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Hyundai Elantra Touring 2012 engine and drivetrain
Has anyone heard of a possible engine and transmission upgrade to something like the 1.8 liter and 6 speed automatic transmission that equip the 2011 Elantra sedan ? That would help improve fuel consumption and hopefully provide better performance than what you get with the actual 2.0 liter and 4 speed automatic.
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CEO John Krafcik is a big fan of the Elantra Touring / i30. But the direct injection engine and 6-speed transmission of the Elantra sedan won't cross over to the Touring until the all new i30 is released globally. That is coming soon - next Spring in Australia and Europe.
I fully expect the new Elantra Touring to be unveiled at the 2013 NY International Auto Show. We need to hang in there...
My hope is the Touring SE will still be able to handle the occasional hauling of company displays, auction items, promotional materials, and decorations for our quarterly fundraisers, as well as taking staff to trainings, community events, and company meetings.
The Sorento's been great, but it's a bit of a gas hog, and it's showing its age after six years, so I'm hoping the Touring SE will be a nice replacement.
We have a federal tax law seminar in Las Vegas in a month, so that will be the acid test on comfort, cargo capacity, economy, and road tripping.
I'll be certain to post back on its utility and convenience as time goes by.
It will take some getting used to. I stalled it the very first time I drove it. It's a much shorter, quicker box and the shift pattern is different. The clutch is also a lot tighter. Nonetheless, once I get used to it, it's going to be pretty snappy. It's a marked improvement over the old Tiburon shifter, and it will be an improvement over the smooth but sometimes balky Sorento stick. So that's the good news.
Less good is the overall noise level of the engine. Even here, the sound from the motor is better than the old Tiburon, but as has been remarked elsewhere, it's not quiet. I won't know until I take a longer trip how that noise plays out over time, but I think it won't be too noticeable after a while. It's just that the Sorento V-6 was a quieter engine and the Sorento cabin was generally a bit quieter.
In the Touring, both engine and road noise are higher, but not annoying (yet). I think I'll pull out the SPL meter and compare the two at some point.
32-35 mpg on highway @ 70-75MPH.
It continues to give me a little grief when I'm stopped at a red light on a hill, but I'm slowly accommodating its touchy style from a standing start uphill. Yes, it's still very tight.
Anyway, I'm amazed at how this car likes to run on the open road. It creeps to 80, then 85, then 90 with no protest at all. It just wants to keep going, and it feels stable and confident the whole time. Well, sure, it's my foot on the gas pedal, but I'm traditionally a 65-75 MPH driver.
At those fast speeds, mileage suffers. The trip average was 29.6 MPG. That's at least 11 MPG more than my Sorento did on the last trip at 70 MPH, and the Sorento can be a rough ride on CA interstates. Plus, it's awkward in crosswinds, which were far less troublesome in the lower profile Touring.
My GF's main point of comparison: "My butt's not cold," due to the heated front seats.
As I read your reviews, I am curious if it is a vehicle you would recommend? What are some pros and cons?
Thanks in advance for your help!!
Micah
if your interested for a sneak peek, check this site out of the i30 in the UK.
Does anyone know for certain whether or not the Elantra Touring has rear-seat side-curtain airbags? From reading the specs, I'm guessing no. The Elantra sedan specs make a point to say front- and rear- side-curtain bags.
The Touring specs don't say anything about front- and rear-, so I'm guessing front-only. But a confirmation either way would be appreciated. Thanks!!!
I got 31.6 MPG, and I stayed pretty close to posted speeds, usually just a mile or three over the limit. The car experienced outside temps from 37 to 107 degrees and elevations from sea level to 11,112 feet. I ground it out in super dense urban traffic with endless construction zones, high, steep mountain upgrades and downgrades, and endless rural stretches.
I also took it through Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Petroglyphs, Indiana Dunes, Colorado National Monument, and Zion National Park Service areas.
The glove box was ideal for keeping cool drinks, and the iPod connection and my iPod Classic served up over 1,100 tracks of nonstop music in between some Pimsleur language lessons in Korean on the CD player. All my gear fit under the security cover in the back, so it was safe and secure all the way.
All in all, the car was a comfortable, dependable, and entertaining companion. On a long, solo trip, what more could I want?