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Re crash test results of Elantra vs. Accent, I was remiss in not checking for existence of results for the Accent, and also for forgetting that results are not comparable across vehicle classes. Still, the Elantra's scores are excellent and I'd have to believe it will do better than the lighter Accent.
Congratulations on your new GT. I'm sure you will love it. How do you like the silver color? Ours is silver, too and I wasn't thrilled with it at first but after a week it's really growing on me. Looks very upscale, even with the black belt trim (which I also like).
Looking forward to reading all the posts from present and future Elantra/Elantra GT owners out there....
Happy Motoring!
CJA
If I have a problem with a shimmy when I replace my factory tires, I will know a way to test for the culprit and how to correct it.
Thanks for the info.
But most of us get off easy. Now, I am in NYC a lot. I have never ever seen a car there without at least 10 door dings or scratches in it, bumper scrapes from people ramming into it. Both my cars have been pretty much ding free. My Jeep has 2 small ones, then again it has 110,000 miles on it. The elantra remains ding free
At 100 hi transmission hose burst and car would not start. My wife was in rush hour traffic in Boston paying a toll before entering Summer Tunnel.
At 5000 miles both disk brakes had to be resurfaced.
At 9500 hi the center console for the heating and air conditioning had to be replaced. Defective pump or vacuum?
At 10000 hi the lower block of the engine is being replaced (basically new engine) No oil is initially being delivered to the upper parts of engine.
Other than that the car has been very good. I am not being a wise guy in saying that. The service department has been very helpful and do care about me and the car. Pride Hyundia in Lynn, MA. All of this has not cost a penny. My other two cars are a Honda Prelude that has 180000 and runs fine and a 735i BMW that costs a fortune to maintain.
I own a 1994 Elantra which I bought brand new. I now have almost 93,000 miles on the car. I've had the following service done on the car since I've owned it.
Soon after I bought it it was recalled for installation of a "cold weather starting kit," whatever that is.
At about 40,000 miles the front wheel bearings had to be replaced. That was under warranty. The ball joints were also replaced at that time, and I paid about $50 for that. The service rep said since they would have the wheels off anyway, they'd just charge me for the parts.
At about 45,000 the catalytic converter was replaced. That was under warranty.
I just had a worn intake manifold gasket replaced, and that cost $325.00. If I had bought the car just a few years later, that would be under warranty, too.
I did have the timing belts replaced at 60,000. That is a maintanence item, and it has to be done. It took the shop forever to do it, and it cost $400.
Other than that I've only had tune-ups, oil changes, and the brakes were redone at 50,000.
I'm very happy with my Hyundai. It's been very reliable. My only complaint is that it uses a quart of oil about every 800-1,000 miles, and my mechanic says don't worry about it. I just have to remember to check it often.
I test drove a new Elantra GT with automatic, and I hate the Hyundai automatic. My '94 has automatic. It doesn't shift smooth, it jerks, and clunks, and when I bought the car I thought it would be the first thing to break. It hasn't broken yet. I still hate it.
My Elantra was the base sedan which isn't sold anymore. A dealer told me it had the Alpha engine, and the new ones have the Beta engine. I think he means I have a 1.8 liter motor, and the new ones have a 2.0 motor. I have noticed that the new motors are quieter than mine. My car has hard seats, and cheap upholstery, and 65 tires instead of the 60's on the new ones. It has good accelleration, and handles decently. The ride isn't as smooth as I'd like, but mine had the cheap struts, too.
When I bought my Hyundai people shook their heads. How could I do such a thing? Now I guess the car is more legitimate.
I'm keeping mine till it dies. Basically because it has 0 resale value. I am driving it to Florida again next week. It has been the most reliable car I've ever owned, and I've owned a lot of cars.
I'm very attached to my Elantra. We've been through snow together, -20 degree temperatures, rain, everything. My children have grown up in its rear seats. And stained them.
I'm test driving an Elantra GT tonight. With manual transmission.
My wife and I are seriously considering buying a new Elantra. I've done a lot of research and have approached the purchase in a couple ways. Using the Autobytel service, we were connected with a dealership in Fairfax, VA. We told them that we wanted the 2001 Elantra with option package 4. They offered us that car, albeit with some extras. Using Edmund's pricing service, we determined that:
MSRP should be $14,594
Invoice should be $13,290
TMV should be $13,532
We also determined that there is a $500 rebate in effect. The dealership offered to sell it to us for $13,449 AFTER rebate, but BEFORE a $300 "processing charge". In turn, I offered them $13,700 BEFORE rebate, but AFTER processing fee. Now as I understand it, it's the Hyundai Corporation that pays the rebate, so I was offering to pay $13,700 for a car that the dealership paid $13,290 for. Is this correct? Is this a fair price? The dealership counter-offered with $13,533 AFTER reabte and processing fee. I refused.
