2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
This car is coming soon, and supposedly Hyundai has made sporty steering and suspension this time. 
I had just about decided on a Mazda3 SkyActiv hatch, but first I think I'll head to the NY Auto Show in a couple of weeks to check the GT out up close. Release is sometime this summer (no date yet). Any thoughts about this vehicle?
I had just about decided on a Mazda3 SkyActiv hatch, but first I think I'll head to the NY Auto Show in a couple of weeks to check the GT out up close. Release is sometime this summer (no date yet). Any thoughts about this vehicle?
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I've owned a 2004 GT hatch for 8 years and it's been a great car. My son drives it to/from college now. I have the 2013 GT on my shopping list for my next car, which will probably be a hatch (unless I'm smitten by the new Dart).
I am hoping there's a low-end GT available without all the doo-dads, just a nice dollop of useful equipment such as 16" alloys, Bluetooth, cruise, maybe audio controls on the wheel. Leather covered wheel and shifter would be nice also, since it's a GT and the old GTs had that standard. Also I hope that the sport-tuned suspension isn't too hard.
No pricing though...
http://hyundainews.com/us/en-us/2013/Elantra-GT/Features.aspx
http://hyundainews.com/us/en-us/2013/Elantra-GT/Overview.aspx
The hatchback is a deal breaker for me. I like my things hidden in the trunk.
It's a nice looking car however.
180-Watt (45 X 4 channels) 7” Navigation system with High Resolution Touchscreen with rearview camera, AM/FM/SiriusXM Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 Audio System1 OPT
It's on both stereo options. Nice to see a manufacturer make it available globally rather than forcing you into an upgraded stereo. Or worse, forcing you to buy navigation like Subaru...and they force you to buy a sunroof just to get the navigation system, so to get XM you have to buy a sunroof so you can buy the navigation system so you can get XM. :sick:
http://hyundainews.com/us/en-us/2013/Elantra-Coupe/Highlights.aspx
So is there a sedan in the Elantra GT? Or is it a hatchback only.
I guess I need to wait till it comes out and test drive it, or just get the 2012 Elantra GLS like my gut feeling is telling me.
If you're one of these people opposed to non-trunks, I suggest checking out the Elantra sedan and Coupe. The Coupe should have slightly sportier suspension than the sedan. The sedan is probably more geared towards comfort.
So for the most part you like the Elantra touring then. How long have you had it
"5-door" is a term commonly used to describe a car with 4 doors plus a liftgate/hatch... in the back.
I just wish I would see more positives from people on here about the Elantra.
Lessee... It was the North American Car of the Year. It was a finalist for Motor Trend's Car of the Year. It's selling in record numbers, such that Hyundai dealers don't have to slap big discounts on it anymore as they did with previous generations. It has (arguably) class-leading exterior and interior styling. It has class-leading or near class-leading interior room, mid-sized by EPA standards. It has lots of feature content for the money. It has smooth 6-speed transmissions. Smooth ride, nice braking (with 4 wheel discs standard). Roomy trunk. Industry-leading warranty. Excellent EPA fuel economy ratings for its class... and yes, "YMMV".
So it seems to have everything on your list except maybe "fun to drive". And you are the best judge of whether it's fun enough to drive. You might find cars like the Mazda3, Golf, or Focus more fun to drive in this class. But each has its tradeoffs.
It needs the Velositer 1.6 Turbo to be a great car! I would buy one today
No car is perfect. Your mission is to find the car that meets your needs best, within your budget. And I bet no matter what car you end up buying, you'll find something about it you don't like, sooner or later.
Overall it's a good car and worth a test drive.
IMO the biggest knock on the Elantra isn't the unmet expectations on fuel economy for some owners, but the handling. Not terrible, but not as crisp as, for example, the Mazda3, Focus, or Golf. But the GT is going to have adjustable steering feel and sport-tuned suspension, so it should be more of a driver's car than the sedan.
I am curious how the GT will steer and ride compared to the sedan. The old GT, which I own (2004), had a distinctly firmer ride than the GLS sedan. It had "sport-tuned suspension" but I don't think the steering was any different. The tires were the same size as the GLS sedan also, 15" (albeit with alloys). 17" wheels will be available on the GT, and not only is the suspension "sport-tuned" but the steering is supposed to have 3 different settings, which to my knowledge is a first in this class. I think I'll like a crisper steering feel compared to the sedan, but not sure I'll like a firmer suspension since I drive on a lot of bad roads. If they can figure out how to firm up the ride while maintaining compliance, ala cars like the Focus and Golf, that will be welcome. I'll stick to the 16" standard wheels on the GT though, to put a little more rubber and air between me and the road.
ANd of course, I'm hoping there's a nice obnoxious metallic red or blue available :shades:
My Race Red is not metallic but I like it anyway. My favorite is the medium red pearl offered by some companies e.g. GM.
I like the Blue Sky Metallic though it's a little light for me, and I don't think beige interior is the right choice for that exterior color (I think a grey or black interior would work MUCH better).
If the Indigo Night is also metallic that would look GREAT with a grey interior like with the sedan. I could see the Red Allure working with beige, black is getting a little boring. But I hope that's also a metallic.
How dark is the grey? I hate silver, but a gunmetal-style grey might be nice. I just can't see myself driving a beige car with a beige interior though.
Now watch them decide that in the GT, all interiors will be black because black is considered "sporty." :sick: They could end up with an entirely different set of paint options for the GT also, I guess.
Re beige cars--I've had "champagne" cars before, and the great thing about them is they hide dirt well. But kinda boring. The Desert Bronze is not beige; it seems like in-between grey and brown. And it is pearlescent so it looks great in the sun and takes on different hues depending on the light. The photos on the Web don't do it justice. Still, probably a better color on the sedan vs. the GT. Might not even be offered on the GT.
