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Honda Civic vs. Hyundai Elantra

1641 messages,  Last post on Feb 17, 2010 at 3:54 PM

You are in the Honda Civic Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Sedan

Messages Page 93 of 165

#916 of 1641 Hyundai's reliability by scotthutchings

Jun 07, 2002 (6:36 am)

I own 2 Hyundai Elantras, a 1993 and 1999. I have over 190,000 miles (312,000 kms) on the 1993 and it still runs like a charm. The 1999 has over 50,000 miles (90,000 kms) and it also has been a great car. Added to the quality of the cars has been the quality of the service I have received at my dealership (yes, I bought both cars at the same dealer). The service manager is second to none ... someone at Hyundai should take notice of this guy and put him in charge of their world wide customer service program. Yes, Hyundai has improved their quality over the years ... and yet their prices haven't risen very much. Unfortunately, in Canada, they have not seen fit to include the extended warranty.

#917 of 1641 more pro's for GLS or GT over any Civic by th003g

Jun 07, 2002 (9:55 pm)

backy, you gave the civic a pro in handling?
GLS Pro: Build quality, roomier, more stylish (subjective), more nooks + crannies (big gulp holder in door, sunglass holder, dual level armrest, padded storage areas in dash and console, standard power everything, and I think moonroof and ABS can be had together.
 
Pro GT: (in addition to GLS,) alloys,indiglo gauges, standard cd w/6 spkrs, hella more cargo capacity,leather,fogs, and did i metion the suspension? for the price of a dx with auto Civic which I think has no style at all...

#918 of 1641 by orcinman

Jun 08, 2002 (11:37 am)

It's not that the Civic is a bad looker, it's a good looking car- just nowhere near a GT. But I give em' good points for sharp interiors...with cloth seats.
 
The core problem with Civics, is Honda wants to nickle and dime for everything.

#919 of 1641 Re ABS + moonroof by backy

Jun 08, 2002 (9:21 pm)

th003g, unless there has been a recent change in the package options for the GLS, you can get only ABS/traction OR the moonroof, but not both. The GT offers a package that has both.
 
Yes, I did give the Civic a pro for handling, albeit a slight one. I also would not rank the build quality of the Elantra over that of the Civic, although I think they are pretty close. As far as room, the Civic is pretty roomy too, especially in the back because there is no center hump.
 
But the real value is with the GT--as you pointed out, all that content for the price of a Civic DX with automatic. And if you compare actual sale prices, the GT will cost about the same as the base DX, which is about as stripped as you can get for a car these days. No comparison in value.

#920 of 1641 Everybody wins by atblis

Jun 16, 2002 (9:53 pm)

It's nice to see a horsepower war again. Honda probably still makes a better car (ignoring price) though it does appear that Honda is starting to get a little soft. Hyundai is definitely improving their product and hopefully this will force Honda get to get off their lazy arse. The end result should be a better car from both companies. The consumer in theory stands to win from this situation. American cars hit rock bottom in the eighties. Competition eventually forced them to improve. Some of the crap the automotive industry has pulled is almost criminal. The only way consumers win is from competition. Hopefully we will see better cars for less but most likely better cars for more.

#921 of 1641 i'd liken the civic to an altima.... by th003g

Jun 17, 2002 (11:13 pm)

while the elantra gt would be a maxima...
maybe its just me but the interior quality of a civic does not appeal to me at all... if you say build quality is better than gt I grudgingly give it to you but for some reason the gt interior feels more substantial and better material finish an quality to me...
just like how the new altima compares to the new maxima... step into an altima and you see exactly where they cut costs... hard plastic dash, misaligned platic gaps with unfinished edges and many adjoining pieces with rough edges on the door panel, low quality and thin feeling clost seats with crappy leather upholstry....
then you step into the max and you see the difference a few grand makes in a car the same size... plastics with a little give (softness) switchgear thats lit...finished edges and uniform gaps... door panels exude quality and solidity...supple upholstry.... adjustments up the yin-yang...
only difference in the elantra civic comparo... you dont have to pay more to get more....
again... i really hate new Honda's ... i will only buy old ones from early nineties when they still had nice features as standard... (before decontenting began).... that is if i ever do buy honda...

#922 of 1641 Elantra! by centarfor

Jul 02, 2002 (2:44 pm)

Im not going to go over all the points again, but its totally clear that the Elantra is so much better than the Civic it can't even compete.

#923 of 1641 Elantra over Civics or Corolla or Protege? by lab63

Jul 17, 2002 (9:37 am)

Need a car! Of course I first went to Honda, Toyota & Nissan looking at Civics, Corollas and Sentras, respectively. Gotta say that after reading these posts and not really thinking of Hyundai, I think I will have to check out the Elantra's. I also did not think of Mazda Protege, but have read some good things about them. Any opinions on the Protege over the Elantra?

#924 of 1641 lab63 by jimbeaumi

Jul 17, 2002 (12:02 pm)

I looked at a certified used '00 Protege ES (and others) plus my '01 Elantra. It took me a little while too to add the Elantra to my consideration list, but I am glad I did. The Pro was very fun to drive and the engine has a nice sound; dealer just didn't wish to come down much in price, in an area where 5-speeds don't exactly fly off the lots. The more I looked at the Elantra, the more I liked it. Not just because of price and equipment, but because of the good upgrades they made to the engine, suspension, etc. Reviews were very good from many sources, and my salesman offered a very good price. The Pro would have been fun except for driving up my hill in the winter (a Protege owner that I know wishes for better winter traction).
 
After a year and just about to roll 15K, I can tell you that I am VERY pleased with the Elantra.

#925 of 1641 Pro vs. Elantra by backy

Jul 17, 2002 (6:27 pm)

Both fine small cars, but distinctly different driving experiences. The Pro is perhaps the best-handling low-end compact, but has a firm ride and considerable engine noise. The Elantra is tuned for ride comfort, so handling is not as sharp, but it's a little quieter inside. The Pro has a better reliability record than Elantra, and a little better resale value. Bottom-end cost on the Elantra is less than the Pro; in my area base 5-speed Elantras are $10k and Pro LX 5-speeds (comparable in equipment to the Elantra) go for around $13k. The Elantra has the longer warranty. Test drive both and you will probably have a clear choice based on how they drive, if not it comes down to the other differences.

Messages Page 93 of 165

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