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2007 Hyundai Elantra

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Comments

  • jazvanjazvan Member Posts: 106
    No doubt it is a rebadged Kia Sedona.

    -Jaz
  • jimbeaumijimbeaumi Member Posts: 620
    On second thought, as much as I dislike minivans, they are a far more sensible alternative to SUVs (I consider either of these to be the lumbering mastodons of our age. Give me a little sedan any day).

    As for the next Elantra, I'd like to see more pics. I have a pic of what will probably be the next 5-door, I think taken from these threads.
  • sandpapersandpaper Member Posts: 60
    It won't be simply a rebadged Sedona. The Tuscon and Sportage share platforms yet they look nothing alike.

    Anyway, I would also like to point out that Hyundai actually wants to follow a 4-yr redesign cycle. http://www.autoweek.com/search.cms?words=any&beginMonth=&beginYear=&endMonth=&endYear=&ran- - ge=all&department=&command=Search&keyword=hyudani+4+cycle

    The only problem I see with this is that quality may suffer.

    The late arrival of the new models during 24/7 are simple due to the fact that Hyundai wants to stagger these new arrivals so that marketing dollars aren't strained due to promoting multiple new vehicles at the same time.

    You might have noticed that Tuscon ads have severely decreased. Meanwhile, new ads about the new Alabama plant and the Sonata are just gaining momentum.

    Also... was there not a rumor going around about the 2.7l V6? From what I heard, this engine has been significantly upgraded with more horsepower (200) and better fuel economy. The rumor was that this upgraded 2.7l will make its way into the current Hyundai models. I remember back in the days when the 2.7l V6 was first announced, the rumor was that it had 214 horsepower. How wrong we were. So take this with a grain of salt.

    But I do think a 2.7l 200 hp V6 would be appealing.. a small V6 with relatively good fuel economy and enough power. Seems perfect for the Elantra, Tiburon, and Tuscon.
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    Not alike at all, huh. Not any different than any other rebadging. When I see one coming, I immediately know it is a Sportage or Tucson. I don't know which until I get very close.

    image

    image
  • sandpapersandpaper Member Posts: 60
    they do not seem alike to me. at first glance i can immediately tell which is which. I do concede that the interior designs are similar.

    however, they are the same general size. however the tuscon is more rounder and 'santa fe like' while the sportage seems more 'mini volvo' like. look at one from the rear.
  • kingsalmonkingsalmon Member Posts: 97
    Yo,

    The pictures that you posted show how different the cars actually look from one another. I thought they would atleast resemble each other in some way, but the only thing that I could see that looks similar is that front bumper. IMO both cars look really nice!

    -dan
  • jprybajpryba Member Posts: 201
    It's better than some of the rebadging jobs that GM has done, at least : )
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    I agree they both look good. But with only slightly modified grills and lights, and with all the same body parts, I can't believe anyone can't see they are in general identical. I believe they are the closest copies of any of the shared Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

    I wish there were more spy photos of the Elantra.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I disagree. The '05 Sonata and Optima are much closer overall inside and out than the Tucson and Sportage. Those SUVs have much different dashes, exteriors, and even the suspension is considerably different (Tucson's is softer).

    Anyway, back to the Elantra... it would be great if we could get some undisguised photos of the new Elantra, that are definitively of the Elantra. Maybe we'll have to wait until one of the major auto shows this winter for the official unveiling.
  • mononeomononeo Member Posts: 89
    Apparently daytime running lamps aren't required for the next model, as Hyundais have auto-off headlamps. I never noticed until recently. If you leave the lights on when you turn the car off it goes to parking lights. Then, when you open the door it turns all of them off. Cool.

    The 2007 Hyundai Elantra needs to come in GT trim from launch or I'm going to be hella pissed. I already have to wait this long!

    Also, if you notice in the 2005 models, the GTs have a digital readout of your gear whereas the GLSes still have the bar to tell you what gear you are in in automatic-equipped models. This makes me think that tiptronic is going to only be on GT models, which I think will be a mistake for them. This kind of gimmick will get so many more people into their lower-end models. I think they should have even put it in the Accent.

    I want this car to look like a baby Sonata, but with an interior that is more of an evolution of the old car. If the car looks like a big Accent it will look like a Toyota Corolla. I noticed that the Corolla has the same whip antenna that the Accent has the other day...Gee guys, lets get a little more conspicuous in your design influence! Have you ever noticed how the Azera interior looks just like an Infiniti Q45 with the Solara's center stack? It even has the same green and silver thing going on.

