Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

intrepidspirit · August 2001

Congratulations! I hope you are happy with your Sonata! I didn't even know the Sonata was under consideration -- you never asked about price comparisons...

I would only pass on pricing if I thought it would be helpful and since you have already bought, it's a non-issue.

Enjoy your new car!

dwangyahoo · August 2001

I called my insurance company (20th century) for rate estimates and got surprising results:
The following rates are from 20th century insurance for West Los Angeles, with full coverage $100/300 deductible, perfect driving record.
1) elantra GLS $446/ 6 mo
2) altime GXE $426/ 6 mo
3) sentra GXE $381/ 6 mo
4) accord LX $407/ 6 mo
The reason the rep gave was that elantra parts and repair is more expensive.

csandste · August 2001

I had posted on something similar a week or two back. Check your posts.

In my case the Elantra was rated at a 16, my 97 Cavalier at a 6 or 7, and my 94 Caravan at a 3 or 4. Most of the posts indicated that American cars with their cheaper readily available parts tend to do better in insurance costs and that Hyundai was paying for higher claims in earlier generation Elantras. The last generation's bumper repair costs were extremely high until the mid-course redesign (I think when the Elantra got a grill.)

Hyundai may be low balling the purchase price and then trying to recoup money with higher repair costs.

tb88 · August 2001

>...didn't even know the Sonata was under consideration...
>

Neither did I, until this Sunday when I saw an ad: 13.999 + 495 Dest. with auto,Keyless entry, mud guards & mats which is just over 1,000 over the Elantra quotes I 've got. MSRP:16,627.
I thought the car has a little more stuff and worth the xtra 1,000.
(Hyundai started a Free Auto Transmission deal: $800 Jul.31 - which I did not know about before; and which was not even listed on their site /Edmunds/Carpoint or CarsDirect)

.

backy · August 2001

Clarkemode: this does sound like a driveline problem. If I were you, I'd demand (nicely of course) that the dealer keep the car for a day (while they give you a free loaner) so they can take it on an extended test drive. (If they don't like that idea, you can offer to return the car in exchange for another unit or get your money back, since the car is unsafe to drive

). Also, for those of you who are more mechanically inclined: does this problem (shimmy while in gear, no shimmy in neutral, shifts by itself from 2nd to 3rd) sound like it could be related to a defective/broken motor mount?

Re insurance rates: it's very odd that the Accord's rate is so low, since they not only have high repair costs but are one of the most popular cars amongst car thieves. Probably has more to do with the "typical" driver of an Elantra vs. Accord: younger, single, higher accident rate for Elanta vs. more "family" types for Accord (also explains why the rates for Caravans are so low).

clarkemode · August 2001

Thanks for your input, im glad im not the only one! My a/c varies by about 5 degrees, but it doesn't get below 45 when idling unless on the lowest fan speed. My accent used to get to 38 on the third fan speed when idling, so this is why I am upset. I was wrong about putting my car in neutral. The shimmy is there regardless. I think I want to take the car somewhere and have the alignment checked and/or the tires dismounted and cleaned and then remounted and balanced....The shimmy is alot better but it still comes and goes...and with a 65 mile commute a day, I need a nice smooth ride!

av1998 · August 2001

Where did you get the Sonata deal at ? I may opt for that too !! Sounds like an awesome price for a higher-end model.

tb88 · August 2001

>Where did you get the Sonata deal at ? I may opt for that too !!

ARNOLD Hyundai 29187 Gratiot - Roseville 48066

.

tb88 · August 2001

>Even if I paid about $400 dollars to much for it.
>
It is not too late to go back and to tell them they took advantageof the situation and sold you the wrong Extented Warranty ( Assuming it is Hyundai's Ext. Warranty)... because there are 2 types:
1- The $1,000+ for 2nd hand owners.
2- The $789 ( I was quoted 709 after some haggling.. but I didn't buy it...) for the original owner.
Hyundai allows to return the policy and get full refund the first year I believe...
If the dealer you bought it from is doesn't want to ... Contact Hyundai!

