Overview & Reviews

Most American compact car consumers prefer the more formal look of a sedan body style, but there are those who appreciate the much greater cargo capacity and sporty personality of a small hatchback. For them, the Hyundai Elantra GT is an excellent and affordable choice.

Today's Hyundai Elantra GT is based on the latest Elantra sedan and shares the same basic mechanical underpinnings. But the GT offers a unique body style and cabin design plus a firmer, sport-tuned suspension and driver-adjustable steering calibrations.

Current Hyundai Elantra GT Specs
Introduced for 2013, the Hyundai Elantra GT four-door hatchback comes in a single well-equipped trim level. Standard feature highlights include 16-inch alloy wheels, full power accessories, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, heated front seats, Hyundai's BlueLink telematics, Bluetooth and a six-speaker sound system with satellite radio and a USB/iPod interface. Optional feature highlights include a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, keyless ignition/entry, a navigation system and a rearview camera.

The GT comes with the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine seen in the other Elantras and it makes 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque. There's also a PZEV-rated lower-emissions version that makes 145 hp and 130 lb-ft of torque. Front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission are standard, while a six-speed automatic is an option.

As with its sedan sibling, the Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback offers a stylish cabin with logical controls and an impressive amount of room for four adults. Of course, cargo capacity is where the GT's interior shines brightest, and with the rear seats folded down there are an impressive 51 cubic feet of space available.

In reviews, we've been impressed by the Elantra GT's solid feel on the road. Acceleration is similar to the other Elantras, which is to say adequate but with a somewhat reluctant-to-downshift automatic gearbox that's geared toward maximizing fuel economy. Handling, however, is a bit sharper in the GT thanks to its firmer suspension tuning, and drivers can adjust the level of assist for the electric power steering. The GT's ride is commendable, more like that of a midsize touring car, as it is supple and quiet over both pockmarked city streets and high-speed interstates.

Used Hyundai Elantra GT Models
Although this Elantra GT is a new car in Hyundai's lineup, it is not the first time Hyundai has offered a four-door hatchback version of its Elantra. Most recently, Hyundai sold the Elantra Touring from 2009-'12. Thanks to its more wagonlike shape, the Touring had even more cargo space than the current model.

Prior to this there was a similarly named Elantra GT based on the third-generation Elantra. It was sold from 2001-'06.

User Reviews:

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  Push Button Start Not Working - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By nothappy2013 - January 16 - 8:03 am

  Purchased the 2013 Elantra GT 8/31/13, no start issues until 11/15/13. Very nice vehicle except it will not start daily without pressing the brake and start button multiple times. Stranded once and called Roadside Assistance. They tightened the positive battery terminal. Also stopped at the dealership later the same day and the negative terminal was tightened. Last problem required 19 attempts to start the vehicle, number 20 was the lucky number. A very frustrating problem, dealership tests showed no problems found, certainly something is going on. Second trip to the dealership Tues. 12/10.

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  Careful. This LEMON needs a lot of work. - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By elantragtowner - December 15 - 8:08 am

  I purchased this brand new 3 months ago, and am now having to take it in for its 7th or 8th visit. Ive lost track. The vehicle steering system was defective or just poor design to begin with. On the highway, if I relaxed my hand, it would fly off the road to the left. It was very dangerous, and I got into a few close calls because of this. It took 6 attempts for the shop to get it adequate. By adequate I mean it isnt 100%, but they fixed it "enough" to where I can tolerate it. Now I have to take the vehicle in again due to engine trouble. Its been taking the engine 20-30 seconds to wind down from 5,000RPM to 1000RPM when you shift into neutral. Its getting worse. Not happy at all.

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  Great Small Family Car - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By rem836 - October 25 - 6:44 am

  I shopped and shopped and finally decided on the Elantra GT. Main factors in my decision were price and cargo space. I was a bit worried about fitting two car seats in the back seat, but both fit comfortably and the middle cup holder can still flip down...not that Im going to show that feature to my kids! The car handled well in the winter ice and snow.