    Here is something that Hyundai absolutely needs to put on its cars that are cheap:
    -the key fob needs to open the trunk! This would be really helpful.
    -The trunk needs to open by itself a'la the Volkswagen New Jetta
    -The trunk needs to have a small hanger thing that comes down to hang small bags from in the trunk just like the VW New Jetta.
    -The CD player absolutely must have MP3 capability. I will not buy a car that does not. The 2006 Accent does not have MP3 capability listed on the website. Something like this is more important to younger people than older, so it is stupid to put this capability on the Sonata and not on the Accent or Elantra.
    -The CD player REALLY needs to have available iPod connector. Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Scion, Infiniti, and Volvo are all putting it into their cars (which is in addition to BMW). Things like this are very important for safety. I would say that somewhere around 50% of college students have iPods, and god knows how many others have the off-brand mp3 players, so it is very important. Using an accessory transmitter for iPod/radio linkage is dangerous b/c you have to take your eyes off the road. Not to mention that they don't work very well. I know some people, and have read on Edmunds how excited people were that the Tucson had a tape player with its CD player because they could link their iPods with it! VERY IMPORTANT...at least have tape deck.
    -To get the more aftermarkety crowd, put turn signals on the mirrors. Young people eat stuff like this up.
    -Audio controls on steering wheel would be nice.
    -If the car has blue/red gauges like the GT, which all models should have (like Volkswagen), then all of the controls should light up red or blue. It doesn't make sense to have them light up green!
    -To get the aftermarket crowd, they could have GT equipped models only have one windshield wiper. That is really popular, as an aftermarket piece, and if they had the Mercedes-Benz-like wiper that actually folded away and hit the whole windshield, that would be really nice...and probably wouldn't cost that much to be built.
    -The rear windshield wiper must be intermittent.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The 5-door's rear wiper is intermittent on the current models.

    You can forget about unique features like single wipers on the GT. To keep its costs down, Hyundai will need to base the GT on the standard Elantra as much as possible. They can't price the GT like a Mercedes.

    I don't think there is any relationship between the current GT's digital readout and future plans for a Shiftronic in the '07 Elantra. The only reason the current GT has the digital gear readout and the GLS does not is because the GT has the trip computer. They could easily put a digital gear readout on the '07 Elantra. The Tucson has a Shiftronic with the 2.0L engine so there's no reason the '07 Elantra couldn't have one, other than trying to keep the price of the base model down. The Accent GLS definitely won't have the Shiftronic, based on the information at hyundaiusa.com. I'd rather have the stick shift on a 110-hp car anyway. :)
  • jazvanjazvan Member Posts: 106
    OK, depends on what you mean by rebadged. What I mean is the difference between a Dodge Caravan and a Plymouth Voyager (when they made Voyagers). This was generally accepted as "rebadged" and that's what the Entourage will be.

    The Entourage will have the same engine and safety equipment. A few items that are options on the Kia (like stability control ) will be standard on the Hyundai. It will be the same car except for maybe a bumper, grill, tailight change. Stick around a few months and we will see.

    -Jaz
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yes, we'll need to wait awhile to see for sure but based on Hyundai's and Kia's actions in the recent past, the Entourage and Sedona will differ more than the Caravan/Voyager twins have. I expect the interiors will be different (dash, interior fabrics), front clip and rear end will be different, and probably the side panels will be different--see for example Tucson/Sportage. In contrast, the Caravan/Voyager twins were exactly alike in sheet metal, interiors, and available equipment. Only the grilles and wheel covers/wheels were different--and the badges.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    There are pictures of the next generation Santa Fe? Where can I go to see them?

    And the Elantra could use Side Curtain Airbags as standard equipment...
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    You can be assured the next-gen Elantra will have side curtain airbags--even the low-bucks '06 Accent has them as standard.

    Here's the next Santa Fe:

    http://automobilemag.com/2007_sneak_preview/0505_hyundai_santa_fe/
  • sandpapersandpaper Member Posts: 60
    I cannot see how you believe that the Sportage and the Tuscon are simply rebadged. Ask any average American on the street and they will be able to distinguish the difference. As a matter of fact, they wouldn't even know Hyundai and Kia are remotely related to each other.