If you found that paragraph confusing, well, I found the entire procedure confusing, but that's about how it went. I guess my basic question is, how much should I REALLY expect to pay for this car (MSRP $14,594) right now, while the $500 rebate is in effect.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Jason
Try www.carsdirect.com also for pricing.
According to their site they will give you a 2001 GLS 5sp pkg 4 for $13,340 this includes the rebate and all fees except taxes tag and title.
Also try E-loan for loan quote.
dorf47,
Great work on using E-loan rate as leverage to get good rate from the dealer.
One problem is that, as residents of Maryland, apparently we cannot use an online broker to buy a car. Too bad becuase, as you say, Carsdirect offers a good price. So, I'm essentially stuck with a dealer. I keep reading messages in which people claim they've purchased their Elantra for under invoice. Is this possible!? Are we talking about the same invoice prive that Edmund's lists? I can't even get a dealer near TMV, let alone invoice. So how accurate IS TMV? Where are these dealerships that offer TMV? We found the one dealer who would give it to us at TMV, but that was only with the $500 rebate added in. This is pretty darn frustrating.
Using the Edmund's information, we'd established that the price it was supposedly going for in this area was $13,500. With the $500 rebate Hyundai is currently offering, that price should have been closer to $13,000. We were all set to buy it via an online broker, who claimed that it could be had for right around that price. It turns out, however, that Maryland has a law against brokering cars, and although we tried to manipulate it, it seemed that buying online just wasn't going to work. So we tried a telephone service that hooks us up with a dealer in the area who has the car. As a result, we got a call from a dealership in Virginia. This was supposedly supposed to be competitive pricing, but after an offer and counteroffer, the lowest I could get this guy down to was $13,533. I was getting frustrated.
So we got back online to determine if there was some way, again, that we could broker it, perhaps using a relative's address in another state. This time it sounded like it might work out, but the details started getting a little too sticky, and I thanked them and gave up that option. So I finally just started calling dealers in the Baltimore/Annapolis area asking if they had the car and if they'd give me a quote over the phone. The car, with the options we wanted, in the colors we wanted, was sort of hard to come by, and I wasn't expecting much. One of the dealers I called quoted $13,800, and seemed to belligerently defend the price when I pointed out that I had a better offer. Another refused to talk price over the phone. Others didn't have the car, but tried to tell us that they could get it. I was starting to have a headache.
Finally a dealer seemed willing to work with me. The salesperson got his boss on the line who asked me what I'd be willing to pay for the car. I told him that I had an offer already, and that I wanted him to tell me what he'd sell the car for, bearing in mind that I already had an offer. He asked me what the offer was, but I explained that I didn't want to provide information that he would just match. He said "Look, we sell a lot of cars. And I want to sell you a car. Tell me the offer and I promise we'll beat it by at least $200." So I took a chance and told him that I'd been offered $13,533 and (doing my math incorrectly - grin) told him that I'd buy from them for $13,233. He agreed.
We drove to this dealer near the DC beltway and, much to my amazement, nothing at all had changed. We went through the whole thing with no hassles whatsoever. The dealer and salespeople were a delight (they even threw some pinstripes on for us while we waited), and we now have a new car. With cruise control, sunroof, remote locks, alarm, power windows, stereo w/CD and four speakers, and split rear seats, it's pretty darn loaded.
So there ya. I didn't exactly get my car for invoice, and I didn't even get it for TMV, but after a semi-fruitless and frustrating search, I feel good about the price we DID get.
Sanger4
The word may finally be out about Hyundai and the Elantra in particular. I hope this doesn't become a situation of demand exceeding supply.
Off subject briefly, after reading what others are paying, I got the deal of the century (details below).
I've had my Elantra for 3 months (3500 miles) and have had it with the doors. I've read several hundred posts (scanning for similar problems) and it appears there are indeed others with the same symptoms. The common concensus seems to be the doors are hard to close because the seals are very tight (i.e., airtight cabin, etc.). I took the car in at 300 miles and was told this very reason (tight seals, etc.) as the reason for difficulty in closing the doors. I don't buy it, period. Let's not take a problem and blame it on magnificient engineering... (Imagine that! You have to slam your doors because the car is engineered so great--it's airtight! Pretty good con job, Aye?)
I've since sat in another Elantra (new car on the lot), and while the doors do require more force to close than most other cars, it's not nearly as bad as my particular car.
