Hyundai Elantra Touring Prices Paid and Buying Experience

bear7 · April 2011

Just bought our first Hyundai ever. I researched and test drove cars for months. The 2011 Touring wasn't even in the running until I read some good reviews. We got the GLS, auto with PEP #2, iPod cable and mats for 16,260 incl 500 rebate and 720 delivery. This was more than 2,000 off MSRP and didn't require any annoying "special groups" rebates such as loyalty, military, student, etc. We used Truecar.com and worked great. No BS, no kabuki dance sales routine at the dealership. All email and phone. We love the car (overall 34-35 MPG, very easy driving), loads of features and best warranty. I would go to Gateway Hyundai again and will use Truecar.com.

wriconsult · May 2011

Hi, I just bought an Elantra Touring this past weekend. Base GLS with manual trans. Only options were ones you essentially can't buy the car without (floormats, splash guards, iPod cable, bumper protector). MSRP equipped this way is basically $17,000 even. I paid $15,500 plus registration (this is Oregon -- we have no sales tax).

Bought it from Dick Hannah's Hyundai of Portland, and had an absolutely easy-breezy buying experience. I got good quotes (about $15,850) from two different dealers through the new Consumer Reports buying service, and was able to negotiate down from there without too much difficulty. The actual dealer experience involved only minimal negotiations (beyond what we'd done with other dealers over the phone), no pressure, no tricks, no tactics. Couldn't have been easier.

We're replacing a 2001 Jetta Wagon that has been extremely expensive to maintain (20c/mi!) but has otherwise met our needs. We need generous cargo capacity because we often squeeze in camping, hiking, biking or ski gear next to 3 or 4 people plus a large dog. We don't want a midsize wagon (think Subaru/Volvo/Passat) because their length and turning radius can make for difficult parking in tight urban spaces. Most folks in our situation go for small SUVs, which have largely displaced small wagons like the Jetta from the market, but those tend to be thirsty AND clumsy. A small wagon is still our ideal car, even if choices are few.

I've done a LOT of research over the past year, and have test driven over a dozen different cars. The Mazda5 was mighty tempting, most underrated car in America IMO, an astounding value if you can grab an ad car at $16,600, but still a bit larger and thirstier than we'd like. Probably would have been our choice if not for the Touring. The xB is good sized, but it's no less thirsty than the Mazda5, its seats are hideously uncomfortable and its rear blind spots are big enough to be really dangerous.

Most of the other 5-doors were notably smaller, but we were at least willing to consider squeezing in and throwing a cargo box on top when needed. The Kia Soul was tempting, just $13k for the very well equipped base model, but really tight on cargo space. The Versa hatchback was cheaper than the Touring, even when when stepping up from the stripped base model, but also quite small. I really liked the new Ford Focus hatchback, one of the more spacious 5-doors in back, but it stickers at nearly $19k and is eligible for NO discounts since it just hit the showrooms last week. The Honda Insight is roomier for cargo than you'd think, and very undeserving of the bashing it's received in the automotive press ... would have been VERY tempting (both for the mpg and my loyalty to Honda) but tied the Focus as the most expensive car on our list and similarly NO discounts (in this case because the Japan disasters shut down production).

We ruled out the otherwise lovely Honda Fit because it's SO heinously noisy. Ruled out the otherwise great Matrix/Vibe because the shifter on the manual transmission is the clunkiest we've ever encountered. Ruled out the Scion xD because it's just too dang small (though the sliding rear seats do add versatility) and the seats are even more torturous than the xB's.

After looking at all these cars, the Elantra Touring was "just right". Not too big (i.e., thirsty and/or hard to park), not too small (specifically in terms of cargo), no deal-killing ergonomic problems. And it was cheap, with only the Versa and Soul coming in lower. Reliability appears pretty good, beautifully firm suspension, decent mpg, more power than I need (which is now true of ALL cars sold in America). Has everything I want (AC, PW, PDL, good stereo), nothing I don't. Basically it's the car I've been wishing Honda would build for the last 20 years, ever since they dropped the Civic Wagon (of which I have owned THREE).

maxx4me · May 2011

I could not agree more with your comprehensive right up. I have both the Vibe and Elantra Touring. If only the leg room for the driver was a bit more, I'd own two ETs. I'm now hoping and waiting for Hyundai to send the Sonata Wagon to the US.

delaluz · May 2011

Anyone looking for a Touring like vehicle in a year or so should contact Hyundai and tell them to bring the I40 to the US. Based on the photos it looks like a Sonata sized station wagon. I average 28 mpg with my 2007 so depending on the engine in the I40 it should get great mileage and IMHO should probably ride better than the Touring.

dmortaz · April 2012

Hi Bear7,

Thanks for your post. I keep seeing a lot of i30 in Europe, but nothing in US! Is the Elantra Touring the SAME car !? Do you know where the US version is made!? What kind of millage are you getting !?

