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Comments
Looks like the SEs are a little hard to get.
I test drove one after driving a 2009 Corolla LE and I found the Elantra roomier and more comfortable.
The Elantra was quiet cruising along, but the engine was very loud when accelerating. Still needs more sound insulation. The 2009 Corolla was pretty quiet even at high RPM, but I think it may have been a little too small for me.
I noticed a few features on the Elantra that the Corolla LE didn't have, like sun visor extensions, XM and rear seat center armrest.
The Corolla had fully automatic headlights (that turn on automatically at dark) and automatic door locks.
Not totally satisfied with either car at this point and I may look at Sonatas, Camrys and Accords later or find a Corolla XLE to see if I can adjust the seat to find a more comfortable driving position.
Looking at a Sonata or a used Camry or Accord might be a good bet. You can snatch a nicely-equipped 2008 Sonata GLS now for around $6000 off MSRP, depending on the deals offered in your area. That would put it around $14.5k or so before T&L. It would certainly cost less than a Corolla XLE, and maybe less than the Elantra SE.
I haven't even seen aftermarket iPod or aux kits for the 2008 Sonata other than awkward FM modulators.
The 2009 Sonata is so much nicer than the 2008s because of the new interior and the 5-speed automatic that gets a couple extra mpgs,
The Toyotas and Hondas cost more to buy new, but you may get all the extra money back and more at resale if you aren't planning to keep it for 10 or more years.
I will probably trade the car within 5 -6 years, so resale will be an issue.
I would lease and trade every 3 years, but I'm not sure how many miles I will average in the next 3 years, so a lease is risky.
I owned one Elantra for 5-1/2 years and own another now (4 years). So far I've come out just fine on resale value/depreciation on both cars.
The huge savings on the 2008 Sonata would help pay for an aftermarket head unit with all the inputs you could want, and the extra gas that the 4-speed AT takes compared to the 5-speed. I never found the 2006-8 Sonata's interior all that bad, but the 2009's is certainly nicer.
But it looks like a Toyota or Honda is a better choice for you, given your opinion on resale value--if you can find one that you like. I'm not sure that's possible.
I can't find anything about this anywhere on the web. He claimed it was an inside service bulletin that isn't available to the general public. So, when I have questions such as these, I find forums can be helpful.
Is this true?
Remember, compare price actually paid to the resale or trade-in value plus the value of not paying more up front (or in financing costs) when analyzing how much of an issue resale or trade-in value will be.
Can the door locks be programmed to automatically lock when you put the car in Drive or reach a certain speed?
I noticed the 2009 Toyota Corolla has both these features, so I wonder if the Elantra matches it.
Isn't there much competition amongst the Hyundai dealers in Atlanta?
One question I have is, when will Hyundai will add ESC standard to the Elantra GLS? They will need to do it by 2011 in any case. So they might wait for the next redesign, or if they want to be bold they could pretty easily become the first mainstream automaker to offer ESC standard in all of their cars in the U.S. by adding it to the Elantra GLS, the Accent (already has ABS standard on the SE and available on the GLS), and the next-gen Tiburon (assuming the Genesis coupe doesn't take its place in the lineup).
They already offer other options on the GLS that cost more than the additional cost of VSC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-hHWSQhKuc&NR=1
For example, if you drove an Elantra GLS vs. a loaded Sentra SL, I could see how the experience would be much different. But an Elantra SE with leather vs. the Sentra SL, another story. I've driven a comparably-equipped Elantra and Sentra (GLS vs. S) back to back over the same course and I preferred the Elantra overall, although the Sentra was a pleasant car to drive. The bottom line for me was that I didn't see a reason to spend the extra money on the Sentra compared to the Elantra, especially since the Sentra lacks a key safety feature, ESC, that is important to me and is standard on the Elantra (SE trim). I'm also not sold on the CVT yet. Maybe I'm old-fashioned.
So, I was set to get 2008 Hyundai Elantra S fully loaded with leather etc... but after test driving one my wife and I were unimpressed it felt like we are driving a budget car or a downgrade from base Mazda6. We even test drove fully loaded 2008 Sonata because the price with rebate was great but we both felt that’s not a car for our age group.
