Comments on: Review: 2009 Hyundai Elantra SE

By: CP1

CP1 — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:09:07 +0000

The better bet would be the Elantra Touring which is the wagon version of the European i30.

Too bad Hyundai didn’t bring over the hatch versions, but then again, the American market isn’t too particularly keen on hatches.

In terms of looks, the current gen Elantra is meh (but then again, so are many in these segment such as the Corolla) – the previous gen Elantra was more aesthetically pleasing.

By: Donfuy

Donfuy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:36:40 +0000

Ahum, I don’t think I’d choose this instead of a Renault Mégane or a Ford Focus.

The interiors may not feel cheap, but they look like they were.

By: Kid Icarus

Kid Icarus — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:59:43 +0000

The Kia Forte is a better car

By: Veda

Veda — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:41:25 +0000

A 2008 Volvo S40 with 15.000 miles is only $18K. Why bother with a Hyundai when you can have a safer more upscale car that’s in almost new condition for less. In this economy anyway…

By: Mark Elias

Mark Elias — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:26:43 +0000

Johnnycanuck

That’s not a pretty picture! Funny, but not pretty.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:01:22 +0000

I’ve told you before mayer_ray, the trachea hole doesn’t count.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:49:05 +0000

three-box girlfriends?

I can think of one …..

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:32:30 +0000

Oh it’s definitely not about the looks. I can’t think of a homelier looking new car out there. This thing makes the Gallant look like a Ferrari California.

“Interesting lines and curves give a more sophisticated appearance than many of the other three-box rides in the segment.” Really Mark… really? If perchance we ever double date I’ll take the one you don’t want.

By: aggie531

aggie531 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:42:53 +0000

why would Hyundai compete with the Kia Forte? they are the same car. Its like GM building the Aura to compete with the G6 or impala

By: orangecones

orangecones — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:16:11 +0000

Lambo, you are thinking of the Accent, which between the Accent, Rio, and Versa keep leapfrogging each other for the title of “cheapest car in US”. The Elantra is a level up from the Accent and is a competitor to the Corolla, Sentra, Civic…etc. The base price of the car is around $14k actually, the $17 is the base for the top of the line SE trim level, which is still fairly cheap when compared to a similarly equipped competitor.

By: LamboLink

LamboLink — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:07 +0000

Isn’t this car supposed to be one of the cheapest cars available in the U.S.? ..17 grand base seems a liittle steep..

By: Rafa LL

Rafa LL — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:27:01 +0000

2005*

By: Rafa LL

Rafa LL — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:26:45 +0000

It’s like a 200 Civic with a Prius, how more generic can it get?

By: leftwingagenda

leftwingagenda — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:13:50 +0000

solid review…i’m continually impressed with hyundai’s ascension in terms of quality and value…which is really why anybody would seriously look at this car, not for the looks…it’s gotta be just about invisible to the cops, too…so benign/generic looking…

By: Andrew Ganz

Andrew Ganz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:58:55 +0000

orangecones: I’ll take this one for Mark. We’ve recently revised our reviews to make three separate classifications:

“Review” pieces are in-depth road tests of any car currently on the market. We drive these cars for a week or more, put at least 500 miles on them, drive them to the grocery store, on a weekend road trip, in traffic and do pretty much anything else an average driver might try (but they aren’t rental cars, so we don’t get to pay Hertz $15 for a demo derby-ok LDW). We measure fuel economy, we traverse various types of roads and we often field and ask questions of friends, family and strangers.

“First Drives” are when we sample a redesigned, refreshed or all-new car for a short period of time. We usually put less than 300 miles on these cars on roads selected by the manufacturer. These events always mark the first time any of us have sampled the car on offer.

“Quick Spins” are something in between… a shorter time period or fewer miles.

In an effort to sample everything the market has to offer, we can’t spend every week in the latest and greatest because, well, not everyone buys new-to-the-market cars. We do avoid lame duck models – that is, vehicles that are about to be redesigned.

As always, we welcome and will seek to implement any constructive feedback. Just no personal attacks. Mark will cut you good. Yeah. He will.

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:54:18 +0000

Looks more like a old ant&maggot-infested coke can than a coke bottle. This car can offer all sorts of value but to say it looks like äss is an insult to even the nastiest ässes out there.

By: orangecones

orangecones — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:46:14 +0000

Why does LLN review cars several years after they hit the market? Or was there a mid-cycle refresh I missed the memo on? At any rate, we all know its a good basic A-to-B car for those who don’t particularly care about much else other than going from A to B.