If you also look in that forum, the reviewer also puts up a couple comparisons as well.
I think this car looks fantastic. It just recently one best UK car for Carbuyer.co.uk. Here's their video review of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WDrp-g3bHM
* Is the load floor flat, with the flip-up rear seat bottom? Apparently not, as the reviewer said there was an incline. Will have to see how obtrusive it is. I'd prefer a flat load floor, ala Focus.
* How's the stick shift? That got positive remarks from the reviewer. Hopefully we'll get the same setup.
* How's the interior quality of the base model? Seems very good, although no way to tell if the UK base model is what we'll get as the base model.
* How's ride quality and noise? Seems like a smooth-riding, quiet car, at least with the 16" wheels (which is what I'd get).
* How's the Bluetooth? Seems to work very well. That is an issue on some cars.
Interesting that the reviewer thought the 1.4L was peppy, since it has less power than what we'll get here. So the 1.8L should be just fine for people like me who have no need to grossly exceed legal limits with regularity.
The issue with the FE meter peaking at 50 mpg is weird... I've never seen a limit that low. My Sentra maxes out at 60, and I often peg that out when coasting, going down grades etc. I've seen others (including on a Grand Caravan I owned!) that maxed out at 99 mpg. It's not really an issue for average FE, but certainly for instantaneous mpg.
Style Package:
* 17 inch alloy wheels
* Sport tunes suspension
* Panoramic Sunroof
* Front side mirrors with turn signals.
* Leather seats, steering wheel, shift knob
* Power seats
* Aluminum pedals
* One touch up driver's window
Technology Package:
* Requires Style Package
* Nav
* Rear camera
* Auto climate control
* Smart key (or whatever Hyundai calls it)
* Automatic headlights
So basically, in order to get any of the cool options, you must also get the monsterous panoramic sunroof. And that's one thing that I was most definitely not impressed with. It's too big, the design forces the front to retract over the rear, it's heavy, it's likely that it'll heat up the car quite a bit in the sun, and the only shading is a thin piece of fabric that acts as a blackout shade, and it's over an inch from the glass. As well as being a bit cheap. I'd really prefer to avoid that sunroof if I can but they're also requiring a panoramic sunroof on the Veloster Turbo in order to get the rear camera (luckily that's adding a much smaller amount of glass). Did someone at Hyundai get a discount on sunroof glass or something?
I don't need nav/rear camera/auto climate/smart key/auto headlights/aluminum pedals/power seat/leather seats/panoramic sunroof. But I wouldn't mind the turn signals in the mirrors (safety), sport tuned suspension (but with 16" wheels), one-touch-up windows, and leather wheel/shifter. At least maybe the base price will be pretty reasonable, as de-contented as it is.
Did you see anything about the GT that you LIKED?
Guess we can hope there will be some non-package options, but the GT's auto climate is supposed to come with automatic humidity control, which I DO want, along with the smart key and the power leather seats (what can I say, I spend over 2 hours a day in the car).
Supposedly the GT gets a sportier suspension tune than the sedan by default, and the optional "sport" suspension should really be called "sportier suspension." Supposedly.
Not likely except for stuff that can be added by the dealer like a Homelink mirror, mudflaps etc.
From what I've read, including your eyewitness report, it appears the GT will come with adjustable steering feel standard, but not the sport-tuned suspension. Which if true is... odd.
* 6 speed manual
* 16" alloys
* DSSM (driver selectable steering mode)
* fog lights
* remote keyless entry
* 7 airbags
* tilt/telescope steering column with audio and cruise on the wheel
* Blue Link telematics
* Bluetooth
* 6 speaker stereo with satellite radio and USB/aux inputs
* heated front seats (!)
* sliding center armrest
* lots more
So pretty much everything I need, except I wouldn't mind leather wheel/shifter and turn signals in the mirrors. Also noted something weird on the options: driver's auto up window is part of a $2750 package! C'mon, how much can that cost to add? Even my 2010 Sentra S has that feature!
One thing I like is that the red/beige combo is available on the GT. That combo is not available on some other hatches e.g. Mazda3i.
They missed.
The car drives well enough. Shifts smoothly, takes corners reasonably flat, and Hyundai's getting better at putting feel in their steering. The engine is definitely short of torque, particularly at the low end, and you can feel it. You have to rev it up to get a quick power surge, and it's difficult to maintain some speeds on an uphill grade without downshifting. I honestly didn't notice any difference between the indy rear on the Touring and the torsion beam on the GT, which means they either did a good job on the GT, or a bad job on the Touring. Or maybe a little bit of both.
Is it more fun than the Touring or a Corolla? Yeah. Is it to the level of a Mazda3 or Focus? No, it's still far short. This one didn't have the upgraded "sport" suspension, but it would have to be a LOT more "sport" to make a difference. The car is competent, but if Hyundai wants to play in the zoom-zoom crowd they need to keep practicing. And maybe put in the 2.0L DI version of the Nu. Or even the 1.6L Gamma-T. But they need to find some low-end torque somewhere.
Did you drive the automatic or stick? It appears it was the automatic. The stick might provide more responsiveness.
How much feel did the steering have on the highway? That is a problem with electric steering on many cars.
How was the ride? How did it handle bumps and transitions? Floaty or buttoned down on the highway?
What options if any were on the car? Or was it a base model, no packages?
Did you check out the rear seat? How was the leg room and head room?
Me, I'm mostly after the FE, utility, and a nice interior. IMO the GT's interior is light years ahead that of the Mazda3's, from photos at least. Plus the fold-flat rear seats for lots of hauling room. But the Mazda3 is a blast to drive, especially with the stick.
BTW... any car would be more fun to drive than a Corolla. :P