Hyundai Elantra Prices Paid and Buying Experience

backy

This may not be a crock. On the Elantra discussion, a Hyundai salesperson noted that as of very recently, he had not heard anything about shipments of '06 Elantras, so he was not expecting to see any for several weeks. Also, I have seen comments on the Elantra discussions here about Elantras being scarce in some markets. If there is no supply, there is no need to have rebates to encourage people to buy what is not there. Instead, shifting the rebates to the vehicles in greater supply makes sense.

It doesn't mean the remaining Elantras will be sold at list, but that the discount off list might be less. Consider that other compacts are sold without rebates, e.g. Mazda3, Civic, and (in some anyway markets) Corolla.

danf1

Well I can tell you that I haven't seen such a release from Hyundai, but I would not be surprised. I currently have less that a 15 day supply of new Elantras with no 2006s on their way. I don't see how a hurricane can be blamed, but supply is almost nil right now. I think the incentives are going to be moved to the Santa Fe. I've got those coming out of my ears right now (figuratively speaking).

danf1

has been indeed decreased to $500 on the Elantra. They are also sending out one more shipment of 2005s.

backy

My local dealer had over a dozen '05 Elantras on its lot tonight--and about 30 Tucsons, 25 Santa Fe's, and 20 '06 Sonatas. I wish them good luck disposing of the remaining '05 Elantras with only a $500 rebate--the lowest the incentives on the Elantra have been in five years. I noticed also there is only a $500 loyalty rebate on the '06 Elantras. Good luck selling those, too--but really a moot point until they actually show up at dealers.

With the $2500 total incentives now available on '06 Sonatas, the difference in price between an Elantra GLS automatic with ABS and a Sonata GLS is only about $2000, and the Sonata has more markup over invoice for dealers to play with.

nortsr1

You can bet your bottom dollar that Hyundai has some sort of mfg. to dealer "big" incentive' to sell those 2005 leftovers. Probably, a smart educated "Edmunds" type buyer can wiggle some below invoice pricing on them... or... you will see dealers advertising some "great" pricing on them.
A lot of times they will tell the prospective customer "We are selling these at a loss"...but...in reality...Well, you know what I mean!!!

backy

I wouldn't be surprised if there are some hidden incentives. That was the case in October 2000 when I bought an all-new '01 GLS--there were no public incentives then, only a $500 Hyundai-to-dealer incentive that I learned about on the Edmunds.com discussions. I also wouldn't be surprised to see the incentives return on the '05s at the end of the year if the remaining cars aren't sold, and for incentives to return in a big way next summer or fall on the '06s to clear them out before the all-new '07 Elantra arrives.

bricknord

I'd call it the free market and capitalism. Let's see...you have $3 a gallon gas in the marketplace and a limited supply of small, relatively fuel efficient cars to sell. Why put an incentive on them? I don't care if they are the oldest design in the world, point is, in today's market, a cheap fuel efficient car with decent equipment is prime merchandise. If I were running Hyundai, I wouldn't put one penny of incentives on Elantras. I'll bet they sell at close to full MSRP these days. I've taken a look around the local lots for Corollas, Civics, Elantras, Sentras, and at least in Kansas City, I'd say inventories of small cars are WAY down from the norm, end of model year or not. No "horse theivin' " about it. Any sane manager would run their business the same way. If we move to a socialist economy someday, then stuff like Loyalty Bonuses will be "fairly" distributed among everyone, previous owner or not. Incentives will be required to be in place regardless of market forces. Umm...yeah, sure. Hyundai is in the enviable position of having a fleet of product for sale that is relatively efficient overall, and they deserve to reap the profits from this when the winds blow their way. Same goes for any other manufacturer in this position. Of course, if you've built your core business around 15mpg SUV sales, guess that move doesn't look too smart right now, and you deserve to reap the ill wind as sales slide. Guess some companies have smarter management than others. Me, I'd consider a Hyundai as my next car, but do not and have not owned one as of yet. My 47 MPG 1986 VW Golf diesel does me fine, I'm laughing at the suckers driving gas-hogs, and enjoying having no car payment since the car cost $1000 cash, has working A/C, and gets me around just fine. Eventually, I'll move into a more modern car just due to safety advances, ABS, stab control, etc, and hopefully Hyundai has a choice for me. I'll gladly pay sticker or close to it if the market demands it. I'm a realist.