I suspect this is an engineering problem. If the latching mechanism was larger, i.e., had more "leverage" (larger actuating stroke, etc.) and perhaps a stronger spring, then, when the door engaged the latch, the latch would have the "strength" to finish the door closing process.
In reality, the latching mechanism does not have the strength. (No leverage: this is like trying to start up an inlcine in 4th gear... no leverage i.e., like first gear, no go). Therefore, we (collectively, Elantra owners with this problem) have to roll down the windows to avoid strenuous door slamming, to overcome a weak latching mechanism. In my case, even with the windows down, it's still necessary to use substantially more force than with just about any other car.
This fact shows a deficiency in the latch design, which is aggrivated when you're fighting air pressure (windows up) as the door closes.
Fit and the door-closing sound seem to be perfect, so that's why I blame the latch design. I'm not holding much hope for a repair, either, for this reason (that is, the seemingly perfect fit). I looked at the latching mechanism for adjustments, and there are none.
My other problem: Tires out-of-balance symptoms. That was the other reason the car was brought in at 300 miles. The dealership simply could not fix the vibration problem while I waited; they rebalanced the tires twice. They asked me to bring the car back and keep the keep it a day. They greatly improved the symptoms (violent vibration reduced to just noticable at freeway speeds). I'm gonna have them look at that again, as well.
For those who are interested, my purchase details: I try only to buy cars on ad (although after this experience, I may change this habit). As such, I waited and watched until I saw the car (Elantra with automatic) advertised for $9977.00. I was at the dealership before they opened, found the car on the lot, and then aproached the sales team with ad in hand. Stuck to my guns, got a bit shafted on interest, but countered the high interest by taking only a 2 year loan. Further reduced the interest hit by paying half the loan balance 2 weeks later (simple interest loan).
So, the ad car deals are out there, you just have to find them and be prepared for any games that follow.
I really did not get my options and color, for the sake of saving money. I noticed the door problems immediately but assumed it would be easy to fix. So, I got a great price... or did I?
Those of us with shimmy/vibration, what state are you from? My elantra is in Ohio.
in central FL? How much over invoice am I expected to pay?
Did anyone have an dealing with "Universal Hyundai" on OBT-Orlando. Their ad in the Orlando Sentinel says- 2001 Elantra's starting at $9999!! Any comments?? I am thinking of getting the Elantra with package 3. Also I am thinking of paying cash & not financing.
Would I get a better deal? Is this a good thing? thanks.
I bought my 00 Sonato from Coastal Mitsu/hyundai in melbourne. That was a very pleasent experience.
Actually both were, but stand strong ay Universal.
Lets face it, their job is to get as much of what you have and your is to give up as little as you can. Dont feel sorry for the dealers. Trust me, they would NOT sell the car if there was nothing in it for them in one way or another.
I brought my edmunds printout to Coastal when buying the Sonata and the COST price is what we used right off my printout. We didnt even bother using his paperwork.
At Universal, they were kind enough to let me use their PC and internet to connect to Edmunds to search for best price. Then went on to make a good deal, but had to play a bit of hardball to win at the price I was willing to pay. They knew I was going to buy one there or at Coastal, so they made the right choice.
As far as car dealers go, I think they are a fine dealership.
Coastal was about 65 miles from Orlando (guessing) Universal was about 15.
Good luck.
Tony
If comparing it to your x-corolla, consider the age perhaps of that car and was it a two or 4 door? 2 door do have more momentum than a smaller 4 door. ALSO did the corolla have frameless side windows? You know, the type when you open the door and there is nothing around the glass? These do not seal very well.
I think you truly mistaken that your effort required to close the door is a defect. It IS a indication that the car is tighter than what you are used to is all.
Now the wheel vibration is a REAL problem. I just paid to have a tire shop rebalance my tires and same trouble.
I used to have my car tires trued, but the cost of that procedure has gone way up in price. Use to be about 10 bucks a piece and very worth it. NOW they want 25 bucks a piece !! I can buy new rubber for few bucks over the truing cost!! (maybe not michelin quality, but perhaps without the shimmy too)
All I can say is you are taking a chance of them doors falling off completely if you hound the dealer over a non issue.
Tony
tonykrapil, I have an appointment on Tuesday and have requested a "regional support technician" (or something like that) from Hyundai to look at the car. I had two dealerships tell me the same thing after looking at my car, and accepted the diagnosis at face value (did not challenge them). I'll do the same with the Hyundai technician; but will also point out to him that another Elantra did not seem nearly as bad (I would suspect he'll be well versed with this problem, though, and that's why I called customer service). I might also add that both dealerships main product is other brands: one's Chevrolet, and the other, Nissan.
