It is extremely roomy for it's size. I bought my wife a '00 Ford Focus and while it's an decent car, it can't compare to Elantra. It is more powerful than the Focus. I feels about as confortable as my Eldorado did. Hopefully there won't be as many recalls as the Focus. Best warranty in the industry and free roadside assitance gives me great peace of mind!!

It would have been nice to have the remote open the trunk. Our Focus has this feature and Hyundai could have "knocked it out the park" if they included this feature. Also alloy wheels should be standard, but I'm getting greedy!

Just picked up my new Elantra. It seems like a great little car. I've only got 44 miles on it, so time will tell if it's the real deal or not. This website and others really helped to make the decision to purchase. Mine is nordic white with 5 speed, moonroof, cd player, mudguards, mats and spoiler. I haven't seen any white ones. I got about a $2,300 discount including a $500 rebate. I purchased with no money down! It was a pleasure to deal with Hyundai. My overall impression is that this car is filled with quality. I would have never considered a Hyundai before. I can afford most cars on the road, but there was something about this car. My previous car is a '94 Eldorado that is fully loaded with vogue wheels, tires and custom sound system and it was cherished. I had it for 95,000 miles, but after the warranty expires on Cadillacs they can be very expensive to maintain. Although the ELDAWG only burnt me once, I knew it had to go. It cost $1,200 to get a oil pan gasket replace because they HAD to pull the engine??? The Northstar is great but a potential nightmare! So I unloaded it to a young man who promised to take care of my baby. I made $10K off the deal!!! I decided I just wanted to have basic transportation , with a warranty and I spotted the new Elantra. There is sometime about the style of the car that I love. Most of my friends think I'm nuts to sell my Eldo and but a Hyundai, but they are just misinformed. I'm doing my best to educate them! I can't wait to customize it a Wheel Package, AMP, SUB, Gold Package, Wood Dash Kit and Shifter. It won't be a Caddy, but it'll be the coolest Elantra!!

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Paid over $15,000 for a new Focus with 8 valve engine and it doen't compare to the Elantra's 16V. Also briefly considered a Pontiac Grand Am and Dodge Neon(no contest)

Unparalleled value. This is an updated review. See my original review dated 6/9/01

See my original review dated 6/9/01 for some important caveats and Elantra purchasing tips. Also, I have just heard this week that the 2001 Elantra faired poorly in a US crash rating re-test. I heard that the airbag failed to deploy in a timely fashion. I have not confirmed this story, but wanted to pass it on so that any prospective Elantra buyers could investigate on their own and ask the appropriate questions. I would at the very least talk to my insurance company about the cost of insuring the vehicle. Vehicles with poor crash ratings generally are more expensive to insure.

Well I still love this car. It is fun to drive, very comfortable, absolutely problem-free, and has caused me no second thoughts about this purchase. I now have about 3700 miles on my Elantra. I have really gotten to know the car very well over the last two months, and remain impressed with the performance, the build quality and the attention to detail. -- I spent the last weekend installing a new stereo system to replace the base stock cassette player. I should say that the stock radio is actually an above average system with good sound quality and features, but I needed a CD player and had always intended to perform this upgrade. For anyone else planning a stereo upgrade on your base Elantra, here are a few tips... The Hyundai Web site has a link to a parts catalog as well as an excellent set of printable (and very complete) service manuals for the vehicle. This includes disassembly instructions, charts, wiring diagrams and schematics, drawings, and everything else you will need to repair or upgrade your car. -- I chose to install a stereo system on a low budget that was consistent with the price paid for the car... in other words a "cheap stereo system". The results are actually quite impressive, thanks in great part to the build quality of the Elantra. Extensive use by Hyundai of sound deadening materials, chassis reinforcements, velour covered padded cable harnesses, and Hyundai's general attention to audio system design detail, along with my carefully chosen stereo components, has produced one of the most enjoyable sound systems I have had in many years. My budget was capped at $500, including head unit, amp, cabling, and speakers. I actually spent closer to $400!!! After much research, I decided to go with the latest Jensen offerings including an MP5010K head unit which supports the MP3 format, includes a decent built-in high power 4 channel amp, 3 sets of RCA outputs, and a very nice control panel and remote control too. So far the unit has performed perfectly, although I could suggest a few control and display lighting improvements to Jensen. For the price I paid, $215 plus $11 shipping from a Yahoo online dealer, I am thrilled with what I have achieved and have still not seen anything else that even compares with this value. The MP3 features are incredible, and it is truly amazing to be able to have 150-160+ songs burned onto a single CDR, which has totally eliminated the need for a CD changer. I installed Jensen titanium-coated 6x9 triaxials in the rear deck and 6.5" round titanium-coated coaxials in the front doors. Cost for all four speakers from that same online source was under $90! These speakers are quite good, have excellent efficiency, low distortion, good frequency response, and directly fit the factory speaker holes (although the screw holes on the 6x9s did not line up perfectly, requiring a couple new screw holes to be drilled). The front speakers are being driven directly by the built-in head unit amplifier, while the rear speakers are being driven by a separate trunk-mounted 50 watt RMS per channel amplifier. I also installed an extra RCA cable pair from the head unit to the trunk for a future subwoofer amplifier if needed, but as of this writing, I have no intention (nor need) to install a sub. The most significant step that you can take to upgrade your base Elantra stereo sound quality is to replace the rear deck-mounted factory 6x9 speakers with high efficiency speakers (even if you make no other changes at all). Unfortunately, this was the most difficult part of the entire project. Access to the rear deck speakers requires complete removal of the back seat, the rear pillar trim, and the rear deck cover (which contains the speaker grilles that I reused after pulling out the dust screens). The service manual shows and describes all of this but it fails to mention that there are an additional four white plastic rivets that hold the rear deck cover in place even after all of the indicated attachment points are removed. These rivets can be released by squeezing them from underneath (in the trunk) while having a helper lift the deck cover off. -- I ran all of the cabling for the rear-mounted amplifier along the drivers side door sills. The door sill trim panels are easily removed. Note that you can pick up a good ground for the rear-mounted amplifier up in either rear roof pillar, after the trim panel is popped off. -- The front door speakers are easy to install using the factory wiring. The front doors are relatively simple to disassemble following the service manual diagram. After all of the attachment screws, friction tabs, and electrical connectors are released, the door panel is simply lifted up off the window sill. Note that contrary to the service manual diagram, the door actually has two covered screws along the rear edge that require the use of a small screw driver to pop the center cap off in order to expose these screw heads. -- The head unit was also easy to install, and the support structure that Hyundai has designed for the factory radio, results in a very stable, skip-free installation for the Jensen CD player. Removal of the dashboard fascia panel is required but is very easy to do, being held in place by two screws behind the ashtray, two screws above the instrument cluster, and a series of friction tabs. When removing the dash panel, be careful to grasp the panel very close to each friction tab as you pull the panel away, starting at the ashtray, and working up and then to the left. The electrical connectors are then easily released. -- The only remaining obstacle is finding a route for the amplifier power cable from the battery. I used a Monster Cable kit with 8 guage cables, purchased very inexpensively from that same Yahoo online dealer. The Elantra has a well-insulated double-walled steel firewall between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. The factory-routed cables all go through a single point, covered by a plastic box and located directly behind the engine. This was not easily accessible to me. I improvised and was eventually able to find a route thru the firewall, but not one that I would necessarily recommend. I leave that challenge to the next adventurer, who will hopefully publish a good solution. -- The result of all of this labor has been truly awesome and well worth the effort and minimal expense. The bass sound quality is solid and buzz-free, thanks mostly to Hyundai's thoughtful design touches, and the highs are clean and clear. -- Hey, I hope you all enjoy your new Hyundai Elantra as much as I am!

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Well, if it werent for this forum, i dont think i would have test driven the new Elantra GT today. First off, I'd like to say that I never would have given Hyundai a thought when considering a vehicle purchase. The thing that caught my attention was the spiffy little banner on some car-comparison site that said, "You like leather? Well, on the Elantra GT it comes standard:)"...or something to that effect. Anyhoo, after seeing that I searched the WWW to see if I could pick up some info on this brand-new leatherized vehicle...well, I can honestly say that the searching was well worth the wait! For the past few weeks I've been looking for that "rite" type of car that fits my life style...to an extent of course, but anyways, my favs were the Audi 1.4 or 5 somthin avant..it was nice but cost more clams than ...well, lets just say with some necessary options, it cost a whole bunch, then there was the MP3----a Mazda protege with "good" handling and a sooped-up stereo---which took the price to a whole new level...then there was the neato Protege 5---it was also very cool looking but I found that the ride was not only meaty-ocre, but kinda cheap feelin as well (although, I must say that the body-roll had been dampened compared to other cars in the same $$ range---the Elantra GT had the least amount of body roll, by the way--except for the Audi shmowdi of coz).
Well, to make this ramblin short, when I stepped up to the Elantra GT I said to myself, "Hmmm, this isn't too bad at all, ...I mean, I could actually see myself driving to classy functions and not be ashamed of my el-cheapo set of wheels." . To be honest, once I test-drove it, it handled extremely well. Not only did it respond to my slightest quims, it also had a bad-arse suspension system...I mean, the guy (salesperson) next to me would tighten his grip on the seat and brace himself because he knew I aimed for the good'ol potholes purposely...just to further test the excellent suspension, of course:)
Well, to put the discription of this car in a tite little bundle, Hyundai has done a phenomenal job on this great piece of Korean engineering. Everything from the nice sounding engine to the smooth power windows has left an outstanding impression with me and here is the good news, after test-driving this little puppy today, I immediately sat down with my car dealer and talked numbers...I pick it up tommorrow!
Well, I hope this little piece of personal experience has helped some of you decide what cars you may wanna look at or purchase in the near future and hopefully, the name Hyundai will stand strong in the years to come...while I'm driving my GT, of course.:):)

Dave

[img]http://mangamonster.homestead.com/files/brucehead_eyes.gif[/img]

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Mazda Protege 5, Mazda MP3, Volvo wagaons, Audi Avant, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra

Styling, standard equipment, solid build quality, good value

Engine is a little noisy when you punch the accelerator, brakes can be a bit spongy.

I've only owned this car for under a month but can honestly say its one of the best well-rounded cars I've ever owned. You can't beat the standard equipment on this vehicle. It's also one of the most interesting looking cars on the road. I traded in a 2000 VW Jetta GLS VR6 that was literally falling apart, this car may not have all the German bells and whistles that the Jetta had, But with a sticker price $5000.00 less, its an amazing value!

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Honda-Hope it can prove to be as reliable
VW-No comparison, VW's are over-rated, over-priced pieces of junk!

Room and Styling
Powerful Motor
Attention to Detail; Good Build Quality
Long List of Standard Equipment
Economical
Versatility with hatchback

Rear visibility is marginal
A few bits of low-grade plastic
Resale value might be low

The GT surprised the hell out of me. It's solidly built, has plenty of room and is loaded with standard features. I never imagined I would own a Hyundai but after driving and comparing the Elantra GT to other compacts I was sold.

The car is very quiet, has decent power from the 140 HP motor, offers great versatility from the rear hatchback and is very comfortable. Among the features that are standard on the GT but optional on some other cars are: 15" alloy wheels, side air bags, fog lights, leather seats and remote keyless entry with alarm

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During buying I compared the Elantra to the Civic, Corolla, VW Beetle, Jetta, Sentra, Focus and Protege. The Elantra offered more features for the money than all the others and was just as fun to drive. Only the Protege came close. If you are in the market for a versatile and stylish compact, you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't look at the Elantra.

Remarkable room, better than any similar car including the Civic and Focus, two cars which come closest.

Great build quality, especially compared to my family's other car a 1997
Cavalier.

2 Liter engine has plenty of power for its class, especially coupled to 5-speed transmission.

Exterior styling is a bit too Chevy-like from side (Malibu) and front (Impala)-- great use of space and small details which GM lacks, however.