    Look at the Elantra, and look at the Spectra. What similarities are there?
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Look at the Elantra, and look at the Spectra. What similarities are there?

    They share the same ultra-long warranty and dreadful resale values...
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Actually the Spectra's resale is worse than the Elantra's. And they also share engines.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    CVVT engines for fewer emissions and better fuel economy. Sit tight and watch and Kia and Hyundai resale values will creep up to reality-based resale values.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • mononeomononeo Member Posts: 89
    Actually, as I have stated on many many boards on the internet, it is kind of a stupid mistake to say that Hyundais and Kias have poor resale value. The fact of the matter is that people DO NOT pay the MSRP on Hyundais and Kias, and accordingly, their resale values cannot be determined based on the MSRP as a starting point. I actually mathematically figured it out once that if you pay somewhere about $800-1100 below MRSP on an Elantra GLS automatic, after four years your car has better resale than a Civic LX automatic. Where are you getting your resale value thoughts? First off, this board is about the 06/07 Elantra, and not about resale values. Then, posting is best with statistics...but unnecesarily and coming unwarranted to tell people that a car that doesn't exist in the marketplace yet (and won't for about a year) has poor resale value despite the facts that the current car does not and that no one has a crystal ball to tell whether the next car will have the same resale value is tantamount to a deaf person telling me what bands to listen to.

    *

    Anyway Backy, I do not think there is a remote chance in the world that there will be a singular wiper blade on the front of Elantras ever, but I do think that they need to do things to differentiate the models more and not just get people to come in and buy bargain cars. I go to a liberal arts/professional school college in Oregon, and moreso than other colleges I've been to there is a big portion of "rich kids" that get transplanted here from Connecticut, New York, Hawaii, and "the OC" like you wouldn't believe, and it is a very interesting phenomenon to me how much they praise the Tiburon. Jetta, Tib, and WRX are big names for them...I think that Hyundai should make the GT in a bolder font so to speak on the next model. I've noticed that among the few people here (minus Tiburons) that have Hyundais (also minus Korean international tudents who all seem to drive base model Sonatas) that they are all Elantras, and that the GTs represent probably three out of four. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel that there is some untapped potential there.

    When my best bud tells me that I am an idiot for looking at Elantras because they are garbage, but doesn't think twice about looking at Tiburons for himself you know something is up...and this is a guy who drives a WRX (which is his girlfriend's who can't drive it b/c it is a stick haha). Maybe the key to Hyundai becoming a brand with real recognition is to make it name have its own force behind it. It seems that to these people a Tiburon is a Tiburon. Not a Hyundai Tiburon. Hyundai should make the Elantra THE Elantra. If people think of the model name as the name first, after a while, the word Hyundai won't sound so bad on the front of it.

    Back to product talk though, I DO think that the Elantra will have a tiptronic transmission in the next generation. It seems to me that the 2.4 Sonata engine is the most likely candidate for entry, and it is already equipped with a transmission that fits this bill.

    Considering how much power the next generation Civic is destined to have, 160 horsepower isn't too unrealistic. The next Civic is going to have somewhere between 140-160hp standard, and 200 in higher-end Si models. Considering that the Sonata is a LARGE car and gets 26/33, the same mileage in the current Elantra pretty much, the Elantra with the same engine tuned exactly the same would have to get at least a mild up in the mileage. Even 28/36 is respectable. Perhaps without retuning it will achieve even 30/38. It is also feasible that they would detune it for economy down to 150 horses in this application for higher miles per gallon figures. Obviously we have no way of telling as of right now, but conjecture is a good thing.
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Do people pay MSRP for Camrys, Civics, Accords, and Corollas?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Disagreement is great and expected, but there's no need to refer to people who disagree with you as "stupid". I don't think you'd get away with that kind of behavior in a high-school debate, and you'll find it doesn't go over well in this public, moderated forum either.

    Re engines for the next Elantra, here's another possibility that I think is likely: base engine, the all-new 2.0L I4 with hp in upper 140s (tops or matches everything else in the class for a base engine), with 4-speed SHIFTRONIC or 5-speed stick. Fuel economy in upper 30s highway, near 30 city. Upgrade for GT, 2.4L I4 with 162 hp, or maybe tuned/turbocharged for higher output, with 4 or maybe 5-speed SHIFTRONIC or 6-speed stick. Fuel economy a 1-2 ticks more (in 162 hp trim) than the Sonata because it's in a lighter car.
  • jazvanjazvan Member Posts: 106
    Bamacar, You are completely correct.

