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I did feel special for a little while. We were all honking at each other cause we had that car, so that was cool. I'm going to take some pics along with my new CD player and I'll try to post them in the Picture Section by the weekend.
I guess it all depends on who is running the tests.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/2001Cmpt.html
I think the ball really is in Hyundai's court to fix these problems and move on with it. I know that I'm more than willing to wait a few months to see how things turn out.
If you look at the real alternatives to the Elantra GT (performance and equipment) you are talking about shelling out several thousands of dollars (Canadian!) more. A couple of examples I'm considering are the VW Golf GLS and the Subaru Outback Sport. These are great cars, but saving those extra $$$ would mean alot to me.
If Hyundai would only get its act together, I think a safer Elantra GT would certainly be worth waiting for.
Bill
By the way, knowing you drive a lot of miles (surprised to find someone who puts more miles on a car than I do), how many miles do you have on your GT now? Any new problems yet?
I, too, have a slight rattle with the passenger-side front belt and had thought about putting some Velcro (fuzzy side) behind it. But, it only rattles a little, during bumps and such, so it's not a big concern to me (at least for now).
Fortunately, I haven't had any fuel gauge problems - it reads "full" when full and it only has about 2-3 gallons of gas left in the tank when the light comes on.
My only current problems are:
(1) slight pull to the left
(2) some intermittent clicking from front left wheel well during some sharp turns
(3) still can't get those darned mud flaps to align properly with the fender holes and dealer swears they are the proper part number. I might insist the dealer install them and let him have all the fun...
My biggest problem is that I work so darned much that it is hard for me to get to the dealer. Are they supposed to get me a free rental car for every time I bring it in until I hit 60,000 miles?
I feel pretty good overall about the quality of the GT, especially in light of the fact that I hear some other econo-owners have had some more serious troubles with cars such as the Focus and Golf.
Look at the warranty information to check for rental cars....some times it calls for them having to keep the car overnight to complete the repairs.
Are there any Canadians out there who have purchased one yet? On top of the MSRP the dealer added a $125 Metallic paint fee, and a $395 Admin/Theft protection fee. Are these charges legit?
Oh yeah....Also there was a $895 Freight and PDI charge.
There was no Window sticker for any of the Hyundai Vehicles...so I just took his word for it that the MSRP of the vehicle was $20495 + FRT &fees for the 5-spd with the leather, ABS and Moonroof. Should the Hyundai vehicles here in CAN have window stickers?
I currently have a Focus ZX3 and I am used to full disclosure and info on the company website etc...
Any help would be great!
Many Thanks
BTW this board has been very helpful and informative so far and I am happy to finally have something to say instead of just being a lurker
Mirax
Not that I need the hatch release, but I sure would love the $100 since no $500 rebate was offered. Do you have an address or email address?
I love my GT. I have 1400 miles and alot of people looking at my saab like car.
Also, I got my letter about the remote hatch release today.
It doesn't matter because I think it handles great. Just curious to know if anybody else noticed this.
Thanks to ElantraGTguy for info about the cargo net -- let me know how much the anchors are and how they install....
I'm still on my first tank of gas, and so far my computer indicates that I'm getting around 26mpg. Heard that this will probably improve as I continue to break the car in....
Also, regarding breakin -- the manual says not to exceed 4k RPM, or go over 55mph for 1200 miles. I can handle not exceeding 4k RPM, but 55mph??? Just can't do that...
I don't know about Canada, but there should not be a metallic paint fee with US-sold models for sure. Admin-theft protection sounds very fishy to me, but, then again, things might be different in Canada. I would definitely check with Hyundai directly about this to be sure the dealer isn't trying to scam you. As far as the freight (destination) charge goes, it is $495 in the US, but could be more in Canada. Nonetheless, I would check the freight charges when pricing new cars here at Edmunds to be sure of the Canadian destination charge.
Congrats on getting your GT! It's a great car!
pgh_elantra_GT:
THANKS for that part number info! I went to check the part number on my rear mudflaps and it is not the same. The part they gave me is 08460-2D510. No wonder I couldn't get the rear ones to fit! I can't wait to call the dealer now after I was already told that I had the right part number!
My GT also had the "Comfort Suspension" listed at no charge on the window sticker. My serial number isn't real low, so maybe it changed after my car's production run or something.
mpgman and lingtonge18:
Thanks for the info. I called the dealer later for clarification on the "free rental car" issue and they told me that once a needed repair is inspected and deemed to be covered under the warranty that they will issue a free rental car. So, I guess I have a pretty good dealer, since this is supposedly not part of the warranty.
Also, make sure you don't use the cruise to maintain a constant highway speed either during the break-in period. You need to vary your cruising speed every few minutes or so.
