please help...elantra 1.6/1.8

[htc8p]

Hello all,

im thinking of getting the hyundai elantra 1.6 or 1.8. but they dont give test drives....so i cant make a good evaluation. please help me out.

what got my attention is the looks. saw one up close today. but i have more questions.

1. how is the insulation? from the outside and the road and the engine? is it quiet as the new cars like the altis? or very noisy and thin insulation like honda civic 1999?

2. ground clearance. the altis always gets scratched at the bottom. from going down driveways (ex banks, etc) to concrete parking slots. honda civic 1999 has no problem with this because it has ground clearance 245mm(front) 245mm(side) 330mm(rear). the elantra says 150mm ground clearance (so does that mean it will also scratch concrete parking slots?)

3. how is the height of the body? i dont like the altis body height. you have to adjust your seat to also become higher. how is the elantra on this?

4. how is the leg room (driver and front)? in the altis you cant open the glove box because its freakin tight.

5. i notice there is no power steering fluid in elantra. is it electronic power steering?

6. how is the suspension and the softness of the seats?

i hope to get one soon but not in a hurry. this is my 2nd car purchase and want to make better decision this time and not just think brand.

thanks!

[niky]

1. how is the insulation? from the outside and the road and the engine? is it quiet as the new cars like the altis? or very noisy and thin insulation like honda civic 1999?

A bit lacking, but not bad. Middle of the road.

2. ground clearance. the altis always gets scratched at the bottom. from going down driveways (ex banks, etc) to concrete parking slots. honda civic 1999 has no problem with this because it has ground clearance 245mm(front) 245mm(side) 330mm(rear). the elantra says 150mm ground clearance (so does that mean it will also scratch concrete parking slots?)

A 99 Civic has 245mm clearance? I don't think so. That's nearly 10 inches. That's SUV clearance. The Civic's ground clearance is between 135 - 170mm, depending on variant. Didn't have many problems with the Elantra on my test drive... 6" is enough for most situations, and it's got more clearance than the ground-scraping Honda Jazz. (5+", around 130mm).

3. how is the height of the body? i dont like the altis body height. you have to adjust your seat to also become higher. how is the elantra on this?

Okay by me, but opinions differ. If you can't test drive, you might as well at least test-sit in the dealership.

4. how is the leg room (driver and front)? in the altis you cant open the glove box because its freakin tight.

Better than the Altis. Unlike the Altis or Civic, the front foot box is pretty roomy.

5. i notice there is no power steering fluid in elantra. is it electronic power steering?

Yes. It's a good EPS system. Not the best, but pretty good.

6. how is the suspension and the softness of the seats?

Soft, not bouncy... though it's not as well-controlled as a Focus or Cruze, it's pretty decent. Handling is pretty good. Seats are unobjectionable and give good support.

[htc8p]

hi nky. here's my reply.

1. how is the insulation? from the outside and the road and the engine? is it quiet as the new cars like the altis? or very noisy and thin insulation like honda civic 1999?

A bit lacking, but not bad. Middle of the road.

so mas maganda pa ang isulation ng alits sa heat and noise??

2. ground clearance. the altis always gets scratched at the bottom. from going down driveways (ex banks, etc) to concrete parking slots. honda civic 1999 has no problem with this because it has ground clearance 245mm(front) 245mm(side) 330mm(rear). the elantra says 150mm ground clearance (so does that mean it will also scratch concrete parking slots?)

A 99 Civic has 245mm clearance? I don't think so. That's nearly 10 inches. That's SUV clearance. The Civic's ground clearance is between 135 - 170mm, depending on variant. Didn't have many problems with the Elantra on my test drive... 6" is enough for most situations, and it's got more clearance than the ground-scraping Honda Jazz. (5+", around 130mm).

yes honda civic old models are the best. never scratch, never upi ang tambucho. pero parang lahat ng sedan ngayon sobrang baba. hindi ba nila alam baha dito sa pinas????

3. how is the height of the body? i dont like the altis body height. you have to adjust your seat to also become higher. how is the elantra on this?

Okay by me, but opinions differ. If you can't test drive, you might as well at least test-sit in the dealership.

ok will go back again

6. how is the suspension and the softness of the seats?

