The GT is the hands down winner for content and price. Reliability and resale are yet to be seen. Where else can you get traction control, ABS, 4 wheel discs, fog lights, leather, trip computer, moonroof, AM/FM/CD 6 speaker stereo, heated mirrors, etc., for $16K new? Nowhere! The Pro-5 is really short...170 inches or so. That makes it only 5 or so inches longer than a Golf. The GT is 177...bigger than Civic and Corolla and the Protege sedan. I feel the difference in the front leg room. You are right about the Hyundai warranty as a marketing tool. I told the dealer I bought the GT from that if Hyundai wanted to sell every car in inventory this week, just announce the end of the 10/100-5/60 warranty next year.

zcman

I looked at both the P5 and the GT at he same dealer here in the Dallas area. I do not believe anyone who sees and drives a P5 would call it a "cheap station wagon". People will have many reasons to buy the GT but I think the over-riding reason will be price. P5 buyers are probably more concerned with proven quality and reliability and then price. As for styling, it is completely subjective. For example I look at an Elantra GT and see a 1975 Toyota Corona. Eye of the beholder...

cjaccetta

Drove out to Tamiment Resort for an overnight golf outing. Route 80 was a nightmare (as always) but the GT took it in stride. Didn't notice any performance penalty with two extra passengers and all our cargo. The GT is more fun to drive over twisty two-lane roads like PA Route 209 than any Corolla or new Civic I've driven. The only car that comes close is the Protege.

I spend a lot of time commuting between Montclair and Madison and I've seen a ton of GLS models but no other GTs yet. I'll keep my eyes peeled for another silver one, though...

zcman

The marketing goal with this warranty is that consumers will believe Hyundai cars are of high quality because they are backed with this great warranty. The reality in the marketplace is that consumers consider Hyundai's mainly because of this long warranty believing that the quality is not the equal of the Japanese (YET) but the warranty makes it worth the risk for some people. Even this board has several posts by owners with minor problems with their GT's already. Even some reporting the same problem i.e. front end shimmy. Quality-time will tell.

mpgman

Small world. Used to spend a lot of time in the Port Jervis area so I know 209 all too well. Actually looked at some new home construction that was linked to membership at the Tamiment. I find the headroom with the moonroof better in the GT than the Pro-5...that was another deciding factor since both required the roof for ABS. Could be that the GT seats have more travel in their adjustment up and down, or the roofline is higher to begin with. Also, like how the rear seat headroom rises over where your head would be as the moonroof assembly ends. Do you have a manual or an auto. I got the auto but the 5 speed was really responsive. Just didn't want the other half riding the clutch.....

cjaccetta

Had to get the auto tranny. I prefer 5-speeds but this auto isn't bad...I like the off-the-line response, but I think the tranny waits too long to up/down shift sometimes. I'm not really used to driving automatics, though. My wife can't drive a 5-speed (yes...I've tried to teach her, but I'd really like to *stay* married).

My wife and I really like the GT so far, although I drive it 90% of the time. We looked for and bought a base model...love the extra headroom and don't miss the ABS. Our purchase was largely dictated by my need for a commuter car and her desire for a newer, larger, more refined vehicle. We're actually toying with selling our convertible and buying another Elantra (probably a GLS) for use as a second car. The two cars together only cost about $1,500 more than the Passat V-6 wagon we originally wanted.

Tamimnet's golf course was OK, but it looked like they paid a couple of local teenagers to maintain the greens, tees and fairways. If they improve the upkeep, they'd have a real lwinner on their hands.

Happy Motoring!
CJA

mpgman

I rented a GLS when my car died and had it for 2 weeks. That is what sold me on the Elantra. I hate moonroofs and swore I'd never be suckered into one, but gave in when the headroom in the GT seemed ok with it. I originally had my sights set on a Golf TDI. VW gives you all the safety stuff no matter what model you get, including 8 air bags....4 for the head, and ABS is standard. So I made up my mind to do the best I could with something else. The GLS offers package 5, which has ABS and traction control and NO roof. That is the one I would get. There aren't too many out there...but each dealer I visited had one to three. I agree with you on the automatic. It seems to take a second or so to decide it needs to downshift and kick in when you floor it around 40 mph or so. I like the low revving rpms at high speed....actually can't figure out why it doesn't do a little better on gas mileage on the open road the way it loafs. The 5 speed was one of the best I have driven recently. If we get a second one, I just might get the 5 speed for me. Otherwise, Echo and Golf TDI are heading the pack. I want something that needs to be filled up once a month to do all kinds of Jersey errands that seem to put 100 miles on the car over the weekend, and I have garage length size constraints to deal with. 180 inches and below work best...the GT just made it under the wire. By the way, what is your understanding about how long to leave the initial batch of oil in? Recommended normal service intervals are 7,500...some people say dump the break-in oil anywhere between 1,500 and 3,000....others say leave it in until the recommended interval because it is there for a reason.

