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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  Just Bought New Hyundai - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By Jessie Ramsey - October 23 - 10:00 am

  Hello, I just purchased a new Hyundai GLS 4 dr w/ automatic transmission today for my daughter. It is a quiet car for the money. As a first car, it is perfect for the college kid. It has A/C Power windows, doorlocks, tilt wheel, cruise control AM/FM/CD and Sunroof. It is really loaded for such a small car. Time will tell as to how reliable it is. We expect good gas mileage and cheap operation.

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  the best for the price - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By couchy32 - October 23 - 10:00 am

  This car is realy good, specially for the price. the manual transmision do the job. and his 135hp are realy acceptable.

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  Too Good to be True - 2000 Hyundai Elantra
  By Disgruntled - October 22 - 2:40 pm

  I bought my Elantra in 2003 with just 38,000 miles on it. I thought I was getting a steal at just $5,000 for a 3 year old car...man it was a steal...stealing my money. In the five years I owned my elantra, I had to replace the engine (due to a bad thermostat), 3 different water pumps, power steering pump, alternator, and I had 3 of the power windows stop working. I fixed the drivers side door for a nice $500 chunk of change. I decided the rest werent worth it. Gas mileage steadily declined from a nice 34 to around 20

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  2010 Hyundai Elantra - 2010 Hyundai Elantra
  By Joey B. - October 20 - 3:38 pm

  Just got this car, so far so good, solid, smooth, cant go wrong for the price, this car is used for my commute to and from work

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  2003 elentra - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By chebba - October 20 - 12:24 am

  Car was purchased new. It can handle quite a lot: I had several huge people in my elentra when I struck the mother of all potholes traveling at a high rate of speed on the God forsaken streets of Brooklyn NY, I really thought at the very least there should have been casualties but to my amazement the car was not affected in any way. Another time my father had a huge accident drunk driving accident, it cost so many thousands to piece the car together everyone suggested the car should be scrapped yet the insurance carrier insisted it be repaired. To my amazement the car still rides well after massive cross- your finger type of repairs.

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  Dianes Delite - 2012 Hyundai Elantra
  By Diane birkhead - October 18 - 4:21 am

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  189K and counting. - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Mike - October 18 - 12:48 am

  I have a great history with Hyundia. I bought a new 2002 elantra and drove it for a year. Gave it back due to a bk, to have cheaper pymts. Then bought a 2002 Sonata, returned it two days later, due to hating the big floaty ride. Got another 2002 Elantra, formal rental, with 22k. 6 yrs later 189k and counting. My friends cannot believe that I still use this car for my daily 100+ miles commute. Service history: The first year, it had service to fix a throttle sensor, no cost. Next year the battery, no cost both under warranty. At 96k changed timing belt. The only bad thing is that you have to replace the headlights every 6 months. Oil changes every 10k, tires, one set of brakes. @30mpg. Sweet.

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  13,000 miles and stilll happy - 2002 Hyundai Elantra
  By Brooklyn based - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Fell in love with the car on the test drive and havent regretted the purchase yet. Very firm handling and good pickup on expressway driving - much better than former car (Saturn) Really like the exterior design - still see other drivers checking out the car - and the leather interior is a nice plus. Was initially skittish because of the (old) Hyundai reputation and fear that trade in value would drop like a stone, but have been happily surprised by performance (and I tend to drive my cars into the ground)

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  awesome car for the price - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By ThriceSparta - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this car. I test drove all the competition and no other maker could offer so much for the Hyundai price and I actually prefered the looks and handling of the Hyundai over the higher priced competition. The hatchback is awesome and has a ton of room when the back seats are folded down, like a mini SUV. The car is very fun to drive, all my friends are impressed. It handles as nice as the Subaru WRX but about 5K less in price. Has way more horsepower than a Honda Civic and a much better look. Hyundai has made a believer out of me and I highly recommend the hatchback.

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  kehren - 2003 Hyundai Elantra
  By kevin173490 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  bowser helped us with a problem we had with our new car and got us in a new vehicle for a good price even offered us a payment protection plan that only cost us about 5.00 us. not bad considering that we were upside down in our previous loan, they did us good by putting us in a vehicle that has the best warranty on the market thanks to bowser and to hyduani for their vehicle. sincerily, kevin and patricia