Pink Slip, First Accident!

Odometer: 2856 miles
Avg. MPG: 26.5

What's happened since the last post? I received my pink slip! Car is no longer owned by Hyundai Motor Finance. Hooray! Not so hooray... I don't own it free and clear yet, since I charged some on my credit card.

Got into my first accident. While I was leaving work to go to our Christmas lunch, I backed into a co-worker's car as he was moving out. I did not know he was there. I thought I was the only car there, so I just pulled out like I normally do.

No dents. There are just a couple of tiny scratches on the right bumper now.

The co-worker has a real old car, so he didn't care. I just apologized as nice as I could and we went to the lunch. Did the first scratch feel like a kick in the gut? Did I want to pull out my hair. No, surprisingly. Was kind of relieved for some reason. And of course embarrassed for hitting my co-worker's car.

Hyundai Elantra 2007: The 2500 Mile Review

Odometer: 2559
Avg MPG on this tank of gas: 28
Avg speed: 32

The MPG average is much higher because I've been doing more highway driving this weekend.

I am over 2500 miles and have owned the car for over 3 months. I think that is adequate time for an thorough review. It gives me enough time to experience the car and to get used to things that well --- takes getting used to because my last car was different.

I will try to make this is as useful as I can for the average driver looking to buy a compact sedan.

My background in driving is over 20 years. Have owned an 82 Honda Civic, 91 Corolla, 93 Prizm. Have driven (rented) Mustangs, Caravan mini-vans, Dodge Caliber. I am pretty easy on my cars. I don't gun the engine. I try to drive in a way the EPA suggests to save gas. I signal when I change lanes. On the freeway I drive at a speed probably faster than 50 to 65% of drivers sharing the road with me. So there you have an idea where this review is coming from.

The Review:

External Appearance:
I won't dwell on this too much, because "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," so if you like it, then in looks good. Most "car guys" think this new rendition is too rounded or cute. But anyone calling it ugly either doesn't have an objective eye or has a limited vocabulary. I will offer this --parts of it is very handsome- some parts a little plain. The Elantra looks coolest in darker colors like Black Pearl and Regatta Blue. I always thought I would never buy a black car, but the lively metallic flake adds depth to the finish. Keep in mind dark colors do seem to show dust and water spots more readily than a medium finish like pewter grey finish.
I have to say I like the 16" alloy wheels on the SE better than the 15" steel wheels on the GLS. The wide spaced flanges show off the 4 disc brakes and gives the car some added sportiness. If I wanted to pimp this ride I'd probably upgrade to 18's which would look a bit more proportional to the body, but then I might have to endure more tire buzz.

External Fit and Finish:
Body panels fit nicely; seams are tight. Doors close with a solid feel. Trunk closure not as good. If you slam it, it doesn't sound nice.

Interior:
Seats are adequately supportive, but not as firm as my old Geo Prizm's seats at age 14. I hope they won't soften with age. The cloth feels velvety, but the light grey shows dirt and the texture draws dirt off your hands. The seat is height adjustable, but there is no lumbar adjustment.



From the front seat, the raked front windshield and sloping console gives a feeling of lots of open space. It feels noticeably bigger than my Geo. It is...pleasant feeling. It is actually taller than my sister's old Volvo 870. The two-tone grey and silver color scheme keeps things slightly sporty and the varied leather textures of the soft touch plastics gives you a feeling of niceness. Most cars under $22k are often criticized for using cheaper looking hard plastics, so Hyundai did an excellent job here.

It is very spacious for a sedan its length. Seats feel higher than in an average compact. Even so you won't lack for headroom. Passengers have remarked how large the trunk is, though the hinge arms are shaped where they will infringe on luggage space. The Elantra and Sentra lead compacts in interior cabin and storage space. But they are still short enough to fit in most San Francisco residential parking spaces.

I really like the array of storage areas and compartments. The cupholders handle soda cups as well as bicycle water bottles thanks to adjusting rubber nubs. There are also bottle holders in the door pockets, so there is no reason to have a water bottle rolling around on the floor. The sunglasses holder is kind of James Bond-like.

Controls:
Steering wheel is covered in leather, which makes me worry about what happens when it ages. Will it dry out and crack? I never worried about my super durable vinyl covered wheel on the old car. Overall thickness is fine for most Caucasian men to grip, but if you have small hands, it may be thicker than what you are used to gripping. The wheel tilts and telescopes in the SE model, but I find the telescoping very limited.

The center stack with the climate control and audio controls is well laid out. You don't want these controls to be weird. you want them to be intuitive. These are. Easy to reach, easy to figure out, big enough to not miss while searching with your peripheral vision. I really like the three big climate control knobs, but I wish the on/off setting was on the same knob as fan speed. They put it with the defrost, front vent, floor vent knob.
The steering wheel mounted audio controls are a very useful feature, but on rare occasions I've changed radio stations inadvertently.

One pro reviewer pondered why the MP3 port is located way at the bottom, but it make sense to me because that is where there a little storage well for the player to rest on. If the port was where the stereo was, then I would need a longer jack.