Congrats on your purchase!
My wife and I bought a Pewter 5-speed with pkg 2 last weekend at Famous Ed's Hyundai in El Monte, CA.(I10 at Santa Anita) and received friendly service and a good price. As of last weekend they also had the following GTs:
1 Pewter auto pkg 1
1 Red auto pkg 1
2 Blue auto pkg 1
1 Blue auto pkg 2
1 Blue manual pkg 1
1 Black didn't see up close
We've only put a few miles on our new car so far but haven't experienced any problems...Nice car and a good value in our opinion to those of you who are still considering this car.
The mud flaps that were installed on my GT (as part of the deal) had shades of gray spots on them. After seeing two more sets, they were the same, so I told them to remove them. I got (7) free oil changes and my rotors are covered for 3 yrs/36k instead. Other than my radio needing to be replaced, I've had my GT since May 31st, have driven it 1600 miles, and I love this car!
There is a statement regarding free loaner cars on the Hyundai website.
Congrats to all the new GT buyers!!
Ed Dominguez, the owner of Famous Ed's, said they don't have any say in what cars they get when. So I guess it turned out to be a serendipitous experience for us since we were leaning towards a Honda Accord EX 5-speed but hadn't been able to find the color my wife liked best yet.
seat is upright and the seat belt receptacle is caught under the seat cushion *and* the rear seat doesn't release because of the latch problem, then you may face a situation where one of your rear seat passengers doesn't have a seatbelt. I was able to fish the seat belt piece out from between the seat cushions but it wasn't easy. I can see now why those plastic prongs are included to latch the receptacles before the seat is released. Just something to be aware of.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/05/automobiles/05AUTO.html?searchpv=day01
Bill
BTW does anyone know why the stickers say package 2 but the brochures and other stuff say package 7 for the ABS/TC? It's rather confusing.
Bill
For sport upgrade accessories you can visit
hdkautosport.com. I bought lots of stuff for my Santa Fe at this site...If you want to see my Santa Fe then you can visit my site at www.y2kcatalogs.com/santafe.
Good Luck and have fun all of you. I can wait to get my hand on the Elantra GT by next year...
We are looking at the GT (15ish), Pro5 (17.5 ish), Impreza Outback (18.5ish) and Jetta Wagon (18.5ish)
Definitely felt the Suburu trunk was minute with seats up. Mazda looked large. Haven't seen Jetta. Couldn't get into GT as dealership was closed. Can someone out there give me a comparison?
Edmunds lists sedan trunks as follows: Protege 12.9, Elantra 11.0, Impreza 11.1 and Jetta 13.0. The slope on the Impreza hatch seems to make it smaller...is the Elantra GT trunk space really that small?
I would need to fit two large suitcases, a portable crib and a couple of large bags (soft) on an average trip.
Thanks for your advice.
My 2 cents:
Wife loves that Subaru. I'm not thrilled with the styling or gas mileage.
Styling on GT and Jetta are great. Price big difference here...also, don't think Volkswagen reliability any better than Hyundai.
Pro5 looks a bit "new jersey shore"-ish - I know, I'm from there. But I really liked it anyway. Just not sure if the neighbors will expect me to be street racing.
I checked the dimensions of the GT trunk and there is 4' 8" across at the tailgate end but only 3' across behind the seats between the wheel wells. (The trunk area is about 3' deep and about 1' 6" high). If you can fit the crib close to the tailgate, it could work. The other possibility is to drop one of the rear seats and run the crib lengthwise.
I found the hatch real convenient for loading. There is also a lot more interior room in the GT than some of the other cars you are considering.
Hope this helps.
The reason I ask is because it seemed to me that the GT had more cargo area under the cargo cover than the P5. Now, if you look at floor-to-ceiling cargo space, the P5 does visually appear to have slightly more space, due to GT "ceiling" (glass) being more sloped.
As far as cargo space in trunks (sedan models), you really can't beat the Protege sedan in my opinion. We have a 1999 ES sedan and its trunk space is pretty amazing for a car its size.
Thanks
anticipated preferring the Pro5. I found the Pro5 to have a good steering feel. It was responsive
and tight, taking the curves well and keeping me in touch with the road. The wheel itself also felt good. I did not find the acceleration particularly good. The car complained
when I floored it and move sluggishly. The front seats were comfortable and the rear seats adequate. This is not a five-seater. Nor was the luggage space anything but tiny with the
rear seats up. Moreover, the dashboard is flimsy--pushing a button on the climate control moved and bent the entire panel. I also did not like the italicized gauges. Mazda has a good
stereo--I have a 1992 626 LX, and I know the radio is strong and has good tuning programming. With respect to price, the Mazda dealer offered to beat the Edmunds TMV for a no-frills Pro5,
explaining that he would want invoice plus $500.00 or less, because there is a $500.00 cash-back offer right now.
