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 OVERALL - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By happy1989 - January 22 - 2:03 pm

  I elantra back in 2008 it now has 136000 on it iv only put one set of tires and breaks and one senser in it other then that just oil changes the car dose have a little bit of road noise but is solid i have to say i trade my chevy in for this car and im happy i did i will be keeping this car till it hits 300000 miles witch will be at my rate in 2 more years

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  Transmission Problems - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By missmyescort - January 14 - 7:05 pm

  Ive had my 2006 Elantra for 3 years. Up until the last week I was pretty impressed with the value. These cars are much cheaper than those in its class for any given year. I had to replace the A/C condenser and a power steering pump but not bad for three years. ENTER YEAR 4 & THE TRANNY PROBLEM! I didnt read a single review about Hyundai tranny problems... but once my car started having problems I googled "hard shift from 2nd to 3rd after car has warmed up" and WOW! A lot of people have had this problem. Replacement was the only successful fix (appears it doesnt lead to failure but I cant live it). These car also have timing belts, another expensive maintenance item so trade it in I did.

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  Still going strong - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
  By dragunz - January 11 - 11:16 am

  Well, here it is 2013 and my 2006 Hyundai Elantra GLS is still going strong. 128k miles on it, its paid off, and it has only had a few issues over the past six years other than standard maintenance. The one thing that still irks the hell out of me though is the staring wheel material. It has degraded and is basically crumbling away. I took it to the dealership when i was still within the 60k bumper to bumper warranty. They had the nerve to tell me it was not covered and i was causing the damage with my finger nails??? Oh well, thats what black electrical tape and steering wheel covers are for. All in all i am hoping to keep this car another two years for my daughter.

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  I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER HYUNDAI! - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By mchunter - January 8 - 7:27 am

  We are very disappointed in this car. 17,000 miles in, the car developed a blown headgasket. Service manager said bolts were loose from the factory. Hyundai area rep. tried to blame this on us, saying we had let the car overheat, although the car had never got hot. Why would a new car overheat anyway? While being fixed, dealer found timing chain tensioner was loose also. Kept smelling antifreeze later and dealer found hoses with pinholes. 35,000 miles now and car is making a popping noise in the front end and our mileage has dropped from averaging 35mpg to 29mpg. We bought this car, because of mileage and Hyundai quality supposedly being better now, but it is the last one we will ever own!

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  Excellent car for the money - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By sconnelly0319 - January 4 - 12:24 pm

  Traded a 2004 Sonata and this car is just as comfortable as the Sonata. Very comfortable and supportive seats. Performance is great and the milage for a car that is not broken in yet varies from 33 mpg to 42 mpg.

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  Mpg rating, lie..... - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By north8 - January 2 - 2:26 am

  I bought this car last week as a college student thinking I was going to get great gas mileage. Every review i read was great, but of course I never ran across anything about the bad MPG ratings. Well it has about 600 miles on it and it is getting about 25 average mpg and this is with about half my driving on the freeway. That is 8 under the average mpg it should be getting. Its sad, and Hyundai doesnt care, nor does the dealership at hilltop hyundai in richmond, california. All in all its a great car other than the fact it does not do what it is advertised as.

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  Follow up on my 2012 Elantra Limited - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By rt129 - December 29 - 11:25 pm

  I wrote a year ago about my gas mileage being poor. This winter is colder than last in PA, so based on cold winters with my 08 I am more disappointed. My 12 is averaging 21.5 / 23.5 per gallon. My 08 Elantra SE averaged 25 / 26.5 per gallon in the cold PA winters. Warmer weather my 12 gets 28.5 / 30 per gallon where as my 08 averaged 30 / 31 per gallon (Same driving approx 65% highway / 35% city). On long trips, the 08 would average 36 where as my 12 managed 34. This is my 4th Elantra and by far the worst for fuel economy. When it comes time to purchase a new car, I may have to look elsewhere (Love the car but disappointed by Hyundai and the way they are handling this situation).

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  terrible gas mileage - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By apoe5467 - December 28 - 2:58 pm

  I drive a combination of city and highway and I never get above upper 20 MPH. I got over 30 once on a trip.

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  Overall great car! - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By braindeadunit - December 28 - 9:27 am

  Performance -- Feels a bit sluggish at low RPMs, but that gets you the high mpg, but pushing it up into the higher RPMs gives you plenty of performance, and the sports mode helps me keep in the RPM range I want without having to get a fully manual car. Comfort -- I feel as comfortable in this as I do in a Buick, but I dont feel like Im driving a boat! Value -- For a "more full" sedan with packed features, its great value! But if I were buying for myself, I find it hard justifying spending more on the Elantra vs. the Accent. Fun: Its not really fun, but it gets you point A to point B wonderfully. Design: A bit funky, but looks modern and advanced. Interior is more subtle. Quality: A+

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  Love my Elantra! :) - 2013 Hyundai Elantra
  By elantraguy241 - December 26 - 10:57 pm

  Purchased my Elantra in July and so far I love every bit of the car. With the stock hankooks the interior noise was pretty audible, especially at speeds over 55 mph. Just recently I switched over to new Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires and road noise is almost eliminated. I named my Elantra Serenity since her ride is very peaceful and relaxing. For being a commuter car, the Elantra is quite peppy when pushed. Im impressed with the fuel economy, currently at 33.5 mpg average, which is higher then the EPA rating. I also drive without the active ECO feature. My gps has an instant mpg readout and at 70 mph it reads from 39-45+ mpg depending on how flat the road is.