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Elantra or Corolla?

somisomi Member Posts: 1
edited September 2017 in Hyundai
I'm trying to decide between an Elantra or Corolla '11/'12/'13, I like the style/features of each one, so as far as this goes I have all the info I need.

What I would like to ask is, maintenance cost to each, Pro's and cons between maintenance, and how easy is it to change breaks on each one etc? Do either have a Drum rear break or disc breaks? The reason I would like to know these is easier for me to maintain myself with my little knowledge in Cars (:

Tires, I've read elantra tires go out easy? This is no problem but wondering, transmission, etc etc...

Also finally, reliability and length, how long do you think each car is a keeper for? 5 years? 10 years?

Thanks a lot!

Comments

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    edited January 2012
    One thing you didn't mention: how do the cars DRIVE. Have you taken each car on a long test drive yet? Better yet, you can find these cars as rentals, and since you plan on keeping it for a long time, why not rent each one for a few days, drive it as you normally drive a car, so you can be sure you'll be able to live with the car for many years.

    I say this because IMO there's a huge difference in how these two cars drive. Also in aspects like interior room and quality... but you said you were OK with the style of both cars.

    The other thing you can test on a rental is fuel economy. The EPA numbers are one thing, but real-world FE for YOU could be much different.

    So if you haven't driven these cars yet... do yourself a big favor and do that.

    P.S. Elantra has all disc brakes, Corolla has rear drums. As for 10-year reliability, I own an 8-year-old Elantra that's been very reliable, no issues and the only major maintenance outside the factory schedule was new rear brake rotors/pads at about 45k. Fronts are original. Have about 70k on the car now. Also my sister bought my 2001 Elantra (purchased 10/00) from me six years ago and still owns it. Car has over 100k on it now and has needed a few parts, but brakes (rear drums) held up well, still original shocks/struts/exhaust, never has broken down.
  • parthanon1parthanon1 Member Posts: 16
    hi
    I am new so i dont know how to post a question. I have the above car and always did timely oil change. Recently I picked it up from a shop where the bumper was being repainted. Upon leaving the shop i drove quarter mile and the oil light came up, and the temp gauge went up to about 40% (normally it is at 25%). I drove home about 6 miles slowly. Next day towed it to the dealer who said there may be too much sludge so it would be too expensive to repair.
    1)My question is how could the sludge build if I did regular oil change.
    2) If I have them take off the oil pan and clean the screen would this help?

    They charge about $110 per hour (los angeles CA) and it is a 2 hour work. Might be worth it than to junk the car because opening the engine to clean out the sludge would be more than the car's value.
    any ideas?
    thanks in advance
  • parthanon1parthanon1 Member Posts: 16
    Hi I forgot to add an important detail in post below.

    As i said the car was being repainted in the shop. I had a dispute over the quality of work ( the color did not match the rest of the car) and so the guy had to paint it over and was unhappy. Could he sabotage the car?
    thanks
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    hand down the Elantra. Toyota is working on a new Corolla to compete in this segment. The present Corolla is miles behind in this class of car. Also, you can buy an Elantra assembled here in the U.S. If you end up wanting an Elantra, try to buy one assembled here at least.
  • oldburbnewcx9oldburbnewcx9 Member Posts: 53
    If you drove 6 miles with the oil light on your engine is likely finished sludge or no sludge.
  • lostwrench1lostwrench1 Member Posts: 1,165
    Another important factor...............
    Which car has a spare tire and jack and which does not!
  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    Get real. Lets look at it a different way. Which one has a better warranty, and offers more options. I remember years ago, when you bought a new pick-up, the spare was an option. Gee, lets see, that leaves out Chevy Cruise an Elantra, and just wait, you''ll see more manufacters doing that.
  • rudy66rudy66 Member Posts: 26
    edited January 2012
    Guys and Gals,
    Let's talk about the non-existent spare tire (Hyundai not the only culprit). Most of us on this forum complain about not getting the advertised mileage. So how many of you are comfortable taking a trip with the contraption provided by Hyundai for the Elantra? My dealer recently had a sale on spare tires for $200 each and I bought one. Better to be safe than have another complaint about this little car which, apart from its stop and go horrible mpg, is actually quite nice. Rather be safe than sorry and rely on the little contraption which I can't imagine trying to use in snow and sleet nevermind nice weather.
  • lostwrench1lostwrench1 Member Posts: 1,165
    What did you do about the car's not having a jack?
    Did you somewhere find one which will safely raise the car?
  • rudy66rudy66 Member Posts: 26
    The Elantra does not come with a jack. I got it when I bought the tire. It was included in the price of $200.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Well, the Elantra does come with Roadside Assistance (http://www.hyundaiusa.com/assurance/roadside-assistance.aspx) for the first five years (unlimited miles). So as long as you have a cell phone & service where you get the flat there is that.