.

tb88 · August 2001

.
>Even if I paid about $400 dollars to much for it.
>
Extended Warranty Follow up:

When I asked about buying the Extended Warranty, I was also quoted, at first, $1,000+ type... but fortunately I remember reading a posting somewhere, where it states how much someone paid for it. - $700.

So, I mentionned it to him..and he pretented to look it up again and he said: "Sorry I quoted you the wrong type", and he showed me the official pricing.

Moral of the story:

The Dealer sells you the wrong Ext. Warranty at $1,000
He pays Hyundai $500 and pockets $500 and tells Hyundai: he sold an Original Owner Warranty (the one which costs 789... Both warranties have the same coverage and are the same... the only difference is, if it is a 1st/2nd owner!); for a new car, which is the proper procedure and Hyundai would never know of the scheme, because that would give them a bad image (as if they need any more help in that field!).
Otherwise, if he sold you the correct warranty, his profit margin would be only around $200.

Also: you don't have to buy the warranty at the time of car purchase... Hyundai allows purchase (and I believe also full Refund), up to 1 year/ 15,000 miles after sales date.

Just thought I let you know...

.

csandste · August 2001

Kumho tires are Korean and bad. Michelins are French and good. Everybody knows that Hyundai made the right choice in upgrading their tires, right?

I put "vibration" and "Michelin" into Google and came up with this page. I don't know if it means anything, since similar situations might exist with any brand of tires. Still it might be a possible explanation for the intractable vibration problems that some people complain about.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/michelin.html

steveb70 · August 2001

Thanks for posting this and doing the research! Actually, if this is what's causing the shimmy in the '01 Elantras, it's good news, in a way, because it means the shimmy isn't being caused by a manufacturing flaw in the car itself.

Now, the question is, has anyone asked for replacement tires under this scenario (where a shimmy existed)?

Finally, for anyone in Colorado, Shortline Hyundai is advertising the base 2001 Elantra for $10,588 (including the $500 rebate). Not quite Famous Ed's in California, but not bad. Also, McDonald Automotive has a hail damage sale going right now. I haven't visited either dealership, nor do I know their reputation, but it's worth checking out. Some dealers are advertising 0.9 percent financing WAC, but this is only on the Sonata -- correct?

Steve

aquesada · August 2001

Your statement "Kumho tires are Korean and bad. Michelins are French and good" is not accurate at all, I use to work for Bridgestone/Firestone for 9 year and I can tell you both are good, Michelins are the equivalent of Toyota or Honda, I mean you are paying more for the name it self.
We at Bridgestone road tested most brands and Koreans such as Kumho/Hankook got good overall performance.
My Elantra has Kumho on it and I have no Shimmy at any speed.

csandste · August 2001

That statement was an attempt at irony. My point was that Hyundai in attempting to move up market may have done themselves in. I've bought a number of low end Korean tires over the years and all have performed quite well.

silver_bullet · August 2001

Just because Michelin is a French company doesn't mean their tires are made there. They, along with companies like Pirelli, Dunlop, Goodyear, etc. have plants all over the world. The country of origin (along with the week and year of manufacture) is embossed on the tire's sidewall.

intrepidspirit · August 2001

I agree with tb88...I don't know the relative costs or the rules for changing/cancellation, but on a broad overview basis, I would never consider purchasing an extended warranty over the "America's Best Warranty" that comes with the car.

I know everyone drives their cars differently (mileage and usage conditions), but you can tell by the way the dealer's salesmen try to pitch these things that they are a real money-maker for them. Third party extended warranties are cheaper, but they all make money. Which means, statistically, you will spend less money repairing your car than you paid for the extended warranty...

