Overview & Reviews

Introduced in the early 1990s, the Hyundai Elantra didn't exactly get off to a good start, earning a well-deserved reputation for overall shoddiness and unreliability. But more than two decades later, the Elantra has become one of America's most popular small sedans. Take one for a spin and you'll likely be impressed with its smooth ride, roomy interior, high fuel economy and solid build quality. The Elantra also offers plenty of features for the money and long warranty coverage. While those long-ago Elantras are best forgotten, any new or used Elantra (that you'll realistically come across) is an excellent choice for a small car shopper.

Current Hyundai Elantra
The Hyundai Elantra sedan is offered three trims: SE, Limited and Sport. A coupe and Elantra GT four-door hatchback are also available and reviewed separately.

Standard SE feature highlights include alloy wheels, full power accessories, air-conditioning, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio and USB/iPod interface. An option package provides 16-inch (versus 15-inch) wheels, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, voice controls, a rearview camera and heated front seats. The Limited comes with all that as well as 17-inch wheels, leather upholstery, a power driver seat, heated rear seats and Blue Link telematics. The Sport includes the Limited's features minus the heated rear seats and Blue Link and adds a more powerful engine, a sunroof, a sport-tuned suspension and keyless ignition and entry. The Limited can be had with a larger 7-inch touchscreen display, dual-zone automatic climate control and a navigation system.

The SE and Limited trims are powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 145 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the SE, while a six-speed automatic is optional. The Limited comes only with the automatic. The Elantra Sport has a 2.0-liter four that makes 173 hp. With the Sport, the manual transmission is standard, while the automatic is optional.

Slide inside the Elantra and you'll find a cabin that matches or betters most others in it class. A stylized center stack and controls lend some flair to the cabin, and the materials, while not best-in-class, offer a rich look. Ample headroom and a smaller-diameter steering wheel contribute to the interior's spaciousness.

On the road, the 1.8-liter engine has decent punch and the automatic transmission provides smooth, well-timed shifts. This volume-selling powertrain should be fine for the majority of drivers. The added punch provided by the Sport's bigger engine should be appreciated by those willing to sacrifice a few mpg in favor of some added oomph. A compliant ride and a quiet cabin make the Elantra a comfortable choice for daily driver and road trip duty alike. The only significant downside to this Elantra is a lack of rear headroom compared to what's available from some other top small sedans.

Used Hyundai Elantra Models
The current Hyundai Elantra represents the fifth generation, which was introduced for the 2011 model year. Apart from lacking some slight styling tweaks, upgraded touchscreen displays, added sound insulation and the Sport trim level, these Elantras are otherwise identical to the current version.

 The fourth-generation Elantra ran from 2007-'10. Having established the Elantra as a legitimate contender in the compact segment with its previous-generation car, Hyundai updated the Elantra's styling, improved its handling and ride quality, and revamped the interior to near-premium levels.

Two main trim levels were available: GLS and SE. The GLS came reasonably well equipped, though it lacked stability and traction control. Those came standard on the SE after 2007. The SE also had more features and a sport-tuned suspension. In your used-car search, you might also encounter the top-line Elantra Limited ('07 only) and the Elantra Blue, which was an entry-level model offered for 2010 only.

Fourth-generation Elantras came with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 138 hp and 136 lb-ft of torque. The transmission was either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Cars sold in California-emissions states could have cleaner tailpipe emissions (PZEV) but were rated for 132 hp.

Changes were minimal for this car. For 2009, the Elantra received enhanced suspension and steering tuning, along with new interior instrument and radio displays. A USB/iPod audio jack also became available. But in general, we were very impressed by this car and praised its roomy and comfortable interior, agreeable ride quality and value for the dollar.

The third-generation Elantra was produced from model years 2001-'06 and represented a considerable step up from the earlier cars. The sedan was bigger inside and out, and revised sheet metal gave it a more upscale look. Reliability and overall quality were also much improved. The standard features list was generous for the car's price, and included amenities like air-conditioning, full power accessories, side airbags, 15-inch wheels and an AM/FM cassette player. The 2.0-liter engine generated 135 hp (138 after 2003) and was mated to either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic.

An Elantra hatchback, the Elantra GT, was also offered starting in 2002 and came with additional standard features, including leather seats and a CD player. Initially, the sedan was available only in base GLS trim, but by 2003, Elantra sedans could be purchased in two trims -- GLS and the top-of-the-line GT. Although it still lacked the refinement of segment leaders like the Honda Civic, the third-generation Hyundai Elantra shone as a solid choice for buyers seeking maximum value for their money.

One would probably do best by avoiding the second-generation Elantra – built from model years 1996-2000 -- though it did at least take a turn for the better from the forgettable original. The car got a welcome boost in power with the addition of a new engine, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder capable of 130 hp and 122 lb-ft of torque. Airbags were added to the safety features list, and a wagon body style was also offered. The Elantra's engine was upgraded yet again in model year 1999, to a larger 2.0-liter. Overall, the second-gen Elantra represented a decent buy in the economy car segment. It wasn't as polished as the offerings from Honda, Nissan or Toyota, but it was well-equipped and fun to drive.

The first-generation Elantra was produced from model years 1992-'95; during this period, Hyundai's hauler was available as a sedan only. Sadly, the car's build quality and reliability reflected its bargain-basement price. Elantras from this era were notorious for being sloppy in most of the areas that matter. They were none too quick either, as all models were motivated by a 1.6-liter inline-4 good for 113 hp and 102 lb-ft of torque.