    Personally, my auto insurance includes roadside assistance as well.

    Having a jack & spare in the car is simply less of a necessity than it was, say, 20 years ago. Not perfect and all things being equal I would prefer to have a spare tire on board. But in the end that didn't bother my wife when she bought her '12 Elantra. She wouldn't be able to change the tire without assistance anyway.

    BTW, if you carry your own non-OEM "fix-a-flat", make sure it's new enough to note compatibility with the TPMS. Otherwise it could foul the sensor.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    Thank the increasing gas mileage requirements for a lot of this...

    Spare tires becoming extinct?
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    That + TPMS + roadside assistance + prevalence of cell phones/coverage. IIRC Hyundai said deleting the spare saved $22 and 30 pounds, though it could have been more weight. (If you don't think 30 pounds is significant, that's almost 1% of the overall vehicle weight)

    Having TPMS reduces flats as tires that lose air slowly are caught & inflated/fixed before they go flat.

    The main problem that I see is if you call roadside & they don't have your size tire readily available.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • indeedindeed Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2012
    My mother has a 2012 Corolla, and I just bought a 2012 Elantra.

    I think both are nice car, and they are completely different in terms of driving style.
    When I drove the Corolla, it seems it is for ladies. You step on gas - break, gas- break, and etc. Very simple and straight forward, while the car will adjust and shift to the highest gear when not on gas.

    Elantra is a little different, feel more like a manual car. You step on the gas all the time, and the gear will shift according to your rpm. 5th gear kicks in at 50km/h (30m/h), 6th at 70km/h (perhpas 43m/h).

    I prefer Elantra, because I prefer a smoother steering feel, and I go on the highway quiet frequently. Highway RPM as follow:
    Corolla
    @ 2k rpm when reaching 100km/h (60m/h)
    @ 2.5k rpm when reaching 120km/h (75m/h)
    Elantra
    @ 2k rpm when reaching 100km/h
    @ 2.3k rpm when reaching 120km/h
  • kitcloudkick3rkitcloudkick3r Member Posts: 15
    edited May 2012
    I have owned two.. one was a 99 with the 1zzfe, no VVTI, the other was an 03 with the 1zzfe and VVTI.. the 99 was a 5-speed stick which the first clutch went at 195K miles, i replaced it.. the back brakes i replaced at 205K miles, they were drums, never needed to be replaced.. the syncros went at roughly 265K miles, so i bungie corded the shifter in fifth gear to the dash board.. at 325K miles the second clutch went.. i didnt replace it, sold the car, it ran fine.. just needed a clutch, everything worked, didnt leak anything, ran like a top, i wish i still had it..

    the 2003 was my mothers, then mine, now my cousins.. The 2003 she bought used in 2005 with 50K miles. i changed the oil every 3k miles, replaced the front brakes twice and rears once. The Cat went at 201K miles, which was replaced, and sucked to replace and although not pretty, it was replaced and passed NYS inspection. i Gave the car to my Cousin after driving it from Kentucky to NY 4 months ago, with 225K miles i averaged 43MPG. this was another one that EVERYTHING WORKED, It never saw a dealership or mechanic shop.. Original Clutch..

    Now simplicity;
    The brakes are well the fronts are easy, the rears are drums but they are interesting, they have a lot of little parts and are not easy like they were on old GM's..
    The OIL changes are super easy, the plug is easy to get to, you can reach it from the front lip without having to lay under the car fully. The Filter on the 1.8 is accessible and easy to get to, you wont need a pit to change the oil.
    Anything else.. well the clutch is a nightmare, so that is better done at a dealer, or at a private shop. you need to drop the tranny (front wheel drive ya know) so you really need a lift to do this..
    Anything else.. i wouldnt worry about you wont need to replace anything..