Personally, I feel really good about the Hyundai standard warranty...just my $.02 worth.

mpgman · August 2001

Sorry to hear about A/C problems. My GT is so darn cold that I was thinking of renting out hatchback space to my local butcher. Was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for over 2 hours on a detour of 7 miles. The A/C kept me cool on the lowest setting and temp needle never moved.

scamp11 · August 2001

on new Elantra. I'm bothered by a noticible "fishy" smell from the A/C. Never had this with any of my other new cars. Does anyone know if this is common and if it will go away in time? Thanks!

csandste · August 2001

Never noticed it myself, but numerous reviews of Korean cars talk about a new car smell that's none too pleasant. I've read (maybe here) that some of the odor is coating put on to protect metal during transit. If this is what you're talking about it should wear off in short order.

csandste · August 2001

Sound familiar???

http://www.mbz.org/resources/tips/tires/

If it's a Mercedes, the assumption is that it's the tire that's causing the vibration. If it's a Hyundai, the assumption is that it's the car. Note the reference to a Michelin factory rep. It might be interesting to show this reference to someone from Michelin and see if they can figure out if something similar is happening to the Elantras. I'm not sure whether the average Hyundai dealer would be able to pick this up.

silver_bullet · August 2001

If someone has a cooperative dealer service dept., try this trick - get them to temporarily swap the wheels/tires from another non-shimmying demo onto your car, then go for a drive. Shimmy gone? Chances are, you've got a tire OR wheel problem. You need to examine the wheels as well, since a manufacturing defect or rough shipping can result in an out-of-round wheel.

jcacc · August 2001

Don't assume all '01 Elantras with Michelins have the "shimmy". Mine doesn't and I'd guess that a large majority of them don't. The car didn't shimmy when I got it and I had the tires rotated at 6000 and still no shimmy. Perhaps I'm one of the lucky ones, but I also have no squeaks, no smell, no rattles, no door problems, etc. I'm getting 28 mph in the city, 33.5 mph highway with an automatic and the air on full blast.

clarkemode · August 2001

Ok, I brought my car to a trusted place...Pep Boys, and I had them remove the front tires from the wheels, then inspect the tires and rims for abnormalities, and then remount the tires back to the rims and rebalance...Well, the shimmy is now worse then ever. Not only does the steering wheel vibrate at lest a half side of side an inch going down the highway at 60 MPH, it also shimmy at 45MPH now too. I ALSO feel a vibration in my seat, meaning the rear wheels, which Pep Boys didn't touch are ALSO out of round or whatever. I am finally coming to the conclusion that my alignment may be the culprit. When the car was on the lift, I noticed how much the front tires were off on the camber angles. I know that the camber cannot be adjusted in the Elantra, so I am curious to see how they adjust my alignment, if indeed it is that. I don't even want to drive my car any more cause the shimmy is so bad. I even physically SAW the guy at Pep Boys do everything to my tires, and he did everything I had wanted. I am now going to call the Hyundai rep in CA to find out what I should do. Did anyone have the same shimmy, and what did you do to fix it? thanks

tonykrapil · August 2001

Hello,

I am one of the original ones with the shimmy . I did everything I could. I rotated the tires front to back, then side to side looking for the culprit.

Hyuundai balanced them and I still had the problem. I went to a tire joint and they too broke the tire of the rims and remounted and balanced and I still had the trouble.

I went back to Hyundai and they found the tires out of balance per their machine. They rebalanced all 4 and the shimmy is gone at all speeds.

I would make sure that right after balancing the tires you either mark the rims or draw a pic of where the weights are on the rim. This suggestion is of course IF the shimmy is gone.

You might try having pep boys balance the tires with weights only in the inside instead of BOTH sides of the tires. I have read where this method of balancing can improve the problem. I ctually have it done tis way on my ranger because I do not want weight marks on the nice wheels and the ride has been perfect.

I think the Elantra just conveys a lot of information to the driver thru the steering wheel.... it is most likely NOT a car problem as my shimmy is GONE!

Good luck

Tony

csandste · August 2001

This noon I checked with a local tire chain to see if they had a flat fee that would let me rotate and rebalance (like Wal-Mart does).

For whatever it means, the salesman was most impressed that the car had Michelin energy tires. Said that this was the identical size and brand tire that Accord had and that the tire is absolutely, positively the top of the line.

I haven't confirmed on Edmunds that this the same tire as Accord. I also thought I'd do a quick check on the Honda Accord thread and see if there's any reference to vibration.

silver_bullet · August 2001

... are nothing special - certainly not "top of the line". They are an okay quality all-season tire with so-so performance. Go to www.tirerack.com, and read some of the customer comments and test results. Michelin does make some very good (and pricey) tires, but there are certainly better tires out there for the money.

tonykrapil · August 2001

I am thinking it is more like throwing weights off the rim and maybe not the tires.