People always warn you about poor resale, but this might change if everyone remains this enthusiastic about the car.

Poor offset crash tests due to airbag sensors and seatbelt tracks. How Hyundai responds to this challenge will tell me a lot about the company.

I've put slightly more than a thousand miles on this car in a couple of weeks, so far it's absolutely delightful. Plenty of power, exceptional comfort and room, good handling. Can't say enough good things about it.

I really wanted a GT 5 door hatchback, but my 1987 Nova died suddenly and there were no 5-speed GT's in stock. Can't complain about anything, however including the dealer service. Car had slight hail damage and drove a last generation Nissan Sentra for five days while this was in the body shop. Not even close. Korean cars have come a long way in the last few years while much of the Japanese mainstream has stood still. Compare the newer with the older Elantras in these evaluations and you'll get a good idea of Hyundai's progress.

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Much better than my 1997 Cavalier LS, although that car is generally underappreciated. Looked at several Japanese cars which have become progressively more boring with each new generation. The 87 Nova (Corolla) which I was driving was way ahead of the pack of similar sized American and Korean cars. That's certainly not the case today, everyone else has caught up while they stood still. Carefully considered a Focus but glad I bought the Elantra, just wish they had had some 5-speed GT's on the lot when I was ready to buy.

Price, price, price

Transmission

Well I have to be honest I only bought the Elantra because of the price and now I am wishing I hadn't. After only two months of owning my new Elantra it is in the shop having a new transmission put in. Who ever heard of putting in a new transmission in after less than two months? As if the wasn't enough the dealership is also telling me that the constant clicking sound that I hear is normal too.

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I have driven several cars in my life and never have I had so much problems with a car. My last car a Nissan was over six years old and I never had any troubles with it.

Never breaks down,good on gas,and cheap insurance.

...........Well I really can't think of any!!!

Kickbutt gas mileage,quick,and comfy.Plus all my buddies like it and they always wanna drive it.

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I haven't test driven any kia's or anything like that but i don't think they would be as good.

Best warranty in the automotive industry... I'm telling you, no other car comes close. You get the best bang for your buck. I got all of the features and accessories a person would want in a car (CD, 6 speakers, moonroof, power windows, cruise control, front and side airbags etc...) for $5000 or more less than any of it's competitors.

Nada

Ok, I know what all of you are thinking... a hyundai? Are you serious? Mark my word people, you won't regret it. I thought the same thing at first until I test drove that bad boy. Just like many, I thought "oh please, who would want to buy a hyundai of all cars." I considered an accord or even a jetta. But you know something, the jetta's warranty sucks and all of the features you pay for in the elantra are a heck of alot cheaper than the honda or even the toyota for that matter. It's a smooth and safe ride. How many cars do you know out there have the following: a 5 year/60,000 mile corrosion coverage, 10 year/100,000 powertrain warranty, 5 year bumper-to-bumper warranty, and free, I repeat free 24 hour roadside assistance for 5 years, which includes towing and lockout service??? None. I commute every bit of 60 miles round trip to my job. Of course, this entails traveling on the highway through rush hour traffic. This car operates excellent in that department. Need I say more? (and that's only the beginning). Hey, you don't have to take my word for it. Just take it out for a test drive cause seeing is definetly believing. Every car has bad reviews. But there is no such thing as a perfect car now is there? I think not.

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toyota camry: I had a '90 and it was an excellent car, however, it was time to give it up as it had approx. 178,000 miles on it. I thought about getting another one or a corolla, but again, they didn't have what the elantra had to offer. And lets face it... some of us are on a tight budget. I feel that I got an excellent deal for all of the features that are included.

good value for the dollar

there are weaknesses , but none I think of at the present moment...better mileage,

I Think its a good car, though I would like to have better mileage.
its a quite ride, when you go 120 kper hr you dont even feel it. the ride is also smooth. very roomy. etc...

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ford focus, honda civic & accord, mazda protege, suzuki, sunfire,