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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  Solid Car/Great Value - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By KCTENDER - November 30 - 10:00 am

  Purchased the 2002 Elantra GLS manual 2 weeks ago. The car drives pretty damn good and so far it has exceeded my expectations. Overall the value of the Elantra is excellent considering the standard options, quality of ride and warranty. And when you compare this car to the compition, its a clear winner. The 5 years TCO (total cost of ownership) on Edmunds uses the TMV (true market value) purchase price when calculating the cost per mile. I recalculated the 5 year TCO using the my purchase price and came out with .28/mile cost which is several cents below their number.Your Hyundai dealer will take invoice on the 2002 and give you back the rebate.

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  Ellen - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By ells - November 25 - 10:00 am

  I have had the car since March and love it!! No problems and it rides so nice, love the extras!

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  overall a good city car - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
  By neerugulati - November 25 - 10:00 am

  great car for the price offered at dealerships. has a lot to offer when compared on standard features with other competitors that includes a powerful engine, power door and windows, safety and conveneint features. only problem is that when i go past 75mph, i start hearing noises from my front tyres.....feels like they rub with the wheel base or something...feels quite dangerous at that speed.

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  I like it! - 1999 Hyundai Elantra
  By debi - November 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought my hyundai as a used vehicle. It had 43,ooo miles ..I think it was a salesmens care... it now has almost 100,000 miles... I have driven this car several times from pa to s.c .. gas milage ranged 36miles/gal.. In the next year i probably will be buying a new vehicle..I feel strongly that I will be considering another Hyundai...

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  I will buy another Hyundai - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By JustinBuffaloNY - November 15 - 2:00 am

  I love the car! I have put 65,000 miles on the car in 2 1/2 years with no problems! The only thing that I had to replace were the tires. I had the car in a 60mph accident on icy roads head on with a suv and thanks to the cinstruction of the car my wife and I walked away with out a scrach.

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  First Hyundai - 2017 Hyundai Elantra
  By Hany k. - November 14 - 3:00 pm

  I wanted to trade in my 2011 Kia optima which had 97000 and not one problem. The only thing I did was fill with gas, change the oil every 5000 miles and buy one new set of tires. I took a civic ex home one night for a test drive And did the same with an elantra se with popular and tech packages. The civic was nice and the dealer was very easy to work with but the civic just didnt fit me right. I could not get in a comfortable position. It was a great car and the CVT wasnt bad. How can they make a car without xm though? There are no incentives on the civic and the dealer can only discount so much when they are selling like hotcakes. I went back to Hyundai to drive a limited with no extra packages. I knew I had found my next car. It has everything I need and want and nothing I dont. The ride is so smooth and quiet. Very impressive. The six speed transmission is really nice. They say the power is "lacking" but I think what that means is that the mazda 3 has more power. This is a compact car. The power is more the adequate. I ended up getting around 3800 off sticker plus .9 for 60. I felt this was a really good deal. This car is not selling well so the dealer has to be aggressive. I would highly recommend you test drive his vehicle before buying another.

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  Great value - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By Sproutlorian - November 11 - 2:00 am

  Weve had the car almost 2 years and it is a very dependable car! Gas mileage isnt the greatest, but for the size has enough room for us to travel around in. Pick-up is a little lacking on onramps to highways, so more horsepower would be an advantage.

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  Fun wore off - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By Mahmga - November 7 - 10:00 am

  I really liked this car when I got it because of the price, lightweight body, peppy motor, 4 doors/roomy back seats, and leather interior. Now that I have had it a bit, I am unhappy with vibration in the steering wheel at 75+mph and am unhappy with the extreme vibration of braking the car when at modest speeds..esp on downhill slopes - very unsatisfactory. I also dont like that the US version engine is dialed back esp. in the lower power band. This car needs a mod-chip to reclaim that low-end power.

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  Great Little Car! - 1997 Hyundai Elantra
  By ckn - November 3 - 2:00 am

  This is my 1st car right after college. I have driven the hell out of it (93,400 mi). I have lots of money to buy a new car but dont because this baby has never given me any real problems. Past problems have been a cracked gasket, broken door hinge, and the CD player laser sometimes messed up. Just now I broke my inside door handle and a fuse keeps blowing so I cant shift out of park (but you can override that). All these things are minor. I replace brakes every 40k mi. Gas mileage is between 25-29 mpg. Yearly maintenance/repair costs (for everything) are approx $500. Cant go wrong there! I saved lots of money w/ this car!

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  Careful - 2001 Hyundai Elantra
  By pfc95 - November 3 - 2:00 am

  There is a reason that this is lower priced...quality is not good. Currently my Elantra with 44,235 has had 2 front bearings replace and a tie rod end. Window panel on door rusted out and its not covered!!! I needed to bring the car back with 33 miles due it not being properly prepped (tire air pressure at 15psi etc.) Warrenty is excellent and they fixed with no charge but beware, it will need fixing and often!