Hyundai Elantra 5-door

lngtonge18

The Elantra and Protege5 both have interference engine designs (that is if the Protege 2.0 is related to the 626 2.0). If you change the timing belt at the specified 60K interval on the Elantra, than you have nothing to worry about. Even if it did break, the warranty would cover you up until 100k as long as you followed the change intervals.

mattwa

I just bought a red GT 5 spd after a long look at the Jetta WE. The Jetta has a nice look and the 1.8t is smooth, but when you compare specs and run numbers it's hard to beat the GT. Things I particularly liked about the Elantra -- solid handling, very good driver position and nice interior, decent leg room in back, amazing value, and great warranty. I looked also at the Pro5.

Any recommendations about when to service? Should I change the oil before 7.5?

MattWa

compensate

Thanks.

I know I should just change the timing belt at the recommended intervals, but I often hear stories of some original timing belts lasting for well over 100,000 miles, so I get tempted to let it go past the recommended service interval. I let it go to 70,000 miles on one Mazda I owned (1992 Protege) and I never changed it on another Mazda I owned (1986 626) which I traded-in at 125,000 miles.

We drive our cars typically 25,000 miles per year, so timing belt maintenace is an every 2.5 year event for me.

Oh well. For the price of the GT, hard to complain!

lszabo

Does the Elantra has a timing belt or timing chain?

I read that the Elantra shares the same engine with the Tiburon. Is the transmission same as well (I am more interested in the manual, specifically about the gearing).

What is the top speed of Elantra?

sergprofan

The Elantra GT does not have a remote hatch release (although its listed on the sticker) because when doors are unlocked, to open the hatch all you have to do is press the handle on the hatch. Does anyone know if the GT has heated mirrors? (I didn't see it listed on my sticker)

I was planning on changing the oil at 3000 miles.
I don't see any harm doing it then. Any thoughts?

I've had my silver GT for 1 month, and so far, I love this car!!

Serg

cjaccetta

The GT does have heated side mirrors; they are activated when you use the rear defogger switch. Personally, I was planning my first oil change at about 1200 miles; just after the break-in period. I do mostly city driving so I'm going to follow the heavy-duty maintenance schedule for oil changes.

Hope you continue to enjoy your new GT. I love mine, too.

CJA

falis01

The new 2001 Elantra GT is UGLY. As a proud owner of a 2000 Elantra Wagon, I am very disappointed that the rear end of the GT is so ugly. The pictures are not flattering at all, so I decided to wait an see what it looks like in person. DIDN'T CHANGE MY MIND AT ALL. It looks like the designers were trying for something cool and then tried to over do it. (something that i think is wrong with the Santa Fe as well) What are those ugly red triangles near the white back up lights? They look really out of place! The other light clusters look really bad as well. It doesn't go with the front of the vehicle at all.

However, I do give Hyundai credit for even offering a hatchback option when a lot of manufacturers won't touch it. I had a '84 Mazda 626 Touring Sedan (5 door) and I loved it! So versatile and it was a little weird looking, but at least the car looked like it belonged together. I hope/wish that Hyundai will bring back the wagon next year. I have heard rumors of it, but I don't have any confirmations. Has anybody heard anything?

esto

The first time I saw the back end of a late model Elantra wagon, I said YUCK. Such a practical vehicle and such a screwed up look. To each their own....

Erik

crayneri

I agree with cjaccetta, the 400th position was a milestone. I would also hate to be a proud owner of a hyundai elantra wagon. Any owner of a wagon that finds the GT ugly, must live in a trailer, and be married to a woman that make Whoopie Goldberg look like a model. I will buy my GT when the 2002 comes out. Hopefully it won't cost much more.

cjaccetta

I consider the Elantra Wagon kind of "old school". A neighbor down the street has one and it doesn't look ugly or unusual, really....it just looks kind of plain. Actually, it looks like it was grown from a seed rather than assembled.

I'm glad Hyundai Motor America bagged the wagon because that's what my wife originally wanted as our new car. We dragged our feet, wound up with the GT and couldn't be happier. IMO, I doubt Hyundai will bring back the wagon. Why steal sales from your own SUV and hathcback?

