Does the cloudiness look like condensation? My '04 GT had one lens cover that got condensation inside after car washes. The dealer fixed it under warranty, and it's clear now all the time. My GLS has never had that problem.
The amount you pay should be determined by the number of options and overall condition of the car. I just recently had to get rid of my 2001 Elantra GLS 4-door sedan. It had all the options except traction control/abs (couldn't get one :confuse: ) and automatic (didn't want it ). With 75,000 on the odo and in really good overall condition I'll be surprised if they get less than $5500 for mine. Check with the current owner (don't buy off a lot!) and ask for all the records. If they changed the oil every 3k - 5k miles and can show that the regular maintenance has been completed you should have an awesome car for the money. If they tell you they did all the maintenance themselves, run. I loved my little car and will more than likely get another one as soon as I am able. I'll most likely move up to the GT Hatchback version and option it up to the limit. They are great cars, are comparatively quick and really fun to drive.
I had almost like a flaky residue look on the top edges of mine. I just think it's low quality plastic. My biggest nusance was having to replace the flippin' head lamps every 3-5k miles. I must have replaced those bulbs 8 times in 4 yrs, so that is right around 9k miles. They would burn out one side then the other. Has anyone else had that problem? :mad:
Okay, sadly I just had to give up my 2001 Elantra GLS. It only had 75k miles on it and I would have kept it until the doors fell off. However, I did have one issue with it and it wasn't handled well. When I had about 3-4k miles on it a hesitation developed at about 3600 rpm thru about 4100 rpm (Prime acceleration). I had the dealer in Long Beach, CA look at it 4x and they did everything but look at the clutch. It turns out the factory clutch was flawed. It cost me $800 (clutch & rental) by the time they fixed it (AAMCO) and they showed me the flaw and why it failed at 45k miles. I took the parts and a letter from AAMCO to my original sales dealer (Thomason Hyundai, Beaverton OR) and asked them to help me offset some of the costs due to an OEM part flaw. They did their thing and Hyundai said there was no way to tell if I had done it to the part by bad driving habits or what. I took it to the top (so they tell me) and they denied my claim. So, just beware. If you have a new Elantra and you start having this hesitation ask them to check your clutch.
No it's definitely not condensation. There is no moisture at all. And the plastic itself is cloudy all the time. I'll have the dealer look at it. This 5 yr warranty better be worth something, that's one of the reasons I purchased Hyundia.
I suspect the warranty would only cover the covers if there were some defect in them. If the plastic covers got clouded through some external force (e.g. a chemical), I don't know what they'll do. Good luck.
Tom, I am sorry to say that the incompetence of your dealer is exceeded only by the dishonesty of the transmission shop. The hesitation you experienced is very common on the 5spd pre-cvvt engine. There is a TSB out to reprogram the ECM which reduces (but did not completely eliminate) the hesitation you felt. Some described it as feeling like the acceleration went "flat" then picked up again around 4K RPM. When Hyundai went to the CVVT design the problem was resolved. My '02 started doing this at about 4K miles. When I showed the service dept what it was doing, they showed me the TSB and performed the software upgrade. It made the problem better, but still could be felt.
I have never in all my years seen a clutch cause hesitation. Chatter, yes. Slip, yes. Hesitation? Nope.
new to buying anything and the dealer i went to was a dick and wouldnt give in the little bit of money i need to make my own budget work...so i decided to wait until the new models come out this fall. i've heard they hold really good deals on say 2005 models when they release the 2006 model. does anyone know anything about this or how much the actually price may drop? thanks for any help
There are typically good deals near the end of the year on the old models. But then, I've found some of my best deals in the early spring, in part because of a traditional $500 rebate offered by most automakers in conjunction with our local auto show. It's hard to predict what the rebates will be later this year. The rebate on the Elantra is pretty good right now--$1500, plus $750 loyalty rebate. I think the highest the manufacturer rebates on the Elantra have been is $2500. Maybe you could try another dealer?