Then, we went to check out Sentra SL and it was totally different experience. The car inside looked like a mini Lexus, nice dashboard, great seats and quiet engine, I was surprised how well it was built because previous Sentra experiences I had weren’t really positive. Test drive went well. The car had that “tight” feeling. My wife enjoyed it and I did too. Although, Sentra felt underpowered for me in comparison to my Outlander, but it’s ok as long as my wife is happy.
This was our first time driving CVT and my wife didn't even notice a difference. As for me I only noticed that I would prefer more power.
There are minor annoyances with Sentra. Mirrors are not foldable and they felt a bit strange to look at, leather seats are not heated (Elantra's are) and personally I would prefer power seat for driver because I couldn't find perfect position on both cars.
So we bought Sentra, price wise Sentra and Elantra were about the same (we got 1.3% under invoice – 1250 rebate - $500 coupon), I decided that ECS wasn’t as important and warranty could be bought if needed, but we may change car in 3 years to something else anyway.
Gas milage is roughly 300 miles a on a tank and my wife has a heavy foot.
P.S. The first car we looked at was 2009 Corolla and being more expensive then both cars it didn't offer much and interior felt cheaply made for what you pay
IMO either the Elantra or Sentra would be a "step down" from the Mazda6.
I like folding mirrors also. They have helped a lot in tight squeezes in parking garages. If you live in a cold climate, you may wish you had the seat heaters. But my '04 Elantra doesn't have seat heaters and I've survived. As for ESC, if you don't think it's important for yourself, have you considered your wife? I want my next car to have ESC not so much for myself but for my daughter, who will get the car in a few years. And my wife will drive it sometimes.
I agree with you on the Corolla--the interior is very cheap looking.
While Mazda6 didn't have ESC either my wife drove it for a few years without any issues in various conditions. If you like to race and do heavy cornering maybe ESC is a must for some people. Personally, I prefer AWD system but that comes at cost of not so great gas milage.
I wouldn't want to park in a tight spots for many reasons, I would rather walk extra few feet and park further away, although in my 10 years of driving I never had to fold a mirror to park somewhere even in the tighest spots when I had no choice. I could replace stock mirrors to foldable for very cheap... not a big deal.
Finally, Elantra didn't come with bluetooth which is a shame. More accidents are caused by people talking on their phone then not having ESC and I would feel better if my wife used bluetooth for that instead of trying to reach in her purse for a cellphone while doing 60 mph on a freeway. I know it could be installed at additional charge, but it's not cheap.
To add a few more things, when we test drove Elantra there was too much interior noise especially from engine and inside it felt cramped. It feels more safe sitting and driving in Sentra, somewhat beefier
I tried, I bought the latest and the greatest for my wife (Z9) because it was nice and cute which she stopped using it within a week because she didn't like the fact she had to charge it and put it on every time, kind of defeated the whole purpose of convenience.
Navigation? It's nice to have, but not worth the price. I have navigation in my car, but I just don't use it. When you live in the same city for a long time and know all ins and outs what's the point? I do appreciate the conveniences when we go on a long drive, but in a daily commuter car it's useless which was Sentra and Elantra is for.
When one's commute is 50 miles (one way) an Elantra (or Sentra) is an IDEAL car, and Nav is very handy, especially if it includes traffic service....especially if you only know one end of the commute real well, and the other end is White Plains, NY.
As far as Bluetooth, while I can see the convenience of having a speaker there, I'd still keep the earbud around (I have the Jabra BT8010). If anyone else is in the car and you're depending on the car's Bluetooth, then there's no way to have a private conversation (holding a phone to your ear can get you pulled over in NYS).
Following the same logic you have with Bluetooth, did you know you can buy Navigation unit for way cheaper then integrated one these days?
I don't think you can classify talking on a dedicated Bluetooth headset as a private conversation if you have someone in the car. It’s more of a semi-private or if this person is a stranger then it would be just rude.
