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:
Showing 571 through 580 of 2,696.00-
Worst Car EVER!!!! - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
By stogz - January 18 - 8:27 pmI bought this car for my daughter in-law on October 31, 2009. The worst mistake ever. The salesman said this was such a good car. Had not owned it a month when check engine light came on. It needed a new head gasket, water pump, timing chain, valve cover gasket. Since all this work it developed an oil leak when it is drove on a trip, must be a high pressure leak. Hyundai dealership does not have good enough mechanics to figure it out. I will never buy another Hyundai. I will always stick with a Toyota or Honda.
-
2007 Hyundai Elantra with Paint Problems - 2007 Hyundai Elantra
By frustatedhyundaiuser - January 17 - 4:10 pm2007 Hyundai Elantra (fiery red color), 32k miles, “under warranty”, with sections of peeling clear coat and localized areas of fracturing paint, penetrating through the clear coat & top coat on the hood, roof, and trunk. Car was bought brand new in late 2007 (previous year’s model). Within one year, these issues began appearing, and have progressively gotten worse. Now, there are 50+ total spots throughout the car’s paint surface.
-
My First New Car - 2009 Hyundai Elantra
By Gabe - January 14 - 7:29 pmI love this car it is very good on gas and its little enough to park almost anywhere! Ive had this car for about 4 months now and I love it, and its quiet on the highways. it needs a little work in the upgrading department as far as bluetooth, and interior and exterior accessories.
-
Great Car - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
By Gary - January 11 - 3:19 pmOur 04 Elantra was a great car for us. Unfortunately, it just got totaled after an accident. It was very reliable for us and we put minimal money into it outside of maintenance. We would definitely buy another one. It was our first car but will also probably be the best car we ever buy.
-
Great Reliability - 2004 Hyundai Elantra
By Michael Jordan - January 11 - 2:52 pmthis has been a great car. very reliable, have not had one mechanical problem with this car. i would buy this car again.
-
Brakes and Tires - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
By Kadaro - January 11 - 8:51 amI have 2 of the 2003s for my kids. Both are great and have one major flaw. You cant get the tires off if you get a flat. The steel rims rust to the hubs and needs a large rubber mallet to remove! This happened multiple times on both cars. Also, replacing front brake rotors....I couldnt remove them, and both cars the shop had to use a sledge hammer and bust the rotors off. They seize to the inner hub with rust.
-
Its an alright car - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
By Kevin - January 10 - 10:24 pmI bought my Elantra used 1/22/07 with 16,000 on the clock. For the first year of owning car was really nice , but has come down with a plague of problems a clicking when only turning the wheel to the right, a clicking or tapping noise from the engine compartment, and a hesitation problem only when really cold out side till it warms up. Been to the deal for all of these issues more then once and still not fixed. It rather cold in Nj and a week ago the car interior has come down with some creaks and rattles as well. be sides these issues the car does drive and handle well. I may have just got a dud. Gf has an 04 tibby V6 and it has been amazing no issues at all. I would buy a Hyundai again tho
-
it has been a good car - 1998 Hyundai Elantra
By george - January 10 - 8:22 pmthis car has gave me better service than the gm s i have owned they r crap this car is cheaper and was more reliable than my saturn and cavalier but dont get the automatic model the trans r crap and if you change the timing belt when you should you will have no problems with the engine the worse design is the front rotors the r a bad design but i updated them to 2000 spindles which spindles r better but all car have so flaws and this one has a lot less than the others have been a mechanic 4 30 years have worked on everything and this is one of the better cars maintenance is the key to a lot of them but transmission problems is a problem with all the automakers right now
-
One of the best used car values around - 2006 Hyundai Elantra
By mattba - January 9 - 9:09 pmMy Elantra is a 5spd model. Excellent power and fuel economy. Very good build quality and very comfortable for the class. This car feels like it will run forever. The only negatives are the ease in which you can dent the body panels and the engine turns a bit to many rpms at highway speeds for my taste. The resale value is poor, which makes it an excellent used car value. I bought mine in Dec. of 08 with 23,000 miles on it for $7.5k Would highly recommend the Elantra
-
great ride - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
By irlaxhicksy - January 7 - 9:28 pmi average about 30,000 miles a year and i have not had any problems with this car other then a thermostat at 75000 miles and oxygen sensor at 70000 miles, i live in the north east where we average five to six feet of snow a year and i never have had a problem in the snow till start driving in about a foot of it, and thats with two rear tires that wont pass inspection now