Soft, not bouncy... though it's not as well-controlled as a Focus or Cruze, it's pretty decent. Handling is pretty good. Seats are unobjectionable and give good support.

like the altis ba? altis is more like a family car. soft suspension not sporty but if you go through lubak...sure na fully compressed and springs.

the seats of altis is also very soft kahit long drive ok pa pwet mo. not like civic na you need to bring pillows.

[blindmonk]

I would think a lot first before getting this car... try to read some forums or go to Elantra Club Philippines... looks can be very deceiving my friend... try to research more pa para wala ka pagsisihan... supposed to buy this car before but i've changed my mind... opinion ko lang ito pero do your research first.... siguraduhin mo na walang issues un car na kukunin mo para di sumakit ulo mo....

[asb75]

demand for a test drive, then decide. i think maraming dealer ang magooffer nang test drive.

[elviar]

I would think a lot first before getting this car... try to read some forums or go to Elantra Club Philippines... looks can be very deceiving my friend... try to research more pa para wala ka pagsisihan... supposed to buy this car before but i've changed my mind... opinion ko lang ito pero do your research first.... siguraduhin mo na walang issues un car na kukunin mo para di sumakit ulo mo....

Ano po yung mga hindi nyo nagustuhan sa elantra?

[niky]

so mas maganda pa ang isulation ng alits sa heat and noise??

A little bit, yes.

yes honda civic old models are the best. never scratch, never upi ang tambucho. pero parang lahat ng sedan ngayon sobrang baba. hindi ba nila alam baha dito sa pinas????

The 0.5" to 1" height difference means nothing in terms of flood fording. And like I said, the Elantra is not as prone to bottoming out as the City/Jazz.

like the altis ba? altis is more like a family car. soft suspension not sporty but if you go through lubak...sure na fully compressed and springs.

Sort of. The new Altis is stiffer than the previous car. The 2000+ Altis was stiff... the 2006+ one was very soft... the current one is not as soft as before but still reasonably comfy. The Elantra falls between the 2006+ and current one in terms of ride softness. The shocks are too soft for my taste, but it never bottomed out during my time with it, unlike the 2006+ model, which was way too soft.

the seats of altis is also very soft kahit long drive ok pa pwet mo. not like civic na you need to bring pillows.

The new Civic has better (MUCH better) seats than before. No longer back-breaking.

-----

Just because you see problems for cars in forums doesn't mean those problems are there for all cars. Obviously, if you have problems, you'll report them. If you don't... you won't. If you were to believe what you read on forums when the FD Civic and GD Jazz first came out, you'd think that all FDs would burst into flames after losing brake pressure... and that all GDs would have their front suspension break in half over humps.

It takes a lot of research to figure out which problems are true and which are overblown.

One nice site that aggregates car problems is truedelta.com (a forum-mate and co-writer from the US runs it... ), which does online reliability surveys.

2011 Hyundai Elantra Problems and Repair Histories

Both TrueDelta and Consumer Reports, which take statistical samples for the car, show the Elantra as not being any more problematic than most (and better than a lot of cars... Consumer Reports gave it the coveted "Recommended") in the first few years.

[blindmonk]

Ano po yung mga hindi nyo nagustuhan sa elantra?

Drive shaft issues, cv joints... poor casa service...

[niky]

Funny enough, I'm browsing the Elantra club now, and not a single mention of CV Joint issues for the current car... ( not that there would be this early...)

In fact, the only reports for CV Joint issues for any Elantra online are on 10-15 year old ones... seriously, where are you getting your info from?

[MR.ONG]

Hello Everyone,

I was planning to have a car on june. What I want is great fuel efficiency and ofcourse looks. After doing some research I've finally narrowed down my choices to Ford focus diesel 2012 and Hyundai Elantra 2012. I went to a hyundai and ford dealer yesterday and was very disappointed to have found out that their latest focus diesel wasn't available here. Late this year or early next year pdaw ang labas at malabo pang iooffer ang diesel dhl hndi daw pumasa ung cleanliness nito dito. May nabasa rin akong site na meron ng elantra and sonata diesel Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Elantra Price, Review, Mileage | CarDekho India . Any chance na may idea kayo kung kelan to marrelease satin or kung mrrelease pa kaya sya? Malaki ba ang difference ng fuel efficiency ng sonata sa elantra? Medyo bago2ng driver palang ako(2months), marunong akong magmanual. What do u guys think? Manual kaya or ung 1.8L na matic? ok lang po ba yung clutch nya? or may mas ibang mas maganda at matipid na unit pa?

