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Well, I've taken the leap of faith and the plunge.
On December 23rd I gave myself an early present: a 2001 Elantra w/auto, package #2, mats, muds, net. This is the first car I've owned in years that I can truly say I LOVE! I trust it will give me years of pleasure.
For all those who may have had a problem: my last car was a new Mazda Protege LX--in the shop 6 times in the first 3 months! So much for highly rated.
I've been very encouraged by all the positive comments I've been reading here. And a special "thank you" to elantra00. After reading your post, I'm even happier. I bought my car at the SAME dealer-BEFORE I even checked this board--and you're right! Glad I went with this outfit. Met the service manager today and it, too, was a
pleasant experience. And may I compliment you on your knowledge!! I'm getting compliments on my car!!
Actually, I didnt buy my car at that dealership in Denville. I bought it in South Brunswick down on Route 1 at Brad Benson Auto Mall. Largest hyundai dealer in Jersey. On the highway too, so prices are cheaper. HOWEVER, I get all my maintance done at that dealership Towne Hyundai on route 10. i ve been hearing about good deals there, but a friend of mine bought her elantra down on route 1, so i decided to go there and use her to help get money off it w/ her salesperson
Im glad you got a great deal. they are on the highway too, so their prices are probably great too. The service there is OUTSTANDING. They never argue about anything under warranty (broken door handle). They try to save you money on services, like on the 7500 mile service, the guy said there was a coupon and knocked off $10. i didnt know about it and he said not to worry and took the money off. Thats great service! I live in Somerset county, so its closer for me to bring my car there then on route 1. 20 min drive vs. 1 hr
Good luck with your car and any questions, let us know here in this forum! Welcome to the family
Glad to hear that you have such a great dealer. I think having a dealer like that will definitely
add to the value of ANY car.
Can anyone help me regarding this matter?
A car wreck has, alas, left my poor '98 VW Jetta on the brink of being totaled. While I have loved this car and it's performed excellently the past couple of years, I'm going to have to come to grips that even if the car is repaired, it'll never be the same again (there was damage to the frame)
At this stage, I hope the insurance company totals it.
That said, I am now starting to look around at new cars. I can't really afford anything of the Jetta's class (An equivalent Jetta would be close to $2000 more than what I paid originally) so I have to step down a little. A co-worker recommended a Hyundai Elantra, having driven a 2000 model for a while.
So, I went over to Hatfield Hyundai in Columbus and test drove one. NICE CAR! Lots of features, good warranty, and it's solidly well-built. After reading these groups, I'm very surprised to learn how well the car held up during crash testing. Not to mention the fact that it's $3000 LESS than VW Golf. Definitely a car to consider!
I live in Columbus, OH and was wondering what experience people have had with the local dealers and with their cars.
Thanks!
When my father went to garage to change oil, the technician recommended him to change timing belt.
(Actually, he should have changed timing belt long time ago.)
According to my father, the technician told him that his car will get serious damage at valve and valve train if timing belt were not changed.
I think that Hyundai owner should change timinig belt at proper time before it is broken. My father has been drivien Hyundai since 1977 and this car is his 4th Hyundai.
Have a safe driving!!
To make a long story short, the pulley came off of the power steering pump and was no where to be seen. We went back and looked for it but not to be found.
We called the 800 # for towing and they arrived in approx 65 minutes and hauled her off to the dealer.
Dealer says he never heard of this before.
The good news is that the Elantra has three belts and ONLY the power steering was on this one. We could have finished driving home if we either pulled the power steering belt aside and secured it or simply cut it off.
If this had one of those serpentine belts the car for sure could not have been driven.
Sooooooo FYI, get out there and check your power steering pulley for tightness.
Tony
I could have had the same problem as you but I happen to catch mine. I bought the car in late Oct. and about a week later I started hearing a ticking sound during idle. It took about another week to find out what it was but it was the lug nut to the Power Steering Pump pully was really loose. All I did was tighten it up and if fixed the ticking problem. I guess had I not done anything to it it would have eventually fallen off as yours.
Anyway, good luck with your car. I really love this car. Its super smooth and quiet.
Shawn
I never said Kia and Hyundai are platform twins. However, they do indeed share some parts. Whether they will become platform twins in the future is anyone's guess. I also said that Hyundai bought Kia and at the time Kia actually had better reliability numbers than Hyundai, but that wasn't saying much.
I would also say that I'm far from being an uneducated person considering I'm an engineer by trade and do know how to discern fact from fiction. I have also perfomed work in the automotive and aerospace realms and do understand what goes into designing each product. While Consumer Reports gave good marks for the '01 becasue it rode nicer than before and such, the reliability history is a mess for both Hyundai and Kia and it's not getting a whole lot better. Just look at the complaints in this forum alone for cars with less than 12k miles on them much less older Hyundais. Yes, other cars have problems too. However, not at the propblem per 1k car rate that Hyundai does.
The other statement I made was that Hyundai resale is extremely poor and that it's not uncommon for the car to lose 60% of it's value just driving it off the lot. In fact, I'm looking at the Consumers '01 Buying Guide right now and depreciation is marked as a big black circle which means very bad. Just take a peek at Kelley BB and witness the financial abuse selling a Hyundai inflicts upon it's owner. There are better values out there than a Hyundai.
Also, not all cars "even low end" are manufactured with galvanized steel. Guess what? Hyundais are not manufactured this way and they certainly do not have stainless exhaust systems like most other cars. Hyundai does have some areas of sheet metal which are treated appropriately and with high quality but plenty is not. If you live in the North and can be unbiased for a moment, you will admit that Hyundais are much more prone to rust than some of the more seasoned brands.
As for having 10k miles on the car and it still being solid I have to ask, "So what?". That's not much of a testimony to reliability or build quality. The reliability history compiled by Consumers as well as many other sources show Hyundai to be far below acceptable averages. Hyundai build quality is better than it used to be, but still not nearly as good as most Japanese marks or many American name plates. And yes fans, Hyundais have been seen with molding flash on the plastic pieces. They are not yet there in the build quality department.
As far as Honda goes, yes I remember when they came out in the 1970s. No other Japanese car was very good then either. However, a Honda has been a pretty good car for the past couple of decades or so and so has Toyota. I'm not saying that Hyundai will not one day be a decent car. What I am saying is that it is not a good car yet and for people who don't have a lot to spend there are much better alternatives including used Hondas, Toyotas, or Mazdas.
Aside from reliability, Hyundai's still do not exhibit very refined traits either. Drive an Elantra then drive even the low end Protege and the difference is very pronounced. The Mazda easily wins that comparision. Note that the Protege was Consumer's pick for best small car. Road and Track as well as a few others made the same choice. Hyundai didn't even crack the top 15 small car list of many of these publication's tests for many reasons.
If you like your Hyundai....great. More power to you. Conversely there are people in this forum looking for unbiased advice and you're not providing it. So may I suggest that you do the research youself and not insult folks who are trying to offer an honest viewpoint. Especially when the majority of the viewpoint is based on fact and only my assessment of refinement is based on my opinion of having driven Hyundais vs. other brands.
I wish all of you the best of luck with your vehicle purchases and I stand by what I stated in my first post, and that is for the immediate future there are better options for your hard earned money than a Hyundai. Check it out.
I'd agree that if you plan on selling your car within a few years of buying, a Hyundai is not a good choice... resale value is bad for the first 5 years or so, then it balances out.
I think it's a good thing to go for (or even take a little chance with) a car that's different than the rest. I refuse to drive a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla simply because so many other people do!
Finally, kevperro1... it may be possible that the reason so many more people are complaining about the Civic is simply due to the fact that so many more people drive Civics. The new Elantras don't seem extremely popular at this point in time, which brings up another point: Are people seeing many Elantras on the road? I've been looking since October and have only seen two here in central Massachusetts.
I like this forum.
JEFF
Hyundai is making rapid strides in it vehicle manufacturing prowess. I believe they are committed to bring the world top-notch products. And they do have operations all over the world.
Many reasons give Hyundai a price advantage when it comes to bringing us cars for a lesser price than the competition. It's called a comparative advantage.
Korea is the #1 nation in the world in terms of steel production.(Incidentally, the single biggest steel producing company in the world in in Korea called Posco..it is listed on the NYSE)
Korea is #1 in the world in terms of ship building.(The single largest ship building company in the world is in Korea and is Hyundai Heavy Industries)
Korea is the #1 producer of memory chips(semiconductors) and Samsung is a worldwide leader.
Kumho tires makes tires for Jumbo jets and they are #9 tire maker in the world. And Kumho just recently has been designated the official tire maker of the F3000 series; a precursor to Formula 1. and in testing, the Kumho tires posted lap times of 2-3 seconds faster than the outgoing Bridgstone tires... Many drivers speak very highly of it..
Needless to say, Korea's comparative advantage in steel, electronics, tires, etc contribute to a scenario where cars are produced with less cost..
But there are others...
The Koreans are very very hardworking...Wages aren't completely overblown... Korea has a well-developed infrastructure.. well-educated, trained, disiplined work force...
the competitive spirit with Japan plays a big role too...
btw, some people might think that because Korea is #1 in semiconductors, steel, shipbuilding, etc(all of which were industries that Japan was #1 previously) that it was like a hand-me-down type of deal..
Not exactly the case...
When Korea had very little heavy industry infrastructure in the early '60's, the current honorary chairman and founder of the Hyundai Group was known to visit banks all over the world to ask for loans... and of course Korea being one the the poorest nation in the world at the time in the early '60's, nobody would loan them any money at all...
then he visited Barclay's Bank of England and asked for a loan to build a shipbuilding plant.. Barclay's asked whether Hyundai had any orders... and At the time Hyundai did not.. But Mr. Chung pulled out a 500 won bill that depicted an submersible iron clad turtle ship that was used in the late 1500's to defeat the attacking Japanese. Mr. Chung told the Barclay people that Korea was the first in the world to come up with a iron clad submersible ship... and with that Barclay's granted the loan... and soonafter orders(first order from Greece I believe came in..)
But the things that blows us all away is the fact thet Hyundai built the shipyard and the ship at the same time in 2 years.
And now they have become the world's largest shipbuilding company and some ships span as long as 320 meters which is about a 1000 feet.
That was the Korean way... To hurry to build a industry base..Korea was poor, they were behind.. they needed to catch up.. many industries developed in similar amazing ways.. that was 40 years ago...
Back then, cars were exported without completely having been market tested... Everything was kind of in a catch-up mode, rush, rush mode...
Now Korea as a nation is the world's # 5 or 6 automobile producing nation in the world..
Now Korean industry has matured... so have the people.. internet usage, especailly high speed connected ones are one of the highest in the world...
Many of us are already very familiar with quality Korean products all around us... many Korean components are in the computers that we use.. cell. phones, consumers electronics, etc..
Korea has come from being one of the poorest countries in the world to being one of the economic powers of the world..
All through a WHOLE lot of hard work... and help from other nations such as the USA.
I don't think that they are going to give up now...
We shall be seeing a lot more quality products from a matured Korea... not the catch-up mode Korea..
I think we can put our faith in Korea...
Hard Work is a beautiful and precious thing..
We look forward to more high quality automobiles from a matured Korea...
and you also should know that hyundai not only makes cars but trains, electronics among others. i notice asian companies seem to take on all different products (mitsubishi TVs/cars. etc.).
I have a 2001 5-speed Elantra. I have noticed that it is not too smooth to shift gear from 1st to 2nd and also the R(everse) gear is sometime hard to engaged compared to my previous 5-spped Honda Civic. Should I bring in to dealer and have them check for me. Or should I do something by myself?
Any suggestions?
Thank you
Mark
Mark
I have a 2001 5-speed Elantra. I have noticed that it is not too smooth to shift gear from 1st to 2nd and also the R(everse) gear is sometime hard to engaged compared to my previous 5-spped Honda Civic. Should I bring in to dealer and have them check for me. Or should I do something by myself?
Any suggestions?
Thank you
Mark
Mark
#1 Sampling error. Not enough people to get a good data sample.
#2 The people who respond to these forums include a very small percent of the buying public. Civic owners may be more inclined to report problems because they have higher expectations of quality. A Elantra owner may expect some quality problems and not write about it.
The problems I see on the Civic forum have been related to a couple common problems. The ECU seems to be a problem on the Civics. I doubt that Honda actually makes it. Probably buy it from an outside source. The electronic key security system also seems to be a frequent problem. None of these are probably Honda's fault. One last problem seems to be a unHonda like rattle in the dash. That could be a typical first year problem that will be solved but points out that nobody is perfect.
Look at the Elantra board. Not one unhappy customer. I've seen problems with the power steering pully not being tightened correctly and radio problems.
Got is all replaced today. Looks like a perfect replacement job. No marks or scratches anywhere, not even any power steering juice marks under the hood.
So far, sooo good.
Tony
------------
425 of 427 In response to #413 by kevperro1 Jan 19, 2001 (10:50 am)
You couldn't drive too long without the power steering. That same belt drives the oil pump so you would be in deep doo-doo a couple miles down the road. I may be wrong but I'm looking at the 2001 service manual.
It will be introduced to American market the end of this year.
It has V6 2.7 engine and 6 speed manual transmission.
The price of Tiburon will be less expensive than those of its competitors.
Also 2.0 DOHC is available.
http://bbs1.adwars.com/read.php?table=mildbreeze&no=21
To all 2001 Elantra owners with 5 speed manual transmission...
I have a 2000 Elantra w/ 5 spd manual. When I first got it. The shifter was very stiff. It sometimes jammed and wouldnt go into second even when the clutch was fully engaged. Reverse took 2-3 tries because it would get stuck. HOWEVER, this was when I first got it. As i put more miles on it and around 3,000, the shifter finally broke in and its nice and smooth and now (not as precise as a BMW M3 shifter) but its pretty good.
So, since your car is new, give the shifter time to break in. it should loosen up and be easier to shift as the miles add up. Thats how it was for me. Remember, the break in period specified in the owners manual. That is not just for the engine...its for the shifter and clutch to break in too.
The Civic: I think the reason you may be seeing so many Civic complaints in the forum is exactly for the reason someone else in here stated. People have high expectations of Honda. Also, keep in mind that someone also pointed out sample size as an issue. That is a tremendous issue here because most people who come here to write are either looking for information, are really mad at their car, or really love their car. Hence, forums probably aren't too helpful from a statistical and scientific standpoint.
On the Mazda: The reson I say it's a better car overall is that while Consumers might say that the Hyundai has improved in it's daily livability, notice it's still not a recommended choice. Why? It's because Hyundai reliability has been so poor in the past that Consumers, as they usually do, waits for the scientific data that says the car has at least average reliability. I also say it's a better car because it has a very proven track record for durability and reliability. The subjective part for me is that after driving Hyundai vehicles and driving the Protege I feel the engine in the Mazda is much more refined (i.e. smooth, nice power band, quiet, etc). I also feel that the car overall is much more refined. As for "tinny" I don't know. I don't recall listening that close but it's amazing what auto manufacturers can do with foam rubber. Lastly, an awful lot of folks, including Comsumers, has selected the Mazda Protege as the best overall small car based on a number of factors including value, reliability, livability, drivability, and a host of others.
New Design woes: Yes, some brands have troubles with new designs and then get them ironed out over time. The problem I found with Hyundai is that while they're getting better, reliability numbers are still pretty bad when compared to a lot of other cars.
Depreciation: Yep. Based on lot on desirability. But what makes someone desire a car in the first place? If it's unique (i.e. PT Crusier, some luxury models, some sports coupes etc), that will do it. Know what else does it? The fact that the car is a good vehicle. Let's face it, when people figured out that the Japanese cars were pretty good (generally speaking), most weren't buying them becasue of their great looks and performance. They had some pretty goofy looking stuff for a while in the early to mid 1980s and they were lead sled slow.....but they had great resale.
Whomever accused me of being a die hard Mazda owner: Don't remember who this was, but you wanted to banish me to the Mazda forum. I don't even own a Mazda. I've owened one in the past, but not for quite some time. My experiences stated here are based on recent test drives and research as part of a search for a new small car.
As for owning a Hyundai: Nope. Don't own one and after having driven a few of them, they didn't fit the bill. So, coming to this forum was part of looking at what other folks had to say and after thoroughly investigating the Hyundai option, I thought it was worth while to offer what I came up with to those other folks looking for answers in this forum. This is still America right? People are allowed to discuss things without other people going off the deep end.
As for the person not liking statistics: From an engineering perspective, statistical analysis is typically accurate if done appropriately. That means adjustments for data gathering biases and assessment biases. Now having said that, Consumers has been around quite some time. I don't always agree with their political views, but data gathering process at Consumers is not too bad. The reason is becasue they ask everyone about all items. They don't just ask people who are mad about their cars or who are happy with their cars. They also try to eliminate, as much as possible, the "voluntary unsolicited response" syndrome. That would be what this forum is. From a general perspective, "Who is inclined to write things here?". Well, as we said before, information gatherers and people who have strong views one way or another about their purchase.
The short story, is that statistics are very accurate if done properly. In fact you may of heard of SPC or Statistical Process Control? Your car or most anything else couldn't be manufactured with reasonable tolerances without it. We send aircraft into the sky and spacecraft into space based on statistical analysis. It's a very good thing. The only item relative to statistics which should be viewed with a jaundiced eye is how they are presented. That's where the trouble may start. Just look at politicians. However, I don't think organizations like Consumers have a biased ax to grind relative to their product statistics.
Materials: As far as Hyundai manufacturing materials go, you can answer that question yourself by asking for data on the use of galvanized steel or a complete stainless exhaust. Hyundai doesn't make much mention of it becasue there isn't much of it. Ask the same question at any local Dodge dealer and you'll hear "The whole car with the exception of the roof panel is made of galvanized and the exhaust is made of stainless steel". It's a true statement and that's what helps the parts last longer. Does this make a Dodge an excellent car in and of itself? No, not necessarily, but it helps assess how long the appearance might hold up or how long before I have to replace parts underneath the car like an exhaust, or sensor equipment, etc. By the way, my last car had a stainless exhaust and it survived 10 years before I had to change part of it (that's very good for salt and snow country).
Some cars also use laminated asphalt (kind of like the shingle material used on a house) plastics for dash material to make the dash deaden sound and help resist flex which causes rattles later on down the road. Some Japanese cars do this which is a nice quality touch. See what I mean?
Molding flash: The statement that said molding flash doesn't affect functionality is absolutley correct in most cases. I mentioned it becasue everyone was discussing quality and things like exposed flash tend to detract from the overall quality picture. It should also make most people ask the question "Well, if they aren't all that concerned about what I see in the interior, how concerned are they about the things I don't see (i.e. underhood and body components)?".
Driving a Hyundai: Yes, I drove an '01 Sonata and Elantra. In fact, I know someone with a Sonata and have spent a fair amount of time riding in the car.
To answer the other person's mail: Yes I am indeed an engineer and have been one for quite some time.
Mazda site: Nope, No posts in that site. I can put one there if you want?
In closing, thanks for tossing out your ideas and questions in a helpful way. I don't mind discussions with folks like backy who present good arguments and ideas. Trust me, it's ok to have differing viewpoints without the need for name calling and weapons.
Speaking of quality cars... how about that new Tiburon?!? I thought the current model was, well, unique looking. The new one is zesty! (sorry Taco Bell)
P.S. On CR and the Protege: the ES was the highest ranked car at one time, but has since been outranked by the Focus ZTS, Civic EX, and Prius. But they haven't tested the tweaked '01 model yet. And of course the Focus is not "Recommended" because it like the Elantra has an unknown long-term reliability record.
P.P.S. Re Dodge: my '99 Grand Caravan Sport, $28K list, has possibly the worst quality of any vehicle I've owned based on things like atrocious panel gaps and flashy plastic parts. But it's comfortable, powerful, handles well (for a minivan) a great hauler, and based on my '91 Caravan (8 years of winter salt and no rust) should hold up very well. Also, Dodge's frequent recalls let me visit my favorite service adjuster, a great guy, often.
It happened at 2000 miles. It was a shock to me as I have heard of strange things which can happen, BUT a Pulley?!!!
I know of one other Elantra that had this problem but he caught it in time and tightened the bolt which is or comes loose.
The new one in there now is good and tight. As a safety measure, there is even evidence of a thread locking compound in there now too.
If yours is tight, no need to worry, BUT do check it so it wont happen to ya.
I checked my 00 sonata and its tight!
Soooo, hopefully, this is my FIRST and last problem with the car.
Sonata has 7k miles and not had a problem.
Cya,
Tony
(c:
Hiya all! I'd like to thank everyone for their posts because you've given some valuable info in helping me to decide to purchase the 2001 Elantra. I test drove a couple of times and really enjoy it. Now all I have to do is decide on package and color. I think I'm going to splurge and go for the CD and moonroof over the ABS package. I would like ABS, but I have several years driving experience without it. Only during the past three months have I driven with ABS, and I think I can resume being a 'pumper' once again. As for colors, first choice is the ocean blue, second is the cranberry. But I'd really like to see the midnight gray. None of the dealers I went to had the color on the lot. The swatches I've seen in brochure and online look almost purplish. Midnight gray also has the gray interior which I prefer over beige. For those who have seen it, what's your opinion? Does anyone have a pic of the color in full sunlight? Thanks much!!
(c:
rdrunner: You were very civil in your response. I must admit that your reasoning is very good. I bad-mouth statistics not because they are not a valid way of helping to determining truth, but because so few seem to be able to use them correctly. The problem I have with the data at consumers digest, is that so much seems to be subjective measurement. It is also a large reason that I have very little respect for the research that is done in the social sciences. I think statistics are a invaluable tool for physical scientist and engineers, but I am usually skeptical when used by main-stream publications.
To me buying a vehicle is so much more than reading reviews and researching for months about the pros and cons of them as I hear about in these forums. I guess I'm a trusting soul as of the 6 new cars that my wife and I have purchased over the past 14 years not one of them has given us any trouble. We even went back to the dealer and bought a Hyundai Santa Fe for my wife based on the look and driving feel of it alone!!
I just bought a 2001 El antra today in Long Beach, CA. While I obviously can't attest to the reliability of the car after 100 miles I do have some things of interest to say about the price.
I bought a car that had been on the lot for over 50 days (or some relatively high number) and as such, it was earmarked for a markdown and quick sale. It's a base model with automatic transmission, California emissions and floor mats. The MSRP was $13,912. I paid $10,976... with tax, license, and fees the complete price was just over $12,000. I'll have somebody else install an alarm with key less entry so my total price will probably come to around $12,300.
As a side note I got it with no money out-of-pocket because I got a loan through one of the Internet banks for five years at 7.99% interest, so my monthly payment will be about $245.
I was concerned about the potentially bad resale value. However, to get a comparable Honda or Toyota would have cost me three to four thousand dollars more. Over five years, how much does $3,000 become?
A modest ten percent return (not a stretch considering today's no-longer over inflated Nasdaq) over five years comes to over $4800. At 15%, $3000 doubles in five years to $6034. That should help take the sting out of the worse depreciation.
I also believe that should I sell the car prior to that, any buyer would certainly appreciate the balance of the 5 year/60k bumper-to-bumper warranty.
So my advice to any potential buyer is test drive the car during the week and then on Saturday to search out these "loss-leader" type of deals and then wake up early, get to the lot, and be the guy or gal who buys the "one only" at the low ball price.
I do have some initial impressions. I don't think the paint job (my car is black) is finished all that well. I don't like the fact that only when I'm standing at the driver's door can I only open all four doors at once. But I think the car is reasonably quiet on the freeway and it handles very well.
I think it's important to make a good deal for the car because I believe Hyundai is gunning for market share more than profits so the deals can be had.
On a purely speculative note, I was not encouraged by how many of the Japanese cars are now assembled in America. I love my country but the truth is I don't love my countrymen's ability to make dependable cars. I've own a couple of unreliable Fords, I'm afraid. While Hyundai reliability has been very poor in the past, I like what I see in this El antra, I like the confidence of their warrenty, and I think that I am going to be pleased by the reliability of this car.
Anyway I wish the best to anyone buying any new car...
At the same time I have a family and a tight budget. We are in the process of adopting a child from Guatemala and the process is very expensive ($20,000-$24,000). My old car died at a very inopportune time since we are trying to come up with the money to adopt this child. My priority is to not spend money willy-nilly but to get a cheap form of transportation. I guess I would rather see a child eat and have a home rather than have a cool car (although I would like both!!).
Anyway in a shameless plug.. if you want to contribute to our adoption fund.
http://www.geocities.com/kevperro2000/
"Power Steering fluid
oil pump".
I interpreted that to mean the power steering AND the oil pump but after thinking about it I've never heard of a belt-driven oil pump. So disregard my earlier off the cuff statement.
At one point during the negotiation the salesman pointed out that the sales price of $10,976 was subject to fine print at the bottom of the ad which read (I'm paraphrasing):
"Subject to dealer financing"
So the guy told me he could only give me that cash price if I financed it through the dealer's bank for 96 months at 12.25% interest! He said, We can't just give these cars away!
This is where a lot of people get angry, and I think I helped myself by maintaining a smile and a sunny disposition. I asked if there was a repayment penalty. He immediately said no. Check with the sales manager, I said. Soon there were three guys hovering over our table and all of them were telling me there's no penalty for paying off the loan early. It was comical how they thought they were reassuring me; they didn't see what I was leading to at all. So I asked what was the point of writing up this absurd 96-month contract if tomorrow I could waltz in and pay off the entire loan with my PeopleFirst.com check? I said, "You'll get that fat 12 percent interest for all of twenty-one hours."