All buttons, vent levers, seat belts, door handles, storage compartment closures, wiper/turn signal stalks feel like they are good quality and should last. The designers did a good job in addressing that none of the dozens of contact points remind you of the low price of the car.

The blue backlight on the LCD screens is cool and slightly soothing. Power window buttons and MP3 port also light up blue. I completely disagree with one review I read that said the displays were hard to read in daylight.

Handling:
I've mentioned in my other entries that I wasn't a fan of the light-feeling electronic steering. But I am getting used to the feel now. Electronic steering is great if you are an older person who has difficulty turning the wheel (on older power steering cars) when you are parallel parking. But it makes it hard to tell what position the tire is in when you are turning. After 3 months I am getting used to it, so it isn't so bad that it's impossible to adapt to.
My "handling tests" are no more than tight right turns and easy cruises down a twisty downhill. There wasn't any excessive body roll and I haven't made the tires howl yet. I am sure it can take more than I can dish out.

Performance:
This is not a sports sedan. It is a commuter and family car. And its performance is perfect for that purpose.
It gets you from 0-40 very quickly if you wish it. The disc brakes are more than up to the task and pull you down from speed without any quirks. They do get grabby in cold weather, but after a couple brakes, they return to normal. Excellent for city driving. While the 4-speed automatic is quite capable in reaching highway speeds in a safe efficient way, I sometimes leave it in 3rd gear during acceleration and not shift to 'D' until I hit 55. This prevents the tranny from shifting to 4th too early and robbing some acceleration. I have the super ultra low emission PZEV model. You'll probably experience slightly better power with ULEV automatic and the 5-speed

Once cruising at highway speed the engine is very quiet. Trying to add speed on an uphill grade when you area already in 4th gear can result in the engine groaning and not doing much until it shoots back to 3rd. I think that is typical of 4-speed compact sedans. Tire noise and cabin noise is adequately non-intrusive. The less wide 15" tires of the GLS might be a little quieter than the SE, but 16" ones should offer better grip.

Car and Driver said the suspension gives the car the characteristic of a compact Buick-- comfy and floaty. I drive over poorly maintained undulating asphalt and rail road tracks everyday. It does bounce a little instead of isolating you from the movement of the road. Potholes will disturb your peace. But none of this should bother the average driver.

Fuel Economy:
This is one aspect that still bothers me. On pure city driving, I've never gotten even close to 28mpg. You have to be driving those roads in Irvine which let you go 50mph to get that. The Elantra has a 2.0 liter CVVT engine. Bigger than the Civic or Corolla and definitely not as sophisticated as the Civic, so you can't expect it to be as good on gas as those cars. But I really feel the EPA or Hyundai unfairly inflated their figures. On trips where 80% of the time I am on city steets, I get about 24.5 to 26mpg.

Warranty, Safety, Reliability:
Though the warranty looks great on paper.
The safety feature list is impressive and class-leading.
Reliability is expected to be very good according to Consumer Reports.
I can't really comment on these in any detail, since I haven't put any of these to the test yet.

Conclusion:
Hyundai's done a fantastic job at coming up with a Corolla competitor. Except with fuel economy, it is as good or better in all respects that matter. If you want a practical, reliable family-friendly compact, but don't want to be the 3rd Corolla or Civic owner on your block, the Elantra is a worthy alternative.


Other entries you may be interested in:
How I figured out I wanted an Elantra

Another Unscheduled Visit To The Dealer

Odometer: 2260 miles
Average MPG: 24.6
Average speed: 24mph

So far I've had to bring my car in to zap a computer program that was giving faulty speedometer/odometer readings (actually I felt my car didn't have this problem, but I did it anyway) and I had to replace a cracked "dead pedal".

Last week I found out my hood release was not working, so I brought it in today to have it looked at. It seems the cable had slipped off the lever. To be fair, this is not a defect. It seemed when they fixed the dead pedal, they needed to move the hood release lever out of the way. It seems that the mechanic did not install the hood release back properly.

They fixed it while I waited. Took about 15 minutes and I was free to go. Of course there was no charge. There wasn't even any paperwork.

The 2008 Consumer Reports car issue is out on the newstands. I did a quick skim at the Safeway. According to them the Elantra has shown above average reliability for the first year of a new model iteration. Good to know.

In CR's October 2007 issue, it outscored the Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra, and Scion xB in testing of a group of four small sedans and wagons for the October issue. The Elantra now ranks sixth overall among the 14 small cars that CR has tested recently. The Elantra got 27 mpg in CR’s own fuel economy tests better than what I'm currently getting...dagnabit.

CR reports, "The redesigned Hyundai Elantra is well-rounded, roomier, and more fuel efficient, and has a more pleasant interior than many more expensive cars.

Hyundai Challenges Our Perception of What A Desirable Car Brand Is

Upon doing more Googling on the net, I’ve found out that some of what I speculated in my Oct. 7 post regarding Hyundai’s brand dilemma was actually already reported in a Stuart Elliot article in the New York Times way back in September when Hyundai launched its “Think About It” ad campaign.