bri70

Autopacific has its own vehicle satisfaction scores for new vehicle purchases. For the year 2001 the Hyundai Elantra was 7th. The Mazda Protege was ranked 22nd out of 28.

http://www.autopacific.com/scores/index.html

backy

Re noise from passenger belt buckle: my GLS has this problem. Well, it may not be the same cause, but what causes it for me is that the belt buckle touches the hard plastic cover on the B-pillar when it's not latched. The noise drives me crazy! Fortunately, all I have to do is reach over and pull on it so it hangs loose. One of those endearing traits that reminds me I am in the exclusive Elantra Owner's Club. :-}

Re RPMs of 5spd at 65 mph: the article you saw stating RPMs at 65 are around 3400 is in error. RPMs at 65 are under 3000 with the 5spd (I'm out of town now, driving an Escort--ugh!--rental, although I asked for an Elantra, thanks a lot, Hertz!!--so I can't check this). If memory serves 3000 RPMs comes up around 70, and even 80 is under 3400 rpms. Winds a little higher than the automatic, due to more performance-oriented top gearing. I've driven the auto and it's definitely a bit quieter on the highway, but not as fun as the 5spd.

compensate

Thanks mpgman and others about your Elantra GT experiences (and the info I requested). You all are causing me to begin leaning more in the direction of the Elantra GT over the Pro5 now.

Still, does anyone know whether this engine in an interference or non-interference type design? My current 1998 Ford Escort Wagon has a non-interference engine, which is one of the main factors that drew me to it. Timing belt breakage worries me and I love the idea of having a timing belt break and simply having to replace the belt and not replace the engine. I wish more manufacturers would design noninterference type engines!

lszabo

Since in Canada they are not selling the GT yet, and no brochure is available either, I was wondering if somebody could give me a short description of the differences in appearances (interior and exterior) between the 2002 GT and 2001 GLS.
Thanx

mpgman

First, the GT is an 01 model, with the 02s rumored to come out next year. The list that follows is what comes to mind now, and is by no means complete. Also, Canadian equipment could vary, not sure.

Exterior: The most visible differences are the hatchback rear (looks like a Saab), the standard alloy wheels and Michelins, the fog lights, the black belt line molding and carryover black inserts in the front and rear bumpers, and the rear wiper (which has an intermittent setting by the way).

Interior: Leather interior, gray faced gauges with blue/purple backlighting...also slightly different dash gauge design, trip computer in the odometer space, standard AM/FM/CD 6 speaker stereo.

Functional: 4 wheel discs, alloys, different suspension (they call it "comfort" but it feels more sport to me).

There is a moonroof option, and an option that bundles the moonroof with ABS and traction control.

EPA figures are the same.

Hope this helps. There must be pictures available on the net.

lszabo

Thanx, mpgman!

Since the GT came out in 2001, it looks like that Canada will get the 2002 model.
From the rumors, have you heard if any changes will be made to the 02 model?

mpgman

Not even a hint. Heck...there are probably some state side dealers still denying the existence of the GT!

cjaccetta

Elantra GT has a standard keyless entry system with anti-theft alarm. The same feature is optional on the GLS.

The GT lacks a mechanical interior hatch release...the GLS has an interior trunk relese lever.

Don't know of any changes to the 2002 model, but Cobalt Blue ones should be available by then. My guess is you will also see more 5-speeds available.

Good luck finding the right one for you. I highly recommend the car. It's cheap but your friends will be impressed.

CJA.

cjaccetta

No pertinent info... I just wanted to snag that all-important 400th post, baby!!

GT Elantranauts rejoice!

CJA

backy

The GT has a different front grille than the GLS. The GT's looks to me like the grille they use in Asian markets, with a v-shaped bottom.