I just bought a new 2005 Hyundai Elantra (500 miles) and I have two complaints. First of all, these cars do not come with FLOOR MATS!!!! Why? I got home and called the dealer to tell him I needed to come in and pick up my floor mats and he said they were not included. What a joke!!! Secondly, the driver's side door will not open from the inside, so now I have to wait 20 days to get in and get it fixed. So far, all signs point to me not purchasing another Hyundai.
Why do you need to wait 20 days to get the door latch fixed? Is the dealer's service department that backed up? If so, you might try another dealer if there is one near you--any Hyundai dealer can work on it. And when you go in, if I were you I'd talk with the sales rep or manager about comp'ing the floor mats to compensate for your long wait in getting the door fixed--if in fact the delay is the dealer's fault. They want you to be happy, in part so you'll give them a good rating on the new owner's survey Hyundai will send you.
If I bought a new car and the only problem was a door latch, I would be pretty darn happy.
P.S. The GT models include the floor mats, but the GLSes do not. That's pretty common practice in the car industry, to have mats extra. Some automakers include them, many do not.
backy gave some good advice here. Let me add to it. Remind the dealer that you have yet to receive your survey from Hyundai. This is a powerful tool for use to use as leverage. The door latch should be an easy fix, and I'm sure with the survey hanging over their heads, they can squeeze you into service for it a little quicker than that.
The car was delivered with the drivers door not opening? I will guess this is something that happened shortly after you got the car, and knowing how the linkage works on a door I can say this is probably a 10 minute repair. I agree with the others, hold the survey in one hand and ask why you have to wait 20 days to get out of your car!
Yesterday was Betsy's 4th birthday! With 58K miles, I am still very pleased with my little car. Now she's enjoying the coast of Maine and will soon reside in Portland! ('01 GLS 5-speed).
I saw my first Sonata on the road yesterday, and it is sharp. After another year, perhaps I'll bid Betsy farewell, but it will be hard, the service has been that good. The Sonata is tempting, but I'd like to see the Elantra to 100K miles at least.
Sit in a Sonata with the 2.4L and 5spd. The shifter literally snaps into each gear. As much as I liked the shifter on my '02, the Sonata is a step beyond. And a boat load of room inside, too!
Some funky thing happened to me on a trip to Florida from Texas and I would like to ask for an advise.
This is a second time that I drive this long round trip ~1300 miles one way. I did it in '02 Elantra GT AT and this time in '05 Elantra GLS 5M. Mechanically car is very sound, but for some reason both times I drove through Louisiana, something hit my windshield. Two years ago the hit resulted in a a small rock chip and was repaired by the local glass repair shop, so the crack never developed. This time at about the same spot I got another rock or similar hit, this time the crack developed immediately Traffic was heavy and I was driving at about 60. A couple hours later I got another hit on the other side of the windshield doing ~75 and another crack appeared instantly. Since the chances for this to happen are very small I believe the windshield is low quality(too thin :confuse: ) Since I only have liability coverage on this car, I'll have to replace the windshield out of pocket. Do you guys think that the windshield on Elantra is too thin? There is no paint chips on the hood what so ever - I inspected it after car wash when I got back Since the gas prices are rather high I will mention that I was getting ~30 miles per gallon going 80 and ~34 miles per gallon going 70. With full trunk and 2+2 people. Another interesting thing is that with the same speed the RPMs in 5th gear on manual transmission are higher then RPMs in 4th gear on auto :confuse: Looks like it needs 6 speed
I think you (or your windshield) is unlucky. I don't think the windshield on the Elantra is any "thinner" than any other car I've owned of its size. The windshield on my '01 has absorbed some pretty good hits over the years, and only once did it give. It was a direct hit by a good-sized stone, right in the driver's line of sight. I waited awhile (mistake) and it developed into a larger crack, so I had the windshield replaced (I have 0 deductible glass coverage--best money I spend on insurance with the price of windshields these days and all the crap on the roads).
I've noticed the RPMs are about 10% higher on the 5-speed than on my '04 GT automatic. That's pretty typical in small cars, though. I've gotten 41 mpg in my 5-speed under near-ideal conditions (60-65 mph, moderate load, mild temps, no A/C) and 38 mpg in the GT in similar conditions. A 6-speed would be nice--maybe for '07??
On the trip from Florida to Texas in my wifes brand new Yukon, we had something come from the oncoming traffic and durn near blow a hole through the windshield. And that is a very thick windshield. Had to have a new windshield installed when the car had 2400 miles on it.
Thanks, you are probably right. I'll avoid driving to Florida in the future I'm also getting better gas mileage in town when I drive on interstates at 60-65. I'd get 41 mpg going downhill with the wind blowing from behind Though I believe that you've achieved it. I think that anything over 30 mpg is good mileage.
I did a little experiment today. On a seven-mile drive across my town (1/3 suburban streets, 2/3 urban freeway with 60-65 mph limits), I reset the fuel economy meter on my '04 Elantra GT (automatic, 35 psi in the tires) and drove from home to my destination. I drove as I usually try to drive, that is, moderately: smooth starts, anticipate stops, stay within posted speeds, and use a light foot on the gas. I got 32.5 mpg for this short trip. This is with the A/C on (95 F and sunny today) and a 20-30 mpg headwind, plus I hit a few stoplights. Note that the EPA rating for the car is 24/32.
About 90 minutes later, I returned home by the same route. I reset the fuel economy meter. This time, I drove much more aggressively: quick starts, some full-throttle acceleration even when I didn't need it (e.g. on freeway on-ramps when I had plenty of time to merge), went up to 5 mph over posted speeds on the freeway, weaved in and out of traffic to buy some time (although with adequate clearance, not in a dangerous way), and used the brakes a lot more. However, I only hit one stoplight this time, and I had the wind at my back. The result: 23.2 mpg. Oh, and the return trip took me a minute or two less time, mainly because I hit fewer stop lights.
Thus I got 40% better fuel economy by driving more moderately. Also, I probably saved some wear and tear on the powertrain and brakes driving that way. So the next time you calculate fuel economy and ask, "How come I am only getting xx mpg on my Elantra?", stop for a minute and think about how you drive your Elantra.
It's a good point, Backy. Also I have noticed that the trip computer is not very accurate and has some sort of algorithm to average the fuel economy. The better way to calculate average is to fill up every tank till the pump shuts off itself and then calculate the average. Some websites, like gasprices.com allow you fill the gas log book - to enter your miles and gallons you pumped and keep records. I think Elantra has a good gas mileage. My 5MT has ~10K on it and feels smoother then when I got it new 9 month ago. Elantra is the best value low sedans category! Go Hyundai.
I agree it's usually more accurate to measure fuel economy at the pump--although the '06 Sonata seems to have a very accurate mpg meter. But measuring at the pump was impractical for this little un-scientific experiment that I did.
Just last evening I brought home my new '05 GT sedan, package 8. It was between this and the Civic EX. For $4,000 less, I couldn't pass up the Elantra. This is my first Hyundai. There are two things about it that right now I do not like, but maybe this is something you just get used to. They are: No arm rest for the driver. But the Civic really didn't have one either. I am very used to an arm rest and it feels pretty uncomfortable without one. The dealer told me I will not miss it after a while. The other is no trunk button on the keyless entry. They have a very nice alarm, which I like, but how difficult would it have been to add a trunk button? Anyone here have a comment about this? Thanks! Other than that, this car sure looks very sporty and sharp, especially the black exterior and gray leather!
I'm not sure what you mean by "no arm rest for the driver." There is of course an arm rest on the door for the left arm, and the center console has a padded top that I use for an arm rest for my right arm. Are you talking about an arm rest that is attached to the seat? That isn't common on sedans. And the last time I drove a Civic EX, its center console (and arm rest) was smaller than that of the Elantra's.
Hey, at least Hyundai added the panic button to the remote! My '01 GLS doesn't even have that! I've learned to live with it. At least my GT 5-door has a latch in back that lifts with one finger, so I don't miss a trunk button at all on that car. There are many other features the Elantra GT has that the Civic EX does not have. Just think about those when you lament the lack of a trunk button.
The '05 GT hit 9500 miles this week. With the a/c running full time (it has been a bit toasty here in central Texas) and driving in traffic all week, Cricket just knocked off 28MPG on a true full tank of gas to miles driven. And it is running better than ever.
There is no arm rest on the right hand side if you are not a tall person. I am 5' 7", too short to enjoy the console/arm rest. My previous car, a Cavalier, had a pull down arm rest on the driver's right-side bucket seat. I just got used to it and liked it.
The four door sedans do not have an outside trunk latch, as your hatchback does. You need to use your key or the inside latch to open the trunk.
Yes...you are right about the loads of features the Elantra GT has over the Civic EX, for lots less $$...that is why I chose it!
let's do the gas cost calculations for the life of the car at $150,000 miles. if those are all freeway miles, and gas is $2.50/gallon you have spent $9868 with the corolla and $11,718 with the elantra gls. you have saved $1850 in gas money by driving the corolla.
so when comparing the lowest end elantra trim to a highest end corolla trim. you are actually paying only a $1217 premium for a luxurious corolla le. this is only a 11% premium for a much better car and less headaches.
if you compare the higher end elanta gt to the corolla le which is much more fair of a comparison since we are comparing high end to high end, you actually end up spending more for the elantra gt through gas costs by about $303.
To get the Corolla up to the standard equipment of a GT, you have to add options bringing the carsdirect price up to $15,035. And with rebates, the carsdirect price is $12,275.
Hey guys.... I have test drove both the elantra gt and the mazda 3.. like em both... have the means to buy either.... mazda a little sportier (but weak a/c and squeaks and rattles are showing up on the boards), elantra- well its nice but the mazda is nicer looking.. what do you guys think?????? :confuse:
Get quotes for both cars with the features you want. Then decide if the Mazda is worth the difference. Since the price difference will probably be pretty significant, you can think of it terms of what else you might do with the difference. Say, for example, the cost difference is $4,100 . . . is there something you'd else non-car related that you'd like to spend $4,100 on? Or if you like to save, would you enjoy an extra $4,100 in your savings or investment account?
When we looked at it this way, the choice for my wife and I personally was Elantra. We both enjoy driving it very much, we like it's features, and we like it's styling, so we didn't feel like we were giving up much. Is the Mazda better overall . . . yes, I don't argue that. But is it $4k+ better?
I like the Mazda3 very much, particularly the handling and the exterior/interior styling. The shifter is very good also (not quite as smooth as a Civic, but close) and the ride is firm without being harsh. That being said, I don't think the Mazda3 is $4000+ better than the Elantra GT. Actually, I think the 3 would cost more than $4000 above the GT equipped like the GT I bought over a year ago--with moonroof, ABS, automatic (wife's car), and standard leather. But if you don't mind spending the bucks for better handling etc., the Mazda3 is a better car overall I think (as it should be given the higher price and the fact it's a newer design).
This is not a comparo discussion, but regarding the earlier thread on the Elantra vs. the Corolla, a few things:
* Many people (like me) find the Corolla's driving position uncomfortable. Thus it doesn't matter that the Corolla LE doesn't cost much more than the Elantra GT, when factoring in gas over 150,000 miles.
* The Elantra GLS is a closer comparison to the Corolla LE than the Elantra GT. The major difference between the GLS and LE is that the LE has fake wood trim. If you need that, it is available on the Elantra for a few bucks more.
* There isn't much difference in quality between the Elantra and Corolla (cf. Consumer Reports, or just do a careful inspection of cars on dealer lots).
As usual, I am back with my 1K announcement: Betsy rolled 59K miles today, purring along as well as ever and enjoying her new home in Portland, ME. I carried her down from another part of Maine on a UHaul auto transport -- she thought she was the main attraction in some imaginary parade.
Setting aside money soon for the big 60K maintenance. Betsy: '01 GLS 5-speed. Happy motoring!
i own a 2003 elantra, when i slow down to a stop, i hear a popping nise from the rear-end of the car. i have checked the brake pads and they are fine. the car has 36,ooo.oo miles on it. what else could it be
You didn't mention if you had disc or drum rear brakes. The Elantra rear drum brakes can collect brake dust in the adjuster mechanism and cause a popping sound when braking. This is due to the aduster not fully taking up all the slack as the shoe wears.
Simple fix, either DIY or at the dealer. Pull the wheels, pull the drums, use a can of brake cleaner liberally (with a catch pan, of course) then tighten up the adjuster to where the shoes only lightly touch the drum. You should be able to easily spin the wheel when reassembled. Takes about 10 minutes per side and the problem generally does not come back. It is caused by the initial dust generation of the rear shoes and can occur anywhere between 5K miles and above depending on your driving conditions and habits.
you should be glad you bought the gt over the civic because you would have a bigger list of things you do not like.besides not having a trunk button of the keyless entry and a small center console. the gt has alot more standard equipment and is alot more fun to drive. i own both a 05 gt 5m and a 05 civic ex se with 5 spd. so i know.
* '01 GLS 5-speed, 300-mile round trip fully loaded (4-5 passengers and gear), A/C on most of the time, 10% city/90% highway (speeds 60-70 mph): 35.0 mpg (EPA 33 highway)
* '04 GT automatic, about 200 miles of around-town driving by my wife, A/C on, mostly short trips of less than 5 miles: 21.2 mpg (EPA 24 city)
* Same GT automatic, 12 mile across-town round trip, A/C on, 30-35 mph on suburban streets with a few hills and a few stop signs/lights, using fuel-saving techniques such as coasting (in D) whenever possible and light foot on the gas: 31.6 mpg
Hehehe. I guess with the gas prices going toward 3$ a gallon this should be an important criteria to buy a car. I am getting the same mileage on my '05 GLS as you do with the same driving conditions, only no passengers/gear. 30 miles daily round trip commute to work. Mostly interstate 60-70 mph. The car runs perfect so far. Got third chip on the windshield last week:( Good thing didn't replace it after initial two:) Probably will replace it by this winter. Does anyone follow when the new Elantra comes out? Edmunds says fall '05 - but there is no decent photos of the car in the media. When Sonata was released, we saw the photos half a year in advance.
Edmunds needs to update their Future Vehicles page--don't know why they haven't done that yet since Hyundai officials have stated that the next-gen Elantra will be a '07 model debuting in the fall of '06--the last of their "24x7" cars. There is a separate discussion here on the '07 Elantra if you want to keep up.
On the windshield, you might want to have the chips repaired rather than waiting for cracks to develop. Some insurance companies will waive deductibles if you have repairs made vs. replacement. But then if you have 0 deductible on glass replacement like I do, you don't care if cracks develop, right?
Thanks, backy, I'll check out '07 Elantra discussion. Unfortunately not everybody has 0 deductible on glass Test drove 4-cyl Sonata last week - impressive vehicle. Drives like bigger Elantra, but assembly quality (gaps, door closing 'thumps') feels better. Hyundai is moving up...
Split the difference and get a Kia Spectra5. It is similar to the Elantra but has a teeny bit more power and a sportier feel. Looks-wise, it's close to the Mazda3 wagon.
I'm in the same boat myself, but have decided the Mazda3 is a little too rich for my blood.
I've posted this to different forum but maybe here it's more appropriate...
Hi all, I'm new to this forum so sorry if I'm posting this to a wrong one.. I'd like to buy a new Elantra 2.0 automatic and, since the dealer does not have such model to let me test drive (I'm from Czech Republic and here mostly 1.6 engines are sold, definitely all manual), I'd like to enquire about your experience with engine noise level inside the car, particularly with manual - this is what I did not like when a friend gave me a ride in his 03 Elantra. I understand this is a question of high revs - I will drive mostly on freeways, some 80-100 MPH, will the engine be in high revs at such speed? Otherwise I think the car for the price is just fantastic. Big thanks in advance for your comments.
hi,everyone. i am approaching the 30000 mile mark on my 02 elantra. can someone tell me what this entails? i looked at my book and it says trans fluid replaced,etc. i remember jeff or someone posted a while ago about their servive and what was done,and the cost. there is a list of items at my dealer's that totals around $450.00 or $500.00. is this correct? thanks in advance for the info. .... :confuse:
That's about what my dealer charges for their version of the 30,000 mile service. Don't go by what the dealer says. Go by what your owner's manual says. When I did that, and told the dealer to do only the service recommended by Hyundai, listed in the owner's manual, the $450 plummeted to under $250. That was for a 5-speed '01 GLS. Perhaps with the automatic it will be more, I don't know.
Upon washing my 2003 Elantra this afternoon, I noticed paint peeling off my rear bumper. I bought my car at a dealer in San Diego about a year and a half ago and had the special sealant put on the vehicle, so shouldn't the warranty cover the peeling paint?
Comments
Good luck! :shades:
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I have never in all my years seen a clutch cause hesitation. Chatter, yes. Slip, yes. Hesitation? Nope.
If I bought a new car and the only problem was a door latch, I would be pretty darn happy.
P.S. The GT models include the floor mats, but the GLSes do not. That's pretty common practice in the car industry, to have mats extra. Some automakers include them, many do not.
I saw my first Sonata on the road yesterday, and it is sharp. After another year, perhaps I'll bid Betsy farewell, but it will be hard, the service has been that good. The Sonata is tempting, but I'd like to see the Elantra to 100K miles at least.
Sit in a Sonata with the 2.4L and 5spd. The shifter literally snaps into each gear. As much as I liked the shifter on my '02, the Sonata is a step beyond. And a boat load of room inside, too!
This is a second time that I drive this long round trip ~1300 miles one way. I did it in '02 Elantra GT AT and this time in '05 Elantra GLS 5M. Mechanically car is very sound, but for some reason both times I drove through Louisiana, something hit my windshield. Two years ago the hit resulted in a a small rock chip and was repaired by the local glass repair shop, so the crack never developed. This time at about the same spot I got another rock or similar hit, this time the crack developed immediately
Since the gas prices are rather high I will mention that I was getting ~30 miles per gallon going 80 and ~34 miles per gallon going 70. With full trunk and 2+2 people. Another interesting thing is that with the same speed the RPMs in 5th gear on manual transmission are higher then RPMs in 4th gear on auto :confuse: Looks like it needs 6 speed
I've noticed the RPMs are about 10% higher on the 5-speed than on my '04 GT automatic. That's pretty typical in small cars, though. I've gotten 41 mpg in my 5-speed under near-ideal conditions (60-65 mph, moderate load, mild temps, no A/C) and 38 mpg in the GT in similar conditions. A 6-speed would be nice--maybe for '07??
On the trip from Florida to Texas in my wifes brand new Yukon, we had something come from the oncoming traffic and durn near blow a hole through the windshield. And that is a very thick windshield. Had to have a new windshield installed when the car had 2400 miles on it.
About 90 minutes later, I returned home by the same route. I reset the fuel economy meter. This time, I drove much more aggressively: quick starts, some full-throttle acceleration even when I didn't need it (e.g. on freeway on-ramps when I had plenty of time to merge), went up to 5 mph over posted speeds on the freeway, weaved in and out of traffic to buy some time (although with adequate clearance, not in a dangerous way), and used the brakes a lot more. However, I only hit one stoplight this time, and I had the wind at my back. The result: 23.2 mpg. Oh, and the return trip took me a minute or two less time, mainly because I hit fewer stop lights.
Thus I got 40% better fuel economy by driving more moderately. Also, I probably saved some wear and tear on the powertrain and brakes driving that way. So the next time you calculate fuel economy and ask, "How come I am only getting xx mpg on my Elantra?", stop for a minute and think about how you drive your Elantra.
Hey, at least Hyundai added the panic button to the remote! My '01 GLS doesn't even have that! I've learned to live with it. At least my GT 5-door has a latch in back that lifts with one finger, so I don't miss a trunk button at all on that car. There are many other features the Elantra GT has that the Civic EX does not have. Just think about those when you lament the lack of a trunk button.
still miss that 5spd, though.
The four door sedans do not have an outside trunk latch, as your hatchback does. You need to use your key or the inside latch to open the trunk.
Yes...you are right about the loads of features the Elantra GT has over the Civic EX, for lots less $$...that is why I chose it!