The article notes that the campaign which challenges consumers by asking them to reconsider long-held beliefs about cars, minivans and sport utilities through frank statements like “Shouldn’t you drive a car that inflates your intelligence and not your ego.” and “A five-year warranty says a lot about the car. A 10-year warranty says a lot about the car company.”It also asks provocative questions,like “When a car company charges for roadside assistance, aren’t they just helping themselves?”



There is no talk of Hyundai cars being better deals than other cars, as they did with the “Smart Move” ads with Kelsey Grammer doing VO where they pitted their Azera against more expensive and popular luxury vehicles. The article states “The aim is to rid Hyundai of the image it has had since its arrival on American shores as a value brand, sold primarily on the basis of lower sticker prices.”

When approaching ad firms to pitch a new campaign, the guys at Hyundai America seemed to understand their dilemma pretty well. “Hyundai doesn’t have product issues; Hyundai has brand issues,” said Joel Ewanick, vice president for marketing at Hyundai Motor America in Fountain Valley, Calif. They found out that when many American car shoppers are presented hard data that Hyundai’s reliability is up there with the other top guys, the people sort of put a wall. They think it’s just marketing hype.

So when Hyundai tried a direct argument and car-to-car comparisons, the consumers kind of cover their ears. Hyundai is up against some great brands. Though the Azera might be a nice car in its own right, you cannot fool people into not wanting a BMW. They were fun ads and I think it appealed to those like me who like to do a lot of research and dig below the ad hype. But it probably didn’t sway many of those who were brought up to think BMW and Landrover are lustworthy and Hyundai is joke-worthy. Thus Hyundai is trying a less direct approach and instead of pushing a model, they are pushing the company. The earlier 15-second ads of the campaign (ones without Jeff Bridges' voiceover) almost have an activists’ tone as if they are promoting a cause not a car company. Basically Hyundai is pleading with America to exercise some wisdom and open-mindedness to objectively evaluate a car company on what it is doing now instead of what it couldn’t do 7 or 20 years ago.

“What do you think about our new commitment to putting six air bags in all our cars?”
“What do you think of us not withdrawing our crazy long warranties even though we know our cars are good enough to be attractive without it.”
“Don’t you know we make 300,000 cars right here in the USA.”
“You owe it to yourself to look over the facts before making up your mind about who we are”

This is a daunting task for even the best ad firms. Data from the 2007 Brand Keys Loyalty Index survey ranks Hyundai 10th among the 13 automotive brands tracked. The survey found loyalty for Hyundai ahead of only Ford, General Motors and Kia. That's not very good.

Personally before researching a Hyundai, I thought like the majority of Americans. I didn’t know many Hyundai owners actually “love their Hyundais” like people “love their Chevy’s”. I always thought people bought Hyundais, because they couldn’t afford anything better. My mind was changed, but it wasn’t because of any commercial.

While I think this "Think About It" campaign will resonate with some types of people, they might not resonate with car enthusiasts. To reach the car enthusiasts,
Hyundai needs exciting cars, cars that demand their attention. They need a car with looks that make your temperature rise and an engine growl that makes the lunch in your gut dance. I am positive this is not lost on Hyundai, since they just unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show their Genesis Concept Coupe, a bright orange statement that Hyundai has come to play. Rear wheel drive. Up to 300hp. And "deliberate" enough in its design not to be mistaken as a tuner kid's car. They want adults going through a mid-life crisis to consider this car.

The production model has a refined upscale look to it. The Genesis coupe is to the Tiburon what the Toyota Supra was to the Celica. Car snobs will have to work a little harder to snub Hyundai in 2009. With the Accent and Elantra appealing to our smart and practical side and the Genesis Sedan and Coupe working on our thrill-seeking, ego-stroking, emotional side, hopefully Hyundai will transform into a more desirable brand.

Pass the 2000 Mile Mark

Odometer: 2014
Avg MPG: 25
Avg. Speed: 25mph

I am going to wash my car for the first time soon. Maybe the weekend. I have bird poop on it. And it's looked pretty dusty the past 3 weeks.

Gas mileage is still not up to snuff. I wonder if this is because of the SULEV(super low emission vehicle) engine. I read on different web forums of Elantras getting wonderful gas mileage from the get go. (Liars?)
Here is a video of Hyundai's Vice President of Product Development and Strategic Planning, John Krafcik, speaking to the auto press in Santa Monica. In it he mentions all the little tweaks (at the 15:00 mark) to the Beta engine, steering design, and transmission to eek out impressive fuel economy. It's an indepth (maybe too indepth for the avg. Joe) insider's looks at what Hyundai was trying to accomplish with the 2007 Elantra. They go into equipment and price comparisons with other compacts, anticipated demographics, and differences between the Korean version and the USA version. Kind of interesting, the frankness he expresses in this press conference...he openly praises the Honda Civic's exterior.

My Financing Strategy

While my strategy for paying for my car of course will not be appropriate for everyone, what harm is there to share it. I am fortunate to be in a position where if I chose, I could gather enough funds from bank accounts and mutual funds that I could have paid for my Elantra all in cash and not worry about pressing expenses. I could have just strut into the dealership wearing my velour track suit and designer shades and plop the benjamins on the finance guy's table.

Paying for a car all in cash, though it sounds cool to be able to say it, isn't a very wise decision. When you do that, you are taking out money that is making interest somewhere (hopefully you are not just putting your cash in a lame checking account) and putting it in something that loses value everyday. The plan I had was to pay for this car and not do two things:
1. Not lose too much money by paying interest on a car loan
2. Not lose too much money by taking money out of an account that's making a good return or interest.

"Minimize loss. Maximize gain." as some business-types would put it.

Usually the percentage of interest one pays on a car loan is much higher than what you can earn in a savings account. (In my case it was 8% versus 4.25%) So it doesn't make sense to leave money in a savings account, when the car finance guy is charging you higher than what your savings account is paying. So that was the basic concept I was trying to apply. >>>Please note I am not great with money.<<< style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"> This is how I am paying for it.

1. I paid the dealership $3000 using my credit card that gives me a rebate. (Gotta get those rewards) I pay my whole balance at the end of the month, because the killer interest on that card would wipe out my rewards and more if I let the balance ride.

2. I paid the dealership $4,500 on a convenience check from another credit card. Usually this might be risky, but a credit card was offering 0% for over a year. They ding you $140 ahead of time for this service. Figures to be 3% of the loan.

3. To get my Hyundai rebates I was forced to finance $10k. 8% interest is what I qualified for.
Now to pay $10k over 3 years I am looking at giving Hyundai Motor Finance $1500 interest, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I negotiated 17,500. I don't want to pay $19,000, right? I could gamble a little and say I can invest that $10K and hope to make over 8%, but so far I haven't been that consistent in my investments.
So I planned to pay it all off by November/December using funds that I know aren't make over 8%. The dealership said I needed to keep the loan for at least 3 months.

4. I make a huge first payment – $7k – to knock out most of the principal of the loan. To do this though, I wrote another convenience check – $5k this time – and deposited it into my checking account. They dinged me $150 this time.

5. Wrote a $2000 check for the second payment. Now my balance with interest added up to 12-01-07 is only $1100. Just $100 interest on a 10,000 loan. Add in the dings for the convenience check and I am only paying $390 in interest and fees over the price of the car.

6. I still have the convenience checks to pay off to the credit card co.(at about $300 a month to start).
I cannot be late with ANY of these payments or they will revoke my 0% interest. If I am late with a payment, the interest skyrockets to 34%!!! That's what they hope I will do. Unlike my other credit cards, this one won't let me schedule online payments.

The plan is to make minimum payments for the life of the 0% rate and pay the balance in lump sum right before the rate expires. I may need to dip into a mutual fund or CD to do this, but that's OK. Why? Because for the 12 months before I have to do that, I get to keep my real $9500 working for me in a high-yield CD or mutual fund.

2008 Hyundai Elantra

Finally had some time to look at what they changed and added to the 2008 Elantra.

They got rid of the Limited model altogether so there is only the GLS and the SE.
The list price for the SE SULEV automatic is now $17,225. That is $330 more than last year.
That is not bad at all considering they added electronic stability control with traction control (a safety feature that is touted to significantly reduce single vehicle accidents) and a tire pressure monitoring system. I think they intended to make ESC standard on the GLS as well, but I guess they changed their mind.
As far as I can tell, they did not take any 2007 features away. So it seems the Elantra SE is even a better buy this year.

Unscientific Gas Mileage Test

Took a night drive on gentle rolling hills of Highway 280 to put the Elantra's 28 / 36 mpg fuel economy rating to the test.
I've been pretty purturbed at the poor city driving MPG: today on an errand to the city with highway miles and a lot of slow city driving I went down to 23.6 mpg at times. One of my requirements for my new car was that it would get better gas mileage than the Geo I was getting rid of. Some folk think they should upgrade/graduate to bigger more expensive cars. I want to graduate to more responsible cars. The Elantra does pollute less, but it is using more gas than the Geo.

This night test took place between 380 and Farm Hill Blvd exit. Going south I set the cruise control to about 62mph and cruised down. Or I could say 'up' since I think I was gaining elevation most of the time. It was 18 miles down to Farm Hill Blvd. The maximum MPG I got was 33.6.

On the return trip I decided not to use cruise control, my speed varied from 70 to 54 mph, but mostly averaging about 64 mph. On the trip back during a downhill grade I was averaging 36.3mpg. That was the max. When I finally exited on Millbrae Ave, it was back down to 35.7mpg. I cut the return trip just short instead of running all the way back to 380, since it had already show it could hit above 36mpg on this route.

Even though I kept a steadier and slower pace on the first trip(which should help optimize gas mileage), it seems the elevation gain made the engine work harder so the gas mileage was not as good as it was on the return trip.

Millbrae Ave is steep downhill for a mile or two and you can cruise down hardly any gas at all. There are several stop signs along the way, but by the time I got to El Camino Real the reading on the trip meter was an all time high 38.1mpg. Hills have a strong effect on gas mileage whether going up or down.

Conclusion: The Elantra's real world fuel economy can match its claimed 36 mpg on the highway.For the claimed possible 28mpg in the city, I really see no way to do it in a city like SF. We have too many lights, stop signs, hills, and cars. Maybe its possible in Irvine where the streets are long and posted speed limits can go up to 50mph.

(Added 11-3-07: Went up the hill to take a bike ride along Skyline and Sawyer Camp today...as we are continued to be blessed with unusually warm weather over 75° into November. Going up the Millbrae Ave hill I averaged 15.6mpg. Going down the hill I averaged 55.6mpg)

Enjoying The New Ride

Odometer: 1596 Avg. MPG: 27.0
I've been racking up the miles pretty good. This weekend I was able to take it up to the Marin Headlands. I had no problems scooting up those hills to check out the marvelous views of the Golden Gate Bridge and SF. Very nice. Even ran into "Flat Stanley" while I was up there.

Also headed into touristy Sausalito where I saw Bill Dan doing his rock balancing thing. If you have never seen this, you will be amazed. It is not an illusion. While he is limited to the minute balancing point of each rock and so he can't really compose as freely as a sculptor or painter, what emerges is usually very artistic looking.

Today I needed to run a quick errand down to Redwood City along the wide open lanes Hwy 280 and up and down the rolling hills of Farm Hill Road. Was in a hurry so I was pushing it a little. Acceration and passing was confident. Even though I was going at a nice clip, the ride was super quiet, except on hard unfinished sections where the blacktop was scraped away. Tire noise was high on those sections. Finished off the ride going down the steep windy hills of Millbrae Avenue, which could be a good way to test the brakes and cornering of this car, except that if you screw up you can easily end up crashing into a $2M home or worse some pedestrian. Quite enjoyable, even though I was in a hurry.

Geo Prizm is Sold!

Today(well Oct. 26 actually) was the last day I was going to strap my bicycle onto my Geo. The back of the car bears the scars of when I didn't know where to position the steel pedals during transport. Took it to the smog test station in the morning-- passed easily. Went to work. The guy came by the office late in the afternoon and we filled out the bill of sales and transferred the title. Exchanged cash for keys. Final selling price was $1850. The final odometer reading was 152,110 or something like that. Rode my bicycle home. Funny, on my way home, he called me from the freeway afterwards saying the temp gauge seemed to be going up as high as he thought it should. It was working fine in this morning. I think the weather was just kind of chilly. He didn't call back so I hope it that means it started to act normal further along on his trip back home.

Glad to finally sell it. Glad that it went to someone who appreciates the Prizm as a nice little car. (The guy used to have a '94 Prizm.)

So now with only driving the one car...hopefully I can acclimate to it faster. I think going back and forth between two cars made it hard to get to know the new car. Take parallel parking for example. This should be an easy task for this car, because of the lighter steering. It is freakin' easy to turn the wheel when parking. Right now I seem to end up backing in pretty sharply and I think I am going to hit the curb, but when I "return" I end up kind of far from the curb. With the Geo I was a pretty decent parallel parker. Living in S.F., you can't help but develop those skills. I intend to be a decent parallel parker again.

Ownership Update #3

Just hit the 1400 mile mark. I still have the old Geo Prizm, so let's make some comparisons with the new Hyotness.
These are things that you don't really notice until putting a few hundred miles on the cars.

From the driver seat:
- The Geo Prizm fits me a little better. When I put my arm on the arm rest or out the open window, it feels pretty good.
On the Elantra, because it is a more spacious vehicle, I cannot really put my arm on the armrest w/o consciously leaning to the left. Also the seat of the Prizm, while it doesn't hug quite like a racier seat, the raised sides/bolsters do actually touch my body, while on the Elantra, they are practically useless for me. The car was built for a larger person than I (5'7" and slim). What will I do to brace myself when I want to dive into a tight corner? Especially when the dead pedal is plastic.

- I think I like the steering wheel of the Geo a little better from an ergonomic standpoint. It had the finger grooves on the back of the wheel and was wrapped in vinyl. Also the 6 o'clock area is free, and I like to drive one handed with my hand there when there isn't much traffic. The leather wrapped steering wheel of the Elantra has no grooves; it has yet to prove slippery, but it could be if you were eating KFC before driving. But it also has steering wheel mounted stereo controls. And I think I am already getting used to the Elantra's wheel, so I don't think it will be an issue, unlike the arm rest. (I can't grow longer arms.)

- The aftermarket sunroof I installed is a little further back than on the one in the Geo. On the Geo, I could look straight up and have a decent view of the sky and trees. On the new car this is harder to do. It was just a restriction of where the buttons could go. Also I do not like how the new roof automatically closes when I shut off the engine. I like to leave the sunroof tilted open on hot days. If I push the open button on the sunroof while turning the ignition off, the roof will stay open, but so far I forget half the time. It is frustrating.

- The seats on the Geo Prizm though it is 14 years old are actually FIRMER than on the Elantra. This is a testament to the quality materials used for the seat foam. I don't know if this is saying that the Elantra seats are poor quality. It feels supportive enough now, and if it ages as well as the seat foam of the Prizm, it will stay supportive for a long time.

- I am still not 100% comfortable with the light steering of the Elantra. I prefer the "spring back" feel of old hydraulic power steering. But in a hairy situation, where the old power steering may "spring back" too much, I probably would welcome the light steering then. Supposedly the original Korean version of the Elantra has even lighter steering (almost effortless at parking lot speeds). The Hyundai Irvine team, along with TRW, re-tuned the steering for the American market.

- But before someone cries "Buyer's remorse," I must share that sitting in the driver seat of the Elantra is more relaxing than sitting in the Geo. It is the spaciousness, the breathing room. The Geo was not claustrophobic, but it was hard to stretch out in it and it doesn't give you the feeling of well being the Elantra seems to give. The seats are higher and more adjustable, so it feels more natural. Going back to sit in the Geo now feels kind of like sitting in a kid's seat now. And I have a bigger glove box(lit), 2 extra cubby holes up front, and nicely sized center console. The bottle holders fit my cycling water bottles, which I use everyday. The Prizm's only fit tapered cups and mugs. The climate controls knobs are big and easy to use, though I question the placement of the "off" setting with the functions knob instead of on the fan strength knob. Also I am going to appreciate the climate control's air filter when allergy season rolls along.

From the driver's seat the Elantra has much going for it that a 14 year old economy car cannot begin to address.

Did I Deprive Myself By Buying A Hyundai?

One acquaintance of mine thought that by choosing an Elantra SE, I was unnecessarily depriving myself, because I could afford a nicer new car. I think I was telling him I don't really need leather seats and he called me on it.
In The Divine Comedy: Inferno by Dante Alighieri, Circle No. 4 of Hell is reserved for the Wasters and the Hoarders. So some folk think being wasteful (living in excess) is bad – a sin. I agree, but as seen in this famous literary work "hoarding" (being a miser, being impractically stingy) can also be considered a "sin."
Both my parents were great savers, compulsive almost. So I have picked up their miserly ways, but sometimes I need to rethink my actions. Am I saving just for saving's sake or do I save for a purpose? A greater purpose? I sometimes need to remind myself that saving money in itself is not necessarily a VIRTUE.

What can I do with the roughly $3000* I saved by buying an Elantra SE over a Civic EX (which is similarly equipped with a 6-speaker stereo system and 16" alloy wheels) besides hoarding it in an Orange Savings Account?
Here is one possible plan:
1. A week's vacation in Cancun ($1200)
2. Buy some stuff for the car---like the IPod Nono I already bought and a then download acouple hundred songs for it. Custom seat covers. $500
3. Get six Ayurveda stress-reduction massages to get the knots out of my shoulder. $200
4. Treat friends to a nice dinner ( $100)
5. I can donate the remaining $700 to worthy charities like IJM and World Vision.

That sounds like pretty balanced way to spend it. There could be more practical ways, more noble and more grandiose ways to spend it, too. The point is $3000 can do a lot. And I relish in the freedom that I have $3000 to spend or invest anyway I want, which otherwise could be tied up in a car. I honestly don't feel deprived.

But then again... if I had to buy the car over again, I think I would have opted for the Limited with its heated leather seats, because these cloth seats are showing dirt already. Ugh... maybe my friend was a little right.
[Based on Car's Direct Low price: Civic EX automatic: $18,661 Hyundai Elantra SE: $15,300]

Geo Prizm LSi For Sale (SOLD 10/26)

I've had this car for 11 years of its 14 years and I still drive it on most weekdays, even though I have the new Elantra.
A great choice if you need reliable basic transportation. Consumer Guide - Auto remarks "Few small cars are more polished than a Prizm, or as well-constructed. We rank it right alongside the Toyota Corolla and Honda's Civic as top subcompacts."
I will be selling this soon I just have to change the title to my name, since I neglected to do it after I paid off the car. When the title comes, I will be accepting offers. Asking price: $2100. CLICK on IMAGES for better view.

Features:

• Power sunroof with slide and tilt(love it)
  
• Power Windows/Power locks
• AM/FM Radio Cassette Deck
• Denon 10-disc CD player
• Driver side airbag
• Anti-Lock Brakes
  
• 4-door sedan, compact class
• 1.8L 4-cyclinder engine
• Automatic transmission
  
• 151,920 miles
  

Good stuff:

• Same platform and engine as 1993 Corolla. Built in Fremont, Ca at the NUMMI Plant (Very reliable! Quite a few are still on the road in my area.)
• Gas mileage is about 27mpg, but I used to get 30, which was higher than Geo's published figures
• Fairly clean inside, i am a non-smoker.
• Never been in an accident. CARFAX copy available.
• I always accelerate and brake gradually. (not a leadfoot) That's why the transmission lasted 15 years and I got better than stated gas mileage.
• Seats are still very supportive, no holes.
• Tires are 4 years old, but looking OK.
• Small enough to fit in most spaces, but has decent horsepower.
• Slate blue color doesn't attract attention of thieves or cops.

Recent Maintenance and Repairs:
• Just spent $2000 on new rebuilt transmission in April ( I can show you receipt and 1 yr warranty)
•Timing belt was changed 10-25/06 at 145,588. Water pump, crankshaft and cam seal, spark plugs transmission gasket and wiper blades replaced. Tune up was done same week.
• Brake pads, new fluid done at 136,012.
• Oil changed, fluids checked this October.





Minor annoying things you will either need to live with or repair:
I am disclosing these things to be honest and not waste your time and my time.

• Seatbelt in the back seat right side not working (not a big deal if you don’t have a full load of passengers in your car too often)
• Power window squeal sometimes when closing/opening
• Illumination for the clock and radio display is out (Radio/cassette still works fine) (Use a flashlight to view)
• 10-disc CD player in the trunk not perfectly. Doesn’t play CD’s in slots 1,2 and 7 I think.
• Third party Alarm is not working.
• Speedometer does not work (I've been gauging speed using the tach and traffic around me. Quite easy to get used to.)
  
• Various scratches in paint and colored bumpers, but no rust (very strong primer/galvanization I guess). No dents.
• Tiny scratch/crack in front windshield, It has been there since I bought it. Fortunately it has never gotten any bigger.
• Passenger inside door handle is cracked and needs repair. Door can be opened by yanking handle forward. Driver-side door handle has a crack in the surrounding molding, but still works. If you are going to repair one, I suggest you repair both.
• Missing front left wheel cover
• Rear view mirror night switch does not work.
  

Except for the possibly the door handles, none of these issues prevent this car from being a safe, reliable, and economical mode of transportation.

I've Found Courteous Service at a Dealership

I've had to bring my car back to Cammissa Motors (where I bought the car) 3x since I got. Once to put in the sunroof. Second time to fix a draining tube that was loose behind my sunroof. Third time was today....needed to reset the Electronic Control Unit that was misprogrammed on Elantras built before May 28th and was causing slightly inflated speeds and odometer readings. But each time it has been pleasant mainly because of Paul, who is genuinely courteous. Also cool is in the half hour it took to reset the ECU, they also WASHED MY CAR! So it is no longer full of spots from a light rain 3 weeks ago. That is I guess a perk of servicing your car at a dealership that normally takes care of really expensive cars.

"You Bought a What?!" Hyundai’s Battle with its Brand Image

"The only problem I have had so far is that the snobby Yuppies don't approve of Hyundai's. It's not on their list of approved cars. If that doesn't bother you, and I hope it doesn't, they are very good cars."
-from someone on Autoboardz

Korea Is In the Limelight:
Call it Korean Karma: Interest in Korean pop culture is at a all-time high. Chinese in Hong Kong and the US are watching Korean soap operas; they are eating them up. “Lost” has two Korean actors. The first Asian to win on "Survivor" was Korean. And Hyundai is getting noticed more and more in the car industry. Something is up.
Most recently AutoPacific's Image and Consideration Tracking Study selected Hyundai as the most improved car manufacturer of 2007. The 2007 Elantra was also given an award for "most ideal compact car" by AutoPacific.
Now Hyundai was eyeing the luxury market. Is it a coincidence that the current Hyundai “H” badge looks a lot like the Lexus “L” badge? Maybe the luxury market was among Hyundai’s aspirations all along.

Even though those folk that regularaly read car magazines know Hyundai’s quality and reliability has risen sharply in the last 6 years, the cachet of the brand is still lower than its competition. Even though it ranked No. 3 in JD Power’s initial quality study in 2006, in 2007, it still only has about 2.5% of the American car market. It seems Hyundai still has a lot of work to do to win the respect among the greater car buying public.

Hyundai Still Fighting the Ghost of the Excel

I'll go out on a limb and say there are still large numbers of people who either

• Have been trained to not believe Hyundai can make a desirable car (or even a decent car)
  
• Are afraid to look uncool or poor by driving a Hyundai
• Embarrassed to be perceived as cheap by buying a Hyundai

I really kind of wonder what my friends thought when they heard I was interested in buying a Hyundai Elantra. When your guy friends drive TL’s, CX-7’s, LS400’s, and Tundras, what do you think their first thought is when you utter “Hyun-dai”?

On Yahoo! Answers where you get normal people (like me) playing experts on anything from religion to digital cameras, responses like these still pop up:

“Hyundai is lame all together. I'd go with the Honda or Toyota”

“Hyundai ain't got S......on Toyota.
Hyundais vehicles are like Disposable Cameras, you use them for a while then they are garbage. If any manufacture will come close to Toyota it might be Honda, but Hyundai? Not even close.”

“most people already know Hyundai's and Kia's are junk. those that don't get suckered by the marketing ploys.”