User Reviews:

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  Great car especially at the price - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By James - August 23 - 9:39 am

  My Chevy s10 pickup died without warning and I needed a car in a hurry and for little money. I wanted a new car but had used car money. I found the Elantra, researched it and made the purchase. I never had any problems in 70K+ miles the only things I did were brakes (one set of pads) and tires. For the price you get a good ride, some luxury and very cheap to drive (fuel and maintenance).

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  Elantra SE Manual - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Paul - August 20 - 5:25 pm

  I just purchased this car yesterday an i couldnt be happier with my choice. After looking and looking over every car manufacturers website and reading reviews and safety ratings an every possible angle, i decided on the Elantra SE.The gas mileage was above an beyond what the sticker says. I got 41MPG on a 60 mile highway trip, on a 50/50 combo of city/hghwy i got 33mpg. the extra options of the SE are well worth the extra money, especially safety features (A/C,Cruise,ESC,Brake assist). XM radio is nice also. If i had an extra 10,000 dollars to buy a car, id still get the exact same car, no doubt! plenty of storage spaces, fun to drive ZOOM ZOOM THIS ONE MAZDA!!! Hyundai is going places...

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  Not Bad for the Money - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By thornne - August 20 - 2:00 am

  Id have to say overall I love the car. I have 30,000 miles on it, drive it very aggresively and havent had anything go wrong with it. Resale value sucks though. Gas mileage could be better, only average about 26 with a 5 spd, but I do drive aggressive. I think performance and handling are great for a car in this class.

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  going good - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Shad - August 18 - 12:20 pm

  I bought this car in July and drove it 1200 mile from Chicago to Houston getting 32 mpg. Was fast on the highway. Its cozy inside. Good design. Have 1600 miles get 27 mpg city only. A bit slow to pick up and less power but overall good ride cheap eco ride with good mileage. Only worst thing is ac its very very weak specially in the Texas heat ufff... Will write a second review after few months. Got se loaded with sunroof, mats, sunroof deflector & leather for 18,250.00 out the door.

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  The van died - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dead Van Man - August 15 - 10:00 am

  Bought a used GM van 2 months ago. It died. I needed a car, so I bought an Elantra GLS (Dealer clearing them out with auto-trans at $11,950 for 2003s!). I recommended my girlfriend buy one last year after a lot of research told me it was the best car for the money and besides, the warranty cant be beat. I agree with Edmunds on this one - a great car. If youre shopping for an economy sedan, do yourself a favor and get an Elantra. You get much more that youd expect for the price. Now we both have one and both are superb. Beats the "gold standard" Civic hands down in my book.

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  Comfort for the tall driver - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By Track Guy - August 13 - 11:30 am

  I looked at Ford Focus, Mazda 3i, and Dodge Neon. I bypassed the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla because of their more expensive price tags as I was looking for economy at a reasonable price. The Ford Focus I ruled out as soon as I sat in it due to the fact that I am 62" and the seat had absolutely no thigh support and was very uncomfortable. The Mazda 3i was a bit better, but the noise in the car at highway speeds was very disappointing. When I sat in the Elantra, I liked it immediately due to its adjustable front seat which provided comfortable thigh support. After a test drive I was sold...it performed very nicely and had more standard equipment on the base model than the others.

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  some negative things and some positive - 2017 Hyundai Elantra
  By Dan Johnson - August 12 - 5:26 pm

  After owning this car for two months, here are the things Im pleased with: great interior and exterior styling. Quiet smooth engine, good power (until you have to climb a hill) loads of features, incredible rebates to bring down the price, love the heated seats! Negatives: bucket seats are extremely hard and uncomfortable, leather steering wheel is very slippery, new car smell is too intense (plastic smell), sunroof sits back too far, cant see the sky unless you tilt your head back, volume knob and up/down volume controls on wheel r slow to respond, very quiet in general but some tire noise gets into the cabin at highway speeds.

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  Kinda..Ehh - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Sketchy - August 11 - 4:26 pm

  Bought this car second hand with low miles for a occasional trip and back and forth to work car. In town MPG sucks for this car. With A/C on car has little power so always finding myself putting it to the floor to keep up. Does ok with a/c off. Very comfy seats and layout isnt bad. Highway MPG is ok but still under 30 avg 65 mph. Gremlins start to show up after 50k miles but knock on wood, still hasnt left me stranded. Transmission likes to slip when real light pedal pressure is applied. Rattling/ticking noise started around engine sometime ago. Figured it was cheap gas but ran 93 octane still no help. Looking at new cars now. Hyundai? Ehh...I dunno. Warranty only 50k after 1st owner.

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  sofarsogood - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By gaels guy - August 11 - 3:52 pm

  Now nearing 5.5years ownership, and 75,000 miles. A/c compressor went at 73,000 I live in Florida and a/c gets used a great deal. Got rear-ended by an 18 Wheeler truck, took quite a shot and the car survived. 5,000+ in repair. Have had 3 left headlight bulbs and 1 set of fog lights go. 1 thermostat. Get 31-34 mph highway 23- 27 in town. I never use Hyundai for the 30-60,000 servicing. Had the a/c repaired locally. On 3rd set of tires.

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  Detailed FTB Review. - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Francesco - August 11 - 3:34 pm

  I have owned many vehicles in my life. The range is from a Mustang to 3 Civics. This car is comparable to all of these in style, comfort, and performance. A side by side comparison of the Elantra and Civic will show very similar numbers on and off paper. I purchased my SE at the base model GLS price of 13,800. Buy consumer reports car buyers guide, that shows dealer prices, and you should get to that price too. I also purchased the extended 10 years 100,000 miles warranty for $1,200. I am not certain about the reliability of the "new" Hyundais, there was a drastic redesign introduced in 2004, but with this bumper to bumper 100,000 mile warranty I dont have to worry about anything.