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Comments
Karros1ve,
I've noticed my brakes seem very weak as well, and sound horrible. I have a mechanic that I trust and have been going to for years, who replaced my pads about 10K miles ago, and the brakes haven't been the same since. He told me that he's seen a few Elantras with master cylinder problems relatively early in the car's life. Definitely have it checked by the dealer. Next time I think I'm going to have the dealer do my brakes rather than try to cut a corner.
As for the parking/emergency brake, if you use it on a regular basis and fully extend the lever when you do use it, slack may have developed in the cable leading from the lever to the brake in the rear. Your dealer or a mechanic should be able to adjust it, but you may have to pay for it($60). Mine was deemed wear and tear and wasn't covered under warranty.
aznmonty,
I have the K&N on mine. Didn't notice much of a difference in performance, but my gas mileage improved by about 2 miles per gallon. Not much of a difference, but I'm still glad I did it.
Hope this helps...
1) Steering is 3 turns lock to lock instead of 4 turns lock to lock as on the GLS sedan.
2) Steering rack is half-hard mounted to the firewall instead of completly mounted by rubber bushings like the GLS sedan. Meaning 2 out of four securing points of the rack are all metal vs 4 rubber mounts on the GLS sedan. This gives you better steering feel.
BTW the sticker is right. Sport tuned steering is a slightly modified power rack and pinion.
There are several option packages available for the GLS 5-door that do not require leather. Actually, leather is not available on the GLS 5-door. But it is standard on the Elantra GT.
Is that all GLS's or just the 5-door? In '01, you had to pay for the first upcharge package to get that feature. About $400 with dealer discount if I remember.
Remember the old Kliban cartoon showing a rabbit crapping into a raisin box at the end of a conveyor belt? The caption was "Marketing".
so are you saying that the upgrades for the car are cheap and will break easily? Or do you believe the extras are worth the extra $bling?
The capsule summary of the Elantra in the April issue was puzzling, however. The only "con" they mentioned was "ABS hard to find." All the cars above the Elantra in their ratings had more significant cons, IMO. That confirms my opinion that the Elantra (esp. in GLS 5-door or GT trim) is a well-rounded package, with no major vices.
The Elantra seems the better deal overall.
Is $1750 on the high or low end of the typical incentive. And do they ever have 0% financing deals (for 5 years ideally)? I haven't paid attention to Hyundai incentives before since I was never interested in the car...til now! So, if someone could tell me the history of their incentive programs and what months usually have the best programs, that would be great! I'd hate to jump in now to grab the $1750 and then find out that April brings a much better rebate/finance offer. Any other pricing info tips would also be welcome. Thanks so much - can't wait to buy this car....but I WILL to save some money! :-)
Thanks!
Rebates on the current Elantra might peak after the next generation car is introduced, but it's unclear if that will be this year or next, so you may have to wait awhile. Plus no telling what the supply will be at that point.
Most of the subcompacts without side-impact curtain airbags failed the test, including the Elantra. Even those with side-bags as standard scored poorly.
Suprisingly enough, the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt earned the Institute's highest rating, "good." The Cobalt was also named a best pick.
Hmm. Safety or features.
Either way, the manufacturers should be ashamed of themselves for not offering side-impact curtain airbags as standard.
Now I'm really in a quandry. I like both Elantra GLS and Cobalt and they are both priced competitively.
The other thing you might look into is a used Saab 9-3. Might not cost much more than a new Corolla (or Cobalt) and has great crash protection.
Thanks.
Just wondering what you guys think (or have experienced) as a good price. I'm taking the 0% financing, so the $1,750 rebate is out. THANKS for any input!
check the edmunds.com true value
Thanks. And thanks again to all who have answered my other questions. Getting close to buying. :-)
If the CD is the only reason you are getting the upgrade package, if I were you I'd save the money and get an aftermarket unit at Best Buy or the like. You can get a really good unit with MP3 for $200-300. The Elantra has a standard-sized opening. The Hyundai CD doesn't play MP3s. It has 6 speakers: two in each front door (one is a tweeter) and two in the rear deck. No subwoofer. With an aftermarket unit, you could add a subwoofer. I don't know if the Hyundai unit accepts a subwoofer.
We went with the GLS rather than the GT because we don't like unheated leather seats in Michigan winter weather (no option for heated seats in the Elantra GT). I can get the GT's OEM fog lights for $69 and install them myself, but I'll have to provide the switch, relay, and wire. I like the seat fabric quite a bit and I won't miss the leather. As for the moon roof...oh well. I'll get one on my own new vehicle in a couple of years.
One thing to look out for, though. As with nearly all new vehicles, the supplied tires (Michelin Energy MXV4s) are awful. I ordered some BF Goodrich Traction TA/H tires right away from TireRack since we're still getting snow here in Michigan. Can't wait to put them on in a couple of days.
What did I pay for the 5-door GLS Elantra? I took the $1,750 cash incentive, plus the $400 graduate incentive (getting my MBA in a few months). First time I bought a Hyundai, so there was no customer loyalty incentive involved. Out the door (after tax and licensing), I paid $13,850. I gave the dealer between 5% and 6% true profit. The only haggling that occurred was about a $399 advertising fee that the dealer wanted me to pay, but I wound up paying $150 of it. When I told them exactly what the car cost them (considering holdback, invoice prices, destination, etc.) and what I was willing to pay over their cost, it got down to that last bit of negotiation and overall was a rather pleasant buying experience. No surprises and no hard feelings on either side. It really pays to enter the battle well armed and Edmunds is a great place for ammo.
Just curious... what is the nature of the airbag sensor problem?