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Hyundai Elantra 5-door

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Comments

  • claywaterfillclaywaterfill Member Posts: 534
    Let your mom drive both and decide. She has to drive it every day, not you (or your father). There were some posts a while back about blind spots. See if your mom has a blind spot in the GT. If she does, then she should not get one. I think she'll be happy either way. She might kind of like the more "retro" look of the Spectra interior--who knows?
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Hi th003g - In addition to the good feedback here, you may also want to compare these two in Edmunds' side-by-side vehicle comparison tool. In addition, feel free to start up a "Hyundai Elantra vs Kia Spectra" discussion on the Hatchbacks board if you'd like. Good luck with your decision. ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • claywaterfillclaywaterfill Member Posts: 534
    I'm sure they are not the exact same vehicle, but wouldn't they be close enough to discourage such a comparison?
  • polar2polar2 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all I have had my GT for about a month now and I'm wondering if anyone besides me has noticed that the gas mileage on the sticker does not even come close to what I actually get. Can anyone tell me if it gets better as the car works out all the kinks of being new?
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    started out in the low 20's mixed driving and is now right at 30 mpg. Hyundai engines are notoriously tight and require quite a few miles to loosen up. I'm just over 8,000 miles and have just switched from 10-30 SuperTech (Quaker State) to 5W30 for the winter. I imagine that switching to a full syn. would get you a couple of extra tenths, but will probably stay with dino. especially with the new SL/ILSAC 3 classifications which are (usually) a syn. mix anyway.
  • th003gth003g Member Posts: 149
    anyone know where I can get a flexible rubber antenna to replace the fixed mast POS on the GT? You know like the kind on ALL VW's and the Civic (GOD I hate that word). BTW my parents decided on a 2002 Sonata GLS for my mom. in Desert Sand, gonna have to get a power antenna for that one to since it only comes with fixed mast also.. wonder why hyundai won't spring a little extra for the power or the rubber.
  • cjaccettacjaccetta Member Posts: 236
    I think you can get them at places like Radio Shack or most any auto parts store. The black rubber antennas actually look decent on the GT; probably due to the GT's employment of black body moulding.

    (The downside is that it's difficult to use electrical tape to attach a small American flag to the flexible antennas. I'm all for displays of patriotism, but if you're going to fly the flag on your vehicle please be sure to secure it properly! I've seen way too many Old Glories on the side of highway lately.)

    Also, to any GT owners who live in snowy areas: be sure to post your winter driving experiences. The flakes are already falling in some areas of the great land of ours.

    Happy Motoring!
  • bill_1bill_1 Member Posts: 97
    I would guess that the reason that Hyundai does not spring for the more expensive antenna is that they do have to make compromises if they are going to keep the costs so low. I would prefer see them do it with the antenna (which most people don't pay much attention to anyway) than with the tires : ).
  • peterwronskypeterwronsky Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone else have difficulty seeing the trip/mpg/odometer readout? No problem at night when the dashboard is illuminated, but impossible to read during the day unless the sunlight is coming over my shoulder. Real bummer when trying to follow directions like "turn left three miles after the stoplight". Everything else about the car meets or exceeds my expectations. Is there a fix, other than carrying a small flashlight?
    TIA.
  • shado4shado4 Member Posts: 287
    ...of buying a 2002 Hyundai Elantra GT, silver (pewter), auto, moonroof, ABS/traction (in other words...loaded!) for $100 over invoice.

    Good? Bad? Indifferent?

    I've read all the posts on this board since Sunday night, test drove the GT last night and came away pretty impressed.

    I'm looking for more owner comments. Is this car REALLY as good as what I've been reading?

    Please help kill any lingering doubts I have about Hyundai's reputation.