Anyone know if the Elantra GT has a separate washer fluid resevoir for the rear window wiper? I don't recall seeing anything in my owners manual about one. I also looked for a filler cap and couldn't see one of those, either.

Let's keep this board rolling up to 500 posts, baby! Woo-hoo!

pedennison

The build your own option on http://www.hyundaiusa.com is finally working for the GT.

pedennison

One of my pet peeves is a wagon that uses the same rear doors as its sedan sibling. The wagon usually appears glued on to the end of the sedan, without any attempts to make the front and back halves look like a single, coherent design. The Elantra wagon is a shining example of the rear of the vehicle not matching the front. Thankfully, the GT has a rear door that matches its proportions.

I am leaving Saturday to take a week's vacation driving around California and Oregon. I'll report back in about a week and 2000 miles.

cjaccetta

After a few days of manic searching and calling various Hyundai dealerships, I bought a new Elantra GT on June 15. I posted that experience on this board. I paid $14,500 (w/out tax & tags) for a Pewter base model with automatic. Now, exactly two weeks later, Hyundai dealers that I contacted previously for quotes are starting to call me back. I suppose they have received new shipments of the GTs and are ready to sell them.

Anyway...one dealer that I just spoke to (after I told him that I already purchased a GT for what I considered a fair price) informed me that the price I paid was *extremely* fair since his delaership is now asking $2500 over sticker. He sounded surprised that I paid so little for the car. Buying from this dealership I would have paid $17,894 for the same vehicle.

It seems as though dealers might now be very cognizant of the demand for the Elantra GT and may begin "adjusting" their prices accordingly. Granted, this case is a single incident in an area where cars tend to be more expensive anyway. I believe other posters noted similar pricing experiences in earlier posts, too.

I'm not trying to worry, upset or dissuade any potential buyers, I'm only trying to pass on some information that may be helpful for you to know. Good luck.

CJA

mattwa

At Fitzgeralds in Maryland I paid $14,400 + TTL for a GT 5M with pkg 6, mats, and 'buyer protection plan' (free oil changes, some other stuff) which I thought was a pretty good deal since the 3 GTs at the dealership were sold in the 2 hrs I was there. I'll put in another good word for this dealership -- the information on the web site was excellent - complete inventory and price information. Much better than other sites I looked at. Also, at another DC-area dealership I was completely turned off by $1,700 for dealer add-ons. What's that about? I remember when the going rate for a pin stripe was around $200. Talk about inflation.

otis12

$14,125, without tax and tags. You can haggle them down on this vehicle. And FYI, the Elantra Wagon is coming back in '02.

cjaccetta

Nice deal, otis12. Did you buy an automatic or standard tranny?

Good news about the wagon...maybe Hyundai will jazz it up just like the Elantra GT. We'll wait and see. I was certain that it was gone for good....

otis12

tranny

pawnofhell

Let me get this right....you paid under invoice for an automatic base package?

elantragtguy

Alright, just got my Elantra GT. It's an automatic, Package 6 (moonroof no/ABS), Pewter(silver). I bought it for $15,000 in the Orlando market. The price came out to $14,700 + $300 dealer fees. I visited a couple of other Hyundai dealers, but this was the only place that didn't charge me that "Advertising Fee". I got them to throw in the Floor mats and cargo net, but they didn't have any in stock so I have to wait for those to be delivered. Thinking of getting the mudguards and I have to get it tinted in this hot FL weather.

Things I like: I love the leather, the headroom, moonroof, rear window wiper, purple dash lights, fog lights, cold A/C, 5th door, computer for gas mileage, and it looks like a saab.

Don't like: I don't like the lack of lighting (there is only a small little light in the rear hatchback of the car and two "map" lights at the front for interior). Don't like that after the car is turned off, the button on the A/C that allows it to recycle the air that is inside the car instead of taking air directly outside the car, this option needs to be reset and turned back on.

