New Elantra Owners - Give us your report!
Did you just buy a new Hyundai Elantra? Tell us all about it!
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Comments
I am thinking I got a lemon... but one thing I did notice is that right before I received the car a guy was unplugging the dealer's alarm system and left a few wires hanging right above the brake pedal. When I asked the guy he said that was OK. I am hoping I didn't get a lemon.
SO I had the car for not even a week and I have seen the Check Engine Light twice... What should I expect? :confuse:
I like the car a lot, better than the Corolla, the Elantra just feels much better on the road and is roomier.
Any suggestions? I will take it to a different dealer tomorrow (close to work) and ask what's going on.
I do recall now that the first light appeared right after I passed a bump and the car shaked a bit. I think there is something loose.
Now, for the purpose of this thread, I love the car! My brother-in-law drives a lexus... and the ride in that car is smooth... my Elantra drives just as smooth... I love it!!! The radio, even though is simple, sounds very nice and the buttons are big and simple; I only wish it was MP3 capable, but I have an MP3 player with an FM transmitter. The head lights are bright, the interior is very comfortable - the seats can be adjusted in many ways like tilt, back and forth, etc, etc, etc! The Elantra is responsive when you step on the gas, this was another point that made me buy it. When I drove a Corolla and I stepped on the gas then engine almost chocked (a certified 06 with 12K miles).
I am very happy with this car despite the CELs (Check Engine Light.) It is cheaper than the Corolla and it feels way better to sit on the Elantra than on the Corolla (I felt trapped the Corollas I drove).
One more thing, the view while driving is nice and wide, other cars just made me feel I was driving an egg. Even though the Elantra looks small, it feels like a bigger car. Ohh well. I think that's it for now, I hope I am not forgetting something important.
Have a good one.
When I bought my 05 GT the dealer forgot to screw on the gas cap so I screwed it down and drove for about 300 miles with the CEL on. It was suppose to turn off after so many miles without incident. Since it never did turn off I just did the above steps and have never had the issue reappear.
At speeds up to ~82 mph, it stayed quiet (similar to my 05 accord ex v6) with no vibration. Very easy to drive. The engine does make a racket under heavy acceleration, but under normal driving, it is nice and smooth/quiet.
It does not have a "floaty" feel on the highway. My '04 Camry LE (5 speed) was close to floaty and this Elantra is less so.
The stereo w/ipod connectivity (aux) works great!
The seat fabric and door pulls could be higher quality, but otherwise the interior is very functional/attractive, with a quality feel (materials and switches, etc).
It feels fairly nimble on side streets; easy to toss around.
Not a lot of feedback in the steering on the highway, but no problem.
Cruise control worked fine.
Brakes seemed to work very well.
We haven't calculated mileage yet.
My son and wife love it.
Anyhow, my wife and I just purchased a 2007 Elantra GLS today and we are very pleased with our decision. Tremendous gas milage, ABS/SAB/SAC + power windows and locks standard, and a $1500 A/C, stereo + CD player package (plus a couple extras) put us at $16047 + TT&L. The price is right for such a safe, comfortable car. With our first baby on the way, we feel very satisfied with our purchase!
no rattles or squeaks, as the car if very quiet. very little to no engine noise, no road noise, and very little wind noise going 50-60.
It has been two days and two hundred miles since the purchase of our new car. The first word my wife said while driving it out of the dealership was "smooth". That completely describes the car. Shifting is incredibly smooth, and I have owned many manual shift vehicles. My only complaint with the manual is the location of reverse (lift the ring, move left and up). It's not a big deal, really, just something to get used to (without confusing it with our other car).
Driving impressions:
This car rides very nicely, mainly due to its 16" wheels and 205 width tires. Road noise/engine noise is virtually non-existent. I realize C&D reviewers complained about this issue at above 72 mph. I can tell you, having driven the car at highway speeds, that they are complaining about nothing. At no time (up to 85mph) did the engine whine or reach an unacceptable volume. At 80, the tach reads just under 3500 rpm, which is comparable to other 5 speeds I've driven/owned. The cabin is well insulated and road noise is not a factor in driving experience. In fact, it's quieter than many "true midsize" cars on the road today.
This is not a sports car, but does accelerate well, and has power on hand when you require it. We passed a car today safely and quickly without the need to downshift (our pass began in 5th gear at 40 mph, and ended at 50 mph).
Cornering and stability are well above average - again, the wheel and tire size help in this area. There is some light body roll at 80 mph, but it is nothing to complain about.
Interior impressions:
There is almost nothing wrong with the interior. Fit and finish is near perfect. The leather is soft to the touch and the seats are supportive and firm. Seat adjustment suits both of us quite well, even though there is almost a foot difference in our height. The heated front seats are excellent and all controls are well laid out for easy operation. Radio and cruise controls on the steering wheel are a nice feature and easy to use. One of my favorite features is the carbon fiber dash and console inlays. All the pictures I've seen show a titanium dash look, but the carbon fiber matches the black leather and carbon gray exterior very nicely. The back seats are equally comfortable. I rode in the back today while my father in law drove the car and I thought there was a great deal of space.
I have only two interior complaints: First, even though there are storage bins galore, none are very large, so I am trying to figure out how each should be used (most specifically, the storage on top of the dash cannot fit a CD, so what goes in there?) Second, the control area of the dash cuts into the passenger legroom in order to have symmetry in design. It's not a big deal, but it would be nice to recover that space for my knee when I sit there. Oddly enough, even though this design is symmetrical, I do not experience any problems while driving.
The only other change I would want to see is the method of mounting the inside rear view mirror. I'd rather see it mounted to the ceiling than the windshield. Hopefully, Hyundai will rectify this next year.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this car to anyone who is looking for more car for the money. Great looks, great ride, loads of features, great warranty, great price. I think Hyundai has a winner with this one!
I currently use it to hold my phone (which, conveniently enough, is also my GPS). The useless one for me is the one just below the climate control setup. I wonder what they had in mind for in there.
I just got a 2005 Hyundai Elantra on Aug 9, 2007.Its an automatic. Still checking it out. So far I like the way it rides, nice and smooth. Very quiet.
I like the fact it still has the remaining warranty on it, but the dealership wasnt clear on what is remaining. Now I have to find out about extended warranties and gap insurance. Does anyone know about these things? What is the best one to get?
Thanks
Nan
It may be surprisingly inexpensive compared compared to what a dealer would charge.
Unfortunately I did try, but they dont do it. So now I have to find a reputable company that can do both extended warranties and gap. There are alot of companies that just want to take you money and I already had one bad experiene.
Hopefully someone on this forum can recommend one or both of the insurances to me.
Thanks for your reply
Nan
backy, "Hyundai Elantra Owners: Meet the Members" #201, 28 Aug 2007 6:58 pm
If you have an independent agent call him, he can probably help. It's those one company agents or direct sellers that often work strictly on price, often without telling the customer that they are getting less coverage.
As far as my car goes. It is one of the best vehicles I brought. The engine purrs and it is so quiet.
I really didnt like buying an Hyundai was good. But let me tell you, if you want a great car that is great on gas even in the city look at the Hyundai.
I am getting some good comments about the look of the car. The Euro-flange alloy wheels, 4-disc brakes shining from behind the Euro spokes and muscular stance is quite impressive looking especially from the rear 3/4 view. The black is sexy (when it's clean).
My first impressions is that the cabin feels spacious, comfortable, and also mildly sporty and elegant. You FEEL like you are in a nicer car. Ergonomics are pretty intuitive. Climate control knobs are big and easy to get to, though how to adjust the fan speed was not the same as my old car, so it took a while. The cloth seats in light colors attract dirt fast; I only had the car 3 weeks and I have spot from semi dirty hands. I am considering seat covers seriously.
I like the stereo, it comes with 3 months of XM. Have not tried the MP3 jack. Rear speakers are in the doors, so when you open the doors you can hear the music very well. Bass could be deeper a tad.
Trying to get used to the light accelerator and elecrtronic steering. I like a little more feedback from both...my previous car is a 93 Geo Prizm so I am new to electronic steering. When taking quick turns I am concerned about oversteer. It does have decent pep, but sometimes I think it shifts too early when accelerating from a dead stop.
Suspension is soft and you will be startled by some potholes and train tracks. But that is not because of super harshness...more so because at other times the car is so smooth and quiet.
Gas mileage is not quite to spec yet, but I see it creeping up as I drive more. I have 500 miles on it now. I will be dissappointed if I don't average at least 30 mpg overall by 1500 miles. My first tank of gas I avg under 24mph and I drive pretty easy-going. This is based on not just the gauge but how much gas I refilled into the tank.
Lots of new features to get used to. To access fold down seats you need to push a button in the trunk first. At first I thought it was so valets can't get in the trunk, but there is an electronic trunk release in the front seat and there is NO valet key. So maybe it is a secondary escape route in case you get locked in your trunk by your bookie's muscle. The primary escape method is glow in the dark handle which opens the trunk from the inside.
Will submit a real review after 1500 more miles.
Just 2 problems:
The rear suspension transfers sound through the car. When I go over a bump, it sounds like a timpani drum in the back seat and on bumpy roads it drives me CRAZY!! It's so loud that when the stereo is on, the tone of the car clashes with the bass in the music. I would really love it someone knew how to reduce it somehow.
Gas milage is not as good as was stated. At best I get about 30 - 31 and I drive like grandma. My first few tanks I did get 36 or so, but for some reason it has fallen off.
Over all I am very happy with the car. I was looking at a Mazda 3 and the Nisan Sentra, but 'm glad I got the Hyundai!
Oh Yeah - This car has more airbags than any car I've seen. My mother is very happy!
Is anyone getting the noise in the back when you go over bumps? It's a mid-bass tone at about 250Hz or so. Sounds like some one hitting a drum. When I get time, I'm going to take it to the dealer to see if they have a solution.
With all the air bags and the small size makes for a great starter car. And let's be honest, the kids are going to be lookin' to Mom & Dad to help them with their purchase, as it should be. Eventhough I prefer Honda for me, I have the income to afford it. Kids just starting out with their first job need to be a bit more frugal in buying the new car. And if they're not living at home, makes it even more crucial to look for the most reliable lower priced new cars that can be had. Seems like Korea has this market covered now.
The Sandman
I've driven several 2007 Elantras and didn't notice any peculiar noise from the back. It's possible it's a noise that you are particularly attuned to. Some people are more sensitive to certain frequencies than others.
Also... did you check the spare tire to see if it's loose, or if anything (like the toolkit) is loose in the trunk?
Wife took it back to the dealer for some minor (trim) warranty work. I've owned a number of four cylinder cars in my lifetime but never one that has such a powerful A/C that exerts so little drain on the engine.
I wish you lots of luck with your new car. I just got mine but unfortunately it is a 2005. It really runs well. My first real full up I got 25.25miles per gallon on it.
Now I have to wait until we finish this tank to compare it. I really dont go far with the car because of my disability but I really love it.
Enjoy your car
Nan
And when they're ready to move up to the Honda, yours will probably still be running!
I'm seeing Hyundais less than a year old with very low miles skirting the $10K mark. My first car was $1700, half of which was paid by my savings. Can't find ANYTHING decent for that money nowadays.
Sorry to chime in on that, guess it just struck a chord with me!
I know that the "coolness" factor is way low on any Hyundai model, but when just starting out in a new job, any new car will do and an affordable one will be even better. Hyundai fits the bill nicely.
The Sandman
I know about 1st cars. It is certainly different from when I got mine. I just got the 2005 Elantra because my son just got his permit and my other car (chevy Cavalier) died. I think this was the best idea ever. The car drives so fantastic and is very quiet. I dont understand parents who buy their children expensive 1st cars. They are looking for trouble.
If parents were more responsible instead of giving in to their childrens wims I think the kids will take better care of the vehicles and make sure they have it for awhile. My son wanted a nice sporty looking car and I said absouletly not.
An Elantra is just the perfect starter car for a kid just out of college and into the 1st job. Hell, it's a great car for almost anyone. Am seeing more and more on the roads down here in South Florida and plenty of Sonatas also. Think Hyundai does very well in Florida and luckily there's a new dealership just outside our development on car dealer row, just next to our Mazda dealer. Have been talking up the Elantra to the kids alot so they will put it on their short lists when the time comes.
The Sandman
My only complaint is that it is somewhat difficult to see out the rear window, being that is it small and higher than what I am used to.
I'd definitely recommend this car to most anyone.
I am sorry to hear that. I test drived mine but I got a 2005 and it was wonderful and still is. You know it could be a fluke. Dont get your self to crazy here. Bring it in and see. Maybe they will even switch the car for another one. What state are you in?
Nan