2007 Hyundai Elantra

sonatabean

OOOOOOOOOOOO!

Neat!

Trippy music!

sonatabean

That was pretty cool, actually.

Between the two sites, I got the best impression so far of the new Elantra. Even if there is no hatch, I can live with the sedan. It seems to have gone up a notch aesthetically.

I'm deadly curious about the auto climate control. A mechanical engineer explained to me that auto climate is actually more efficient, as it can kick the compressor on-or-off depending on need, ergo why all they hybrids use them: more efficient.

Nice "luxury touch" too.

Wunner if we in the USA will get that on the Elantra Limited?

mpgman

Bummer if there is no hatch. My 01 GT now has 64,000 miles and runs great. Been waiting for an 07 hatch. If Tucson got better mpgs I'd go that route since it's shorter and carries as much or more.

doohickie

Don't count on an 07 hatch. Even if one is released, it will be a late 07 introduction (maybe *next* spring or summer).

snakeweasel

Naw the bummer is that there is no station wagon. Hey Hyundai, if your listening bring back the wagon.

carbuff94

I was browsing around on Edmunds, checking out the future vehicles and I was wondering, why do you guys like Hyundai so much? And what's so special about this car?

I'm just curious, because I don't know much about Hyundai.

jpmccormac

Hyundai today is what Toyota was 10-15 years ago: a company guided by quality concerns and offering very good cars with lots of standard features at economical prices plus a warranty program second to none. The 2007 Elantra has a nice design and should do well in the marketplace.

tsgeisel

Also, many of us like Hyundai because we own one.

backy

What's so special about the Elantra? For me, it's because the Elantra ('04 GT hatchback) gives me a roomy (EPA mid-sized, big cargo area), stylish ("fastback" style hatchback, which is uncommon and looks much like a Saab), comfortable (great driving position, smooth and quiet ride), feature-rich (leather, moonroof, ABS/traction, 6-speaker MP3 Pioneer audio, alloys, 8-way driver's seat, sport suspension and gauges, power package, remote with alarm, heated folding mirrors, trip computer, etc.), high-quality (excellent fit and finish, smooth switchgear, no rattles or squeaks or signficant problems after 2.5 years), economical (upper 20s to low 30s mpg in town, mid to upper 30s on the highway), low-emissions (SULEV available) car with the industry's best warranty. All for $13.2k + T&L (including 3 years of maintenance). What's not to like?

And the 2007 Elantra is supposed to be roomier, smoother, more refined, more economical, and less polluting (PZEV available), with even more features. The downsides are that no hatchback has been announced yet, and I doubt a fully-loaded 2007 Elantra will go for near $13k anytime soon.

mpgman

Mid to upper 30s on the road? I've got a light foot and never topped 33. The only way I can get high 30s (2001 GT automatic) is to reset the trip computer at the top of a hill and then coast down. :-) Got about 70 or 80 until the road levelled off.

snakeweasel

I was able to get a little more than 34 on my 2000 wagon. Level roads in Michigans UP, cruise control set to 60 and using 100% gas.

backy

I consistently get mid-30s with my automatic with no problem, if I stick to the speed limits and use a light foot on the gas. Upper 30s takes some doing, e.g. no A/C and a light load, and driving on highways with 55-60 mph speed limits vs. freeways at 70. I used to get over 40 mpg with my 5-speed GLS under those conditions.

carbuff94

That's pretty interesting. I would never have guessed that they are doing so well. I checked out the Elantra's site and am quite impressed.

doohickie

Backy puts it pretty well. I've owned my Elantra for less than a year, and backy was one of the main reasons I looked at the Elantra. I have no previous experience with Hyundai, but when comparing smallish (but not tiny) hatchbacks last fall, the Elantra was clearly the best value for the money.