miamixt

Eventually, I'll move into a more modern car just due to safety advances, ABS, stab control, etc, and hopefully Hyundai has a choice for me. I'll gladly pay sticker or close to it if the market demands it. I'm a realist

Really that's the wrong way of negotiating for the deal. Full MSRP is the last price anyone would want to pay, anywhere. :shades:

smith20

I think what he's saying is that demand for smaller, more fuel efficient cars has increased demand and thus the prices are increasing. There really isn't much room for negotiating the price down if the particular commodity is in high demand. Look at hybrid vehicles, for example. They are being sold at MSRP or higher because, as bricknord points out, the market demands it. MSRP is a fairly arbitrary number associated with each car. Essentially the automaker is roughly guessing where the supply and demand price will fall and then adding a little more so they can use the psychological benefit of a "discount" to the buyer. The price is really determined by the supply and the demand. Typically supply and demand cause the price to settle below the MSRP, but there is no kind of law that says the supply and demand have to settle at that price. If you go and try to buy a hybrid amid this recent run-up in gas prices and offer invoice for the car, you will be laughed at by the salesperson because they know someone else will pay much more, such as MSRP or higher. Conversely, if the automaker misjudges the market and prices their MSRP too high, then we often see factory to dealer or factory to buyer rebates to reduce the price.

So I think bricknord is essentially saying, "Even if the demand for smaller more fuel efficient cars like the Elantra raises the price to the MSRP, I still think it's good deal to buy this car if it has the fuel efficiency and safety features important to me."

egarcia52282

I was looking at buying a 2005 Silver Elantra GT with Option 7. Has anybody out there purchased a similar model and how much did you pay for it? Dealer wants $16,500 Drive-Out, but I know it can be lower. The rebate going down didn't help me much. Let me know what you paid for it and your region, so that I can know how much I should be paying in my region (Houston, TX).

egarcia52282

I should also mention that it is an automatic. Let me know the best deal you got.

Edgar

miamixt

I agree with everything you wrote, yet why go out on a limb and purchase a 2005, when the whole fleet of 2006 Elantra's will be here within Weeks. Being that my 05 is almost a Year old now, I wonder if the value of my used Elantra will go up as well?

doohickie

Well, here's what I got goin' on: A 2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS 5-door with AT & cruise for about $13700-$14000 + TTL. I called around a few dealerships looking for my options on an Elantra and this is the best I could find (basically everything I want except for the CD player). I plan on driving out to that dealer tomorrow afternoon and hopefully driving back in an Elantra. They have two- champagne and electric red. I was already planning on spending some money on a 6-disc CD changer; maybe I'll just have to buy a head unit too. I may cruise the junkyards in search of the Kenwood unit offered on 2004 Hyundais, or maybe I'll just go aftermarket.

I was hoping for a better deal, but with the reduction in rebates, this isn't too bad. It's basically invoice minus the $500 rebate and the $400 new graduate incentive (my wife just graduated from college).

If this falls through, I'll probably go directly to the Kia dealer and buy a Spectra5.

zoomzoomitis

"If this falls through..." DON'T THINK LIKE THAT!!! You've waited too long for this day to get frustrated. You've done your homework. You know the #'s. Now hold those cards tight to the vest, look 'em in the eye and DON'T blink! You still have the power in the whole transaction (your two feet walkin' towards the door does AMAZING things).

If I'm readin' between the lines correctly, looks like you don't have much time on this purchase. Seem to be rushing. Doggone, that's exactly what the wheelin' dealin' sharks on those lots are looking for - an emotional customer who is worn out. Be cool doohickie. Until they have your money it's "Yes sir!" and "No sir!" and don't take any of their b.s.