    -Jaz
  • gogophers1gogophers1 Member Posts: 218
    I can't see Hyundai going to the expense of adapting the 2.4 to fit in the new Elantra's engine bay if the 2.0 cranks out close to 150 ponies. Not to mention, after taking a spin in the 06 Sonata 2.4, I cannot imagine how much extra engineering it would take to make that thing work in the Elantra: too much torque, too big (that tight squeeze in the bay could jeopardize the crashworthiness), too heavy (hurting handling and driving dynamics - not what you want in the "sport" model) and then you've got the issue of needing an additional manual transmission for the line and perhaps another automatic as well (I don't think they'd use the same slushbox in the 2.4 as they will for the 2.0). The new Elantra is going to be another world car (unlike the new Sonata which is clearly designed for the American market) and the odds of a compact Hyundai with a midsizer engine selling well anywhere but here (and maybe not even here) aren't worth the added production costs. It would be fun though - perhaps a bit too fun. The word "rocketship" comes to mind...

    If the new 2.0 does put out 150hp, that should be plenty - even for the GT. I'm guessing there'll be one engine, and two tranny choices in the new model just as in the current one. More than likely, the GT will be more of a handling package than a speed package with a few froo-froo doodads and whatzits thrown in to appeal to the under 20 crowd (again, same as now). Think larger wheels, quicker steering, rear discs, rock 'em sock 'em flashy purple dash lighting, etc.

    Edmunds still lists this thing as due out in fall 2005. But it's MIA on the Hyundai website and I've read NOTHING about it in any of my auto mags. Any thoughts?

    What I'd really love to see personally is a wagon version of the new Elantra. My ideal Elantra would be a wagon (I'm not a hatch guy) with a high mileage 5spd manual, a sunroof, cloth seats and a kayak rack. What can I say? I'm a dreamer.
  • nismokidnismokid Member Posts: 7
    I definately can see the Elantra getting the new 2.0l and 2.4l 4cyl... most car companies are offering 2 engines in their new compact models.

    Mazda3 2.0l(148hp), 2.3l(160hp)
    Nissan Sentra 1.8l(126hp), 2.5l(165-175hp)
    Ford Focus 2.0l(136hp), 2.3l(153hp)
    Mitsu Lancer 2.0l(120hp), 2.4l(160hp)... the next gen will probably share engines with elantra since they worked together with DCX to make the new 4cyl.s

    and so on...
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    I think your fuel economy targets may be a bit optimistic, in light of the recent ratings that Kia has posted for the 1.6L 110 horse engine used in the Rio and Accent.

    ~alpha
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    gogophers,

    I agree completely on the type of Elantra. Manual transmission wagon that gets great gas mileage. No sunroof on mine though.

    BTW - go hokies.
  • mononeomononeo Member Posts: 89
    What "new" 2.0L engine are you guys talking about? i haven't heard about a new 2.0L. The 2.4L engine is not that much larger than the 2.0L, if you are going by the looks of them, the engines are both covered by plastic and you cannot accurately judge how it would fit inside another car. Also, you are guessing that the next Elantra will have the same size engine bay as the current one, which it will probably not. Additionally, I do not understand comments from gogogophers about needing additional transmissions. If they sourced the powertrain from another car, how would that requisite needing different parts?

    I have access to Kia's journalist resources, and they put their EPA mileage ratings for the new Rio as 32/35 with a manual and 29/38 with an automatic...not bad at all considering that these cars are close in size and weight to the Toyota Corolla CE, which gets comparable mileage. This leads me to believe that if the Sonata's 2.4L was in the Elantra, it would definitely get better than the 26/33 the Sonata gets, but shy of the 29/38 of the Rio/Accent duo. The Sonata gets good mileage compared to the current Elantra, and we can be assured that it will get a combined rating of 30 or higher, which is excellent considering that this is NOT a compact car. The current Elantra is a midsize car, and the next will in all likelihood be substantially larger, thus in many ways, we cannot compare the mileage ratings to the likes of Civic or Corolla, and are more in line with the Mazda 6, Ford Fusion, and Chevrolet Malibu in terms of size. It will get good mileage.

