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2017 Elantra: the new Family car. Update and log. Caution: this will be boring.

5K views 56 replies 36 participants last post by  chucchinchilla 
#1 ·
I finished out my Civic thread by actually leasing a new Elantra. While the Civic has more back seat room, a bit more trunk room and is a slightly quieter ride, it was just outside of what we wanted to pay, and the local dealer wouldn't budge on the price.

For those curious, its a base model 17 Elantra with just a couple of options. Alloy wheels and floormats and the upgraded ICE with Apple Carplay.
I scored it for essentially nothing down for $185/ mo. I make my first payment of $185 and drove off. No other fees. That's tax, title, fees, etc. $185. Not too shabby, IMO.







We recently took it on an 8 hour round trip journey to Amarillo Texas.

First, let me tell you what I don't like.
The tires. They're loud. The rest of the car is quite quiet, but those tires on that awful highway surface in Northern Texas was seriously bad news. I'll be swapping out for Michelins very soon.

That's it.

Let me start with my favorite things.
1. Fuel economy. For the drive down there, we averaged 44.5 mpg. We had a ton of wind and I drove quite a bit faster home and averaged 39.1 mpg.
2. Size. Outside of rear seat legroom, the car exceeds expectations in regards to interior space.
3. Looks. Its a handsome car, but this thing does not stand out. It blends in and no one pays attention to it, which is what I'm looking for.
4. Engine and trans. Its only 147 hp, but it moves quite well. Not fast, but its adequate when I need to pass on a two lane highway. The 6 speed is butter smooth.
5. Seats. I like these a lot more than I thought I would. No fatigue, just decent seats thats look to wear well, and are made of material that looks to repel liquids and stains.


Anyways, if you're looking for a good A to B appliance for $185 a month with decent options, this is a solid option.

I'll keep this updated regularly.

Chris
 
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#7 ·
and are made of material that looks to repel liquids and stains.
I recall Hyundai mentioning that feature when the current Santa Fe came out. They even had a name for it found on a tag sewn into the seams on the seats. I guess the feature spread throughout their line up. But maybe it's basically the Scotch guard spray you can get at any auto parts store?
 
#8 ·
These new Elantras seem to be pretty sharp cars. I certainly think it looks sharper than the latest Civic.

If I were to get one, I'd go with the Value Edition. Power moonroof, power driver's seat, heated front seats and exterior mirrors, leather wrapped steering wheel, etc.

I wonder how the legroom and thigh support would be for a six-foot driver.

I've been eyeing the 2017 Sonata, with $4000 cash back on the Sport and $6000 cash back on the Limited 2.4 and Sport 2.0T this month. The latter cars can be had for $19,500 to $21,500. MSRP is around $28K.

...
 
#27 ·
I'm 6'4". These seats are pretty good.

Also, that's a great deal on the Sonata. A great car, but it didn't fall in my budget range.

LOVE the interiors of current Elantras and Sonatas regardless of price.

$185/month lolwut. :thumbup::laugh:
Yeah, the dash design is super classy. Simply, easy to use and should age well.

And yeah, that monthly lease price is pretty astounding.

Nice deal, OP. I am really growing to like these as well and I was mad anti-Korean forever. Out of curiosity, did you price out a Sport?
I didn't dig in too deep. They were talking $21k and after seeing all the deals at $17.9, I decided to get what I felt was the most car for my money.

Nice pickup, and great car for the price. :thumbup:
Thanks!

My wife has a Limited and loves it. Apart from feeling like the rear end is underdamped, it's a nice full-featured economy sedan.
Yes! I totally noticed that! I imagine that will rear its head when I get it loaded down with people and lots of gear.

I found there is hesitation when you hit the go pedal.
I found that it mostly disappears when you put it in sport. We drive it in Eco almost 100% of the time.

And my six-speed hatch has gone 71,000 miles without a hitch....
I hope so. I was always impressed with those cars when they came out. The hatch has so much room!
 
#17 ·
The tires. They're loud. The rest of the car is quite quiet, but those tires on that awful highway surface in Northern Texas was seriously bad news. I'll be swapping out for Michelins very soon.
Michelins help a bit but everything is pretty loud on those "chip seal" roads. It's a shame because a lot of the fun, curvy farm/ranch roads out in the country are paved with it and there isn't much grip.

 
#21 ·
Nice pickup, and great car for the price. :thumbup:
 
#24 ·
Good choice. I recently test drove a Sport with a 6-speed manual, and it was a very nice car, especially for the money. I agree about the looks. Unlike some/most other compact sedans, the Elantra isn't trying too hard. It's just clean and relatively simple, inside and out. I agree that Hyundai knows how to make an automatic. The 6-speed in our Tucson is really smooth and responsive.

44.5mpg is quite impressive too. I find it odd that there are still new diesels coming to market when basic gas engines are so efficient and less expensive in pretty much every way, but I guess people have their preferences.
 
#29 ·
a new Elantra
I've had a couple as rentals. Given a choice of the Elantra, a Corolla, or an Altima, I'd rather drive the Elantra. Compared to a Cruze, though.... I'd rather drive the Cruze (though the rental places rarely have them). Curious if you cross-shopped it with the Cruze, although I'm sure the $ on the Elantra is nearly impossible to beat. :thumbup:
 
#33 ·
I did. I dearly love the Cruze, but it simply doesn't fit me as well as the Elantra.

My dad just got a new Cruze hatch, and that is a nice driving car, just doesn't have the room we needed. Way better driving car, IMO than the Elantra through.

Chris
 
#35 ·
Nice choice! I agree that the new Elantra is actually a pretty handsome car. I'm very interested to drive a Sport in a few months. Plus the pricing for it seems like a bargain. I know its a humble economy car, but I still look twice whenever I see one on the road. Especially because of the front-end.

I rode in Limited model that my budy test-drove a few months ago. I was extremely impressed with the interior and all the tech goodies. The drive wasn't too impressive though, the engine felt way underpowered and it seemed to kind of wallow around. Hence why I'm interested to drive a Sport, since the engine and suspension changes seem like they'd make the car damn near perfect.
 
#47 ·
I'm not seeing how you can say that is similar to the Golf. Pretty much everything is different between the two. Yes they both have standard arm rests, but even the HVAC controls look totally different, the screen is totally different, the vents are totally different, the door handles are totally different. The only thing really similar is the gear shift and e brake/cup holder area
 
#51 · (Edited)
Congrats?

I had one for a rental a few months back.

The stock tires are garbage. I got stuck in a snowstorm and they were a bit scary. No traction, slid everywhere. Drove like a 99 civic with ecsta supras.

I averaged 39 mpg and beat the snot out of the thing.

My wife loved it for some reason. Thought it was zippy.

Had good power.

Not a bad econobox.

So yea pretty much everything you said [emoji106]


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