Other than that, this is the car to get @ $15,000. Just good luck finding one. It took me three weeks of looking to get exactly what I wanted (silver, auto, moonroof). I know it's new, but just wondering if anyone knows of where to maybe get some performance parts for this car (K&N filters, exaust, body kit?).

pawnofhell

I've looked around a bit, and haven't seen any ground effects for this model.....yet. It's going to be an interesting situation, with so few in production and all. Will they make effects for the half-year model, or will they just start with the 2002's? Time will tell. Of course, if you've got money, you can always do the rest of us a favor and pay to have the effects kit made. For instance, Erebuni (Erebuni.net) will make you a custom effects kit for your car for around $3,000.

mpgman

Congratulations! I have a pewter automatic with the roof, ABS, and traction control. Mine is listed as package 2, and I have seen yours listed as package 1. Wonder what is going on? I think the 6 and the 7 came from the number progression on the GAS sedans and may be outdated.

Paid $16k with mud flaps and cargo net. Car came with the carpeted mats and CA emissions although I am in the northeast.

My nit-pickings:

1. Concur on the lighting.
2. Should be audible warning for leaving brake on.
3. Button to release one of the rear setbacks stuck.... problem others have reported when depressing it too far.
4. Windshield wiper stalk should have a turn signal flash setting for one swipe without having to click it to the first position.
5. Purple lighting is neat but the clock and radio should light up the same way.
6. Auto cranny could have an Overdrive off setting.
7. Fog lights should say "fog" on the dashboard idiot light indicator.

Like I said, nit-picking. This is a great car and the price is gravy. Can't get this level and breadth of equipment on a lot of 4 angers no matter what you are willing to pay. Too bad it doesn't get 40 mpg!

utt

I test drove an auto Elantra GT and an auto Protege5 back to back (dealer sells both + Suzuki)and found BOTH to be very capable drives with great fit and finish. The GT did better up hill, with driver + 2 passengers. I prefer the GT's monochromatic interior which is more pleasingly subtle than the mishmash of color & patterns in the Pro5. Plastic bronze(?)accents on the dash are not attractive IMO. The Pro5 is a little more eyecatching on the exterior (red vs. GT black); its 4 speakers performed better than the GT's 6 speakers, & it makes a "nicer" or more refined noise in acceleration. But for the extra 2-3K, I'm not yet convinced. Also, the GT has more leg room in the back, trip computer, leather, lumbar support & optional TCS.

However, what I really would like is a manual for the fun factor. Two weeks later a manual GT was available for test drive but I found it less than satisfactory. There was a rattle coming from the driver side pillar or something, and a shake or vibration when we're at a stop, that even my un-carsavvy passenger noticed. The drive was good but not quite exciting. Hopefully these flaws were particular to this one vehicle but its certainly something to think about. Time to find a manual Pro5 for comparison.

compensate

So far, one Hyundai dealer here in Nashville wants to sell the 2001 Elantra GT (auto and sunroof) for $15,995 plus taxes, title, etc. This dealer (Hallmark Hyundai) contacted me via e-mail when I applied on-line for a quote. I responded and let the dealer know that I would not be interested in an Elantra GT unless I could get a base model, 5-speed, in pewter or champagne for a couple of hundred dollars above invoice price.

That was several days ago. I have yet to receive any sort of response at this point. I assume this means that there is beginning to be quite a bit of demand for the car. Oh well. I can wait or try another dealer. Fortunately, there are two more Hyundai dealers in Nashville, as well as dealers in Huntsville, AL and other cities less than 3 hours from Nashville that I will pit against one another if I have to.

It ought to be fun!

pawnofhell

I've looked around a bit, and haven't seen any ground effects for this model.....yet. It's going to be an interesting situation, with so few in production and all. Will they make effects for the half-year model, or will they just start with the 2002's? Time will tell. Of course, if you've got money, you can always do the rest of us a favor and pay to have the effects kit made. For instance, Erebuni (Erebuni.net) will make you a custom effects kit for your car for around $3,000.

cjaccetta

Congratulations on your purchase. Sounds like you got a favorable deal for an in-demand car. I'm sure you will love driving it. I don't have a moonroof so the interior lighting is good on my GT. In fact, the dome light has a cool "fade" feature after you get in & close the doors.