    Also, I don't think that they will offer a wagon variant. The Kia Spectra5 (Spec5) is a wagon, and they have shown they don't want Kia and Hyundai to be the same cars in different guises. The hatchback is refreshing for most people, and Americans still aren't over the stigma of wagons. Also, if this is a world car, which it will be, Europeans like hatchbacks. More style than a sedan or a wagon with cargo somewhere in between.
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    First the RIO numbers have been on Edmunds here before and all the 2006 specs can be seen at the www.kiario.com public website. The manual numbers are clearly disappointing especially on the highway with 35/32 versus 41/32 for the Corolla.

    The Rio is 12 inches shorter, weighs 170 lbs less, has 20 less horsepower yet gets 6 less mpg on the highway. It should get 38 at a bare minimum and should get 40-43+ if compared on par with the Corolla. The new Elantra should be getting at least the Rio's numbers, but I seriously doubt that it will if the Rio/Accent is any indication.

    Another comparison:
    The RIO manual only gets one more mpg on the highway than the new Sonata despite the fact it is 23 inches shorter, 4.5 inches narrower, about 900 pounds lighter, and it has 50 less horsepower.
  • gogophers1gogophers1 Member Posts: 218
    Europeans do like hatchbacks - almost as much as they like wagons. Hatchback popularity in Europe is more a function of economy and size rather than aesthetics.

    That hatches have "more style" than sedans or wagons is your subjective opinion. I am one of many Americans who find most hatches utterly repellent. With the notable exceptions of the Golf and Mini Cooper, I can't recall a hatch design I've found appealing (e.g., Pinto, Gremlin, Spirit, Pacer, Escort, Rabbit and more recently, BMW 318, Spectra5 and the Mazda 3).

    I've seen many sharp wagons - from the old mid-80's Audi 5000s to the more recent BMW Tourings, Mercedes C and E Classes, Audi Avants, Mitsubishi Diamante (early '90s), Volvo V40/V50/850, Mazda 6 and Subaru Legacy/Outback. Even the Suzuki Forenza wagon looks pretty sharp to me. Personally, I don't like the proportions of hatch styles (tall and short) much like I don't like the proportions of SUVs. And their reduced utility v. wagons doesn't strike me as any great bargain either.

    So, to each his own. As we used to say back in college, beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The new 2.0L engine has come up in past discussions (can't recall if it was an Elantra discusson or a generic Hyundai one.) I don't have good connectivity or much time right now so I can't look it up. But if you search for info on the new line of Hyundai engines (shared with DC and Mitsu) you will find details on the displacement of those engines. There was a 2.0L in the mix.

    Per earlier remarks re mpg, if a Sonata 5-speed can get 34 mpg on the highway with the 2.4L engine, I think an Elantra with the same powertrain can do better. And it does make sense for Hyundai to offer it due to competitive pressures, and because the new Elantra is expected to be larger than the current car, so there won't be a problem fitting a little bit larger I4 into the engine bay. And we don't know the fuel economy of the new 2.0L but it should be better than the 2.4L. Consider also that the Rio/Accent engine is an old engine with VVT added--it's not one of the all-new engines.
  • mononeomononeo Member Posts: 89
    Gas mileage is so important nowadays. I almost bought a 2005 Tucson GLS 4x4, but I couldn't get past the sticker shock....and it wasn't over the price.

    One friend of mine had a current Elantra GT and that car got 30 miles per gallon all of the time, but it was a manual. Another of mine has an Elantra GLS and that car gets 23 miles per gallon with the automatic. I want this next Elantra to get decent mileage...My Civic VP I have as a "company car" (ha) gets nowhere close to 30 with all the abuse it gets. 33 is the norm, but 40 isn't too far off at times. We know Hyundai has the technology. If the new Elantra doesn't get too much better gas mileage than the Sonata, the larger car will be the one I buy.

    Hyundai should consider bringing a diesel version of the Elantra stateside. It will be available in Europe, so why not here? On Edmunds Inside Line it said that the Jeep Liberty CRDi is the second-hottest-selling vehicle in the DCX equation. Even if people didn't buy it, maybe it would get more people to come in to look at Hyundais.

    I can't wait to drive a car with an actual gas mileage fuel calculator built into the car. I hope it has an outside temperature gauge...does the new Sonata? Homelink and autochromatic would be nice on the higher-end models.

