Overview & Reviews

Last year's top-of-the-line Limited trim level has been dropped, but much of its equipment can still be had via an optional package for the midgrade Elantra SE trim. Stability control and brake assist have also been added as standard equipment to the SE.

• Smooth and secure ride, attractive cabin design, roomy interior with adult-friendly backseat, solid construction, responsive handling, low price, long warranty.

• Unrefined engine is noisy at mid-to-high rpm, likable interior is otherwise let down by a few low-grade interior plastics.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 195.00

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  An absolute bulletproof workhorse - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By Brian - September 21 - 9:35 pm

  Lets be perfectly clear. This is a commuter car. If that is what youre looking for, then this is the best value there is. My wife bought this car brand new before we met. Now she has a 20 mile commute and mine is 120 round trip, so the Elantra now carries me to work everyday. I plug away the miles, in traffic and at 80mph day after day. There was some sort of sensor problem a couple years back, but that was while it was still under warranty and hasnt repeated. Im about to roll over 100,000 and it is running like new. I fully expect to get well over 200,000 out of this little beast. Even though its small, i fit comfortable as a large man. Im 65" and 240lbs. I spend 2.5 hours a day in this car and am plenty comfortable. It fits 4 normal sized adults comfortably. On the professional level, I sell components and raw materials into the Asian auto markets. Hyundai is right up there with the Japanese auto makers in terms of quality control and engineering. It is built to last.

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  Excellent workhorse for the price - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By 4356pats - January 19 - 1:00 am

  Ive had this car since 2008, and have put it to the test. It has 112,000 miles on it, including a 6-day drive from the east coast to the west coast, back to Denver, and back to the west coast. Never driven a car that is this reliable. Its not fast, its not flashy, but it goes and keeps going. It has literally never left me on the side of the road except once, for a punctured tire. Practical, perfect for a young person, perfect for a small family. Its likable, it has character, and its surprisingly comfortable and sharp.

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  My Elantra is a great car - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By billbond - August 31 - 9:57 am

  I bought my 2008 Hyundai Elantra brand new. I have never had a more dependable car. I have never had a tune up and I now have 145K miles on it and it runs great. Just got back from a 10 hour (each way) vacation trip and we had no issues.

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  Has been a great car, bought used with 35k miles - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By ksh1981 - May 17 - 3:15 pm

  This car is a well-built machine. Solid, fun to drive, reliable, modest (well, very modest on gas), A/C and heat are great. I bought the car used from a dealership in 2011, with 35,000 miles. My jeep completely had died and I was desperate. But since then, (it is now May 2014).. no problems. None. Ive driven long-distance, I commute to work Mon-Fri, and also worked weekends carrying people and 100s of pounds of equipment up to 2 hours away. In all weather, the car did great. This past winter, the battery finally went. 2 degrees F will do that to a battery! Took the car to Sears Auto..new battery...back to normal! If you think you are "settling" for a Hyundai...think again. Test drive one.

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  Some Issues - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By ocd4deals - October 5 - 9:53 am

  I bought my Elantra brand new. Since owning it we have replaced each headlight at least twice and each foglight twice. We had to replace the first headlight on day 2 of owning the car. We had the dealer replace it whie it was under warranty but after 36k miles we were on our own. This was the most frustrating until we had issues with the brakes locking up the rear driver side tire. Upon doing a brake job we found that the brake bracket wasnt up to factory specs so when installing brake pads. the pads had to be filed down. With the seizing of the tire we have had to replace the hub assemly, bracket, and caliper. But other than these 2 issues the car has run great and we are at 78k.

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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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  Great Car - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By iraqwarvet - March 25 - 12:06 pm

  I bought my Elantra with 82,000 miles on it. It is still very solid, no rattles and drives great. And, the gas mileage! Oh so sweet! You could not ask for a better car!

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  Good Car - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By dhet - January 20 - 12:55 pm

  I purchased my 2008 Elantra GLS new. It now has over 62,000 miles on it. It has been a very good car for the money. I love mine. I plan on giving it to my grandson in a few years when he starts driving. Then I will buy a new one. But first the few cons: I would like just a bit better fuel economy. And the 30,000 and 60,000 mile service costs seemed to me a bit on the high side. I wish the trunk lid would pop just a little so that I could nudge it up with my hip when my hands are full. As it is, it is necessary for me to empty at least one arm to get the lid up. I can’t think of any more cons. -- I have not found engine noise on aggressive accelerations anything to complain about—it is there, but it’s not a big deal to me. I seldom accelerate hard. Now this is what I like most: The car has great road manners. It feels tight and solid even after 60,000 miles. Road noise is not excessive. The steering is perfect. The breaks are sure and smooth. Acceleration is good. Instruments are easy to read. Controls are easy to reach. In the cold the car heats up and clears the windshield quickly—unlike so many cars, it is the driver’s side that clears the fastest. A few other points: I have been driving cars for over 50 years and always apply good driving techniques: The original tires lasted 50,000 miles. The original breaks lasted 45,000 miles. I get the oil and filter changed every 3000 miles. I religiously follow the maintenance schedule to the letter. I have my tires rotated and balanced ever 5000 miles: I have never experienced a mechanical breakdown or anything in need of urgent car with this car. Of the many cars I have owned, this is the first one I can say this about.

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  About as good as it gets - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By wiccanferret - November 7 - 5:20 pm

  Weve had this car since it was new and it now has 52k miles on it. Despite what other reviewers have said, you wont find a car that has lower maintenance costs. So far, the only things Ive had to worry about, as per the owners manual, were oil changes and an air filter. Thats it. Oh, and the battery went out after 4 years, which is better than your average stock battery, especially considering the Texas heat this year. This car couldnt be cheaper to run, period. The gas mileage is decent (35 mpg) and the power and handling are phenomenal for this class of car.

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  Time to trade in - 2008 Hyundai Elantra
  By sweed2 - May 28 - 12:23 pm

  I bought the Elantra new in 08. The windshield wipers were never connected. I found this out on the highway in a torrential downpour with no breakdown lane. A couple of weeks later I got a flat took it to Pep Boys and they asked when I had patched the tire? I never did I thought it was new. Recall after recall. Cd player stopped functioning, window was slowly going down, and we kept having the problem. We just received the airbag recall notice. I decided to trade it for a Volvo S60 with the premium package. I totally broke even with everything! The mileage (very low), price, and a good trade-in value. Now I have a safe luxury car that is awesome!