The only thing I can complain about is the mileage; I've averaged 26.5 since owning the car, gotten as much as 35 mpg on long trips. Well, that, and the fact that I've gotten a Check Engine Light that required dealer attention three times now, but from what I hear from other Elantra owners, that's pretty rare (and I think that maybe the dealer hasn't properly diagnosed the problem the first two tries). My dealer has been very friendly and accommodating, but I've heard some people have less than perfect dealer experience. The one area Hyundai needs to improve is consistency between dealerships. They tend to run things a little looser than other brands and as a result there is more variation from one dealer to the next.

Other than that, the car's been great. Extremely comfortable and smooth for its size and price, and feature-filled. I got the base GLS model, and it still has power everthing (although no ABS or sunroof).

mpgman

I never let the gas station attendant (NJ won't let you pump your own) put the gas cap back on. My 01's cap is not easy to put back and tighten. You have to pay some attention to lining it up right. Unless the cap is tightened properly (I always turn it to hear a few clicks) I believe the oxygen or some other engine sensor activates and the engine light comes on. There is a multi-step routine you can do yourself to clear it but it involves x amount of the tank being full, the temperature, etc, and then several steps in order. It's a royal pain and the dealer will usually charge to reset it. Don't know if later models remedied this issue.

jlemoine

We've got a 2002 Elantra GLS AT with 56,000 miles on it. We always get 35-36 mpg on a trip and this is driving 65-70 mph. Since this car was new it has exceeded EPA highway mileage.

grutza

Does anyone know if they will offer a limited with gray leather?

doohickie

Note the last line in the article, a review from Australia: "A wagon and hatch will be available next year." Thanks to Yellow Elantra on ElantraClub.com for the scan.

snakeweasel

I certainly hope they do bring back the wagon, I love my Elantra wagon and would be very interested in another. But then again whats true for Oz may not be true for Columbia.

backy

Another interesting tidbit in the article is the availability (in Australia) of ESC and traction control. Those features have not been mentioned officially by HMA for the U.S.-spec cars. I hope that means those features will at least be available in the U.S., if not standard. (And what a coup that would be for Hyundai, having the only car in its class with standard ESC!)

danf1

ABS is standard, but no esc.

backy

Yep, the ABS has been in the Hyundai press announcements. But they haven't mentioned traction control. Any news whether that will come with ABS, as it does with the Elantra today? That feature is very useful to me, since I live in the snowbelt.

jaxs1

There was a mention of ESC in one of the press releases. No mention any US market Elantra wagon.
Wagon is extremely unlikely. Wait a couple years and you might see a Elantra-based "crossover" psuedo-mini-suv that may better fit Hyundais impression of US tastes. Or they may just point you to a Tucson instead to avoid crowding their showroom with cross-competing vehicles.

doohickie

Actually, a vehicle laid out like the Dodge Caliber but done *right* would appeal to me quite a bit. By "done right" I mean with the general styling of the Elantra- small car styling is fine on a small car; you don't have to make everything look like an SUV to make it sell. And also, the fit and finish of the Elantra in such a vehicle would be a vast improvement over the Caliber's cheap plastics and shoddy fit & finish.

If Hyundai wants to look at a crossover vehicle, I would suggest examining the Subaru Outback and the new Suzuki SX4. They are unprenteniously styled as cars without going all testorony-macho. At some point, some men at least, grow up and want something that *doesn't* look like a Tonka truck in the sandbox.

sonatabean

At some point, some men at least, grow up and want something that *doesn't* look like a Tonka truck in the sandbox.

That is actually quite funny you use those terms - I've pretty much said the same thing since I was six (1974).

That summer, as a result of travelling in the UK, I was "lucky" enough to spend some time in the back of a Silver Shadow owned by people with dough that my folks know.

Up until that point, like most six year olds, I wanted either a fire engine or a Corvette.

After the experience, I dediced an R-R S-S would do nicely, mostly because my wee six-year-old mind did not understand the pricetag compares to "roof over one's head" for most of the people on the planet.