ALSO it may be all these different hi-tech balancing machines .

I had them balanced and paid good bucks to do so at a very reputable tire chain. Problem was still there, maybe even worse. Dealer checked the balance 2 days later and they were wayyyyyyy out of balance per Hyundai's machine.

I agree, something is causing all of this, but not sure if it is the tires , weights being flung off the tims or what.... I am sure we wil find the problem on day.

Hang in there.

Tony

tb88 · August 2001

.

I have been watching this thread about tires, and was going to stay out of it for the time being...
But, I couldn't, when someone says this: "...are nothing special - certainly not "top of the line". They are an okay quality...." about Michelin tires which cost $120 a piece.

The name may be over-rated but these tires (MXV4 plus - GreenX) are excellent compared to any other tire of this calibre; even though they are not the best for snow.
May be this person never had a Michelin tire after all!...

For the record they are used on new cars from: BMW, Mercedes, SAAB, Toyota, Mazda and the like (too many to mention!). If they were that bad, we would have heard from those by now!

.

silver_bullet · August 2001

... but have never selected them as replacement tires for the cost vs. performance reason I stated above. Just because Michelin is an OEM for some big names doesn't mean that much, either - Honda likes to put Firestone FR680 tires on most of their Civics... does that make the FR680 a good tire? The Michelin Pilot line is quite good, with the sportier Pilots coming as standard equipment on cars like the BMW M3. Like many aspects of car design, the tires chosen as original equipment by a particular car maker represent a compromise. For a family sedan, they generally are looking for an all-season tire that is reasonably quiet and wears like iron, and is compatible with the geographic area where the car will be primarily driven. Their choice is obviously influenced by cost as well, so the tire maker who makes the best deal frequently becomes an OEM.

You judge tire quality by how much they cost? You have lots to learn about tires. I stick by my original post - Michelin has a long history and a very good reputation, and they certainly expect you to pay for it when you buy their tires. I rely more on real world performance when selecting replacement tires. Remember that not all tires from one manufacturer come from the same plant, or even the same country. Quality can and does vary.

tb88 · August 2001

From TireRack.com:

"Every tire engineer will confirm that it's relatively easy to develop a tire designed to excel in any single area, yet it is almost impossible to build a tire which improves all areas at once. With the new Energy MXV4 Plus, Michelin engineers have improved upon their previous MXV4 and Energy MXV4 tires' performance in a dozen traction, handling and comfort perimeters without the traditional tradeoffs.

The Energy MXV4 Plus incorporates an advanced version of Michelin's Radial XSE Technology (which consists of a "Smart Tread Compound, Optimized Casing Shape and Optimized Mass Distribution), the Energy MXV4 Plus now offers more performance than the original Energy MXV4 in every category.

On the outside, the Energy MXV4 Plus features a new 7-rib tread design (Energy MXV4 tires typically had 4) which provides more grooves to enhance foul weather traction. It also incorporates offset shoulder and diagonal intermediate blocks that are designed to "flow" through the contact patch for a quiet ride. On the inside, the Energy MXV4 Plus features a rounded casing shape to provide predictable handling, and has been optimized to equalize the tire's footprint pressure to extend its tread life. BAZ Technology (spiral wrapped nylon Banded At Zero degrees) reinforces the Energy MXV4 Plus' twin steel belts to provide high-speed durability while it helps maintain ride comfort. Depending on their size and anticipated application, Energy MXV4 Plus tires are H-, or V-speed rated. A runflat version of this tire is called the Energy MXV4 Plus ZP, and is used as an original equipment option on the Lincoln Continental."

Notice that no one tire "...improves all areas at once".

.

74birdman · August 2001

Notice that no one tire "...improves all areas at once".

