Overview & Reviews

After a complete redesign last year, the 2012 Hyundai Elantra gains an "Active Eco System" that modifies engine and transmission parameters at the push of a button to increase fuel economy by up to 7 percent. The names of option packages have also been changed.

• Comfortable and well-built cabin
• Outstanding fuel economy on all models
• Large trunk
• Lots of features for the money
• Distinctive styling.
• Long warranty coverage

• Not as sporty as some rivals.
• Limited rear headroom

User Reviews:

Showing 101 through 110 of 117.00

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  Dianes Delite - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By Diane birkhead - October 18 - 4:21 am

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  Elantra - an excellent compact car option. - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By Larry Wickstrom - June 2 - 1:34 pm

  Sits too low to the ground for easy entry and exit for older people. Auto door locking feature can be an irritation. Overall, a very reliable, efficient and economical car to own.

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  At 79 thousand no important complaints! - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By Bradley Wood - December 22 - 11:04 pm

  Ive seen that some people have gotten lemons, but most buyers are satisfied. I drive over 90 miles a day very aggressively. Appreciate the gas mileage rebate, but the way I drive I wouldnt ever expect anything near 40 mpg.. The interior is noisy and lacks a cushion-like feel, but the sound system with nav. is great. At 70 thousand I needed new tires,wipers and brakes. I exceeded recommendations and had to buy rotors, but that was my fault. I change the oil about every 4500 miles because all my miles are on the highway. No mechanical issues that I can fairly complain about. Had the dealer replace the serpentine belt at 75 thousand just to be safe.

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  Treadlightly - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By Treadlightly - November 14 - 12:04 pm

  The 2012 Elantra will eat up your rear tires. I purchased the car new, and by 20,000 miles the original rear tires were worn out. I thought it was a tire problem, but have come to discover it is a car problem. Replaced the original tires with new Coopers and 23 months and 16,000 miles later and the back tires have ended their life. Front tires look like new. Just spend an hour talking with HYundai customer service who were "shocked" at this discovery. What a bunch of baloney. Of course they tell me it is the fault of the tire. I purchased the tires at Farm and Fleet and they agree it is a car design problem and not a tire defect. Something about no adjustment on the real wheels which are set to a fixed -1.50 camber. Thus the inside of the tires will wear out quicker than it takes Hyundai "goodwill" services to manufacture an excuse. My advise, tread lightly when purchasing a Hyundai.

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  The Snappy Silve Streak Named Elantra - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By John Kelleher - November 5 - 10:14 pm

  Great "bang for the buck" in its class (included features for the price) --- high reliability in mechanics, electrical, electronics, computerization, etc. --- excellent fuel economy around town and on the road --- Hyundais Warranty --- Company stands behind the vehicle and its dealers --- only disadvantage is for long legs cramped in the rear seat

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  Swinger for seniors - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By papatom - August 24 - 4:24 am

  We bought our 2012 Hyundai Elantra Limited in the spring of 2012, and have driven it 70,000 miles. We are senior citizens (one still working, one retired) -- we say that because neither one of us was looking for a high-performance car with impressive off-the-line acceleration. In fact, we have never driven it out of "Eco" mode. The performance is fine by our standards. Gas mileage on our frequent highway trips is 35 to 40 mpg; this car seems to like tailwinds a lot. Our only warranty issue was that the steering wheel began to peel. The dealer replaced the steering wheel promptly; the problem has not recurred. The dealers service department has been excellent; they often suggest added preventive maintenance, but never push for it. Surprisingly, the dealer offered the best price on tires (offering a wide range of brands). We bought the Limited for the tan leather interior. The Limited came with 17-inch wheels and low-profile tires. I would have preferred 16-inch wheels with higher profile tires (which would offer a wider range of replacement options). Overall, the Elantra is as good a car as weve ever owned.