I just turned over 1,000 miles on my silver base model and I have no problems to report. No squeaks, rattles, buzzes or vibrations. Gas mileage is holding steady at 24.3 mpg in almost entirely city driving. I had occasion to use the heater this morning and I can report that it is as ruthlessly efficient as the A/C. The car has been more than competent for my daily commuting and is fun to drive, to boot. Personally, I find the trip/fuel mileage computer a distraction. I have a tendency to fiddle with it too often.

Still getting complements on the looks, too. No one suspects it's a Hyundai and no one gives me a "funny look" when they find out.

I'll post more after the 1,500 miles or so. Now that my break-in period is almost over I am itching to go fast and see what the car can do!!

Happy Motoring!

lngtonge18

Just curious about the mention of no single wipe feature on the windshield wipers. Your GT does not allow you to push the wiper stalk up for one swipe? My base 00 Accent has this feature so I would find it odd they deleted it on the much more expensive Elantra GT. Let me know if your car doesn't do this. I could have sworn the 01 GLS I test drove had the same feature. It's definitely nice to have. Also, putting the auto tranny in D3 has the same effect as turning the OD button off in other cars. Some people actually prefer that to having to push a button.

backy

The flaws on your 5spd tester were probably just for that sample vs. general to the GT 5spd model. My '01 GLS 5-speed has the same drivetrain as the GT and exhibits none of the flaws you mention, and it's a lot more fun to drive than the automatic IMO (especially when the shifter and engine are broken in). The 5spd is a little noiser than the auto, mostly due to different gearing so revs are a bit higher. Try another sample or two before deciding.

mpgman

Thanks for the tip on the wipers. I will try it. I think the stalk has four positions....off, intermittent, low and high. Don't remember being able to push it up for a swipe. The intermittent has 4 stops, but you can set it anywhere. Nice. The more I drive this car the more I like it. While the GLS is definitely a phenomenal buy for the money, this one is downright loaded to the point of luxury for $2k more. Either one is a steal.

cheverly

Anybody come across any newspaper, magazine, or internet reviews of the GT yet? I am curious to know what the "experts" think about the car.

elantragtguy

mpgman - Awsome! We haven't seen one here in the Orlando area yet that even has the ABS at all. I guess those are very rare. I would have paid the extra just as long as I got my Auto (fiance won't drive a stick) and moonroof.

pawnofhell - If I had an extra $3,000 do have someone develop ground effects, do you think I would have bought this car? I'm sure eventually they will. Just curious if current stuff will even fit on the GT.

cjeccetta - Yes, I noticed the dome light in the middle of the GT on the standard model w/o the moonroof option. Oh well, I think I can do for now.

Other comments - I noticed some people mentioning rattles. I haven't experienced any yet. I did test drive a stick model which did have the rattle coming from the passenger side, but I'm gland mine doesn't (yet?).
I can't wait to get past the 1,200 mile mark so I can drive it like I really want to. I'm averaging 27.4 mpg right now, but that's with a light foot and usually drive a little harder.
BTW, my friend just bought a brand new VW Jetta 3 months ago for around $17,000. He said he's kicking himself now and wish he got my car. That put a smile on my face to say the least.

Final thought, I'm thinking of making a "Just Elantra GT site/club/message board". Anyone interested?

cjaccetta

I'm down with your owner's site. I proposed the idea of forming and Elantra/Elantra GT Owners Club here in Town Hall (see way back in post #342). If you want to form an Owners Club (the Sante Fe owners already have one) then e-mail me and we can contact Edmunds. My address is in post #342.

Funny...my wife and I also know a couple that just spent over $20,000 on a loaded new Jetta. They were bummed when they saw our car (they didn't even get a CD player!). Sure, the Jetta looks classy but I'll take the $6000 savings instead!

