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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  Driving is believing - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By javax - May 24 - 9:20 pm

  I test drove Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra. And also looked at Toyota Corolla and 2 other domestic cars. Among those cars, Hyundai Elantra came up on top. It runs much quieter than other cars in its class and has more safety features for the prices. It also comes with a traction control system. I had a Honda Accord V6 EX before this one and I like Hyundai better than Accord. Although it lacks the horsepower like Honda Accord, for its lighter curb weight, it accelerates as fast as Accord. I hesitated to buy it in the beginning but I am so glad that I bought this quality car.

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  Elantra full of surprises - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By mike - May 21 - 11:13 pm

  Transmission seems odd at first, but it learns your habits and adjusts. Got better every day for 1st week. Much smoother transitions now. Feels like Im sitting still at 70mph. first tank of gas 33mpg almost all highway. Handles very well, corners very well. Does not float like a chevy - you feel the road and get responsive handling. It even looks/feels stylish inside.

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  A fun car for a cheap price! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jeff Koehler - May 21 - 10:00 am

  The Hyundai Elantra GT 2002 is an amazing car for the price! I have the automatic with the moonroof/abs and traction control. So far, I have not run into any problems of the car being too slow. If your buying this car, your main goal isnt to burn rubber against a corvette so who cares about the speed. But its honestly fast enough for everyday driving and fun as heck in the city; mainly because of its cornering ability. It grips the road with ease at every turn. If you get the hatchback styling, youll always have enough room for more than enough stuff to throw in the trunk, especially with the seats down. All in all, a worthy investment!

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  Loving my Hyundai - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Eugene Oberfrank - May 20 - 2:28 pm

  This car has been flawless in its handling and maintance. A top quality car. Service rates a 1. Mileager has been 33 mpg on trips.

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  good buy - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By mariogp - May 20 - 9:16 am

  So far this car has been performing as expected. Im geting around 33-34 mpg city/hwy mix driving. Im having a hard time finding a comfortable sitting position, sometimes it feels lke the back of the seet is poking my ribs. the rear window view is not so good. there is a blind spot on drivers side mirrior. The car drives very soft, the stearing took me some time to get used to but its ok.

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  Great New Car - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By rew67 - May 19 - 10:58 am

  We bought this car after reviewing Mazda, Toyota, Nissan and Honda. We test drove the Elantra and the Civic and after careful consideration of interior size, safety features and performance, we chose the Elantra. We love the Elantra. We received better performace and interior space than the Civic and just as quiet a ride for much less money. Gas milage has been around 26 - 27 in all city driving. It is also very fun to drive with crisp handling and excellent breaks. I could not find a vehicle with all the features of the Elantra for $3000 to $4000 more than I paid. If you are looking for a car in the compact to mid- size sedan class, you must test drive an Elantra.

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  Great Value and More Fun than Expected - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By MarcL - May 18 - 11:40 pm

  Dumped gas hog SUV for 2007 Elantra. Wow, why did I wait so long. First several tanks averaged 33 mpg in mixed driving. And what a fun car to drive. Great on the highway (cruises smoothly at 75+ with no noise or discomfort). Around town has plenty of power, much more than I expected after driving V6 or V8 SUVs for years. Interior has plenty of room for family of 4 and the trunk is huge. It is amazing that Hyundai can cram this much usable space into such a small vehicle. And it has a tremendous list of standard features for such an inexpensive vehicle ($14K purchase price). I went looking for a gas saving small vehicle and found a great driving family car - what a pleasant surprise

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  I LOVE THIS CAR! - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Brandy - May 17 - 1:12 pm

  I just bought an Elantra yesterday and I absolutely LOVE this car. The handling, the gas mileage, its amazing! I got the SE model with window etching and the 100,000 10 year bumper to bumper addition - price: $17900

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  2002 Hyundai Elantras are Great! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By urshurak - May 17 - 12:06 pm

  great ride and features for your money!

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  Great Choice - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By Ryan - May 16 - 5:53 pm

  Believe it or not I traded in my Jaguar S-Type for this car, I was tired of the gas bills and when I researched the 10 "greenest" cars the Elantra was my choice. It rides great very sold feeling , the gas millage is great, and it actually feels alot bigger on the inside then my Jag did. So far im very impressed and happy with my purchase, hopefully more Americans will realize small more economical cars are the way of the future and you dont have to sacrafic comfort and quality.