PS Can't believe you're passin' up the night time purple lighting, the fog lights, the 5 spoke wheels, the cheap leather surfaced seating, the lipped whale tail, the "miles 'til empty" computer and of course the GT badging. I know, I know. Those euro-Gt's are all gone in your neck of the woods. Shame. For the few extra bucks ya get a lot of features IMO. Heck, all is not lost though. The 5 door does have the suspension and disc brakes all around.
PSS Go for the red one. I know ya traded a red one in a week or so back but hey, that baby was good to ya. Superstitous? Me too. I go blue and it works for me. Roll 'em doo.

backy

I second the red. I have a champagne Elantra and it's a good color for hiding dirt, but boring, especially on the swoopy 5-door. Also the red GLS 5-door comes with a unique sport cloth interior (only available on the GLS 5-door), while the champage has the same (boring) cloth as the GLS sedan.

doohickie

The electric red, which is what this one is, is better than the rally red (which is what my old car was like). The red has a spoiler too (and it isn't on the window sticker or the documentation as an option so it's free, or so the salesguy said).

I'll be driving out there in an hour or two; we'll see what we see. It's raining today, so if I decide to buy one of these two I'll have them take into the shop and towel down so I can check the bodywork for scratches, etc.

backy

Since this car is year old and the rebates have been slashed, see if the dealer will "throw in" some goodies like mats and mud flaps, maybe a few oil changes--and of course you will give them a good review on the Hyundai survey.

miamixt

Because I have the exact equipped GLS, let me just say again, the new 2006 Elantra's are on the way. Your price sounds OK, but look at how the dynamics of my transaction took place, which only featured the $1250 Rebate. They offer me $18.3 for my trade. My GLS wound up being $11.3 out the door (Tax free), with a $7000 Check. Of course my trade was worth more than $18.3, but the Elantra was worth way more than $11.3. I did receive the identical price that I brought in from the Newspaper $10,995 (actually I kind of demanded it). However, don't think for one minute this is how my 'deal' started. I just happened to be that day's 'loss leader'!

doohickie

Bought the electric red one. Paid $13,900... I'm sure I could have gotten a better deal, but not *that* much better in the current rebate climate. I suppose I could have waited for an 06, but if you've been reading these boards, you know I've been waiting over 3 months already.

The car had a few goodies they didn't factor in like a rear spoiler which wasn't priced out on the window sticker, pinstripes which they forgot to charge me for... stuff like that. And a free oil change (just one), but that doesn't matter to me since the dealership is more than 40 miles away. I asked for a free cover and they didn't want to budge. I asked for floor mats and the best they could offer was to sell them to me for their cost which I never found out what it was. As it was, I got my son to his piano lesson 20 minutes late; I couldn't wait around any longer.

Backy- You were really the first guy who convinced me to really look at the Elantra. Now that I own one, I have to thank you; it is a great car and the more I'm in and around it, the more I like it. I used to think it was no better than my Escort off the line, but I realize now that for the same acceleration I have to practically floor the Escort while I'm only giving the Elantra 1/4 to 1/3 throttle. The AT shifts very smoothly. The only time the engine gets real noisy is when I floor it, but when I do it gives some nice giddyup. Not a sports car, but more than adequate.

Maybe later on I'll post the details of my buying experience, but right now I don't really want to go into it. It was okay; the salesman I bought from was great and delivered as promised, but one of the other guys who I worked with while I was waiting for my guy to get freed up was kind of.... abrupt. Stay tuned; maybe I'll fill in the details another day.

Anyway- love the car; got a decent deal I think, and am looking forward to lots of great miles and smiles.

danf1

Congratulations. I'm almost upset that you've bought something though, because I've enjoyed reading about your research. I think you made a good choice. We'll look forward to hearing your impressions as the car gets some miles on it.

danf1

just announced. It is cheaper than the 2005. Cd and Cruise control now standard.
The only option package available gives you the sunroof and ABS/traction control for $1,100.

Base price 4 door GLS manual $13,675
4 door GLS auto $14,525
5 door GLS manual $14,075
5 door GLS auto $14925

GT 5 door manual $14,995
GT 5 door auto $15,845

Limited 4 door auto only $15,475

The limited gives you beige leather seating, leather wrapped wheel and shifter, fog lights, woodgrain trim, and Chrome trim (I'm assuming outside).

backy

The inclusion of CD and cruise as standard is nice, but it's too bad Hyundai makes people pay $1,100 to get ABS. But it does mean you can get a very well equipped Elantra 5-speed for only $14,775 MSRP, which undercuts the Civic EX by about $4,000. I wonder if the new pricing means that rebates will be lower than in the past?