Thanks in advance for the input.

maxx4me · April 2012

The Elantra Touring is made in Korea. The body design is a bit different than the i30. I am now seeing quite a few ETs on the road as people finally wake up to the realization that it is a great value, has fantastic room for 4 adults and can hold lots of stuff without being eaten alive by SUV gas consumption. Unfortunately, the ET only has a 4 speed transmission instead of the (now) commonplace 6 speed. I can't quite tell you what the gas mileage is since I drive the other car. My major complaints on the ET are:
1. stiff steering
2. driver's seat does not go back far enough for tall drivers
3. reduced gas mileage due to the 4 speed tranny

cptwlkr · April 2012

The Touring is finished in the US - the i30 is coming to North America as the Elantra GT expected to be at dealers late June/early july 2012 as a '13 model....5 doors, 'sportier' suspension & being marketed as the Elantra answer to enthusiast needs & will compete more directly with Mazda3 5 Door.
Details of the vehicle have been released & pricing has not. If I hadn't just finished my deal on Elantra Limited I may have consider waiting for the GT. I am coming out of 2010 Mazda3 which was an excellent vehicle, though dealer experience horrific.
ymmv.

bear7 · April 2012

Elantra Touring in the US and the I30 in Europe are the same car I'm told. The ET is 100% made in Korea. I get 31.4 MPG on highway trips and 27 MPG around town in a relatively low traffic area. I love the car and the no-haggle deal I got at Gateway Hyundai in Chester, Va. through TrueCar. My only complaint is the relatively low mileage vs. the Elantra (40 highway MPG in US).

avandyke · May 2012

I bought my Santa Fe at St. Charles Hyundai. I am a repeat customer since 2003 and have always been treated fairly and honestly at the dealership. The service department is just as wonderful as the Sales dept. I recommend St. Charles Hyundai to all my family and friends.

misterbill · September 2012

I really like my 2010 Touring and my wife is driving a 1997 Buick she got from her mother, so I went to my local dealership today to see what they could do on a new 2012 Touring, given that it's been discontinued and replaced by the Elantra GT, which looks like a Subaru Impreza and which I really do not care for. Much to my surprise, he said that Hyundai is not offering any incentives on them, and even though he had several in stock, he would not give me much of a deal. Instead, I ended up with a Sonata, which had $1500 in rebates and 0.9% APR for 36 months. Cost me a bit more than the Touring (and I ended up with a GLS instead of the SE I wanted in the Touring) but I think I got a much better deal. I always liked the look of the Sonata and the mileage is better than the Touring.

maxx4me · September 2012

yeah, it took a long while for Americans to figure out what a versatile value the ET is. They sat on dealer lots for a long time until this year. I'm seeing them everywhere now so I'm guessing people are getting the wagon while they can, thus eliminating the need for dealers/Hyundai to discount them.

Kirstie_H · September 2012

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Kirstie_H · October 2012

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fencersmother · October 2012

We just bought our 3rd Hyundai (1993 Excel drove to 150K, 2002 Elantra, still on the road w 165K). Conflicted between a CRV and a FIT, we decide the CRV too big, bulky, and the FIT too small. We found the Touring and LOVE it. Getting better than expected mileage (32H/26C), we paid $15500+our trade, a 2001 Honda Civic Coupe which had been in two accidents. I think we got a great deal (1.9%/5 years).

Our little wagon is loaded w/ leather, fog lamps, moon/sun roof, roof rack and rails. We love the "Touring" mats but bought some light gray ones (all plastic) at Walmart so those fancy mats stay clean!

Wish we'd found this car years ago. Where was Hyundai hiding it???? Now I see them every day!

maxx4me · February 2013

I'm starting to detect a slight decline in used car prices on the ET. Do others believe that there will be a "let's get these things off of our lot" fire sale on the remaining new 2012 ETs given that they are no longer made and that the GT has been out for a year now? The reason I am asking is that given the rediculously high used car prices these days, and adding on another $2,500 for factory certification, I was wondering if it would be better to wait a little while longer and grab a new 2012 should the price drop $3,000-$4,000 towards the end of 2013. Wishful thinking?

Hyundai Elantra Touring Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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