YACT: Dear Hyunadai Elantra Owners...

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: PingSpike

Originally posted by: chickadee

Originally posted by: RossMAN
You should be able to buy a BRAND NEW Elantra with manual transmission for around $9,500

hmm.. how much should i be able to buy a brand new elantra with automatic transmission for?

i will have only had my license a year come october so i dont feel confident enough driving a manual yet. plus i live in jersey and with the traffic and everything, nobody wants a manual ;x

I bought mine for 13,6...like a month and a half ago. That doesn't mean you couldn't do better. Rossman is the deal master, not I.

I personally wouldn't get a used hyundai. Their resale value is very low, but you lose a lot of that sweet warranty when you buy them used. But in the short time we've had the car I've really liked it.

I was kinda looking at a used Elantra, or maybe a Protege both seem fairly reliable and can be had for 5-7k for one that is 2-3 years old.

I don't think there's anything wrong with them mind you. Its just that the warranty was a big selling point to me, and I believe they cut it in half when its transfered.

 

[lokiju]

Well I'm not a direct owner but my fiancee has a 2003 that I drive all the time and really it's a much better car than I would have thought possible, has really changed my perception of Hyunadai in general.

She's not had any issues what so ever at this point :knocksonwood; and it's pretty peppy and decent on gas as well.

I'm 6'3" and fit fine in it also FWIW.

 

[imported_slipperypete]

I have a 2002 Elantra GT. I bought it new at the end of '02. I have yet to have a problem. I drive in rush hour traffic mostly and get 27mpg.

I think it's a great car for my needs (commuting).

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: chickadee
I was curious if anybody on here owns a Hyundai Elantra (circa 2002-2005ish) and if so, what do you think of it?

Back in December I bought a used car and from day 1 it was nothing but trouble. Finally after putting about 3x what is worth in repairs for it, the air compressor seized this past Monday. At the cost of repairing it.. I've given up on the car. My mom is being more than generous enough to give me the money for a new one so I can have a good reliable car to get me to college and my internship. If I had my way, I'd get a sporty car I like ;x But that won't really be happening at this moment because of insurance costs. I have about 8k-9k to spend. I really don't care much for style at this point anymore. Im 21 and have the rest of my life to get the car of my dreams. Right now I am looking for something reliable. Overall it seems the Elantra has extremely good reviews. I was just looking to get the opinion of actual Elantra owners. What do you think of your car? Have you had any real problems with it? What kind of gas mileage do you get? Does the car have any trouble with pick-up or things along those lines?

Any info would be helpful. I'm going in the morning in protest to test drive a very overpriced 2001 cavalier that my moms husband thinks would be perfect :roll eyes::. While at the dealer I will also be looking at a 2006 Chevy Aveo. Does anybody have any opinons on the Aveos? Online reports seem to not be so good.

I don't know much about cars. I've done a lot of research over the last few days. Just looking for opinions.

My $.02:
Avoid the echo, Cavalier, and Accent!

Get a 2001/2002 Chevy Prism for best bang for the buck. (2002 was the last year of the Prism. no changes from the 2001 year.)

As for you question about the Elantra:
I almost bought a new 2005 Elantra GLS automatic for $12k out the door. (Rebate plus end of month = GOOD.)

Instead i bought a new 2005 Mazda3 automatic for $17k out the door. (No rebate )

The Elantra has about the same size engine as the Mazda3, but the acceleration on the car i test drove SUCKED for that size engine.

I love my Mazda3, but still ambivalent if it's worth $5k more.

 

[MWink]

I've had my Elantra for over a year and I'm very happy with it. No significant problems. IMO the Elantra gives you the best bang for you buck. I usually get 33MPG+ (can vary from 30-38.5) with mostly highway driving. I highly recommend it. BTW I'm not nearly as impressed by the 2007 Elantra from what I've seen/heard.

 

[DaveJ]

I bought a 2005 Elantra GT hatch in March of '05, and it's been flawless so far. It's fairly peppy, very comfortable, and the hatch is awesome. I like my GT much better than the GLS though... the handling is much tighter.

Dave