I test drove a Corolla yesterday (never owned one) and still like the Elantra better (even though no door issue w/Corolla). The Elantra is quieter, more powerful, and more refined--just hate the doors! Our other car is a 2000 Accord, very quiet, excellent door seals, and the door closes smoothly and gently. Please note I'm not comparing the Accord and Elantra because there's a substantial cost difference between the two--simply, the Accord also has a tight cabin, but doors close effortlessly.
I also had a 99 B2500 pickup and 99 B4000 pickup. The B2500 was a standard cab. No problems closing the door on either, but as other pickup truck owners probably know, large doors and small cabins make for an instantaneous pressure surge (back pressure effect) strong enough you can feel it in your ears. It bothered my teenage son so much we always had to roll down the windows before closing the door (for his ears, not to get the doors to close). Yet, the doors closed easily and gently with windows up, despite the brief back-pressure created. That's why I suspect it's more of a latch design problem.
backy, I agree with you to a point... there are going to be variences in manufacturing, could be that my car's latching post may be in a slightly different position enough to make the difference, or perhaps the rubber insulation is slightly stiffer on my car, both "within" tolerance. I've looked at the alignment of the door to body, and it really looks good. That's why I'm concerned that the problem cannot be fixed (I doubt they'll burn off and re-weld the latching post--wouldn't allow it, either).
What's interesting (I didn't mention this in my first post) is that the doors close much easier when pushing closed from the outside, as compared to pulling the door closed from the inside. Don't exactly know what that means...
Thank you all for your thoughts; I'll post what Hyundai reports with the vibration and door issues...
I guess the GTs sat in port for a while, but that can't explain the shimmy on GLS models.
Godd Luck.
Representin Jersey!
If anyone has any advice, I would really appreciate it!
(I guess we can all fire up our Springsteen CDs and drive down to LBI, or, for those of us in Northern NJ, Satriale's Pork Store...Jersey Rocks!).
Goin down to LBI next week. Just heard Glory Days by Springsteen on the radio this morning. Jersey does rock!
leverage is not as great when you're sitting in the car. The door handle is mounted near the middle of the door, and when you close it from the outside you're probably pushing on the handle or the window frame, near the outer edge. More leverage means more force applied for same effort. I don't know the scientific term for it anymore, but I'm sure nobody cares (if they are still reading at this point).
You're right about the Accord, it proves it is possible to make a tight-sealing car (at a higher price point of course) with easy-closing doors--albeit bigger doors. I bet Hyundai's main design goal was to make the interior quiet, and they didn't make easy closing a high priority. That reflects the compromises necessary to make a car like the Elantra that sells for under $12K. (One day, I'll plop down my $35K for a no-compromises Bimmer.) Still, it sounds like your doors are more stubborn than some others so I hope the techs can figure it out. One thing you might check: I've noticed that the door seals are not attached all that well, and I've had to pop one of them back into place a couple of times. If the door seals are not seated properly, they might be binding up and causing hard closing.
Ciasulli was allegedly going to be investigated by the NJ attorney general for fruadulent business practices. I think the complaints were centered on Ciasulli's used car sales. Some were over 10 years old. Again, I have no complaints about that dealer.
Well, fellow garden staters, I'm off to listen to some Bon Jovi albums....happy motoring!
I do think that the backy comment about misfitting door seals has merit. After going over my car, I have found a few issues regarding the fabric and carbet in my car. All of these I will probably fix with super glue.
The serpetine belt broke 5 days ago(I bought the car used 1 year ago) and someone (not Hyundai) said the belt broke because of friction caused by a misalignment in one of the pulleys used by the serpetine belt.
Hyundai said the serpetine belt had been put on backwards, but said nothing about misalignment. Can a serpetine belt be put on backwards?
Any help is much appreciated.
That # is same as for 2000 Elantras, and it's not 100% fit(actually its tiny bit bigger). I think someone posted that like 2 months ago.
However,if you squeeze little bit, it fits in 2001 Elantra and it works fine.
If you want K & N, you can buy one from
http://www.performanceintl.com for $32.99..
Thanks for the info
Tony
cjacetta....Goin to listen to some Bon Jovi albums?...Im going to see him July 28 at the stadium
Is the maintenance of the filter messy? I had a filter a long while ago that made me look like I worked on an oil drilling rig for 8 hours when I cleaned it.
Thanks
Tony
http://www.knfilters.com
I'm getting about 25mpg in city and 38mpg in highway..(before the K&N installed, it was about 19 mpg in city and 28mpg in highway..)