And it seems that the Michelin's improve at none according to the same sites "Grand Touring Allseason Tire Survey Results" placing a solid 10th out of 12 tires.

silver_bullet · August 2001

It's funny how discussions about tires start sounding like discussions about which brand of beer is "the best". Despite all the testing, people can supply anecdotal evidence to the contrary. One thing I can say about the Michelins I've owned (all-season design) - they wear like iron. I finally just had to get rid of them even though they still had quite a bit of tread left, so I could upgrade to a more aggressive tire. Like beer, it all depends on what you are looking for, and it is certainly true that no one tire does everything well. Regarding the balancing variation from shop to shop, this is something else that can drive you nuts. An inexperienced operator isn't going to do a very good job, and there are factors that "computer controlled" balancing machines can't compensate for. Sometimes, on-car balancing is the only thing that will cure a persistent shimmy, and finding a shop that can do this is getting harder all the time.

tb88 · August 2001

> > ...it all depends on what you are looking for

I fully agree there.

These are All-Season tires for family/sedan cars Not a Max or Ultra High Performance
tires for sports cars

From Tests:
"On the road, the Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus was also praised for its excellent ride
comfort, noise comfort and good real world handling. Of the three tires tested, it was the
most capable of soaking up Indiana's pavement expansion joints and potholes. On the
track, the Energy MXV4 Plus provided good steering response and dry grip."

csandste · August 2001

was a suggestion that someone go to the dealer and have four offending tires swapped for four tires from a car that didn't vibrate. I still think that's a good suggestion and I didn't want it to get lost with all the Michelin stuff.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm very happy with these tires, although I did try one car that vibrated. Would have bought it had I not been reading these posts. Thank you. When it comes time to replace, I suspect that I may be able to find (almost) as good a tire for less money. Maybe even by buying (gasp) a Kumho or other Korean tire.

baber · August 2001

I had Kumho tires on my 99 Accent. I thought they were pretty good untill a few weeks ago when I went on my first long trip on the highway. It was about a 400 mile round trip. I was cruising about 75 mph when my steering wheel started to vibrate. I was almost home when this happened, so I made it home. I took the car to a tire dealer and found that the tread had started to separate from the belts inside one of the front tires. I ended up replacing them with a new set of Michelin Rainforce MX4's. The Kumhos had 56,000 miles on them but still had plenty of tread left. I wonder if the tire would have failed if I had made the long trip earlier. Anyway I am soured on Kumho tires now and I just don't trust them. I also don't trust Continental tires. I had the tread peel off two Continental tires on my Mercedes once. I also don't like Dunlop tires, I had to put air in them every week on my Mercedes. I like Toyo tires, they were trouble free on my Mercedes. General tires were good on my Subaru. Strangely I had two Firestone tires on my Subaru and they were fine. The Michelins on my Wifes 99 Elantra have been great so far even at speeds upto 100 mph.

baber · August 2001

I thought the Kumho's on my Accent were good tires until they almost killed me. I keep thinking about what would have happened if the tire would have come apart at 75 mph. I guess I should be happy that the tire didn't come apart on me, and in fairness the Kumho tires on my Accent are probably their cheapest tire. Like I wrote they had 56,000 miles when one of them started to fail, but this was the first long trip I made on the highway too. My life is important to me, so I just do not trust Kumho tires anymore. I am quite happy with the Michelins on my Wife's Elantra and now on my Accent. Now if one of my Michelin's failed, I wouldn't trust them anymore either just as I don't trust Continental or Dunlop tires. Good luck with your Kumhos, I am sure they are a lot better then the ones that came on my Accent from the factory.

jxs81 · August 2001

today I washed my car for the first time. Since my parking spot is just under a tree, there are a lot of brown droplets and some bird [non-permissible content removed] on it. I tried to clean it for quite a while. Unfortunately, the brown stains just won't come off. Even worse, when I tried to rub off the bird [non-permissible content removed], I realized the paint under it is no longer smooth. After I rub some more, I saw some white color showing up. I must have rub the paint off!!!
It seems the bird [non-permissible content removed] has etched the paint off!