[MR.ONG]

Hello everyone,

Plano ko pong magkaron ng car sa june, ano sa tingin nyong mas ok? Ford focus diesel 2012 or elantra? Priority ko ung tipid sa fuel( mas ok kung diesel) at sympre looks din. Kagagaling ko lang sa dealer ng ford at hyundai this week lang. Nadisappoint ako nung malaman kong hndi pa pala offered dito sa pinas ung 2012 focus, late this year or early next year pdaw. At wala ding kasiguraduhan kng magooffer ng diesel, dahl hndi raw pumasa sa cleanliness ung diesel natin dito. Nabasa ko sa isang site na may elantra and sonata diesel na sa india ( Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Elantra Price, Review, Mileage | CarDekho India ). May chance kayang marelease dito yun sa atin? Malaki ba ang difference ng fuel efficiency ng elantra sa sonata? at kung ano mas matakaw genesis or sonata? Nung nagtanong ako sa dealer about dun sa diesel ang sabi baka matagal pdaw yun, dahil iniiwasan nilang magkabanggaan ng prices ung iba ibang models nila. Ang mahal na kasi ng unleaded e student palang ako. Ano kayang mas ok? Manual GLS or matic? Sa tingin nyo ba sulit ung limited na 1.8L ng elantra? Suggest nadn kayo ng ibang unit kung merong mas ok. Isa pang sabi sakin mahal daw parts ng ford, wala pa akong masyadong idea kasi. pero hndi ba parehas lang un sa hyundai kung 2012 model sila?

[maimaicomp]

Drive shaft issues, cv joints... poor casa service...

parang yan din mga problem ng elantra ko pero hindi ko pa napapacheck sa casa, may lagutok akong naririnig sa may steering wheel kapag nadaan ako sa maliliit na lubak, ganun din sa may right front wheel ko lumalagutok din. mukhang drive shaft and cv joints din problem ng elantra ko. may nabasa din ako dati dito sa elantra thread na napalitan agad yung drive shaft nya at may suspension problem din sha, pero di ko maalala name nya.

[MR.ONG]

Sir, matanong ko lang po, ano po yung elantra nyo 1.6 or 1.8? at kung satisfied po ba kayo sa purchase?

[niky]

The Focus Diesel is a whole lot more expensive than the Elantra. Fuel economy is better than the 1.8, but maintenance costs are more.

There are no common issues for the Dual-Clutch... but nobody knows what problems it will have in the future. The diesel engine itself is pretty reliable, with only the occassional turbo failure if you drive it very hard and don't let it warm up and cool down properly (same as with some high performance turbo cars).

There used to be CV Joint issues for the gasoline Focus... but these aren't shared with the newer model or the diesel. They apparently upgraded the part.

[MR.ONG]

The Focus Diesel is a whole lot more expensive than the Elantra. Fuel economy is better than the 1.8, but maintenance costs are more.

There are no common issues for the Dual-Clutch... but nobody knows what problems it will have in the future. The diesel engine itself is pretty reliable, with only the occassional turbo failure if you drive it very hard and don't let it warm up and cool down properly (same as with some high performance turbo cars).

There used to be CV Joint issues for the gasoline Focus... but these aren't shared with the newer model or the diesel. They apparently upgraded the part.

Mas mahal nga ng malaki ung focus tpos 2011 model pa. Sa tingin nyo po may chance kayang marelease yung diesel na elantra and sonata dito sa atin?

[niky]

Very low. Price would be too high. Just the 1.6 liter diesel i30 and Elantra cost 1m flat... before... with no options, completely stripped of luxuries. With the same features as the current 1.8, it would likely cost 1.2m for a new 1.6 diesel. Hyundai just doesn't get the tax breaks Ford does, since Ford has a local plant.

Hyundai is focusing on addressing the mass market. Diesel sedans don't sell very well here. Just ask Ford. The original TDCi was a terrific performance bargain... the current is still very cheap considering what you get... but they're not huge sellers.