Older, wiser, and not wealthy means, "...general styling of the Elantra- small car styling is fine on a small car; you don't have to make everything look like an SUV to make it sell. And also, the fit and finish of the Elantra in such a vehicle would be a vast improvement over the Caliber's cheap plastics and shoddy fit & finish," works for me quite nicely.

Thanks for the sentiment, doohickie. You really made my day!

doohickie

Look at how television portrays the typical house-husband these days. Starting with Tim Allen, TV dads are typically grunting, sweating, nad-scratching neanderthals. I love the humor, but that has become the default American male- a big overgrown boy.

Enough, already. Some of use can actually grow up and still be young at heart.

Kirstie_H

Young at heart, and driving a 2007 Hyundai Elantra?

(this would be a not-so-cleverly-concealed "back on topic" hint)

nodule

Hi Backy,

I see that you say that you are getting mid-30's MPG consistently
with you GLS automatic?. That seems amazing to me, as I certainly believe you. I own a 2005 GLS automatic with 20700
miles and I have NEVER returned milege that high! Im a VERY
conservative, easy going driver in the suburbs of central
new jersey. Whats your secret? Im also wondering what gasoline
brand and octane you are using? Ive been using Mobil 87 octane.
Interestly enough, when I use gas with 10% ethanol (E10), my
gas mileage decreases!

tsgeisel

Well, in my '05 GT auto (7100 mi) I hit 30 mpg for the first time in a while - and my average freeway driving speed is 80. I can see how, under calm driving conditions, mostly freeway, at or closer to the speed limit, I could get mid-30s.

I'm not counting on that happening anytime soon, though. The car just seems to run so nicely at 80...

backy

Yes, I consistently get mid-30s mpg with my GT automatic (sold the GLS to my sister, when I had it, and it was a 5-speed, I got upper-30s to low-40s consistently on the highway). I use E10 gas.

The only things I do to achieve those numbers are:

* Drive close to the speed limits. So if it's 65, I don't drive more than 66-67. I have to get "out of town" to get a highway with a 70 limit, so most of my highway driving is between 55-65.

* Use a light foot on the gas. Full throttle starts KILL fuel economy (I've proven that using my trip computer). I accelerate easily and try to keep my foot off the gas (a little "pulse and glide") or lightly touching it as much as possible. I am well past the point where I have to tear around like a crazy person--fun though that can be!

* Anticipate stops--in keeping with my goal of keeping my foot off the gas, and the brake, as much as possible. The car gets great mpg while coasting (in gear of course).

* Use A/C only when I have to. In Minnesota with a moonroof, I don't need to use A/C that often.

* Keep tires at spec or a little above. I sometimes go up as high as 35 psi, but on the GT that's a little firm (it already is firmer than my GLS) so more typically it's around 30-32.

* Do maintenance by the book ("severe service" schedule), and also I use a fuel injector cleaner every 3-4k miles. Don't know if that helps, but it doesn't seem to hurt.

Anyway, that's pretty much it. With those techniques, I get between upper 20s and low 30s "in town", depending on how much stop-and-go driving I do. Right now I'm at just over 27 mpg for the past few weeks of driving, and that has been all in-town and a lot of stop-and-go/bumper-to-bumper stuff. In winter it's a bit less.

P.S. When my wife used to have the car as her daily driver, she would consistently get low 20s in town. She has a lead foot, but also tends to let the car idle a lot during her errands. Plus she runs the A/C almost all the time except in the dead of winter. So driving habits do play a big role in fuel economy I think.

doohickie

Although I can't claim the same mileage backy does, I can agree with almost everything he says. However, I'll throw this out there for anyone who cares.

Backy said,
and also I use a fuel injector cleaner every 3-4k miles. Don't know if that helps, but it doesn't seem to hurt.

I used Chevron Techron once, out of a desire to do good preventive maintenance. During the following tank of gas, I got a Check Engine Light that resulted in a warranty repair. Without me telling him about the additive, the dealer tech said that the car is very sensitive to additives and frequently fuel system problems are due to additives, and also stated that modern detergent gasolines (which is most, if not all, gas) are more than adequate to keep fuel injectors clean.

I also spoke with an engineer who worked for Hyundai Motor America who practically had a cow when I told him I used fuel injector cleaner. On non-CVVT models (2003 & prior), it's not that big a deal, but there are additional sensors on CVVT-engined Elantras (2004 & later) that can be destroyed by high concentrations of fuel injector cleaners, according to him.

Having said all that, I'll say this: I don't know that the fuel injector cleaner *caused* my problem. I don't know that the dealer tech knows everything there is to know about additives and detergent gasolines. I do consider the HMA guy to be very trustworthy, so given his advice, I'm not using fuel injector cleaner any more on my 05 Elantra.

I'm not making a recommendation one way or the other to everyone else, but that's my experience.

backy

I guess the engine on my '04 GT is less sensitive to injector cleaners than yours is.

That said, I am very careful to use the cleaners in the recommended concentration, e.g. one bottle in a full tank. No problems yet anyway. Maybe the concentration is not on the "high" side as mentioned by the engineer you talked to.

emark

This is a reply to nodule in message# 958. This is my first post here, so please bear with me if I screw up the format.

You will always get lower gas mileage with E-10 as compared to regular gasoline. Also, I believe that all or nearly all gas sold is NJ has various additives that can also reduce fuel economy.

In PA, all stations that sell E-10 or any form of ethanol-laced gas must post it at the pump, at least in theory. I'm not sure how it works in NJ, but I saw a sticker at a pump in Hackettstown, Warren County, on Monday that said "This MAY contain up to 10% ethanol." (Added capitals for emphasis.)

Ethanol has less energy per ounce than gasoline, which is why it returns lower mileage, or so say the experts.

I like the idea of helping the environment and supporting the U.S. corn industry, but E-10 as it stands now, sold at the same price as regular gasoline, slams us right in the wallet for little or no benefit.

At least you get someone to pump the gas for you in NJ....ERM

doohickie

The benefit is not fuel economy; the benefit is emissions. They used to have ethanol as an additive years ago (E-10) to reduce emissions, but MTBE was better for that and had more energy per ounce, so it was adopted. MTBE was great for reducing emissions, but if the stuff got loose in liquid form in the environment, just a little contaminated a LOT of ground water. So it's being discontinued, and we're going back to E-10.

I believe the labels stating "May Contain Up To 10% Ethanol" are a federal requirement and are required in all states.

And backy... I don't know for sure that the additive caused my problems, but the timing seemed to indicate that. I used the recommended concentration- one regular size bottle of Techron with a full tank- and by the time I was down to about 1/4 tank after putting it in, the CEL came on. Did it cause it? Who knows... :confuse:

jjx456

link 1

link 2

backy

Thanks for the links! That second review was one of the most detailed I've ever seen. For example, it explained in detail how Hyundai achieved the 4 mpg increase in fuel economy with the Beta engine on the '07 Elantra 4AT.

Wish we in the States would get some of those options available in Australia, e.g. stability control with traction control. There's also goodies like auto climate control and backup sensors available in Australia, but I think I can live without those.

prosource1

I thot this was a 2007 Elantra forum. Backy, practice what you preached to me a few months back re staying on topic. I believe there is a MPG forum for the Elantra too.

backy

And you've been waiting all these months for me to post something that's not on topic? Whatever floats your boat...

I apologize for my two posts on pre-2007 Elantra fuel economy. I was trying to be polite and answer a direct question put to me. I guess in the future I should ignore questions like that so I don't offend folks like you.

Kirstie_H

Hey, what in the heck am I going to do if you folks start doing the host's job? I'll take care of member issues... you guys just talk about the cars, OK?

grutza

Does anyone know where the 07 will be priced? Or can anyone do the conversions from the review?

backy

You can try doing the conversions, but it's tricky because the feature content of the models offered in South Africa and Australia look to be different than what we will get in the U.S. HMA has said the 2007 Elantra will start "under $14,000." I am betting that means w/o destination charge, which is about $600. So figure around $14.5k list for a base GLS. Then add the packages as described in HMA's press release. You can do some estimating on those based on what similar options go for on other Hyundai models. You can also do some estimating based on what comparably-equipped Accents and Sonatas cost--the Elantras should fall in between. So I estimate a well-equipped GLS will run around $16-16.5k, with a loaded Limited nudging $19k.

Or just wait a few days until HMA releases pricing on the Elantra here. It shouldn't be long now; my local dealer said they would be getting the cars starting this month.

grutza

Thanks for the reply. My dealer in Virginia said not until mid October. But they are a smaller operation so they will get theirs later. I knew they were starting under 14 but didn't know if anyone had some inside info on pricing.

backy

One thing I've noticed is that pricing on the 2006 Elantras has gone up about $400 in the past year. A loaded GT for example lists for over $18k now. The '04 GT I bought with identical equipment (except it has a Kenwood MP3 audio system) listed for only $17,414. Maybe that's HMA's way of preparing us for higher prices on the '07s. So maybe my estimate of a loaded Limited, with more content than the '06 GT, pushing $19k isn't too far off. We'll see pretty soon. Even though your local dealer won't get cars until October, the pricing will need to be out (and available online) when the first cars hit the dealers.

backy

Just heard something interesting at my local Hyundai dealer. A sales rep told me that the 2007 Elantras won't show up until January because of the recent strike at the factory in Korea. To partially compensate, they are ramping up I4 Sonata production in Alabama.

luvmbooty

I understand there are 2 times a year that are best to buy a car...August (getting rid of last years models) and December (during holidays not many buy cars). The best deals are given by manufacturers at these times.

Since 2007 Elantra is due now in January, I guess it will miss the year end sales, right?

I heard the 2007 will have an increased interior volume (96 cu ft) and increased mpgs (high 20s city and mid 30s highway). This is the kind of sedan I've been looking for. Large enough interior for family of 5, better than 24 city (EPA), and a reasonable price! Way to go Hyundai!

Now just have to wait for IIHS testing to see if it's the perfect family car...

backy

Well, you would miss the year-end sale on the 2007 Elantra even if it were available this fall, for two reasons:

* Unlikely there would be any significant incentives/discounts on the all-new Elantra so soon after introduction, and

* Unlikely that the IIHS tests would be out so soon. Maybe for the frontal tests, since the IIHS might let Hyundai report their own results on those.

If Hyundai doesn't hurry up, they will run smack-dab into the marketing blitz for the all-new 2008 Corolla, which is due out in early 2007. That will be an interesting match-up.

nodule

Does anyone here know what OEM tires Hyundai intends to
put on the 2007 Elantra? Will they go aagain with the mediocore
Michelin MXV4 plus again??
On Saturday, I just replaced my OEM Michelins on my 2005
GLS with only 21000 miles with the Komho Solus KH16.
Wow! What a huge improvement in ride smoothness and comfort
and better handling, particularly in the rain!
This is a great replacement for our OEM Michelins!

nodule

By the way...I didnt replace OEM Michelins due to low
thread life...I just wanted a better riding and tire
that would be smoother and more quiet!
The tires were wearing perfectly even all around, but the
ride was somewhat rough, I felt.

backy

Interestingly, Hyundai has said nothing about the tire brand in press releases and on their web site. They did mention the Michelin tires on the 2001-06 Elantra prominently. So that may mean there will be other tires on the Elantra, but not clear yet. One thing we do know is that 16-inchers will come standard on the SE and Limited, but 15" on the GLS (as today).

nodule

Im wondering if it is just me, or does the new 2007 Elantra's
new exterior styling look rather effeminate?? The first pictures of it triggered that in my mind. I think it does
look rather girly, almost something that a woman would
drive! I was very disappointed when I saw it.

Im wondering all the members thoughts here...