Does somebody know what should I do? How can I get rid of the brown liquid from the tree? Should I wax and/or polish the car to protect the paint from further damage? This is my first new car! Somebody help me!!!

browney · August 2001

I have had a lot of success with "Goo Off" for removing tree sap and road tar. This works well and doesn't damage the paint.
Sometimes just rubbing with a good car wax will remove these also.
You need to get bird droppings off you car as soon as is convenient because bird guano is acidic and will eat thru the paint. :-)
As for waxing, according to what a professional painter in a body shop told me, you only have to wait 3 months from the original painting of the car for the paint to cure. Then you can wax it, and you should because it will help protect your paint from guano and tree sap. There have been a couple of posts here for different polishes but as long as they are carnauba based they should be fine.

elantra00 · August 2001

I like Meguiar's. I have a 2000 Black Hyundai Elantra, which is a real pain in the [non-permissible content removed] to keep clean. Meguiars gives it a nice deep glossy shine that turns heads. Also, when birds crap on it, it doesn't leave any marks. Comes right up when you wash it. I have tried every product out there, and Meguiars works the best and lasts the longest for this type of car and paint.

Now, for older cars, such as my 1996 Jeep Cherokee. (The Elantra is still too new yet to do this), I like to use a clay bar. I first wash it w/ Dawn or Palmolive to strip off the wax. Then I use the clay bar. Removes everything from stains to tree sap to big water spots that wax just won't take up. I follow that by Zaino Z-1 and then 2 coats of Z-2. Car came out beautiful and the paint felt like glass. 5 years and not garaged kept...It looked brand new. jxs81...You may want to try the clay bar to get some of the brown spots off. Make sure you get a lubricant with it. It should be included when you buy it though.

backy · August 2001

Just wondering if the three-month rule for waiting to wax a new car (which was what I always heard too) still is true. I recall reading that the new clearcoat paint formulations no longer require this waiting period. Of course, by the time a Hyundai gets over to North America and to a dealer here in the Midwest it's probably several weeks old anyway. What's the greater risk, damage from a premature wax job or damage from bird dooey, acid rain etc. on an unwaxed new car?

teamlakegrove · August 2001

Elantra00,
Never heard of Zaino. I use Meguire's or Mother's, but never Zaino. Is it special order or can I get it at any Auto Parts store? What can you compare it too....Zymol?

backy,
Nevermind how long, better to be safe than sorry. Wax on!

intrepidspirit · August 2001

I posted a couple of weeks ago re Zaino and I highly recommend their products. They only take mail orders...check out their site.

http://www.zainobros.com/

pat · August 2001

There is also a very active Zaino discussion over on our Maintenance & Repair board if anyone is interested in checking it out - let me know if you need help finding it.

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

jxs81 · August 2001

browney,
What is "goo off"? How can I tell if it is safe for the coating of my car?

elantra00,
what is clay bar? it sounds that the paint could be damaged if I am doing it properly? is there a milder way to remove the tree sap?

Due to ignorance, I left the bird drop on my car for probably over a month:( is there a way I can prevent the damaged spots from further damage? such as use a little touch paint (maybe clear paint)?

lngtonge18 · August 2001

To be fair, I think you are overreacting a bit about the one Kumho tire failing. Getting 56K miles out of any tire with no problems is pretty darn good. Cheap 13" OEM tires are rarely designed to go much further than 40K. I would say your tires were near the end of their life anyway and the one having a separated belt was just a precursor of that fact. Just because there was enough tread left for another 5-10K doesn't mean the internals of the tire can handle it (how much longer did you really expect the tires to last?). Very few tires will perform flawlessly up until they are bald. I think maybe you are expecting a bit too much out of tires. When you first felt the vibration, you should have immediately pulled over and seen what was wrong. It would have been your fault, not the tires, for ignoring its warning if it had blown out. Also, cars nowadays are designed not to lose control if the front tire blows out (part of the suspension geometry. It's driver's error that causes accidents.). So, I seriously doubt your life was ever in much jeopardy. Give your cheap $30 tires some credit for giving you so many trouble free miles!! I know I wouldn't have been shocked in the least for getting that much mileage out of those cheap tires. And by the way, longer trips is not what did in your tires (the added heat strain did have an effect but that was combined with the wear of high mileage). I have 18K on the same Kumho tires and have taken my car on numerous long distance trips, one covering from West Palm Beach to New Orleans in one day at 75-90 mph and the tires had no trouble handling that. I have also taken the car numerous times above 100 mph (107 is the highest speed so far), again with no problems. Needless to say, I have been impressed with the quality of these low rung tires. I havent even had to balance them yet, though one wheel vibrates slightly due to a bent rim. Again, be happy the tires gave you such a long life without incident and even got you home safely when one was beginning to fail. My mom's Accord with MXV4 tires only lasted about 35-40K before they became loud as hell and very dangerous on wet roads.

tb88 · August 2001

I was puzzled as to why Hyundai Prices are different from State to State - and by a wide margin in some places!
So, I did some comparison shopping for the same model in different states - using mostly CarsDirect.
(Base Sonata MSRP: $15,494 Invoice: 14,700.