    If you are buying a car that you want to last LONG AFTER the car payments are paid off and to drive till it falls apart, i would buy the Toyota. If you are buying for style, upfront price, and flash, i would buy the Elantra.

    I only buy stick shift cars, so i would buy the corolla since i cant get an Elantra with all the bells and whistles with a stick..
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    edited May 2012
    If you are buying a car that you want to last LONG AFTER the car payments are paid off and to drive till it falls apart, i would buy the Toyota. If you are buying for style, upfront price, and flash, i would buy the Elantra.

    I could not agree more. The Corolla is a no brainer purchase. In my experience, the only thing that went wrong with them was the mufflers. Since they are likely stainless steel now, that will not be a problem. My "Toyota Vibe" should survive me. But as the other poster said, if you like something tastier than vanilla, the entire Hyundai/Kia lineup is smokin'. I'd get the new Rio if the car was to be my daily driver.
  • joeyrabjoeyrab Member Posts: 65
    To even suggest Hyundai makes a car as good as Toyota is way out of bounds. My Camry has 356,000 on it, my wifes Corolla has almost 200,000 on it. I can prove it if necessary. Hyundai does not make a vehicle of this calibur. Their 1.8 in the Elantra is no where as refined as Toyota's 1.8...The Toyota 1.8 is legendary for reliability, kind of like Toyota's 1.5, 2.2, 2.4, 2.7....anyway, If I didn't buy a Toyota next time, I would consider a Honda, or maybe a Subaru or Suzuki.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Hyundai does not make a vehicle of this calibur.

    And thank goodness for that! :)

    BTW, it's "caliber".
  • zippy99zippy99 Member Posts: 17
    Do you see a lot of 18 year old Hyundai Elantras on the road... I guess not. I see a lot of 18 year old Toyota Corolla.
  • pacificrim88pacificrim88 Member Posts: 1
    edited February 2018
    Don't let these ignorant "professional" reviews fool you, 2012 corolla is a much better car. I've owned both. I had a 2014 Elantra and while I initially liked it I ended up selling it because I hated the design of the gas pedal. It's bottom hinged and causes tons of pain in your hip and knee. ELANTRA ALSO HAS THIS WEIRD DELAY THAT WHEN YOU WANT TO ACCELERATE AND GET AWAY FROM DANGEROUS TRUCKS IT DOESN'T MOVE IN A TIMELY MANNER. I owned a 2015 Hyundai Accent also and it did the exact same time delay when you are accelerating as the Elantra did, yet even worse. It's a ridiculous design flaw.

    My 2012 Corolla that I have right now I'm quickly falling in love with. The real world gas mileage is insane, it's so much higher than what the EPA rates it at I've gotten 39.5 on the highway. The fact that the 2012 Corolla gets the same gas mileage as the Elantra if not more.. and it has a 4-speed Auto vs 6 speed in elantra.. it's kind of like what the hell Hyundai?? FAIL. corollas ride is soft and cushy and really cushions out all the imperfections of the road. My 2014 Elantra DIDN'T DO THE SAME. its refinement/softness was merely just acceptable. The Corollas back seat is spacious in all Dimensions, the Elantra has a terrible back seat because there's no head room at all. It feels cramped, especially bad for people that have claustrophobia, it really bothered my girlfriend. I personally think my 2012 Corolla has stronger more effective headlights than my Elantra did. The Corolla LE AND S also has bigger tires then all trims of the elantra. I believe this contributes to make the ride more cushioned than the Elantra. I never had to do repairs on my Elantra but I know that Toyota parts are always cheap to buy.. I bought a brand new battery with 5 year warranty for my 2012 Corolla = $101 with tax at Walmart. I don't know what it is about the Corollas design.. it's just practical everything works exactly as it should and it's just a simply easy and rewarding car to drive. Elantra is not a bad car, I just don't think it's design is as tried-and-true as the 10th Generation Corolla! There's a reason the Corolla is about to be on its 12TH GENERATION in 2019. There's a reason the Elantra only started being a reliable car on its redesign in 2011. Before 2011 the Elantra was not a reliable car it was more of a rental car design. 

    After owning both of these cars I truly think the corolla is a better car. The Corollas key fob works from a farther distance and is more reliable also. The key fob for my 2014 elantra would cut out randomly sometimes.
    .
  • jamielannisterjamielannister Member Posts: 4
    Corolla for sure
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