Does the Limited sedan include alloys? If so, it's a real bargain compared to the GT model. Also, do you know if the Limited includes a fold-down armrest in the back? I think the comparable model in Korea has that feature--as does the '06 Accent GLS. Also I think heated leather seats are available in Korea--do you know if the Limited has that feature?

backy

Congrats to you on your new car--finally!! Hope you get lots of years of enjoyment out of it.

The dealer said my commission check would arrive in a few days.

Just kidding.

danf1

No mention of alloys on the limited. I found that a little disturbing myself. No heated seats either.

I really was expecting ABS to be standard . The new Accents has it standard, so why not the Elantra? It will be the only car that they offer where it is optional. I am very happy to see the cd player standard. A cassette deck was marginally acceptable 5 years ago, but now people are amazed by one in any car at any price.

backy

I am disappointed about lack of standard ABS too. But maybe since there is only one options package now, it will be easier to find an Elantra with ABS.

It does seem strange that a "Limited" model would not have alloys. The cassette deck isn't as bad a deal as one might think, because via a $12 adapter you can play CDs or MP3s through it (plus your old cassette collection, if you have one like I do). If the '06 Elantra won't have a aux input jack or MP3 playback in the CD unit, playing MP3s is not an option like it was on the earlier models.

What will be interesting is that when the '06 Accent debuts soon, the price for a loaded Accent with A/C, ABS, SABs/SACs, moonroof, 172-watt sound system, and power package will be about the same as a similarly equipped '06 Elantra--which doesn't have SACs nor does it have as nice a sound system. That is an estimate based on the price of the '06 Rio. The Elantra has more interior room, but the Accent has better fuel economy and probably better safety, with the SACs. Interesting choice...

(Sorry, not exactly on topic.)

readonly

2005 Hyundai Elantra GLS(automatic) silver, with free Mat and trunk net
the price I paid before tax,title is $10800. After tax and other fees, it is
$11800(driveout) the car was bought in Houston, Texas. The dealership is Champion Hyundai.

backy

Dan, did those prices you quoted on the '06s include the destination charge?

danf1

No, destination is $570.

backy

Shoot. Not quite as good a deal on the '06s as I thought then.

zoomzoomitis

Way to go doohickie! The red rocket, huh? "Flooring it" during break-in? Say it ain't so, joe! FWIW, I'm not "flooring" mine yet and the onboard computer would back me up in this regard. Says I'm getting 34.3 mpg during the first 800 or so miles (open road commuting). Not bad.

Yeah, some of those sharks swimmin' in the pool are pretty nasty. Others aren't so bad. My buying experience, although like you not down the street (45 miles away!) was rather pleasant and fun. Heck, the guy I test drove the car with at the lunch hour wasn't even there at closing time when we signed the papers. Crazy day (9/30). New "sales associate" tells me the guy didn't feel well and had to go home. Uh- huh. Five bucks says he ain't workin' there noooo maaah. Anyways, in the end didn't much matter who was smilin' and shakin' the hands. Non-commission high volume kinda place. Just wanted that ace customer satisfaction survey returned...

On a positive and negative...You're gonna love the versatility of the hatch. Lil' extra noise coming from back there but I'll deal with it since it's so functional. On a less than positive note though, does anyone else here sense a weak radio reception coming from their factory installed tune box? Thought with the GT, it'd be a notch up. Nowhere near as good a signal as the stock Mazda radio I just traded in.

egarcia52282

I am looking to buy from Champion Hyundai in Houston as well. What was the MSRP and invoice price on your GLS? Who was your sales rep.? When idd you buy the car? Let me know anything that will be helpful in buying the car from them. Thanks.

kyfdx

See the message below... this information is not allowed in our forums..

regards,
kyfdx
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kyfdx

We don't exchange salesperson info on these forums.. even by e-mail..

Please don't ask for, or offer... this information..