    Thanks!
  • urbanzephyrurbanzephyr Member Posts: 29
    shado4 - That's a pretty good price. Watch out for the doc fees. It's the end of the month so you might be able to get below invoice. Two points to make with them. First there is a 2% dealer holdback (i.e. Hyundai sends 2% to the dealer when he sells the car - the % declines over time to create a small incentive to move the stock). Second point out your taking a risk that there will be an incentive next month - so maybe you should wait. Only the ABS is rare, otherwise you could probably find that car in a 2001 if you searched - and that would have more negotiation room. Some of the 2001 have the softer suspension.
  • urbanzephyrurbanzephyr Member Posts: 29
    One thing to do is to pay the 4 bucks to get a one month membership at http://consumerreports.org/ then look at the 2001 reliability numbers and be sure to compare it against the other cars in it's class. Their #'s suggest it's better than a jetta :-), but it's no Toyota.
  • bill_1bill_1 Member Posts: 97
    Well mind you I have had a Jetta for over 3 years now and I have never had a major problem. Granted few cars are as reliable as a Toyota but that does not mean other cars are downright unreliable. Also while Consumer Reports is a valuable resource, it is important not to view it as a perfect source.

    Finally of course even if Toyota is the most reliable car on the planet, if they don't make one that fits your needs and desires, then there is little worry in how cars that do meet them compare with a Toyota.
  • uryourworduryourword Member Posts: 12
    I also have some sloppy paint a the tips of the rear lenses, and one of the lenses appears to have a stress fracture. In addition, at the very front tip of the front hood, on either side of the grille, it appears that a paint drip has dried hard. Tempted to file it off, to prevent eventual breakage that takes more paint with it. Will the dealer remedy this problem pro bono? Also, the cd player refuses to eject cds. The only way to get them out is by gently inserting the edge of another cd into the opening. Anyone else have this problem? BTW, we just passed 4000 miles and the average mpg is only 25, due to my wife's very short, stop and go commute to work. We drove it to Rochester NY this past weekend (800 miles round trip). Very pleasant, comfortable, quiet ride. Still a slight shimmy in the steering, but I will rotate tires this weekend and hope that it improves.
  • ochizonochizon Member Posts: 25
    I am considering buying the GT, but when I got a price quote from my insurance company (Geico in FL), the rate was over double my other cars combined, one of which is a far more expensive car. Does anyone else have this insurance rate problem? If so, why? IF not, let me know what company you use!!

    Thanks
  • cjaccettacjaccetta Member Posts: 236
    You may have a higher rate with the GT initially because many insurance carriers aren't familair with the VIN series for the GT model Elantras. As a result, the car gets lumped in with the other hard-to-classify (read: exotic) autos and the policyholder pays a higher rate.

    My guess is that you will see your premiums normalize over the next 1-3 years as the car becomes more familiar to the rate service organizations.

    When I bought the GT my insurance company mailed me a letter asking me to verify the VIN. The company (CNA) indicated that no such VIN existed! By the way, I find CNA to be a very good carrier. I've had coverage with them for four years.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    When the Elantra got the mid-platform improvements (picked up a grill), 98 or 99 you could check at Edmunds-- many improvements lessening front and rear end damage to the car were made. Before that, it was very easy to do a lot of damage with rather low speed accidents. This subject was discussed in July or August with the GLS threads and that seemed to be the concensus.

    The present car is a much more durable platform (except for the late-firing air bags) and should have far better insurance ratings over the next several years. Also, that is one area where the cars historic high depreciation should also help it in quickly lowering the collision costs.
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    Shado4 wrote--
    "...of buying a 2002 Hyundai Elantra GT, silver (pewter), auto, moonroof, ABS/traction (in other words...loaded!) for $100 over invoice."

    I have the same car as the above, including the ABS/TC/moonroof and got it for the same price.

    Go for it.

    I have had the car for about a month now and am just about to complete the 1200 mile unofficial "break-in".

    Mileage is increasing slightly and is now up to 29 mpg on a daily commute regimen here in NW Houston, at typical freeway speeds (70 mph).

    This is my 4th Elantra (1989 Sonata, 1993 Elantra GL, 1996 Elantra GL) - forget about Hyundai's reputation. Detractors are usually not speaking from personal experience, but from hearsay. This is the best Hyundai in terms of fit and finish and performance and so forth, that I have owned to date.
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    post2 said --
    "Hi all I have had my GT for about a month now and I'm wondering if anyone besides me has noticed that the gas mileage on the sticker does not even come close to what I actually get."

    When I picked mine up from the dealer it was getting 26 mpg. One month and almost 1200 miles later, it is getting 29 mpg on the trip computer, and this agrees with hand calculations.

    As new engines wear in, the become more loose and hence friction losses in the engine decrease, and more of the power is used in moving the vehicle. This tops out at the rated level, although mileage will vary from car to car, driver to driver.
  • wmoseswmoses Member Posts: 212
    "Does anyone else have difficulty seeing the trip/mpg/odometer readout? No problem at night when the dashboard is illuminated, but impossible to read during the day unless the sunlight is coming over my shoulder."

    This is because the trip computer is a LCD (liquid crystal display) which requires either reflected light or background light in order to be readable. This -- as opposed to an LED, or light emitting diode, which is what the clock uses.

    All GTs will have this problem.
  • estoesto Member Posts: 136
    I have a question for those that have quoted prices of $X over invoice (e.g. $100 over
    invoice). Did you see the actual dealer invoice? Were there any line items that you weren't
    expecting? In particular, was there a line for regional advertising? If so, how much was it
    (and where are you located)? Thanks!!

    Erik
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    it was identical to the figures that Edmunds had, dollar for dollar including accessories. I've used Edmunds for previous purchases and their figures have always been right on.
  • urbanzephyrurbanzephyr Member Posts: 29
    ochizon - One input to the setting of the insurance rates is the data from this table

    http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ictl/ictl_4dr.htm

    showing, injury, theft, collision for various models. I'm very interested in what you find out if you can get your insurance company to explain the rate they picked.
  • 5port5port Member Posts: 395
    peterwonsky - MPG computer illumination

    The LCD trip computer is a bit difficult to see in certain lighting. I would like to warn against wearing polarized sunglasses as they make it VERY difficult to see LCD displays.

    shado4 - On the Verge

    I have had my GT for a little over a month now and I could gush about a lot of things. I owned a 1994 CivicSi for about 8 years before the GT and never looked back. The car has blown me away with quality,performance and value. The fact that Motorweek has clocked the 5-speed at 8 seconds for 0-60 (1/2 second quicker than my old Si) really makes me elated.

    uryourword - Finish of rear Lenses

    My rear lenses are fine. Rotating the front tires to the back will get rid of the shimmy (I did it last week).

    ochizon - Hoping to join you

    Insurance costs :
    My old 94CivicSi was $800.00
    My new GT is : $1400.00

    Company is State Farm
  • brc3brc3 Member Posts: 13
    I am interested in buying a GT elantra possibly in the few months. I live in Ohio. A dealer close to me has a 2002 pewter GT with automatic transmission, moonroof, antilock brakes, traction control, and mud guards. With destination charges, they are asking 15,999 for the car. Edmunds TMV for the car is 15,460. The same dealer also has a 2001 red GT with the same options. They are asking 15,499 for that car. Since I am not in a rush to buy a new GT, I will see what some other dealers are asking for the car. I was wondering what are the prices like in the other parts of the country.
  • beeryr4beeryr4 Member Posts: 19
    brc3, call around to other dealers and ask if they will sell at invoice. I'll waiting for a specific GLS to come in. I called around the Dayton/Cinci area and found two who would sell at invoice. If you are near the Dayton/Columbus area, check out Jeff Wyler in Springfield.
  • estoesto Member Posts: 136
    I would think it would be much easier to get a gls at invoice than a gt. We have all sorts of
    screamer ads for Elantra GLS' here in Portland, but basically no ads at all for the gt (I assume
    that's because it doesn't need them).

    Erik
  • shado4shado4 Member Posts: 287
    I signed on the dotted line last night and took delivery of the pewter 2002 Elantra GT. This is a very nice car! First one I've owned with leather and I love it.

    Initial impressions:
    - Extremely good build quality. Doors close with a solid 'thunk'. Both interior and exterior fit and finish are first rate.

    - Good low end grunt when you first step on the gas. Seeing as how I only have 12 miles on the odo, I'll save the wide-open throttle starts for a later date.

    - Love the fade-to-off of the overhead lights and the lighted key cylinder.

    - Got a kick out of the trip computer...watched my MPG go from 11.3 all the way to 23.4 when I first got on the highway. It may have gone up further if I didn't need to exit.

    Problem areas that others have noted:

    - My gas gauge actually read OVER the full mark when I took delivery. I'll keep an eye on it when I do my first fill up.

    - CD player played and ejected my CD just fine.

    - Did not notice any cracked rear lenses or execessive paint drippings. Only physical blemish on the outside was a scratch on the driver's side door mirror, which will be fixed by the dealership at no charge.

    That's it for now!
  • cehermanceherman Member Posts: 5
    I bought from jeff Wyler in Springfield -- they were great. Bought at invoice, including $405 advertising. See my previous comments about prices.
  • smkm1smkm1 Member Posts: 2
    i drive a lot everyday.......and want to have a little fun......is it a good car for a long commute??????
  • brc3brc3 Member Posts: 13
    beeryr4 and ceherman, Thanks for the information. I am in the Cleveland area. There are several dealerships in the area so I will just have to phone them all. If I do not like any of the prices, I might check out the Jeff Wyler dealership in Springfield. One of the main things holding me back is Hyundai's depreciation. I am finding that out first hand. I own a 2000 base Accent model which has a 5 speed transmission. The dealership just wants give me one half of what I paid for it 20 months ago. My wife really needs an automatic because of health concerns. So I am in between a rock and a hard space. I really do not want to take such a huge loss. From what I have read about the GT, I am really impressed and I would like to trade up. For the price, you can't beat the standard equipment and options. And of course, you can't beat the warranty either.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    We look forward to hearing more about your 2002 Elantra GT.... Happy Motoring! ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
  • sparkymarksparkymark Member Posts: 7
    Just took delivery on a "2001 1/2" GT. Okay, it's a 2001. Don't really see that there is any difference between that and a 2002.

    Paid $12.998 out the door, no options beyond floormats. Got hosed a bit on trade-in, but that's to be expected when you swoop on a loss leader the monent the morning paper hits the front porch.

    Only complaints so far, (at a whole whopping 35 miles), is dealer couldn't find the owners mamnual and tried to lower the 60% side of the rear seat and the button is now stuck deep in its little hidey hole. Will have the dealer fix.

    Will probably post as the next few thousand miles go by.

    Spend HOURS reading posts on the Elantra boards and am convinced I made a good buy.

    BTW, traded in a '98 Escort ZX2 that looked hot but was agutless wonder, and this was with the Zetech engine. Never was able to make my 6' 3" frame fit in the damn thing!

    Best to all.

    Sparky
  • dan715dan715 Member Posts: 8
    I went to the dealer today and they gave me a price of 13,900 before taxes. I am in Pittsburgh, Pa and want to know if this is a good price because i am going back tomarrow to get it if it is. Thanks
  • ochizonochizon Member Posts: 25
    sparkmark,

    Is that price including the dollar value of the trade in, or is that on top of the trade in?
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    I don't think I have seen you post in the Accent forum. I also have a '00 base Accent. Would like to hear your ownership experience and how many miles you have. We don't get as much traffic in that forum so it would be nice to hear from some more owners. Hope to see you there!
  • cjaccettacjaccetta Member Posts: 236
    Sparkymark: congratulations on your purchase. Regarding the rear seat button -- try really slamming the seatback into its upright position. That may cause the button to pop back out. This works every time for me.

    Dan715: $13,900 sounds like a good price, especially if the car has any options. Glad to have a fellow Pittsburgher on the thread. I moved from there to NJ in 1992. HOW 'BOUT THEM STEELERS?!?

    Just crossed the 11,000 mile barrier with no trouble. Getting about 26/33 mpg. Interior and exterior holding up well. No rattles.
  • brc3brc3 Member Posts: 13
    sparkymark, I really did not see any difference between a 2001 and 2002 gt except for the price.
    Ingtonge18, I will have to put up some postings in the Accent forum so we can compare our experiences with our Accents.

    If I do end up buying a gt and trading my accent, I think that I will drive the gt until the wheels fall off due the big depreciation. That should be no problem with Hyundai's long warranty.
  • sparkymarksparkymark Member Posts: 7
    $12,998 was the price, less my trade which, as I said I got slightly hosed. So with a bit back from the trade, I was right side up on the loan, I feel like I got a really good price.