    Also, I'd like to get some conversation for what we're expecting on the base model (it would be harder to guess for higher end models)... I'm thinking all of the same options as before, add cruise control, XM, side curtains, ABS w/ EBD, TCS, and ESP. Does anyone think anything else will also be added?

    In regards to ~Backy~, this:
    http://www.americancarfans.com/news.cfm/newsid/2041217.006/chrysler/1.html
    :says that we can expect a 5% increase in mileage on the engines that the GEMA engines replace...but I'm not sure if it is talking about the 2.4 only or all the GEMA engines.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I think ESP (is that the same thing as electronic stability control?) is iffy for the base Elantra but I'd love to see it there. Other base features I expect to see are active front headrests, SHIFTRONIC on the automatic models, and CD/MP3. And I sure hope Hyundai retains the folding mirrors on the next Elantra; I think they made a big mistake not putting them on the '06 Sonata.

    As for the DC article on the GEMA engines... Hyundai has already demonstrated a 10+ percent mpg improvement with the 2.4L engine on the Sonata, compared to the old 2.4L engine. So I'm optimistic that there will be more than a 5% mpg improvement with the new 2.0L engine.
  • mononeomononeo Member Posts: 89
    ESP is Electronic Stability Program. It is called that because it isn't necessarily a hardware piece that calling it "ESC" would lead you to believe. It is a software program that the car's different computers run. Also, it is kind of a run into the idea of extra-sensory perception, which ESP kind of is. I am fairly confident that it will have it, as I've read many places that the next Civic will have it.

    I also expect active headrests, tiptronic, and MP3. I also agree with the folding mirrors take. When you have to park so close to other cars that you can't get to the sidewalk unless you fold your mirror in, it would suck to not be able to do so.

    5% of 24/32 for the automatic models is a pitiful upgrade in economy. 1.2 miles per gallon city and 1.6 miles per gallon highway would steer me away from buying this "economy" Hyundai. The current car has horrendous gas mileage from my experiences. I've been driving a 2004 Hyundai Elantra GLS with 5000 miles on it for about a month now, and I know that this car was babied because it was owned by Hyundai Corporate out of Fountain Valley, California before I got it (it's not mine, but a friend's who is out of the country and wants me to break it in for their return). It may be that it is a heavy model, as it is a GLS with steel rims, a sunroof with wind-deflector (which may reduce mileage), and an automatic, but it gets horrible mileage. When I first took it it got somewhere around 30 in mixed driving. Now it is getting 22 to 25 maximum. I can't live with a car with this poor of fuel economy. Where I live the nearest gas station charges $2.45 per gallon on a regular basis, and to drive this small of a car with even the 5% upgrade in mileage is pitiful. i may as well buy the new Civic if this 5% upgrade is the case, because the Civic is supposed to get notably better fuel economy than the current one when it comes out...and the current one does well.

    Back in the day when I worked at good ol' JC Penney, I never understood why people would sign up for a credit card just to get (ONLY) 10% off for one day. Ten percent is nothing! I need at least 15% bare minimum on this car. If it has the Sonata's 2.4L, it should get at least 15% better mileage at 28 city and 37ish on the highway...it is so much smaller and will probably weigh significantly less. Also, the GEMA engines are supposed to become the (and the 2.4 in particular) best-selling engine in the world. That would require it being in many applications.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    If you are getting a max of 22-25 mpg on your Elantra, either you are doing mostly in-town driving (in which case you are getting close to the EPA number), or there is something wrong with the car, or you need to adjust your driving style. For example, I get 20-25% better mpg than my wife does on our '04 Elantra GT automatic just by doing simple things like using a light touch on the accelerator and anticipating stops. I get mid/upper 20s in town and upper 30s on the highway, going at the posted speeds (60-65 in my area). But if the mpg increase in the new Elantra matches that of the '06 Sonata, we should be seeing at least upper 20s in the city and upper 30s on the highway, which for the power of the car is very respectable. Civics and Corollas get a tad better than that but have lower-power engines, especially compared to the new GEMA engines.
  • smith20smith20 Member Posts: 256
    The current car has horrendous gas mileage from my experiences.