Hyundai GLS ($11,605):
http://www.carsdirect.com/build/options?zipcode=92801&acode=USB50HYC021A0&restore=false $11,605
Hyundai GT ($13,080):
http://www.carsdirect.com/build/options?zipcode=92801&acode=USB50HYC021B0&restore=false $13,080
Corolla LE ($14,672):
http://www.carsdirect.com/build/options?zipcode=92801&acode=USB50TOC041C0&restore=false
the elantra gets 24mpg city and 32mpg hwy.
the corolla gets 30mpg city and 38mpg hwy.
let's do the gas cost calculations for the life of the car at $150,000 miles. if those are all freeway miles, and gas is $2.50/gallon you have spent $9868 with the corolla and $11,718 with the elantra gls. you have saved $1850 in gas money by driving the corolla.
so when comparing the lowest end elantra trim to a highest end corolla trim. you are actually paying only a $1217 premium for a luxurious corolla le. this is only a 11% premium for a much better car and less headaches.
if you compare the higher end elanta gt to the corolla le which is much more fair of a comparison since we are comparing high end to high end, you actually end up spending more for the elantra gt through gas costs by about $303.
so which car do you want after all?
When we looked at it this way, the choice for my wife and I personally was Elantra. We both enjoy driving it very much, we like it's features, and we like it's styling, so we didn't feel like we were giving up much. Is the Mazda better overall . . . yes, I don't argue that. But is it $4k+ better?
* Many people (like me) find the Corolla's driving position uncomfortable. Thus it doesn't matter that the Corolla LE doesn't cost much more than the Elantra GT, when factoring in gas over 150,000 miles.
* The Elantra GLS is a closer comparison to the Corolla LE than the Elantra GT. The major difference between the GLS and LE is that the LE has fake wood trim. If you need that, it is available on the Elantra for a few bucks more.
* There isn't much difference in quality between the Elantra and Corolla (cf. Consumer Reports, or just do a careful inspection of cars on dealer lots).
Setting aside money soon for the big 60K maintenance. Betsy: '01 GLS 5-speed. Happy motoring!
Simple fix, either DIY or at the dealer. Pull the wheels, pull the drums, use a can of brake cleaner liberally (with a catch pan, of course) then tighten up the adjuster to where the shoes only lightly touch the drum. You should be able to easily spin the wheel when reassembled. Takes about 10 minutes per side and the problem generally does not come back. It is caused by the initial dust generation of the rear shoes and can occur anywhere between 5K miles and above depending on your driving conditions and habits.
Jim
* '01 GLS 5-speed, 300-mile round trip fully loaded (4-5 passengers and gear), A/C on most of the time, 10% city/90% highway (speeds 60-70 mph): 35.0 mpg (EPA 33 highway)
* '04 GT automatic, about 200 miles of around-town driving by my wife, A/C on, mostly short trips of less than 5 miles: 21.2 mpg (EPA 24 city)
* Same GT automatic, 12 mile across-town round trip, A/C on, 30-35 mph on suburban streets with a few hills and a few stop signs/lights, using fuel-saving techniques such as coasting (in D) whenever possible and light foot on the gas: 31.6 mpg
On the windshield, you might want to have the chips repaired rather than waiting for cracks to develop. Some insurance companies will waive deductibles if you have repairs made vs. replacement. But then if you have 0 deductible on glass replacement like I do, you don't care if cracks develop, right?
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I'm in the same boat myself, but have decided the Mazda3 is a little too rich for my blood.
Hi all, I'm new to this forum so sorry if I'm posting this to a wrong one.. I'd like to buy a new Elantra 2.0 automatic and, since the dealer does not have such model to let me test drive (I'm from Czech Republic and here mostly 1.6 engines are sold, definitely all manual), I'd like to enquire about your experience with engine noise level inside the car, particularly with manual - this is what I did not like when a friend gave me a ride in his 03 Elantra. I understand this is a question of high revs - I will drive mostly on freeways, some 80-100 MPH, will the engine be in high revs at such speed?
Otherwise I think the car for the price is just fantastic.
Big thanks in advance for your comments.