$13,000 : California
$14,500 : Colorado
$14,500 : Georgia
$14,600 : NY
$14,900 : MA -Boston
$15,000 : Washington
$15,100 : Illinois
$15,200 : Ohio
$15,200 : Oregon
$15,200 : DC
$15,200 : Texas
$15,300 : Michigan
$15,300 : Arizona
$16,700 : Nevada

The only logical thing I can think of is that: Hyundai is deliberately targeting a limited
number of states, with the aim/goal to capture a significant share in those. Mostly in CA where more than 50% of the new cars sold are said to be made by foreign manufacturers(even though some of them are made/assembled in N.America); and to a lesser extent a share in GA , CO , NY and FL.

Lets hope that doesn't turn off most potential buyers in the "high priced" states! It may backfire; because Hyundai is the only car maker to my knowledge, to deliberately practice such a (wide gap) pricing strategy!!!

Since I started looking at buying Hyundai a month ago, I only saw 2 elantras on the freeway around here in MI!
Notice, the Ports of entries: WA and OR are high priced; so it has nothing to do with transportation cost!

intrepidspirit · August 2001

I don't believe Hyundai has a multi-tiered pricing strategy...the MRSP remains constant across the country. However, they may be offering different levels of incentives to the dealers, probably where they feel they need to in order to gain market share. It's up to the dealers to price cars competitively. The Southern California compact vehicle market is very competitive -- the prices I have posted here for Elantras have been matched by Sentras, Sunfires, Mirages and Neons, with the Kias and Daewoos priced lower yet. As with almost any product, it's the price that a willing buyer will pay a willing seller that sets the market price, and, because of the competition, those prices are lower in this part of the country. Of course, this is just my humble opinion...

By the way, tb88, The 2002's must be close to the docks -- Famous Ed has reduced his remaining Elantras, at least for the weekend, to $10,488 -- all with automatic and MRSP of $14,032!

tb88 · August 2001

> > However, they may be offering different levels of incentives to the dealers... > >

That's what I meant by Pricing strategy... On the surface you keep the same MSRP but you discount it in many other ways.

> > The 2002's must be close to the docks -- Famous Ed has reduced his remaining Elantras, at least for the weekend, to $10,488 -- all with automatic and MRSP of $14,032 < <

that's a good deal: $3,544 or 25% discount! I only got 2,050 or 12.5%.

> > the prices I have posted here for Elantras have been matched by Sentras, Sunfires, Mirages and Neons, with the Kias and Daewoos priced lower yet > >

Of course they do... They know that Hyundai is after some of their share of the market (a piece of the pie)... they are fighting it out; while poor us, up north and elsewhere are subsiding their greed!

PS. I have been reading about your posts about Zaino... I am not a big fan of Waxing... I thought the clear coat paint used nowadays doesn't need any of that! Am I wrong?
.

browney · August 2001

GooOff is generally used for removing adhesive from glass. It is a citrus based product and is very safe. It may take the wax off where you use it but it won't damage the paint.
I bought it at Home Depot but I would expect that any chain store would have it.
It comes in a small (3-4oz) yellow bottle for about $3.

silver_bullet · August 2001

It is safe to wax a factory finish right after you buy the car - by the time you get it, the finish is properly cured. The "wait three months" rule applies to repaints, such as after a collision repair. Repair paints are formulated very differently from factory paints, because the environments they are applied in vary greatly.

Clearcoat is essentially non-pigmented paint, and must be protected just like a non-clearcoated finish - they same rules for washing, waxing, and polishing apply.

Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles