Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

jimbeaumi · September 2004

CR has conducted tire tests over the years, and in the same category as the OEM Michelins they have recommended Dunlop SP Sport A2 (these are mine) and more recently they recommended Falken (I don't recall which model -- 512 something, I think). The Falkens were available at Sears, but not in our size when I replaced a year ago. Now I see Falken signs at the Goodyear store. I bought my Dunlops at Sam's Club.

As for longevity, I haven't had mine long enough, of course. Dry grip is better when zinging around freeway entrances -- judged by how soon the screeching begins -- and last winter's snow was not a problem, and we were dumped on pretty heavily in December in Michigan. Ride quality seems about the same. Overall I've enjoyed the Dunlops. The Michelins gave me about 35K which is 80s and 90s-era longevity, so I am very curious about the life of the Dunlops.

And my much sought-after announcement gets posted today: we rolled 49K miles this afternoon.

backy · September 2004

Thanks, I remembered your post about the Dunlops before and checked into them back then, but I recall there was some negative owner feedback on the site I looked at (can't remember which one now) that gave me pause. I'll have to take another look when I have time. Also they're almost three times the price of the Kumhos, which Sears has on sale this week at $32.99. They have a 40k warranty, which for $33 is good enough I think.

bikerpa · September 2004

I shod the 14" steel wheels on my last car - a '95 Sonata - with SP Sport A2 rubber back in '02. When I traded that car in last April for my Elantra, 18-20k later, the tires still gripped really well - better, it seems, than the stock Michelins I have now do, even taking into account that it's a wholly different car. Wacky. My roommate and a friend at work both run the Ecstas, and are happy with them... that's what I'm planning on using once grip/treadlife on the Michelins goes downhill. The Dunlops were nice, but I can't justify that kind of money when, as you say, the Kumhos are a steal.

csandste · September 2004

for my Elantra about 33,000 miles ago. Big improvement over the OEM Michelins which laster just under 40K. Should get another 10K or so on them. I think they came to about $240 with lifetime warranty and rotation-- about half the amount of the Michelin Energies. I'm sure Hyundai (and the rest) pay about $10 per tire for the Michelins who is hoping that you have to replace one at $130 or you'll be dumb enough to replace them with the same OEM tires. I will look closely at Hankooks and Kumhos when it's time to replace the Tiger Paws.

jpryba · September 2004

Because the Elantra is so sensitive to slightly out-of-round tires, remember to have the RFV (radial force variation) checked on your new tires when you buy them. According to the Hyundai WebTech site, it should be 18 lbs or less. If the RFV is higher than this, then you may get the infamous steering wheel shimmy on the highway.

You'll want to get your tires from a place that has a Hunter GSP9700, so they can balance the tires and check for excess RFV right there and then.

jpryba · September 2004

I found a post in the Mitsubishi Diamante board that might provide some more clues about the shimmy.

I guess the Hunter GSP9700 can be set up in more than one way. Perhaps it needs to be set to be made more sensitive because the Elantra is sensitive about tires to begin with.

pastorken · October 2004

I'm considering purchasing a hyundai elantra, 2004 Gls, manual shifting. I've negotatied a price of 11,671.47 to include taxes. Is this a good price, given this the end of year. I offered 10,800. Help

Thanks
Pastor Ken

backy · October 2004

Ken, it's hard to know if it is a good deal without knowing how much of the price is taxes and fees. Can you tell us the price for just the car, before taxes and license and other fees? Thanks.

gfoxbruins · October 2004

I purchased a 2004 GLS w/ manual tranny (no options other than floor mats, cargo net, and mud guards) clear back in May for exactly $10,800 before taxes. So unless you have some additional options included, you might be able to get a little bit of a better deal on your car, especially considering how late in the year it is... but it's eventually up to the dealer. Even if they won't go any lower it's stil a great car for a good price and you won't likely be dissappointed.

I've been extremely happy with the car thus far, and have been pleasantly surprised with its fuel efficiency on the highway in particular (36-39 mpg the past two tanks). I've put 5400 miles on it without any problems yet.

pat · October 2004

Hi pastorken, welcome!

If you haven't already, be sure to read through the messages in our Hyundai Elantra: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion as well.

Good luck!

duckied · October 2004

I'm thinking of purchasing a 2004 Elantra, but I am still considering which transmission to purchase. How does the automatic tranny do in snow compared to the manual?

Thanks.

themanx · October 2004

I have an 03 GLS auto, and here in the south we have alot of rain, so compared to snow it is a slick surface and the auto does a good job.

13,500 miles on the speed in 13 months and no problems to report.

ElantraStan

lyndon5 · October 2004

Traded our 01 GLS 5-speed this weekend for a new Matrix. We have mostly good things to say about our 43 month 106,000 mile experience with our Elantra. Traded in with original brakes (yes, they were paper thin), original battery and only minimal maintenance costs over the three and one half years. The car did have a nagging air bag light problem and I was suspicious about a cracked exhaust manifold (never had this verified), but overall it was always a good runner. Those who continue to belittle the quality of Hyundai probably have never owned one. We were a little disappointed with the trade value (especially when we tried to buy a new GLS hatchback), but then again we bought the car very reasonably back in 2001. Overall probably an 8.5 out of 10 experience.

jimbeaumi · October 2004

Wow! 106K miles is impressive -- congratulations. Best of luck with the Matrix, but stick around these threads because (as you know) once in a while someone will come in and say the usual: "Hyundai hasn't proven themselves yet, give them another 5/10/50 years, or show me one with over 100K miles."

Personally, I would blame the very high miles for your low trade-in value over and above any other reason.

norne · October 2004

Just curious why did u buy a toyota matrix and not another Hyundai?

You mentioned trade in value. Did toyota dealer offer higher trade in? Doesn't Elantra Gt(hatchback of gls) offer rebates+owner loyalty.

lyndon5 · October 2004

The two dealerships we visited had no 04GT's left, so we were comparing an 05 GLS hatchback with the Matrix. We were told no loyalty on an 05, only a thousand rebate. The Elantra was better equipped, but the Matrix was a better fit for my wife's hauling requirements. List prices were very close with a slightly better trade offer on the Matrix.

backy · October 2004

Wow, I am surprised the list on the Matrix and GLS 5-door are so similar. What is the list on the GLS 5-door? Is it a lot more than the 4-door?

lyndon5 · October 2004

We were looking at a GLS 5 door 5sp with sunroof, abs, etc. The Matrix is a base 5sp with power package, CD, cruise, etc. So, we gave up the sunroof and abs along with a few other Elantra standards. Matching options exactly would have pushed the Matrix into the 18k range, past our cost limit. As it stood, the Elantra listed for just over 16k and the Matrix was 300 more. We would have loved the Elantra's extras, but as I said previously, my wife felt the Matrix was a better cargo match for her needs.

jimbeaumi · October 2004

Today was the day -- rolled 50K miles in my Betsy! As usual, I have nothing bad to report. My only current concern is that I have worn off the edge of my clutch pedal pad. Deciding between another rubber pad, or a full set of snazzy metal and rubber pedal covers.

Any and all 50K congratulations will be graciously accepted.

backy · October 2004

Congratulations!

What this means is that if you had purchased almost any other small car, your bumper-to-bumper warranty would be gone now. Instead, you have another one year/10,000 miles--and six years/50k on the powertrain warranty.

jimbeaumi · October 2004

Thanks, and you are right. I still have plenty of warranty left, something I considered when at the dealer today (and I purchased the 100K bumper to bumper). The new Tucson is quite sharp and incredibly versatile, but the end of my payments are within sight on the Elantra, and I would like to see it out at least to 100K miles. Incidentally, I ordered both a rubber clutch pedal pad for winter and a full set of metal/rubber pads that I will install in the spring, because they were very reasonably priced.

No GLS 5-doors yet at my dealer, but I did learn that Champagne has returned as a color option.

backy · October 2004

I am glad to hear they brought back Champagne--last year, the only decent light color was silver (unless you like white).

don1 · October 2004

the paint is peeling off a couple of the rims on my 2002 elantra. anyone else had this problem,and if so, what did you do about it? will the warrenty cover this? thanks. don...

backy · October 2004

I got my $100 debit card from the Hyundai horsepower class action suit today. I'll probably use it to help pay for the 30,000 service on my '01 GLS, due in a few days. Good timing!

jimbeaumi · October 2004

My debit card arrived today also!

Keeping those miles low, Backy. Mine is '01 with 50,200.

backy · October 2004

Since I've been working out of my home or traveling or taking the bus to work a lot lately, I haven't put many miles on. But that is about to change. My oldest son is getting his license in a couple of weeks. :-0 I took him out for his first lesson with a stick shift yesterday, and he didn't do too bad--stalled it several times of course, and some lurching, but no gear-crunching. This will be his main car when we allow him to go out, then I will turn it over to him in two years when he hits 18--and I'll get a new one.

browney · October 2004

I got my debit card a couple of days ago for my 01 GLS. I went online and checked the balance and it shows only $25. I thought it was supposed to be $50 if you weren't using it at the dealer?

5port · October 2004

Got my card about a week ago then the pin a few days later. My balance showed $50 in the beginning. My car is an 01 EGT. If you car is older or newer the amount due you may change. I used it to food shop at Pathmark until the balance was zero.

jimbeaumi · October 2004

I tried using my card yesterday at the dealer and it came up "declined"! After calling the number on the back of the card, the automated message informed me that "certain 10-digit card numbers" would not be valid until November 15. Grrrrrrr. But I did get my metal pedal pads (just a note -- the metal dead pedal is a separate item).

backy · October 2004

Thanks for the heads-up. I think I'll schedule my 30,000 mile service AFTER Nov. 15!

jpryba · October 2004

I forgot to send in for my card! Then again, the 5 hp difference wouldn't have really made much of a difference if I had known about it when I was shopping for my Elantra.

Maybe if I talk to my service advisor nicely enough, he'll give me a discount on my upcoming 30K service to make up for part of what I missed out on...

5port · October 2004

Just a thought.
Why did they go with cards instead of sending everyone checks? There will always be a small amount left on some cards (.25,.37,etc). All those small amounts add up to a big amount. The card company said "any unused portion of your account will be reclaimed by the bank after 1 yr". Just my .02.

backy · October 2004

They went with cards for Hyundai services and parts because that costs less (to Hyundai) than $100 in cash.

backy · October 2004

My '01 GLS 5-speed just turned four. Only 28,750 miles but it's been through four Minnesota winters and a lot of short trips and stop-and-go city traffic, so I can't say it's had easy miles. Nothing much to report for the past year--it's been as boring as a Honda or Toyota. ;-) Total maintenance costs have only been about $30 in the past year, for an oil change and the new wiper blade inserts I just put in. The car still runs great, and except for a few little door dings and bumper nicks still looks like new inside and out. The champagne paint has held up well. (The car is garaged at night.) Pending maintenance items are the 30,000 mile service (to which I'll apply my $100 horsepower lawsuit debit card) and new tires (OEM Michelins still have some tread but I don't want to go through another winter with them). When I bring it in for the 30k service I'm going to have them touch up the thin pillar on the driver's side rear door, the one between the window panes. The tape covering it has chunked off in a couple of spots and there is some surface rust starting. I also thought I had to get a new audio unit with CD/MP3 player (I have the standard cassette unit), because my oldest son will be driving the car soon, but he bought a CD adapter for the cassette at Radio Shack that works fine, so I'll forgo that upgrade for now.

1racefan · November 2004

Hello,
Has anyone on this forum had the timing belt replaced? The going rate for this at my local dealers is $420. I was just wondering if this is pretty consistent across the country. I am in the south east.

jimbeaumi · November 2004

Happy Birthday to your... Betsy? ...Molly? Zelda? I have noticed bubbling on the same area, same side window molding, but not flaking off yet. Did yours bubble up first?

Congratulations on such good service.

backy · November 2004

No name for this one. Yes, the bubbling started first.

jlflemmons · November 2004

Chigger ('02 Elantra w/5spd) and I had to make a really fast trip last week, and I couldn't believe the mileage. I-35 from Austin to Fort Worth Texas and back, running 80-85MPH no ac needed. Cloudy and cool, 33.5MPG. Filled up before I left, filled up upon return. All but maybe 10 miles were on the freeway. Now have about 41K miles.

don1 · November 2004

great milliage! i filled up,drove 300 miles round trip, filled again,got 35 mpg! 2002 elantra gls auto. no air on. used cruise 70% of trip. i make this trip every 90 days,have been for the past year,average about the same milliage,give or take a couple of miles!.....

don1 · November 2004

forgot to mention that i drove 70 mph most of the way.....

smith20 · November 2004

Both of those fuel efficiencies are great at those speeds. Makes me want to take another road trip.