They all retreated to a different office to check on this. Soon my salesman came back smiling and said I had brought up a good point, and they had decided to honor their advertised priced (of course he phrased it as "let me have the car").
I really think it's important to keep in mind the idea that while the salesman's job is to sell you a car, your job is to "sell" the salesman on the idea of a very low price.
Although I don't believe that Hyundai's are as reliable as the Japanese, American or European cars, the 100k/10 year warranty and the seemingly apparent improved build quality were enough to alleviate my concern. I also believe that the quality across the industry is improving to the point that relative differences in quality are not as important as they once were.
I agree that if you plan to trade cars every few years resale value is a concern. I typically keep a car for 10 years so it was a nonfactor for me.
The price for features was an obvious attraction for me but the most attractive feature was the 140 HI engine. I had looked at the other competitors in the price range - Saturn, Honda, Mazda, Prizm, Nissan, Toyota, etc. and the additional horsepower was nice, especially in an area like Houston.
I probably still would have bought a Prizm if I could have found one I liked in the area (I had enough GM points to make up any price advantage on the Hyundai). Not many Prizm's are available with the 5 speed and appointed like I wanted. The base elantra has so many features it makes shopping easy.
Speaking of the GM points, those programs at Ford and GM are pretty nice. My wife and I bought a Chevy Malibu in 1999 and were able to use get a $5500 discount off our best negotiated price ($4500 in GM points plus a special $1000 in additonal points - not including a $1250 rebate).
Sorry about digressing.
Although I have only 1200 miles on the Elantra it could be in pieces in the driveway tomorrow as rdrunner points out. However, TO DATE, I am very please with my purchase.
The key points for me - if you plan to keep it a long time, you are willing to trade the lack of good track record on quality for the promise of a great warranty and seemingly better than previous build quality, and you want to trade some fuel economy for some additional HP, the Elantra is a good deal $ for $. Oh, I forgot, if driving a Hyandai does not affect your self esteem or peer perception. Although I consider myself rather self assured I am glad I have another car (I steal my wife's car) for those times that I need to take out certain business associates.
In my opinion, if you are on the other sides of those issues the Hyandai is not a good selection. Fortunately, the number of good small cars that are avilable allow you to get what you want without having to pay for what you don't.
My opinions are not unanimous within my immediate family. I do have to say that my kids - 8 years old thru teenagers, always vote for spending more money and moving up on the status/quality curve. The Elantra is not their first choice.
I like silver 2k1 Elantra. It runs pretty well.
If you want more performance from Elnatra just get hatch back model. Its suspension is really hareder than Elnatra 4door Sedan.
Anyway, this is the TV CF.
http://myhome.naver.com/mildbreeze/menu3.html
I'm new to Edmunds and this is my first time posting and I'm having a hard time figuring what's a good deal for a new 2k1 Elantra with pkg.3, mats, and mud guards. I've read Edmunds fair deal equation, but I don't quite understand it with discounted options, etc. If I base the cost of the car before destination charges, license fees, taxes, etc using invoice, it's around $12,951 according to Edmunds. Is this the price I should aim for? I notice that the TMV or the car is $11,933, that's just the value of the car by itself without options right? I heard about Dealer's Holdback, how do you factor this in with the price? Is there a chance I can make a reasonable offer below $12,900? I appreciate the help, I just want a fair price to make a good deal. I'm on a strict budget and this car fits all my needs for my first new car, I would like to know how low I can go without being unreasonable. One more thing, I visited the dealer yesterday and noticed that the destination charges have went up to $495, I thought it was $435? Did they decide to increase this cost? Thanks again.
#1 Don't buy an extended warranty from the dealer no matter how good they make it sound.
#2 Check you financing before you go into the dealer. Go to www.lendingtree.com and get a direct quote from lending institutions. Dealer can make big $$ from selling you high interest rate loans.
#3 Don't buy any other junk they try to sell you. No pin-stripes, undercoating, seat protectant etc....
Don't be hostile to the dealer. They need to make a dollar. Let them know that you are reasonable and that if they can sell for a couple hundred less than the Carsdirect price you will be happy that you have gotten a good deal (and you will have).