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Comments
Any recommendations about when to service? Should I change the oil before 7.5?
MattWa
I know I should just change the timing belt at the recommended intervals, but I often hear stories of some original timing belts lasting for well over 100,000 miles, so I get tempted to let it go past the recommended service interval. I let it go to 70,000 miles on one Mazda I owned (1992 Protege) and I never changed it on another Mazda I owned (1986 626) which I traded-in at 125,000 miles.
We drive our cars typically 25,000 miles per year, so timing belt maintenace is an every 2.5 year event for me.
Oh well. For the price of the GT, hard to complain!
I read that the Elantra shares the same engine with the Tiburon. Is the transmission same as well (I am more interested in the manual, specifically about the gearing).
What is the top speed of Elantra?
I was planning on changing the oil at 3000 miles.
I don't see any harm doing it then. Any thoughts?
I've had my silver GT for 1 month, and so far, I love this car!!
Serg
Hope you continue to enjoy your new GT. I love mine, too.
CJA
However, I do give Hyundai credit for even offering a hatchback option when a lot of manufacturers won't touch it. I had a '84 Mazda 626 Touring Sedan (5 door) and I loved it! So versatile and it was a little weird looking, but at least the car looked like it belonged together. I hope/wish that Hyundai will bring back the wagon next year. I have heard rumors of it, but I don't have any confirmations. Has anybody heard anything?
Erik
I'm glad Hyundai Motor America bagged the wagon because that's what my wife originally wanted as our new car. We dragged our feet, wound up with the GT and couldn't be happier. IMO, I doubt Hyundai will bring back the wagon. Why steal sales from your own SUV and hathcback?
Anyone know if the Elantra GT has a separate washer fluid resevoir for the rear window wiper? I don't recall seeing anything in my owners manual about one. I also looked for a filler cap and couldn't see one of those, either.
Let's keep this board rolling up to 500 posts, baby! Woo-hoo!
I am leaving Saturday to take a week's vacation driving around California and Oregon. I'll report back in about a week and 2000 miles.
Anyway...one dealer that I just spoke to (after I told him that I already purchased a GT for what I considered a fair price) informed me that the price I paid was *extremely* fair since his delaership is now asking $2500 over sticker. He sounded surprised that I paid so little for the car. Buying from this dealership I would have paid $17,894 for the same vehicle.
It seems as though dealers might now be very cognizant of the demand for the Elantra GT and may begin "adjusting" their prices accordingly. Granted, this case is a single incident in an area where cars tend to be more expensive anyway. I believe other posters noted similar pricing experiences in earlier posts, too.
I'm not trying to worry, upset or dissuade any potential buyers, I'm only trying to pass on some information that may be helpful for you to know. Good luck.
CJA
Good news about the wagon...maybe Hyundai will jazz it up just like the Elantra GT. We'll wait and see. I was certain that it was gone for good....
Things I like: I love the leather, the headroom, moonroof, rear window wiper, purple dash lights, fog lights, cold A/C, 5th door, computer for gas mileage, and it looks like a saab.
Don't like: I don't like the lack of lighting (there is only a small little light in the rear hatchback of the car and two "map" lights at the front for interior). Don't like that after the car is turned off, the button on the A/C that allows it to recycle the air that is inside the car instead of taking air directly outside the car, this option needs to be reset and turned back on.
Other than that, this is the car to get @ $15,000. Just good luck finding one. It took me three weeks of looking to get exactly what I wanted (silver, auto, moonroof). I know it's new, but just wondering if anyone knows of where to maybe get some performance parts for this car (K&N filters, exaust, body kit?).
Paid $16k with mud flaps and cargo net. Car came with the carpeted mats and CA emissions although I am in the northeast.
My nit-pickings:
1. Concur on the lighting.
2. Should be audible warning for leaving brake on.
3. Button to release one of the rear setbacks stuck.... problem others have reported when depressing it too far.
4. Windshield wiper stalk should have a turn signal flash setting for one swipe without having to click it to the first position.
5. Purple lighting is neat but the clock and radio should light up the same way.
6. Auto cranny could have an Overdrive off setting.
7. Fog lights should say "fog" on the dashboard idiot light indicator.
Like I said, nit-picking. This is a great car and the price is gravy. Can't get this level and breadth of equipment on a lot of 4 angers no matter what you are willing to pay. Too bad it doesn't get 40 mpg!
However, what I really would like is a manual for the fun factor. Two weeks later a manual GT was available for test drive but I found it less than satisfactory. There was a rattle coming from the driver side pillar or something, and a shake or vibration when we're at a stop, that even my un-carsavvy passenger noticed. The drive was good but not quite exciting. Hopefully these flaws were particular to this one vehicle but its certainly something to think about. Time to find a manual Pro5 for comparison.
That was several days ago. I have yet to receive any sort of response at this point. I assume this means that there is beginning to be quite a bit of demand for the car. Oh well. I can wait or try another dealer. Fortunately, there are two more Hyundai dealers in Nashville, as well as dealers in Huntsville, AL and other cities less than 3 hours from Nashville that I will pit against one another if I have to.
It ought to be fun!
I just turned over 1,000 miles on my silver base model and I have no problems to report. No squeaks, rattles, buzzes or vibrations. Gas mileage is holding steady at 24.3 mpg in almost entirely city driving. I had occasion to use the heater this morning and I can report that it is as ruthlessly efficient as the A/C. The car has been more than competent for my daily commuting and is fun to drive, to boot. Personally, I find the trip/fuel mileage computer a distraction. I have a tendency to fiddle with it too often.
Still getting complements on the looks, too. No one suspects it's a Hyundai and no one gives me a "funny look" when they find out.