I ended up preferring the GT overall. Only the steering wheel let me down--it was thin, slippery plastic. I thought the car handled nearly as well and rode more quietly and evenly than the
Pro5. Although I wouldn't be doing any racing, the acceleration was better than the Pro5. The dashboard and controls were more solid and I prefer the less contemporary dark gauges on the GT to the cheap-looking fake metal on the Mazda. Although in the bright sunshine I had trouble reading the trip computer. I found the seats to be firmer with less side support on the GT, but they were fine and I used the adjustment controls to contour them to my 5'6" frame. Strong smell of leather, though! The cargo space in the GT is much bigger with the seats up. Without seeing them side-by-side, it would be difficult to compare them with the seats down. The GT does, however, have a much cheaper mat in the cargo space than does the Pro5. The GT radio did not pick up stations my 9 year old 626 could get, but it sounded okay to me. A month ago, the dealer's manager, who was on vacation at the time of my test drive, had quoated me $13,800.00 (including the $495.00 destination fee) for a GT with only floormats. The guy who handed me the keys for the
test drive, which I took alone, noted this offer, said that there weren't many GTs out there and that the 2002s would be in soon, but said that the manager would get back to me. I hope that the
dealer will not say that they can only sell me the red automatic I test drove--I hate red and I hate automatics! From these boards and my own research, it seems like $13,800 is a decent price, since it's only about $300 over the TMV and less than $400 above the invoice, as reported by Edmunds. I am in the New York, New York area, and I have received higher quotes from others. I would be interested in other peoples' reactions to the price.
While I have some doubts about the GT's build, reliability and resale value, I think I will probably end up buying one. I really appreciate people's many comments. I cranked this one up
to 60-70, to check the shimmy. I also pushed the buttons to lower the seats, thinking about mpgman while I did it. As advised on the boards, the buttons popped up when I firmly returned the seats to their upright positions. Further, from the Mazda boards and my own experience with Mazda, I am not convinced it's as well-crafted as some other Japanese brands, and my experience with the Mazda service people has been horrendous.
Now I don't know what to do. You know they will sell well next year (spring debut), and there won't be much dealing. I am thinking of buying an Aztek now and trading my COlt Vista, then trading my new wagon from last year on the Vibe in the summer of next year.
Go to Pontiac's web site and check that little monster out!
We've put 3,000 miles on our GT and other than a minor wheel shimmy which disappeared after 400 miles, we haven't had any trouble whatsoever. My initial doubts about build quality are fading rapidly. The car feels sturdy, is very quiet, rides comfortably and routinely gets 25 mpg in hard city driving. I can easily fit two bicycles in the cargo area with the "60%" seat folded. And I just figured out last weekend how to use the seat belt clips. How cool are those?
We are still getting compliments about the car after two months. Oddly, I have yet to see another GT on the roads yet (I live in northern NJ - traffic capital of the Northeast). I like the exclusivity!
Good luck. As a first-time Huyundai owner I, too, had doubts. But the GT has been very satisfying.
The cargo space in the P5 under the cargo cover is not that impressive, probably among the smallest in class, by my observations.
Anyway - happy to hear GT has better space. I, on the other hand, thought that the Pro5 space looked quite decent. Better than the Outback Sport (I'm talking with the seats up of course)
Have any current GT owners had any luck getting a bike in the back without taking the front wheel or seat off?
Also, I'm 6'5" -- any other tall drivers fitting in these? Is there room behind the driver's seat for a small person if the seat is all the way back?
TIA -- x
Wheelbase = 102.7 in.
Length = 177.1 in.
Width = 67.1 in.
Height = 56.1 in.
Fuel (gal) = 14.5 in.
EPA = 24/33 city/hiway
Horses = 140 @ 6000 rpm
Torque = 133 ft-lbs @ 4800 rpm
Front Headroom = 39.6 in.
Rear Headroom = 38.0 in.
Front Shoulder Room = 54.7 in.
Rear Shoulder Room = 53.5 in.
Front Hip Room = 53.0 in.
Rear Hip Room = 55.6 in.
Front Leg Room = 43.2 in.
Rear Leg Room = 35.0 in.
Maximum Luggage compacity = 11 cu. ft.
Car Weight = 2698 lbs
You might be able to get your bike in with the front wheel on, but you'd need to fold both seats. I haven't tried this yet. I didn't want to get crud all over the backs of the front seats or the rear doors.
At this point, I'm thinking about holding off and getting a 2002 model since they should be out shortly. Does anyone know if the price will go up on them? Or if there will be any differences?