Happy Motoring!
CJA

utt

Plus Edmunds has a new glowing review of the GLS. Two new ways the word will get out!

liljonson

its weird but i still haven't seen a gt on the road. =( long island sucks.

uryourword

So far so good, I have little to complain about, but here it is:
1. I noticed two "dimples" in the sheet metal of the roof, at the vary back, just in front of the rear glass. They are positioned symmetrically. Stress points related to the hinge mounting for the lift gate? I don't know, but I don't like it.
2. CD is jammed in the radio. I can't listen to the cd or eject it. "ER2" flashes on the display when the cd button is pressed.
3. Rattle from the passenger front setbelt buckle against the pillar is annoying.
4. The lid for the gas cap sems weak. There is more play in it than I'd like, in the open position. I have an 88 Audi model 80 with a gas lid that you can practically stand on in the open position.
5. I washed the car for the first time the other day. Again, because I also own an 88 Audi, which seems to be sheathed in 18 gauge sheet metal, I found the sheet metal of the GT to be somewhat thin in comparison, especially on the roof and the hood. Cars used to be built strong enough for a person to sit on the hood, and I assume most cars built these days weren't made for such abuse, but it's not a nice feeling when you're washing the car and the sheet metal sems to "give" when a little pressure is applied. Now I'm being nit-picky, but it had to be said.
On the bright side, the stiff suspension seems to have softened slightly. At first it was a pretty bumpy ride over the slightest road imperfections. Gas mileage has hit over 26 mpg. Oh, and I noticed that none of the alum wheels have locks on them. Are these wheels so inexpensive to replace that they would justify omitting this feature?
By the way, for those of you financing your GT, I strongly advise opting to make the first payment 30 days after delivery in lieu of 45 days. We saved about a dollar a month on our payment by doing this. The extra 15 days of finance charge disappears too, so the total of payments is reduced well over $100. We're paying $330.75 a month for 5 years at 9.59% (not so perfect credit), but we are sending an extra $100 each month for the first year, which results in paying off the loan in only 4 years. The first 12 months are obviously the best time to pay extra. Should you decide to trade it in 2-3 years from now, you won't be so "upside down". We only put a thousand down and financed $15,717.50. I have an amortization spreadsheet in Excel that automatically calculates everything when you enter the amount paid each month. For a copy, e-mail me at timurx@aol.com. I'd be happy to send it to any of you as an attachment. Happy 4th of July all!
-uryourword

compensate

If I ever find a great deal on GT base model, I would be interested in joining a club for Elantra owners. For that to happen, I would have to find a 5-speed GT in Pewter or Champagne for no more than $13,800 and would have to receive at least $6800 trade-in value for my 98 Escort Wagon. I'm e-mailing several Hyundai dealers within a 100-mile radius of my home (I'll stretch beyond that radius if I need to!).

Keep us posted on updates on this proposed group!

cjaccetta

Quickly approaching 1200 miles -- the long awaited end of my break in period! No troubles except for one very minor item: whenever I fill the gas tank (4 times so far) the needle never quite makes it to "F"; rather, it stops midway between the "F" and the 3/4 mark. Anyone else notice this on their Elantra? It's not a problem, really, but I can't find anything else to complain about. Still getting right around 24 mpg in almost entirely city driving.

I've contacted the Town Hall Owners Club host about getting an Elantra/E-GT owners club started. I will update the board if we can start up a club of our own.

compensate -- I don't think the GT comes in champagne. Only the GLS offers that color. The pewter is nice though; it looks clean even when dirty.

Happy Motoring!

jrochelle

This is my first post to this area. Bought a GT a week ago. Love the car. Bought a "cranberry" colored automatic with moonroof and California emmisions , no ABS for $15400 including freight and handling. Not a great price but certainly not sticker price either. Averaging 26.9 mpg over 500 miles of mostly highway travel. No problems except the back seats are not locking back in place when bringing them back to an upright position. This appears to be a common problem. CD player is working fine. No major rattles to speak of. I love the purple dash lights at night but it would have been nice for all of the interior indicator lights (CD,air conditioning, etc.)to light up purple. As it is the purple dashlights seem almost an afterthought which it probably was. But still it does look nice and "sporty". I think I've got the only cranberry colored GT in my area. Like the saleman said "It's alot of car for the price".

backy

A quick "fix" (workaround) for the seat belt rattle: either leave it laying across the front edge of the seat back (easier to reach anyway) or be sure the belt is hanging straight such that the buckle is pointed towards the seat, not the B pillar. Yeah, that's an annoyance, it would be nice if the belt could hang the right way by itself, but at least it gets rid of the rattle.