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rjeskey

I think I did bad all the way around. First I bought a loaded GLS (Automatic) with a list of $17,190 in black. I got the $1250 Rebate and then $900 off the list. I should have bought a GT instead huh? Plus the black is hard to take care of..

backy

$900 discount off list isn't terrible. What's done is done. Keep thinking about how great your black Elantra looks when it's all shined up.

rjeskey

Thanks Backy I feel better now. And it does look good all shined up! Hey do you know when I will get the Hyundai Survey? I bought the car in the middle of September. The Dealership I bought the car from was the worst!!! And I am easy to please.

backy

This may be an opportunity for you. When you receive the survey, bring it into the dealer and talk with the sales manager. Tell him/her, "I'd like to be able to give you a good rating on the survey, but there were some issues during the sales process so I have a negative opinion right now." See if they will do something to improve your opinion of them, e.g. some free oil changes.

doohickie

Okay, now I'm ready to talk: I got the okay from my wife to go ahead and buy late last week. I called the dealers I had been talking to, plus a couple others that were kind of far from home. Several said they would call me back and let me know how many they had in stock, then never called back. At the dealer in Irving, TX, 40 miles from where I live, the salesman had three offerings: one champagne, one red (I didn't want another red car), and I forget the color of the other one; it didn't have cruise control.

I was off work Friday afternoon and made the drive out to Irving. The guy I talked to on the phone was busy with other customers, so I drove the red car with another salesman. We looked at the champagne model too but he opined I didn't want that one because it looked like a "mom's car" and I had to agree. It was nice, but in a kind of "pretty" way, as opposed to the "sporty" red one. The red car was a GLS 5-door with AT, cruise, cargo net & mud guards on the sticker. It also had the rear spoiler, which wasn't on the sticker, and pin stripes. The guards weren't installed. I told the guy he could leave them off and give me credit toward the floor mats.

We got back, my guy was still busy, so the other guy started throwing numbers down on a form. He ended up at $13,900 and some change. I told him, "Knock $200 off and I'll buy it right now." He simply said he couldn't do it. Period. I also asked about financing options. I had a pre-approved loan check but thought maybe the dealership could provide a better interest rate. He said no. Period. Finally, I mentioned my wife's recent graduation and asked about the $400 new graduate incentive. He said no, period. I got up and walked out (fully expecting him to follow me and bargain).

I got in my car and drove off. Before I got too far, though, I decided the deal was okay; it was more the abrupt manner of the guy I didn't like. So I called back and asked for the guy I originally talked to and he urged me to come back. He said he could look into the college graduate incentive but explained that it's really a Hyundai gimmick and that the best interest rate Hyundai will give with that incentive is 8%. He was surprised the other guy didn't want to discuss finance options; he got me a half point off my pre-approved loan rate. And when he wrote up the deal as I described it, it was a little higher than the other guy's quote.... and that may have been why the other guy wouldn't budge. Apparently he wrote the wrong invoice price (it was an invoice plus kind of deal) and so he undercharged me... or at least that was my sales guy said. Not sure if it was true, but it was plausible and I suppose that's good enough for them.

Anyway, they agreed to let me have it for the original price. I mentioned the floor mats again (for the third or fourth time), but they hadn't added to the paperwork and at that point I was running out of time and had to be somewhere. The said the best they could do was give them to me at their cost, but they didn't have them in stock. I was a little miffed, but whatever. I love the car and am happy with it.

So now, the rest of the story- on the way home yesterday I stopped by the local dealership (a different one) and bought the floor mats. I could perceive a clear difference in road and engine noise; they were reduced significantly. I was happy. And then today, my salesman called me and said they would give me the mats for free... on the condition I have him all 5s on the survey. So I took the other ones back to the other dealer. And I'll probably give him 5s. Quid pro quo is okay with me.

I need to go to DFW Airport Friday afternoon; if the mats are in it won't be a big deal to swing by and pick them up. Assuming they are the same as the other ones, I'll probably give them 5s and mean it.