That's the only time I see those kinds of numbers. In our ultra-crowded, stop-and-go suburb, it's usually only 20-22 mpg for me.

jlflemmons · November 2004

That my '02 Elantra is much more stable to wind when running 80MPH as compared to 65-70. The only reason I can come up with is that the car is actually getting some downforce at that speed. The engine is very smooth at that RPM, about 3700 if I recall correctly, and will run on cruise in 5th gear with no strain on the typical interstate climbs. Actually, it has a little problem trying to hold that speed going downhill as it keeps having to back out of the throttle.

Jim

starriver · November 2004

My Elantra 02 GLS 5M. (Manufactured on Aug. 2001)
I did not get any letter from Hyundai and I was told my car(using VIN) is not qualifying for this issue, when I call them.

The lady told me that I did not do a recall service, but I never got the letter. I got a recall notice for fuel pump and I did the service.
They have my address.

csandste · November 2004

Had a flat. Jack collapsed while changing a tire. Always thought it looked skimpy. It is, I could have been badly injured.

Check engine light came on. Took to dealer. Had lost gas cap about six months ago. Dealer put on new gas cap and charged me $100 (including checking codes) because it wasn't covered under warranty. If the gas cap was going to malfunction because of the aftermarket cap, why did it wait six months? My suspicion is that they saw it there and figured "there's a way to get $100 from him."

Other than that, it's been a happy 73K miles.

backy · November 2004

I guess you'll know for sure if you've been taken if the check engine light comes back on. I know that when the gas cap isn't tightened properly, it can take a couple of weeks to cause the check engine light to come on--as that happened to me when my DW put some gas in the car without telling me.

On the lighter side, just took my '01 GLS in for its 30,000 servicing. The dealer's fixed rate for this service is $420, but that includes extra items not on Hyundai's maintenance list and some things that don't apply to my car, like auto tranny flush and tire rotation (will replace tires soon so why bother). So I handed the service writer the warranty book and asked him to do only what was in there, and he scratched through all the extra stuff on his list. Total cost after my $25 coupon was $148, and after I used my horsepower debit card I was out $48. Not too hard to take, considering I won't face another major servicing bill for about four more years (60k). Only negative thing was they didn't have the part in stock to replace the window trim between the two panes of glass on the driver's side rear window; the trim was rusting underneath the black tape. So I'll need to go back. But since they drive me door-to-door to my office and back, that is not a big deal. All in all the most pleasant service experience I've had yet on my Elantras.

jimbeaumi · November 2004

If I recall correctly -- without getting up to look -- my 30K service cost was in your ballpark once the extraneous work was removed from the list. I still dispute the notion that my car falls under "severe usage" which at one time was reserved for taxi cabs and police cars. Now nearly any car can be placed in that category.

Still fine at 50,700 miles, other than minor scratches this week (my fault!).

jlflemmons · November 2004

Took Chigger (red '02) in for a recall and asked about the 30K service. The lead service writer asked if it was a stick, I said yes. He just laughed and said "Jim, you change your oil every 3k yourself, rotate your own tires, and change your own antifreeze. Pull the wheels, check the brakes, and see if anything is leaking. If all the fluid levels are good, you will have completed your 30K service. Call me if you have any questions, there is no need in you spending the money for service you are quite able to do yourself."

Classic Hyundai of Round Rock. And if management at Classic is ticked because he didn't try to upsell me, just remember I have bought 15 cars from Classic, and it is just this man's honesty that keeps me sending folks their way.

backy · November 2004

Yeah, I used to do all that stuff myself too, back in those halcyon days when I was single and fancy-free, and didn't work 80 hours a week. :-] The other thing I like about having the dealer do all the service on my Elantras is that there can never be any doubt about whether the proper service was performed, if (heaven forbid) I ever have to make a warranty claim.

duckied · November 2004

Has anyone noticed how bright the lights are in the 2005 Elantra? Not that I mind a lighted road or anything. It is interesting, because when I am driving at night and have the regular light-setting on, no brights, occasionally other cars flash me, signifying that I might have the brights turned on. Just wanted to know if anyone else was experiencing this. Also, these lights are much brighter and have much better visibility at night than my 2000 Taurus. Thanks.

bikerpa · November 2004

The lens is a lot clearer than any other car I've ever driven - my folks' '94 Taurus, for instance, or my old '95 Sonata. The stock headlights on the Elantra appear to have a really crisp cutoff, as well; the difference between what they hit and what they don't is very well delineated. Fogs on the GT are also much nicer than anything I'm used to. At slow speeds, they make a big difference in what you can see immediately in front and to the sides of your bumper.

Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

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