In any case, most cars these days already have Bluetooth capability standard (without any additional cost) and if you are not happy with it you can always buy Bluetooth headset for $30
Unfortunately, I don't have much choice about the 100 miles a day....there's no train between here and home (I'd have to go to NYC and then come back north on another train line, thereby creating a 2 hour one way commute). I can live with it so long as I'm driving something comfortable (hence considering the Elantra...my Mazda3 isn't really meant for comfy highway travel, and the mileage isn't that great either).
As far as a Nav unit...I have one. It's dog slow, and you can't hear the voice prompts at max volume. I could theoretically plug it into the stereo, except that my car doesn't have an AUX jack...the Elantra would but the screen is so small the unit needs to be on my left to be readable. There are advantages to decent-sized, high mounted navigation systems, especially when they're integrated with the audio system.
And, in fact, most cars of this class do NOT offer integrated Bluetooth....a few do, but it's actually easier to find ESC than it is to find BT.
Related to long commute I've been there and done it for couple of years so can understand your pain. There is nothing anyone can do about it.
Sometimes you need to swerve to avoid other drivers in rain or winter weather where it's very easy to lose control without speeding or racing.
I have never needed ESC in the past either, but I have never needed my airbags either and I still want to have them.
Statistics have already proven that ESC reduces accidents by a very significant number in real life.
It all comes down to how you drive, reaching for your cell phone, tailgating or cutting someone off, it wouldn't matter if you have ESC or AWD or whatever...
Your observations on noise and room are interesting. I found the Elantra at least as quiet if not moreso than the Sentra when I drove them back to back (I took an Elantra up to 80 mph on a rental drive and it was still quiet inside), and also the Elantra has MORE interior room than the Sentra. But I agree, the Sentra's styling (which I don't care for personally) does make the car look "beefier" than the Elantra.
Despite that, this wasn't deciding factor, deciding factor was best bang for your buck as well as best feel for your buck. I felt like I would be over paying for Elantra. I suppose if I would be paying under $15k for it, it may have been ok. If it worked for you that's great, it didn't work for us. Elantra is good for a budget commuter car and there is no point in getting leather in it because it would bring the price closer to Sonata. We on the other hand wanted something more and Sentra SL offered just that without breaking the bank.
Styling is all subjective. I actually prefer styling of Mazda3 or even 2009 Corolla, but when you are shopping for a budget car styling usually isn't a priority
Cons for 2008 Elantra S:
Outdated Dashboard
Cheap feel inside
Annoying Engine noise
No Bluetooth
Felt small inside
No smart key
more $$$ for fully loaded one then fully loaded Sentra
Dealership experience wasn't great
Cons for 2008 Sentra SL:
Not foldable mirrors
no ESC
shorter warranty
leather seats are not heated
Interesting you'd compare the Elantra to the Sonata. If you are looking for the most car for your bucks, the Sonata offers far more than either the Elantra or Sentra, e.g. folks now are going out the door with a 2008 Limited (leather and all the toys) for $18k or less.
I'd say a "budget commuter car" is something like a B-class car like an Accent or Yaris or Versa, not an Elantra or Sentra, especially the upscale trims with leather etc. Those are pretty darn nice cars, not what I'd consider "budget" by any means.
BTW, there is no such thing as an Elantra S. But I really like the Elantra's dashboard (and the center display doesn't wash out in daylight like the Sentra's did), I found the car (AT) very quiet up to 80 mph (a speed I'll never reach in normal conditions), and I don't have any problem inserting a key into the ingnition to start it.
Maybe next year Nissan will make ESC available on its I4 cars and then I could seriously consider the Sentra.
People buy new 2008 Sonata GLSs for $15K and less, so you can probably get an Elantra SE for less than $15K
I don't see the Elantra interior as seeming either "outdated," cheap or small compared to other compact cars. It certainly felt a lot roomier than even the new 2009 Corolla.
The Elantra does have dealer accessory bluetooth available. It isn't as nice as the Sentra's factory bluetooth that integrates audio muting and caller-id into the stereo display, but it isn't "no bluetooth." You have to hit the mute button yourself and either use your phone's display (mount the phone with a vent clip) or listen to the spoken audio caller-ID.
