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 all around car - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By MontanaHyundai - October 25 - 1:33 am

  This car is great! Fun to drive, fast, sporty, and great on the gas. The only complaints I have are that the car does not have cruise control and the paint really stinks. We have a car port that the cats like to get up into the rafters on. When they jump out onto the car it scratches the paint so I have to figure out a way to keep them out of the car port or keep them from jumping on my car.

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  Perfect Car for your teenager - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Danielle - October 23 - 5:29 pm

  I love this vehicle. My daughter mainly uses it to get back and forth from school and to run errands. It is perfect for teenage drivers because of its hip look and its saftey ratings, not to mention the unbeatable price!

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  we love hyundais - 2005 Hyundai Elantra
  By lionstar0803 - October 23 - 3:07 pm

  We absolutely love this car!!!In fact this is our 3rd hyundai. We recommend hyundais to our friends.. When we look for a new car we dont look anywhere else.

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  A Well Kept Secret! - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
  By JEM - October 21 - 5:26 pm

  Looking for better gas mileage on our daily commute, we downsized from a 99 Lexus ES-300 to the Elantra, and we dont feel deprived at all. We test drove the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord and Civic, Subarus and also the Sonata, but we ended up buying the Elantra 4DR SE (with sunroof) because of the interior roominess, comfortable ride, excellent handling, braking and acceleration. Not to mention that all of the safety features are standard. Weve put 500 miles on the car in 2 weeks and are getting an average of 28 MPG or so in mixed city and HWY driving (at 65-70) with lots of hills. This car is a great value with a comfortable ride.

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  Great value - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Hynundai Fan - October 21 - 3:54 pm

  I bought this car as a compromise between practicality (no more station wagon) and fun. I found the car to have more safety features (ABS, side air bags, TCS) and luxury items (leather seating, remote control mirrors) than any other similar vehicle. Can be stuffed full of cargo for trips, pulls 1000 lb motorcycle/trailer, lots of pep (never felt sluggish except when passing at high speeds - fully loaded - which I shouldnt be doing anyway). No repairs in three years. Great warranty, roadside asst plan.

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  Elantra GT 5 spd. Hatchback review - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By pole - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Checked out the usual suspects: Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Ford Focus, etc. The Hyundai GT hatchback was a prime candidate because of its hatchback design and cost - significantly less than the others with more features. The Civic and Mazda were more expensive without half the equipment of the GT, The Corolla was boring and the Focus has been recalled more times than I can think of. I have to admit that the $2000 rebate played into my decision; with it and the dealer discount, the cost came out to just under $13000 (including sunroof ). Without the rebate I would have considered the Honda or Mazda more seriously.

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  Very happy - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Skeets - October 21 - 10:00 am

  We just bought the car last weekend, and we took it for a trip yesterday. We are very pleased with the comfort, fuel economy and the performance of it. We were travelling on a two lane road and when it was time to pass, it got up and went, no holding it back. The comfort is very pleasing, we constantly have to watch the speedometer to make sure we are not speeding. I would advise anyone to look at this car.

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  Dont listen to all the Trolls! - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jeremytallman - October 21 - 10:00 am

  We had a 2002 GT until May of this year when it was hit and totalled by an Expedition. We were just shy of 60000 miles with a perfect, tight car. I am 66" and fit this car pretty good. We tried to replace it but our fully loaded example is sold out until the 2005s come out! This car is much quieter than the Civic, Protege/3 etc. The interior is as good as anything out there. We added the factory wood trim kit and it really makes the interior. As far as recalls mentioned by others, check out Honda and VW lately. You can not go wrong with this car! Traction control, ABS, leather, sunroof, power heated mirrors, CD, 4whl disk brakes, huge cargo room,

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  Three Years, Still Love It - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Geoffrey - October 19 - 4:30 pm

  Its been a wonderful experience so far. One small plastic failure, otherwise nothing but consumables. Still fun to drive, still feels solid. I miss the ABS and the interior noise at highway speeds is more than Id like. The experience is good enough that my wife bought a duplicate a year later. Were both pleased with the decisions.

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  Poor tires and Poor tire warranty - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Elantra - October 17 - 5:24 pm

  The Michelin tires are very poor that came with this vehicle. Any nail or flat will require an automatic replacement of the tire. The warranty on the tires is meaningless. Generally the vehicle is good although I did have to replace the odometer and the stereo. The headlight replacement on the driverÂ’s side is very cumbersome even for the dealer. The dealer never seems able to align the lights correctly. I have had no trouble with major electrical, powertrain or engine. I have also had to replace a number of headlights a little too quickly, from my view.