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  Good price for a good car - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By CaffeineTripp - January 14 - 11:07 pm

  Purchased the Hyundai Elantra GLS in 2014 with 80,000 miles. This is a commuter car no doubt about that, and will remain a commuter car. Driven highway miles 75% of the time. Vehicle was in excellent condition when purchased, needed rear right strut to be replaced. Goodyear Assurance tires are quality and low noise coupled with the Elantra. Consistently get 36+ MPG mixed driving without being on the throttle. Throttle response is lacking due to drive-by-wire rather than cable. Steering is tight and consistent, but no feedback and feels dead at slow speeds. Comfort in front and back is good for shorter distances and road trips 2 hours or more. Steering wheel controls are set up nicely and ECU is good at predicting driving with Cruise Control on. Factory CD player/media player controls arent the best in how theyre set up, but is fixed by installing an aftermarket unit. Available kit on this model is good; safety all around, flawless A/C, 6 speaker sound system, and cruise. However, for a 2012 it would be nice for some minor additions of factory steering wheel controls/power and memory seats, foglights to top off exterior. Engine is noisy with lifter ticking, but common in the 1.8L Nu engine series. Possible to decrease lifter noise with revised lifters/more oil pressure? Transmission gearing is spot on for lower horsepower/torque power bands and excellent for 70 MPH interstate cruising. Shifting is chunky with the 6 speed, but direct. Shifter itself feels too light to navigate the gear box. Minimal maintenance has been required overall. Suspension is tight, however, the 2012 also suffers from the Salt Belt States front coil spring recall (which is still unavailable for the 2012 and 2013 models); both front coil springs have snapped within a month of each other slightly damaging sidewalls of tires. OEM coil springs are nonexistent through dealers in the US. Canada sourced coil springs may be available. Exterior styling is very nice and akin to Japanese cars (well done Hyundai exterior design team). Interior styling is nice as well and has a fluid-like look. Soft angles and a cockpit for front seats with plenty of room in the rear for adults. Interiors plastics do not feel chincy. Dash and center console are designed well, hiding clips to retain dash pieces rather than having screw holes everywhere giving the interior a one-piece design. Everything feels solid inside (revise the shifters to have more weight though!) Overall, the MD/UD 5th Generation Elantras are a welcome design change for the manufacturer. Quality has increased dramatically over all of the vehicles. Like many asian manufacturers though, road salt is nearly unheard of and needs to be addressed for safety before selling.

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  Kinda Bought it on Impulse - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By albragg - August 12 - 8:56 pm

  The dealer called up and said they had one in stock we could look at. (They couldnt keep them in stock in 2012.) We are glad we ended up buying it. Its been a good car. No big problems. We did put on a set of tires after about 28,000 miles. Its fun to drive and the visibility and headlights are pretty good. Its OK in snow, but its a lot better with all weather tires. We have a sunroof which came with the deal, but we seldom use it. Our grand kids think it has a good design (How about that!). The only thing I would change is the low profile tires. They look great, but I would just as soon have regular tires. Thats not a big deal though. It get about 30 miles per gallon, which is a little less than Hyundai predicted, but is fine with us. We are pleased with this car.

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  Disappointed. - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By RK - March 29 - 9:09 am

  The car is nice to look at. The MPG was a lie. The radio has malfunctioned at 80,000 miles. The timing chasing was replaced at around 20,000 miles and now at 83,000 miles the problem seems to happening once more. The tensioner went bad and it looks like it is agaIn. I change the oil every 5,000 miles and drive mostly freeway or highway miles. It has two pending recalls and the smog system had a computer reset early on. Other than that the car has been pretty nice. It does what it was designed for well. It is not a performance car. The brakes are superb. They are much bigger than need to be. And are very well finctioning.

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  Quality dropping - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By Thomas Klose - September 13 - 5:14 pm

  I have had 5 Hyundais in my family in the past 10 years. All experienced issues with rusting underside, and around all the brakes. The most recent 2012 Elantra went in with a value tap, and they replaced the engine. All the other models are known to have engine issues, but they were in denial on this model. They also pointed out the accelerated rust on the undercarriage. Speaking to other Hyundai/Kia owners, there is an obvious pattern where some cars had this rust issue, others did not. My local mechanic said the underside looked like a car that is frequently parked over the grass, but this car was always on pavement. There is something wrong with their undercoating or lack of in manufacturing. The dealer wanted to charge to fix it. When we got the car back, with the new engine....we immediately traded it in for another new car...not a Hyundai this time. Update 9/2017. Many of our friends with Hyundais says dealerships trying to blame owners for the excessive rust issues on the undercarriage. Said its our fault when its likely lack of rustproofing or bad/cheap metal used in body. FYI: Car always parked on pavement. Also, everyone I know also had the engine replaced. They traded cars in for other brands.