    This was a dealer I had talked to earlier in the week about other 2001's he had in stock. If you can find them, these guys will really deal on 2001 Elantras and Sonatas.

    Just the GT out to dinner and a spin around the neighborhood. I really am loving the way this car drives. The purple dash lights are pretty cool too.

    One of the big impressions is that the Escort ZX2 I traded also had a 2.0l, 16V engine. Somehow the GT feels like it's got 50% more ummph and handling runs circles around the Escort. As I said in my last post, the Escort was great as long as you were only looking at it. If aven half of the "Hot" had translated into driving, it would still be in the garage.
  • fgiorgiafgiorgia Member Posts: 4
    I have been looking for a GT Elantra with ABS, I live in the Memphis area. I even tried as far as Atlanta through AAA. So far unable to find a single car. Any suggestions.

    Thanks
  • brc3brc3 Member Posts: 13
    fgiorgia, I live in the Cleveland area and I know of a dealer who has 2 GTs with ABS. One is a 2001 and the other is a 2002. Maybe it is a regional shortage in your area or maybe this dealer just got lucky to have 2 GTs with ABS. I know that they are out there. Good luck in your search.
  • hollenhorst2hollenhorst2 Member Posts: 51
    Ceheman,

    Was the $405 ad fee you mentioned actually on the factory invoice or was it added on to the sales contract? Does anyone else know anything else about Elantra GT ad fees? Because, to my way of thinking, if it wasn't on the original factory invoice, that's just a markup.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Advertising fees are charged by many Hyundai dealers (and dealers of other makes). If all the dealers in your area do this, and hold firm, there isn't much you can do about it if you buy a Hyundai. But it's worth it to check with all the dealers in your area, since if some don't charge it you can use that as leverage with the dealer from which you want to buy the car.
  • dougndodougndo Member Posts: 136
    Some posters on the Sonata board have mentioned the scarcity of Sonatas (or certain Sonata models) in different areas, and some Elantra GT posters have mentioned the same thing. As I've posted elsewhere, the situation might get worse shortly. If anyone is thinking of getting a GT, the better selection and deals might be had now rather than in a few weeks or a few months.

    Here's the story from AOL News:

    <<STOPPAGE THREAT AT HYUNDAI

    Hyundai cautioned exports might weaken ahead of a year-end seasonal rise in demand if talks with unions over working conditions and wage increases failed to yield a compromise.

    Hyundai suffered a four-hour stoppage at three production lines after unionised workers staged a partial walkout on Thursday and Friday, spokesman Park Song-woo said.

    "If the union proceeds with a scheduled one-week strike next week, the company will have a production loss of about 27,000 units," Hyundai said. >>
  • s618s618 Member Posts: 15
    Hello all, I live in the Baltimore area and I am thinking of trading in my 99 Elantra for a GT - one dealership has 1 2001 left -it a demo with a 1000 miles on it . Anyone ever done a deal like this? They would probably discount it out a lot to get it off the lot.The only way I can buy a GT is to get it for round 13K.(soon to graduate college student!) I figured this is the best bet!! I am worried about the protection plan though . Does anyone know if Demos are still covered under the original warranty. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated
  • cehermanceherman Member Posts: 5
    The advertising fee of $405 was on the invoice, which my dealer (Jeff Wyler, Springfield, OH) was happy to give me.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    If the demo has never been titled, then the full 10 year/100,000 warranty should apply (well, 99,000 miles at least). As for discount, as soon as you drive it off the lot it's lost almost one full year of value. Sites like Edmunds.com can give you an idea of what a low-miles 2001 GT is worth now.
  • s618s618 Member Posts: 15
    Thanks for the info I will let ya know how it turns out - meeting with dealer tomorrow!!!
  • mpgmanmpgman Member Posts: 723
    17,000 miles and all is well.
  • edovidedovid Member Posts: 22
    Here it is the second day of December and I finally saw my first GT. One of my neighbors has had it a month & loves it but has also managed to trash it. I plan to buy in the spring/summer and hope to keep whatever I get mint. I'm also hoping Hyundai reads these boards & will update the car as they go. Does anyone know if they do that or
    do glitches only get corrected yearly?
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