After all, I love my new Hyundai. :shades:

rjeskey

Congrats on your new Elantra! I love my new Elantra. In fact while my Elantra was in the shop getting some paint work for 2 weeks they gave me a 2005 Tucson to drive and you would think I gt spoiled driving the Tucson but it was just the opposite I missed my Elantra! :surprise:

zoomzoomitis

doohickie, that dealership KNEW you needed a car and having just driven forty some miles you were serious. Letting you walk was part of the game. Had you not come right back (but you did because they guessed right - you NEEDED a car) I have no doubt there would have been a phone message on your recorder when you'd gotten home. 'Course it would have been too late by then. I dare say you'd be driving that Spec5 right now had you not done the U-turn. In the end, you got the car you wanted and I honestly don't think buying an Elantra can be considered anything but frugal. The darn thing screams value regardless how close to sticker or not close to sticker you paid. Comparably equipped, thousands under those Japanese products. Thousands!

doohickie

Honestly, I may have gotten them down a bit more, but I was content with the deal. I've got no complaints.... just as long as I get my floor mats.

And just to make it clear: I didn't NEED this car; but I did want it.

smith20

Honestly, I may have gotten them down a bit more, but I was content with the deal.

That's how I felt when we purchased an Elantra. I think we were within a few hundred dollars of the best possible deal I could have reasonably imagined getting at the time. A few hundred dollars wasn't worth it to us losing happiness over. Now the $2,000 trick the first dealer tried to pull on us was another story!

Congratulations on acquiring your new Elantra. I hope you get a lot of use and enjoyment out of it in the coming years.

rjeskey

Does anyone know how long after you buy your car the Survey comes? The Dealership I bought my Elantra from has just been horrible and could care less about my feelings towards the purchase. Does one Survey effect them that much? I just can't believe they don't care. Basically what they did was promise to take $500 more off the car and they never took it off the new contract. Stupid me never looked until the next day and just trusted them and sure enough they never took it off. Instead they promised me a few free oil changes. Big deal! They can keep their oil changes worth about $60.

backy

Another reason to have someone else with you when buying a car--an oral contract is as enforcable as any other contract, but you need witnesses.

miamixt

Sometimes the survey never comes. One Dealer I go to offers $150 for a blank service survey. I've been there 3 times, no survey. Just went to my selling Dealer for service, got a survey. You bet the surveys count, however there are always rouge Dealers out there. I would bring in the blank purchase survey, ask to speak with the GM., or the Owner . Remind him briefly of your problem, and mention you wont be able to rate his dealership positive in any aspects of the transaction. Ask if you could borrow a pen, and mention you'll be sitting over... there!

doohickie

Straight 5s for him. That was the deal.

zoomzoomitis

Do any of you guys know (with any certainty -danf? You out there?) if it matters HOW a respondent does the survey as in email vs. snail mail? I don't remember all the details but my sales guy was saying something about the hard copy type was sooooo prefered to the email route. Thinking the email is much easier on my end but if I want to help the guy out I should wait for the ol' US Postal Service to eventually come through...surly the thing is in the proverbial "mail"...I think.

Latest mpg: 34.9 roughly 80% great American highway. Closin' in on 2000 on the odometer...after just a few weeks of ownership. Come on baby! Be a closet Zzzzzzoooooomer!

PS That "Red Rocket" grill looks schaaaaweeeeeeet! Patent that sucker - quick!

danf1

There is no difference in how you send it in. Just make sure it is all "excellent" if you truly do want to help him out. Excellent scores 100%, Very Good is 50% and everything else is 0. If we went to school with this type of grade scale, many many people would have never got out of first grade.

backy

Just curious... what happens if an "excellent" survey is received, vs. a not-so-excellent one? How does that impact the dealer?

danf1

First it affects how the salespeople are compensated from Hyundai. They get a payment for every car they sell based upon survey scores and their own sales volume. Payments can be as low as $20 or up to $200 per car. The sales managers also receive a portion of those sales.

As far as affecting the dealership, it can be much more severe. When any dealer is looking to purchase a new franchise, one of the first things the manufacturer wants to see is their CSI scores. If they are low, no new franchise. If you wan some assistance maybe with some additional inventory, funds for a new showroom etc... they look at your CSI. I know of some dealers who have lost franchises because of their scores.

There are many more levels to it, but that is a general idea of the importance of those surveys. The biggest problem seems to be getting happy customers to send them in. Very few people actually are unhappy with their purchase, but the unhappy customers are the ones who will definitely fill out their survey. People have a tendency to complain ten times louder and more often than compliment.

For anybody reading this, if you are happy with your deal and your salesperson send in that survey.