    My experiences with the current Hyundai, as with all cars for that matter, is that the mpg is very route dependent. Remember, any time you're idling that is averaging 0 mpg. My 2004 Elantra gets about 20-21 mpg on my commuting route, but this is an improvement from the 18-19 mpg I got on my previous 1995 "economy car". When we take the Elantra on trip that is mostly all highway driving with little stop-and-go, the efficiency shoots right up to 32-33 mpg every time so far. I'd expect, and would be satisfied with, getting 22-23 mpg with the next generation Elantra on my commute.

    Ten percent is nothing! I need at least 15% bare minimum on this car.

    With regard to percentage increases in efficiency, keep in mind there's a defined amount of energy contained in a gallon of gasoline. I would expect efficiency increases to get successively smaller since we approaching an asymptotic limit. The easy increases come earlier, and at the higher end it gets much harder to squeeze out greater efficiency. This is especially true as consumers are simultaneously demanding and automakers providing successively larger and more powerful engines.
  • mononeomononeo Member Posts: 89
    I don't know who it was or where, but there is some science foundation, and I'm thinking it was the National Science Foundation, who studied current technologies and determined that it would be possible for a car about the size of a Camry to achieve 60 miles per gallon without hybrid technology while still remaining tolerable in performance. I hear about it all the time on talk radio! Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

    Lately I've tried to not have a leadfoot and it has helped mildly. I'd say I'm getting 25 miles per gallon now, which I still find to be not that great. Where I live, most driving is on the freeway at 55-70 miles per hour. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say traffic is for the most part a 2 or 3. Even my metro area's idea of a big traffic jam would be like a 5. Traffic jams here last about 15 minutes to get through moving at 25 miles per hour, never idling on the freeway. All of these things considered lead me to believe that something is wrong with the car.

    Other things: the car smells like rotten eggs as though the catalytic converter is broken all the time...the car now has 7000 miles on it. Also, it was probably properly broken in because the person that owned the car before us was a Hyundai dealership representative that traveled between the dealers. Also, a small rattle is coming from the intake when you gas the car...I think it is a rock stuck in the oil pan.

    My hopes are that if the egg smells are not a malfunction, that the new car will not smell as gross...also, another friend of mine had a 1998 Elantra, and hers made the same rattley sound in the intake' is this a Hyundai issue, or a car in general issue? Is it a rock or what? Is it caused by the car having variable intake timing?

    The next Elantra is not going to win just by being another 'good' car, like the current one. It needs to be excellent. The Honda Civic is moving more upscale at the same time that Hyundai is trying to move itself upscale. They need to get the 'step up' part of the cars right, and I have high hopes for this next Elantra.

    One thing I hope goes away: the ugly dark plastic around the door handles in the front seats. Also, not all of the controls light up at night, only the window switches, which is kind of tacky. The gauges light up green, which isn't too great for a car marketed at young people. Pull a VW/Honda and make them all red and blue. The ones in the current GT are a nice start, but they still light up green on everything else, which makes them gross (only the speedo/tach light up red/blue). The only extremely-non-subjective cheap part of the car I've found is the trunk. It is lined nice and all, but the sound it makes when you shut if reeks of cheapness. Also, the key fob needs to have a trunk release on it. First aid kit also should be standard on a car today...any car.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Maybe the technology involved in making a Camry-sized car get 60 mpg w/o hybrid technology is a 4-cylinder turbodiesel with a manual transmission, and possibly with variable cylinder technology. It also depends on what one means by "tolerable" performance. For some people, 0-60 in 12 seconds is tolerable. For others it is not.

    From the rotten eggs smell it seems there is something wrong with your Elantra. I've driven about a dozen Elantras of the current generation and none of them had any rotten-egg smell.
  • gogophers1gogophers1 Member Posts: 218
    I have an 02 Elantra and have never noticed a rotten egg smell. Well, once... but I have to blame that on the White Castle. But, I digress.

    I consistently get 34mpg in my 5spd with mixed driving. I think it's reasonable considering the current Elantra is a bit tubby. I think my very first car (I'm beginning to feel old), a Pontiac 6000, weighed about the same despite its larger dimensions. On the plus side, if it's Elantra vs. Civic or Corolla in a head-on, I'd rather be in the Elantra. Weight can be a virtue. Of course with my luck, if I get struck head-on, it will probably be by an Escalade towing a yacht.

    Oh ya, and the 2006 Elantra looks great (to stay on subject).
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yes, that 2006 Elantra looks great but it's likely the same styling it's had since the '04 MY. Kind Host, when will this board's name be changed (and Edmund.com's info on the next Elantra also) to reflect the fact that the next-gen Elantra will be a 2007 model, coming out in 2006?
  • mononeomononeo Member Posts: 89
    This board really should be 2007 Elantra.