I'll post more after the 1,500 miles or so. Now that my break-in period is almost over I am itching to go fast and see what the car can do!!
Happy Motoring!
pawnofhell - If I had an extra $3,000 do have someone develop ground effects, do you think I would have bought this car? I'm sure eventually they will. Just curious if current stuff will even fit on the GT.
cjeccetta - Yes, I noticed the dome light in the middle of the GT on the standard model w/o the moonroof option. Oh well, I think I can do for now.
Other comments - I noticed some people mentioning rattles. I haven't experienced any yet. I did test drive a stick model which did have the rattle coming from the passenger side, but I'm gland mine doesn't (yet?).
I can't wait to get past the 1,200 mile mark so I can drive it like I really want to. I'm averaging 27.4 mpg right now, but that's with a light foot and usually drive a little harder.
BTW, my friend just bought a brand new VW Jetta 3 months ago for around $17,000. He said he's kicking himself now and wish he got my car. That put a smile on my face to say the least.
Final thought, I'm thinking of making a "Just Elantra GT site/club/message board". Anyone interested?
Funny...my wife and I also know a couple that just spent over $20,000 on a loaded new Jetta. They were bummed when they saw our car (they didn't even get a CD player!). Sure, the Jetta looks classy but I'll take the $6000 savings instead!
Happy Motoring!
CJA
1. I noticed two "dimples" in the sheet metal of the roof, at the vary back, just in front of the rear glass. They are positioned symmetrically. Stress points related to the hinge mounting for the lift gate? I don't know, but I don't like it.
2. CD is jammed in the radio. I can't listen to the cd or eject it. "ER2" flashes on the display when the cd button is pressed.
3. Rattle from the passenger front setbelt buckle against the pillar is annoying.
4. The lid for the gas cap sems weak. There is more play in it than I'd like, in the open position. I have an 88 Audi model 80 with a gas lid that you can practically stand on in the open position.
5. I washed the car for the first time the other day. Again, because I also own an 88 Audi, which seems to be sheathed in 18 gauge sheet metal, I found the sheet metal of the GT to be somewhat thin in comparison, especially on the roof and the hood. Cars used to be built strong enough for a person to sit on the hood, and I assume most cars built these days weren't made for such abuse, but it's not a nice feeling when you're washing the car and the sheet metal sems to "give" when a little pressure is applied. Now I'm being nit-picky, but it had to be said.
On the bright side, the stiff suspension seems to have softened slightly. At first it was a pretty bumpy ride over the slightest road imperfections. Gas mileage has hit over 26 mpg. Oh, and I noticed that none of the alum wheels have locks on them. Are these wheels so inexpensive to replace that they would justify omitting this feature?
By the way, for those of you financing your GT, I strongly advise opting to make the first payment 30 days after delivery in lieu of 45 days. We saved about a dollar a month on our payment by doing this. The extra 15 days of finance charge disappears too, so the total of payments is reduced well over $100. We're paying $330.75 a month for 5 years at 9.59% (not so perfect credit), but we are sending an extra $100 each month for the first year, which results in paying off the loan in only 4 years. The first 12 months are obviously the best time to pay extra. Should you decide to trade it in 2-3 years from now, you won't be so "upside down". We only put a thousand down and financed $15,717.50. I have an amortization spreadsheet in Excel that automatically calculates everything when you enter the amount paid each month. For a copy, e-mail me at timurx@aol.com. I'd be happy to send it to any of you as an attachment. Happy 4th of July all!
-uryourword
Keep us posted on updates on this proposed group!
I've contacted the Town Hall Owners Club host about getting an Elantra/E-GT owners club started. I will update the board if we can start up a club of our own.
compensate -- I don't think the GT comes in champagne. Only the GLS offers that color. The pewter is nice though; it looks clean even when dirty.
Happy Motoring!
Thin sheet metal and weak fuel door--yep, they don't make 'em like they used to, do they? Something about designing a car with all that content that can be sold at a profit for under $12,000 (GLS model). Your '88 Audi probably cost a bit more than that. Heck, the '88 Civic I bought new cost almost that much. If it's any consolation, my Elantra's sheet metal stood up pretty well to a hailstorm--just a few small dimples that can be take out with PDR--and NONE on what seems to be the thinnest piece on the car, the decklid. Go figure. I haven't driven a car that I felt comfortable sitting on since my '66 Dodge Coronet. Now THAT had thick sheet metal.
Re omission of wheel locks--you can bet it wasn't because the wheels are inexpensive to replace (and if you don't want to find out how much they cost, go get some aftermarket locks real quick). Rather it's because Hyundai is aiming for a low price point with the Elantra and will omit anything they think they can get away with. Remember that the GT is basically a $12,000 car with a hatchback and a lot of flash added. But the design is still that of a $12,000 car. That's why I always thought it was a good idea to buy at the low end of a car platform's range, e.g. you can buy a low-end Sonata for around $12,500 and get a car that was designed to sell for $15K+. Or a Camry V6 and get basically the same platform as a Lexus ES300. Or a Passat and get an Audi-class platform for thousands less. And so on.
Think I can get a base pewter 5-speed (no ABS, no moonroof) for about $13,600 or so??
Post # 439: You're right, cars back then were way overbuilt. I had a 76? Chrysler Newport that I bought for kicks a few years ago. I could walk all over the thing without a care, the sheet metal held up. As for Audis, I'm sure the new A4 is not as well built as my old 80.
car update, I still luv my GT. Again, still none of the problems as has been stated. I'm not getting the problem with the gas level. I just filled it up and it's right at the "Full" line.
When I drove to work this morning I noticed the fuel gauge needle was back up there at "F". My problem must have been temporary because the gauge works normally now.
Happy Motoring!
I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Hatchbacks.
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
KarenS
Host
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