[MR.ONG]

Very low. Price would be too high. Just the 1.6 liter diesel i30 and Elantra cost 1m flat... before... with no options, completely stripped of luxuries. With the same features as the current 1.8, it would likely cost 1.2m for a new 1.6 diesel. Hyundai just doesn't get the tax breaks Ford does, since Ford has a local plant.

Hyundai is focusing on addressing the mass market. Diesel sedans don't sell very well here. Just ask Ford. The original TDCi was a terrific performance bargain... the current is still very cheap considering what you get... but they're not huge sellers.

Thank you for a very detailed answer. Ano pong ma-iaadvice nyo sakn?

Should I wait for the ford focus 2012 diesel or just settle with the current Elantra 1.6 m/t or sa 1.8L limited? Around 2months palang ako natuto magdrive(manual), kya mas prefer ko yung manual pero andaming acces nung 1.8L(a/t) kya parang mas gusto ko yun. And advice sakn ng mga longtime drivers mas mganda daw ang automatic, sooner or later daw kasi tatamarin din akong magstickshift. Ano pong opinion nyo dito? The dealer also told me that the 1.8L elantra was very hard to find. Kaya medyo confused ako. Halos 3months nadin akong nagrresearch kng ano bang mgandang car for a student like me.

[maimaicomp]

Sir, matanong ko lang po, ano po yung elantra nyo 1.6 or 1.8? at kung satisfied po ba kayo sa purchase?

satisfied naman po ako sa pagpurchase ng elantra 1.8, tolerable pa naman para sakin yung noise kaya hindi ko pa pinacheck sa casa, isasabay ko na lang sa next pms ko para di masayang punta ko dun, medyo nadisapoint ako nung una dahil nakumbinsi ako dun sa ads nila na 40mpg, pero ang nakukuha ko is 12-13km/l highway and 7-8km/l, pero naisip isip ko din na tipid na din compare sa 2010 civic 1.8 namin na 6-7km/l lang city and 9-11km/l lang highway.

may previous issue din elantra ko nung first 3 months, minsan ayaw nya magstart, pero nung pinalitan spark plug ko ayun ok na sha.

[renzo_d10]

Thank you for a very detailed answer. Ano pong ma-iaadvice nyo sakn?

Should I wait for the ford focus 2012 diesel or just settle with the current Elantra 1.6 m/t or sa 1.8L limited? Around 2months palang ako natuto magdrive(manual), kya mas prefer ko yung manual pero andaming acces nung 1.8L(a/t) kya parang mas gusto ko yun. And advice sakn ng mga longtime drivers mas mganda daw ang automatic, sooner or later daw kasi tatamarin din akong magstickshift. Ano pong opinion nyo dito? The dealer also told me that the 1.8L elantra was very hard to find. Kaya medyo confused ako. Halos 3months nadin akong nagrresearch kng ano bang mgandang car for a student like me.

Get the current Focus. You wouldn't want to be a guinea pig and catch all the possible problems that the new Focus may have. I'm not saying na meron, I'm just saying na baka meron especially since it's a GDi.

And ang alam ko, there will be no 2012 Focus TDCi. Gasoline engine pa siya. GDi engine.

MT vs. AT, personal preference.

Sino ba gagastos ng maintenance? If yung magulang, TDCi na.

[MR.ONG]

satisfied naman po ako sa pagpurchase ng elantra 1.8, tolerable pa naman para sakin yung noise kaya hindi ko pa pinacheck sa casa, isasabay ko na lang sa next pms ko para di masayang punta ko dun, medyo nadisapoint ako nung una dahil nakumbinsi ako dun sa ads nila na 40mpg, pero ang nakukuha ko is 12-13km/l highway and 7-8km/l, pero naisip isip ko din na tipid na din compare sa 2010 civic 1.8 namin na 6-7km/l lang city and 9-11km/l lang highway.

may previous issue din elantra ko nung first 3 months, minsan ayaw nya magstart, pero nung pinalitan spark plug ko ayun ok na sha.

Ah, sabi nga po ng iba medyo maingay sya compared to its other competitors. After break-in daw po e gganda pa yung MPG nya. Sir may GPS,rearview camera, and foldable rear seats yang 1.8 dba? Until now kasi hndi parn ako decided kung 1.6 mt or 1.8 limited.