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Hyundai Elantra 2001-2006

5565 messages,  Last post on Mar 24, 2013 at 3:24 PM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Elantra, Sedan

Messages Page 81 of 558

#793 of 5565 Elantra long-tern quality by interluk

Mar 26, 2001 (1:23 pm)

Hi,
 
If the mpg is indeed so variable between identical vehicles as to make us scratch our heads, then we may have to concede that our Elantra are rearing their ugly heads of unrefinement.
 
I do like my Elantra but these inconsistantcies(erratic mpg, misalignments, reluctant fuel doors, loose screw covers, idle idiosyncrasies) make it hard to conclude that the car is as refined, say as my 1996 Civic hatchback. In 50k miles, the only thing that has deviated from the center of excellence was a faulty speedo cable that was replaced under warranty.
 
Although I spent my hard earned money on our Elantra--and it was a leap of faith-- I would suggest to others NOT to make a similar leap and to wait a year and see how else this car behaves after we get some significant miles on them.
 
If you must buy a car, then I suggest buying another make of car, despite a higher price, until these Elantra are proven all-around worthy.
You can always trade in another make for a higher resale in a few years and recoup it on a new lower priced Elantra if they do, indeed, prove worthy of your cash.
 
Knowing what I now know, would I have spent an extra $3k on a Civic... just don't know. What I do know is that I am not NEARLY as certain as I originally was about Hyundai and realize I may have to eat crow some time down the road. Of course, I HOPE I was right all along.
 
Mark

#794 of 5565 Design Floor etc. darpin 1 by moledad125

Mar 26, 2001 (1:27 pm)

I'm not sure if the idling problem is a design floor either. You say it's an infrequent occurrence for you and only after you "lug" the engine. I find mine does it after extended periods of highway driving which I do alot of. This racing usually occurs at least once a week for me. The duration is what bothers me, sometimes for just a couple of minutes and two other times this continued for well over an hour! I did not "lug" the engine in any of these occurrences. I hope Hyundai is aware of this problem. Thanks A

#795 of 5565 To be fair by darpin1

Mar 26, 2001 (2:31 pm)

I think if you look at the Civic,Protege, Corolla, Honda Odyssey forums you will see very similar problems with gas mileage. Some people imagine they will get the same mileage at 70 mph as they do at 50 mph(20% reduction in gas mileage at least) or they expect it during the break in period when the car is new. Gas mileage is affected by tire pressure, temp, wind, type of oil used, and driver habits. If it is eratic it could possibly be a "design flaw" but most likely driver influenced by the choices each one of us makes while driving. Check the EPA site and use the criteria they use for good driving habits that will increase mpg. Not hard to do just an education.As far as what interluck had to say about the Elantra I don't agree. The 2001 Civic has had more severe prblproblemsn the minor "tweeking" I have had on my Elantra. I'll take my Elantra over a Civic, Corolla, Protoge anytime because I like it and in a real world nobody is perfect.Just read their forums and that should put your mind at rest.Denis

#796 of 5565 rcaton by lngtonge18

Mar 26, 2001 (3:58 pm)

The powertrain warranty does not cover the clutch, flywheel, or pressure plate on manual tranny equipped Hyundais. You can expect the clutch to last anywhere between 80,000-150,000 miles depending on how you drive. A clutch job generally costs between $300-500. My mom's 92 Accord is on its original clutch and she has 189,000 miles on it. Granted the clutch slips a little and shudders bad when it is cold (when starting from a dead stop), but it still works fine. My 84 VW GTI was on its original clutch when I needed to replace the tranny around 180K. It was still working fine as well, with only a little shuddering, but since the tranny was off I had it replaced. So, if you would like to drive a stick again and want to save the $800, I say go for it and don't worry about the clutch. Statistically, it's gonna be a long time before you ever have to worry about it as long as you don't abuse it.

#797 of 5565 fuel economy by lngtonge18

Mar 26, 2001 (4:15 pm)

This goes to all those that are disappointed with your new Hyundai's fuel economy. I too was really disappointed with the low and inconsistent fuel economy of my 2000 Accent in the beginning. Being that it was supposed to be a fuel efficient economy car, i was pissed I could only muster 24-27 mpg in the city and 32-34 on the highway. It fluctuated wildly as well. However, it has all evened out and now lives up to my expectations. You guys need to give your car some time to break in. My mileage didn't improve until I hit 12,000 miles. Now, I get 29-32 in the city consistently and 36-38 on the highway. So give your car more than just 1000 miles to fully break in before you start complaining about your mileage. Cars traditionally get their best mileage after the 30K mark. Anyway, there is light at the end of the tunnel, just give it some time.

#798 of 5565 2001 elantra hesitation by elantra3

Mar 26, 2001 (5:01 pm)

i,ve noticed since day two my elantra has a hesitation,a pause if you will it is a 5 speed and has this hesitation which sometimes seems like its holding back when xcellerating i noticed this is even more so if you park the car when it is at operating tempiture. i would park the car for a few minitues start driving step on the gas and that hesitation is even worse. for a about five minitues or so. it doesn't happen all the time and taking the car back to the dealer i'm sure they will louse it up and make more problems than i had.if any one has had this trouble with there 2001 elantra with a 5 speed and has had it fixed i would love to know what it was.

#800 of 5565 Long term quality by lyndon5

Mar 26, 2001 (8:31 pm)

My wife will put 100,000 on her 5 speed Elantra in four years. Should have some observations on long term quality at that point, right now seems a little premature. I have owned a Civic, a Corolla, and a Sentra over the last 10 years. The Corolla was bullet proof, can't say the same for the Civic or the Sentra. Overall, my wife finds this car superior to the 97 Sentra GXE we just sold. Much better handling, performance, and ride quality. So far, so good.

#801 of 5565 Why manual over auto (Backy et. al.) by rcaton

Mar 26, 2001 (8:38 pm)

Backy - don't get me wrong - I've driven manual tranny cars in the past, and pampered myself with an auto for the past several years. However, I noticed in the Elantras (and any other car) I've driven that the manual doesn't zap as much power away from the motor as the auto does, and I like being able to control when I shift. Wouldn't be a true "sports sedan" with an auto, you know. 8-)
 
Besides, most of my driving is highway driving and not city, so the manual seems to make more sense. Plus I'm getting what I perceive as a great price. 8-)
 
Planning to get the ball rolling and/or pick mine up tomorrow....

#802 of 5565 For those who have gas mileage dillemmas... by elantra00

Mar 26, 2001 (9:01 pm)

I have a 2000 Elantra with 12,000 miles. I noticed it got reasonable gas mileage since day one. about 35 mpg on the highway. 28 in the city. I just bought one of those K and N airfilters for added hp and better gas mileage. Although i cannot feel a difference with the horsepower, the gas mileage sure got better. I get about 30city/40highway. So those of you who are out of the break in period and are still getting poor gas mileage, I highly recommend getting a K and N air filter (aka filtercharger). Not only that, they are good for 50,000 miles. So you may save money in the long run. Note: You have to order the one for the 2000 Tiburon, since both cars have the same engine and same airbox. Just goes under that one name. I hope this helps.

Messages Page 81 of 558

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