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  2013 Hyundai Elantra GT - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By bcgordy1 - September 16 - 10:24 am

  Just bought the car a couple of weeks ago. Had narrowed decision down to Toyota Prius or the GT. Decided on the GT because of price, standard features, warranty, no batteries to replace and, believe it or not, quietness! Admitedly it is a little smaller than the Prius but we are empty nesters in our 60s looking for an around town/short road trip car. The car is a joy to drive and so quiet. Suspension is "sports", i.e., fairly stiff. Car feels solid.

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  Best yet! - 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By badler - September 15 - 3:29 pm

  I only have a couple hundred miles on the odo but here is my initial review. Comfortable but the seats could be a little wider and have more leg support. It has the smoothest shifting manual I have ever driven which is good because I prefer automatic for a daily driver. Picked the car up for 15,900 after rebates. It has the style package with Leather. Ride is fantastic and I love the selectable steering feel. Gas mileage has been 30mpg in mixed driving and its not even broken in. Bluetooth and voice activation work perfectly.

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  Hyundai Continues to compete and win with Elantra GT base - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By salmonking46 - September 14 - 11:24 am

  If you are in the market for a car that is the perfect combination of fun, affordable, and functional the Elantra GT beckons a look. The Bluetooth functionality is practical and fun, Blulink is a useful. The steering mode option is clever, and again practical and fun. Eco mode is great for economy, averaged 39 mpg on the interstate first time out. Turning Eco off gives you some extra punch in the pedal. The seats are a comfortable compliment to a stable ride that seems to mix sporty attitude with touring comfort perfectly. Standard heated seats are an unexpected bit of luxury. It would be nice to have more compartments for storage. Exterior appearance beats the competitors by far.

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  Very nice car - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By blou2 - May 6 - 8:46 am

  Traded a 2012 ford focus titanium for the 2013 loaded elantra gt...had nothing but trouble with the focus and so far everything works in the elantra and is as nice as the build and style of the focus...the elantra drives smooth and gives the feel of confidence....took a large monetary hit trading a 8 month old car but glad we did...the Hyundai is a very nice suprize....B-lou

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  After 3000 Miles - There are some regrets - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By efav - February 6 - 2:26 pm

  Bought it because it had good cargo space, 4 and 5 star crash test ratings, it was comfortable, good warranty, and sticker said 28-39 mpg. Figured with good mileage like that, I could spend the extra money and buy this car as a long term investment. The reality is the mileage is awful when compared to the sticker. Like other reviewers here, my real world MPG is 25 city, 26/27 on my commute, and 31 road trip with no stops for over 300 miles. Quite disappointed. I am conservative driver, and received 29-33 in my old Sentra. The refund program will reimburse me for only 1 mpg difference, not 5-7 mpg difference. The cost of the MPG difference will cost me almost $400/yr more at current prices.

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  dissapointing gas mileage - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By tracey17 - January 1 - 1:40 pm

  This car is reasonably zippy for a small car, although not quite as good as my first impression during the test drives. The fuel economy was a big factor in choosing this car and, in this, I am very dissapointed. I drove a manual 2001 Honda Civic EX for a few years prior and I LOVED that car...plenty of zip and mpg ranged from 32-34. I drove a couple different years of Ford Escape as a company car as well and it was a solid 24mpg. It is a tough MN winter and I am seeing 17-21mpg in this ElantraGT. In the couple months before the snow hit I was still lucky to get 26mpg overall and 32mpg on the highway, even in Eco-mode and being very conscientious about driving conservatively for a week.

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  Very disappointed in MPG - 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT
  By ecormack - December 19 - 1:54 pm

  I compared a few different vehicles reported to get decent gas milage. I went with this because i really like the styling and i figured id get at least 28-30mpg. Im getting 25. My previous vehicle was a 1998 subaru legacy wagon. With that I got 23MPG doing the same driving, and i had a much heavier foot then. Im using eco boost, Driving more conservatively than I used to and still getting, what I consider, poor gas milage for what this vehicle is. Other than that I love it. although, because you cant see the hood when you are seated in the car, I have a hard time judging how close i pull to something. Ive only had it a month though.