    I like the current Elantra a lot, but in terms of design, I think that the Kia Spectra (SX and 5 variants) are much more appealing. Aesthetically, however, I feel that the quality is much more pervasive in the Hyundai Elantra. I am hoping for a design as modern as the Spectra's, with as much refinement as the new Sonata (proportionate to it being a pseudo-economy car, of course). It will be interesting to me how this car is to look. In an interview with Bob Cozmai somewhere, he said that all of the new Hyundai models have a "decidedly European" design flare to them...which yes, is something that nearly every car is called at some point, but gauging by current styling trends in the Euro scene and what I can gather from the new Sonata, Azera, Accent, and SantaFe spyshots I've seen online, the cars seem to hold true to his statement. One car I am really excited to see will be the new Optima, which I am (and boards of people on the net) 90% sure will debut at Frankfurt this year. Seeing the styling of the Optima, the Spectra, and the new Rio and comparing them to the new Sonata, Elantra (which hopefully will debut at this same time), and Accent, we will be able to see a better sight for where their differing directions of brand vision are going.

    We really need to start getting some new spyshots for these cars...or at least some at all, especially considering that all of the previous ones were of the next Optima.
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    I saw the same piece. But when I went into the dealer to look at the Elantra, the sales guy said a new Elantra was due out this fall, like November. He said to check back in October because they usually got briefed on the new models about a month before they arrived.

    Like I said, I saw the same article you posted. I didn't have it with me, though, so I didn't push the issue. Was he perhaps thinking of the new Accent?
  • mononeomononeo Member Posts: 89
    If we remember the 24/7 plan that Hyundai still has underway, we aren't going to see the Elantra this fall.

    The plan put the seven release models in the following order:
    1 Tucson
    2 Sonata
    3 Accent
    4 Azera
    5 Santa Fe
    6 Entourage (though it was not named yet at this point)
    7 Elantra

    I would once again like to point out that we already have spy shots of the new Optima which is supposed to debut at Frankfurt, and that we don't have pictures of the new Elantra yet, and for it to debut without a marketing blitz would be highly unlikely. I would guess April as the launch date. It was called the 24/7 plan because it took 24 months...does anyone know what month the Tucson came out? Perhaps that will shed some light. Summer 2004?
  • smith20smith20 Member Posts: 256
    I'm pretty sure the Tucson was released late last summer (September I think), so maybe the new Elantra will be released in August or September next year if they're going to make it 24 months from start to finish. Saving the best for last . . . I hope! :)
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yes, a new Elantra is due this fall--the '06 Elantra. But what the salesman considers "new" may not be an all-new design, which is what we expect for the '07 MY. I see ads from dealers all the time touting the "new XXX" model, and it's the same car as from the previous year (except maybe for some new colors and a new, higher price).

    I don't put much stake in what car sales reps tell me about upcoming models. I went into a Hyundai dealer late this past winter and asked when they would be getting the all-new Sonata. The salesman looked at me blankly and said, "There isn't a new Sonata coming. The next new Hyundai will be the new Santa Fe next year." This was within a few weeks of the debut of the Sonata, and it was all over the press at that point. I then asked him if he knew anything about the new Accent and Azera, both of which had been announced for a fall '05 release. He hadn't heard about them.
  • doohickiedoohickie Member Posts: 949
    What you say makes sense. But I asked the guy if it was "all new and restyled" and he replied, "yep, a whole new car".
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Then maybe you could pump him for more info, e.g. ask him where he heard about this mystery car which Hyundai hasn't said anything about in public, displayed at any auto shows, and for which HMA's president has apparently lied and told the public it won't be out until 2006. Seems very strange, don't you think?
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    Further proof of the general weakness of Hyundai dealers. They need to work on their weakest link-- of course lots of Japanese dealerships are also pretty lame.
  • carzzzcarzzz Member Posts: 282
    Does Tiburon being left out from the 24/7 plan?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Tucson
    Sonata
    Accent
    Azera
    Santa Fe
    Entourage
    Elantra

    Hmm... looks like it. But there's always the post-24/7 plan! After all, the current Tiburon was the last new design from Hyundai before the 24/7 plan started.
This discussion has been closed.