The engine in the Elantra is noisy when revved for hard acceleration, but I didn't see the Sentra as being quiet under the same situation when I test drove it. The Corolla would be quietest with the pedal floored. The Elantra is quiet at cruising speed.
Lack of VSC is in the Sentra a much bigger con than lack of Smartkey.
Interior room is not big difference and that's what I tried to point out. Sentra has slightly more front headroom as well as shoulder room and for me it felt bigger inside, just because Elantra is .2 c ft bigger inside doesn't make it THAT big as you made it seem. If you are small then you probably wouldn't appreciate extra headroom or shoulder room Sentra has.
Interior was noisy in the idle state, it didn't feel like it offered good insulation as well because there was engine noise when the car was idling (stopped at the light)
I've owned mostly entry level luxury cars (Acura TSX, Lexus ES etc...) in the past and when trying Elantra it felt like it was a downgrade which is ok to a certain extent, but Sentra did not have that feel and that's what sealed the deal.
The reason why we considered 2008 Sonata Limited i4 because of $3k rebate and invoice price that brought the pricing on the same level as 2008 Elantra SE w/ leather.
Personally, I think both 2008 Elantra and 2008 Sonata have an outdated front panel look, if you haven't seen a 2009 Sonata then you wouldn't know what's an up to date look. 99% of the time driver looks at the dashboard, so I would say it's more important then exterior look. Elantra's dashboard is functional, but it's not pleasing to look at.
It all comes down to preferences, if you want the best bang for your buck on a budget car that's safe and reliable and you don't care how it looks inside and out then 2008 Elantra is as good as it gets (although I wouldn't bother with SE model because then it's overpriced for what you get), but if you want something more in a budget car, the look, the feel then you should look elsewhere. We found that in Sentra SL.
There are rebates and discounts on the Elantra also.
The 2008 Sentra doesn't have stability control which is one of the most important and effective safety features available today.
It's great that you are trying to educate prospective buyers, but let's try to separate fact from opinion:
Fact: Elantra is slightly roomier inside than the Sentra, as I reported earlier.
Fact: Elantra is slightly quieter at idle (37 vs. 38 dBA) and 70 mph cruise (69 vs. 70 dBA) than the Sentra, according to tests done by Car & Driver. This was for an Elantra SE vs. Sentra S, both equipped with manual transmissions. (The AT on the Elantra is reported being quieter than the stick; I don't know the relative noise level for the stick Sentra vs. CVT). C/D also found the Sentra was slightly quieter (75 vs. 76 dBA) at full throttle than the Elantra.
As for the Elantra being a downgrade from cars like the Acura TSX or Lexus ES... of course it is! It's an economy sedan vs. near-luxury sedans that cost about twice as much. And the Sentra is also a downgrade from cars like that. If you believe the Sentra has the feel of an Acura TSX or Lexus ES, I am happy for you, but I didn't get that feeling when I drove the Sentra. But then, C/D called the Sentra a "mini-Town Car" due to its tippy, bobbing suspension and lack of cornering grip, so maybe comparing the Sentra to a much more expensive car isn't such a reach after all.
As for looks, they are purely subjective. I like the looks inside and out of the Elantra much better than the Sentra. C/D called the Sentra's exterior "tortured." But you like how the Sentra looks, and that is what is important for you since it's your money. However, your saying that the Elantra is good if "you don't care how it looks inside and out" is pretty rude, as in, "I don't like the way the Elantra looks so obviously no one else should like it either."
As for the Elantra SE being overpriced for what you get, if you can please tell me where you can find another new, 2008 (or 2009) car with mid-sized interior room, standard ABS/ESC/traction control, 16" alloys, tilt/telescope leather wheel with audio controls, 6-speaker stereo with aux input and XM radio, fog lamps, trip computer, cruise, remote locking with alarm, full power, 60/40 rear seat with center armrest, good fuel economy, good history of reliability, and a 10-year warranty for under $17,000 MSRP including destination, and a discounted price as low as a little over $12k, let me know, as I want to buy it.