Thin sheet metal and weak fuel door--yep, they don't make 'em like they used to, do they? Something about designing a car with all that content that can be sold at a profit for under $12,000 (GLS model). Your '88 Audi probably cost a bit more than that. Heck, the '88 Civic I bought new cost almost that much. If it's any consolation, my Elantra's sheet metal stood up pretty well to a hailstorm--just a few small dimples that can be take out with PDR--and NONE on what seems to be the thinnest piece on the car, the decklid. Go figure. I haven't driven a car that I felt comfortable sitting on since my '66 Dodge Coronet. Now THAT had thick sheet metal.

Re omission of wheel locks--you can bet it wasn't because the wheels are inexpensive to replace (and if you don't want to find out how much they cost, go get some aftermarket locks real quick). Rather it's because Hyundai is aiming for a low price point with the Elantra and will omit anything they think they can get away with. Remember that the GT is basically a $12,000 car with a hatchback and a lot of flash added. But the design is still that of a $12,000 car. That's why I always thought it was a good idea to buy at the low end of a car platform's range, e.g. you can buy a low-end Sonata for around $12,500 and get a car that was designed to sell for $15K+. Or a Camry V6 and get basically the same platform as a Lexus ES300. Or a Passat and get an Audi-class platform for thousands less. And so on.

compensate

The site I went to showed Champagne, but the info could have been inaccurate - I think the colors shown were probably for the GLS. I'll take a Pewter 5-speed, then. I like colors that hide dust and dirt well!

Think I can get a base pewter 5-speed (no ABS, no moonroof) for about $13,600 or so??

uryourword

Post # 438: Congratulations on your purchase. I paid the exact same price as you did, for the same car. Sticker, including dest charge was $16044, so we basically got the GT package 1 for free. Curious, was your sticker price also 16044? We both probably could have gotten the car for a flat $15,00, but too late I guess. I made a stink about the dealer not having the ready to pick up when promised, so I got a voucher for a free tank of gas and a set of nice floor mats. Again, enjoy your GT.

Post # 439: You're right, cars back then were way overbuilt. I had a 76? Chrysler Newport that I bought for kicks a few years ago. I could walk all over the thing without a care, the sheet metal held up. As for Audis, I'm sure the new A4 is not as well built as my old 80.

cjaccetta

The Elantra GT is the Featured Car of the Month on MSN's Carpoint site. Check it out.

zcman

It's a Hyundai advertisement - not a review by the press.

rgarbaccio

To the dealers that contribute to this board...when will more GT's become available?

elantragtguy

cjaccetta, I sent you an email about making the elantra club here at edmunds. did you read it? btw, utt already stated in post 433 was at CarPoint.

car update, I still luv my GT. Again, still none of the problems as has been stated. I'm not getting the problem with the gas level. I just filled it up and it's right at the "Full" line.

cjaccetta

Yep, I received your email. I got the ball rolling and sent a note to the host of the Owners Clubs but she hasn't responded yet. I'll keep you posted if we need to do anything else. Hopefully, we will have our GT Owners Club soon!

When I drove to work this morning I noticed the fuel gauge needle was back up there at "F". My problem must have been temporary because the gauge works normally now.

Happy Motoring!

Karen_S

....and I'm here to announce the new Hyundai Elantra Owners club is now available on Edmunds.com Owner's Club board. Please stop by and introduce yourself in Meet the Members and let me know how I can help build your club.

I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Hatchbacks.

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

heysharon

if you can opt out of the leather interior? Never liked it.

cjaccetta

I don't think you can opt out of the leather. You could just buy a GLS with package 3 and get many of the same features as the GT

crayneri

I just wanted the 450 position, and look forward to the 500 milestone. I still haven't bought my GT yet, because I think my friends will laugh at me. Also because it will probably be worth $2500 in 3 years. So what....I'm a rebel!

zcman

$2500 if your lucky