Some people are even embarrassed to drive a Hyundai Sonata as a rental car. Check out this blog article, “Hyundais Don’t Suck, but their brand still stands for suckiness”

Hyundais early embarrassments still haunt them. Even though the Japanese made poor cars when they started, the media was not as strong back then. The media of the 80's poked fun about Hyundai relentlessly. Hyundai might be facing a tougher task than Honda and Toyota.

Hyundai Still Fighting Its 'Value' Image:

To get a beach head in the American market Hyundai made its warranty the star, not the cars. It made getting more features at a lower price its image. It made American car buyers think that Hyundai couldn’t compete with the other brands unless it undercut the competition. Heck I bought the Elantra for exactly for the bang for the buck factor(though its rising reliability was the tipping point).
I see Hyundai gradually trying to wean us off that image. 2008 Elantras with Traction Control standard now cost noticeably more than the 2007's. This is a double-edge sword. People who used to see Hyundais as a way to save money may give up on it, if they see that price difference diminished between it and a "cooler" car. Hyundai needs to rely on "smart value" consumers who recognize though Hyundai may not be cheaper than a Sentra(eventually), it has more features and perhaps more reliability, and thus it is the better value. If not enough consumers pick up on this revamped Hyundai, Hyundai will suffer. But so far I have to give Hyundai an "A" for effort.
Hyundai public perception is gradually moving from just being seen for the excellent value of its cars to being respected for its cars in general.

Time and Brand Strength

Time is key to building a strong brand image. Though Hyundai’s been making cars for 20 years, they only started getting respect here a few years ago. They have a long way to go before a Hyundai Tiburon is talked about with the same familiarity and high regard as the classic Ford Mustang or even a Mitsubishi Eclipse. Hyundai Motors has no marquee model to stand on. All the better established brands have had models that made them stand out as cool or innovative at one time or the other. Hyundai does not have any of this. All of its successful models this year still live in the long shadows of more popular cars. Take their best seller, the Elantra: Civics are still more reliable and cool. Mazda3 are more sexy and fun to drive. Corollas are still phenomenally popular despite not having a redesign in several years. But it was time (and continued exceptional quality) that has made Civics and Corolla the undisputed champs of their class. If Hyundai keeps up their quality, time will be as asset to them as well.

Rev Up the Fun Factor
Not saying they should abandon the mini-van, but if I were part of Hyundai product development, I would jazz up the sexiness and performance on a couple more models….really attempt wow the driving enthusiast. Right now their image is “value”. And “value” is not sexy to most people.
They have established they can be more reliable than Nissan and Mazda. They know how to craft a refined interior and tight exteriors. But they are still considered bland or “uninspired” by many car enthusiasts. The Sonata and Azera are handsome cars, but far from drool-worthy. With the Mazda3, people have seen "practicality and performance" and "economy and fun-to-drive" can go hand in hand. Hyundai needs a model that gives up the price game and just competes on driveability, horsepower and looks. The new Genesis is a step in the right direction. But I think it might be more important to turn their attention on the more practical, and thus more pivotal Elantra Touring Hatchback. It has decent looks and a sportier suspension than the Elantra sedan, but I think it will have the same tame 138-hp engine. If they offered a sport trim with some kick, something that lures people out of their Mazda3 S‘s, they might move things along faster.



Its Cars Have Caught Up To Its Logo
It is an exciting time for Hyundai. I really took notice of the brand when they redesigned their logo several years ago. I thought and still think the Hyundai head badge is a truly handsome logo. It is sporty, simple, yet expressive. I like it better than Honda’s and Toyota’s surely. But too bad none of the cars at the time looked nice enough to deserve that badge. After the 24/7 redesign, all the vehicles look good enough to bear that badge. There will be a future when Hyundai will not be haunted by the Excel or just shopped for its price. I think it will take a few more years, but Hyundai and car buyers will get there eventually. When Hyundai Motors' 25th birthday rolls around, I think they will be facing a more welcoming consumer base.

Ownership Update #2

Odometer: 1124 miles
On the last tank of gas I averaged 27.2 mpg. Average speed was 29mph.
On my last trip from parent’s house to my apartment, I went 14 miles (8 on surface streets and 6 on the highway). On this trip I averaged 33.1 mpg. (No avg. speed reading since I did not reset it for this particular trip.) This data could be moot, if my speedometer and odometer is out of whack which it could be. I will be taking it into be reset tomorrow. This morning was the coldest it had been since getting the car, and I definitely noticed the engine sounding a little louder on the first couple of miles. I guess that is to be expected. Have resisted washing the car, but it has been very spotty since it encountered a light rain 2 weeks ago. Black cars shows dirt spots very clearly if you didn't know.

2008 Malibu Actin' More Like Its Namesake

The exterior of the previous incarnation of the Chevy Malibu was one ugly car. It was boxy, it had weird proportions and at best it was dull. It had a versatile interior, but (call me shallow), I would not have bought one even if they discounted it down to the price of the Accent. The 2008 Malibu dumps the 70's geekiness for a GQ-sleek sedan that reminds me of a Lexus GS or 2008 Accord from the side. You can get chromed wheels (up to 18"). What is really cool is the interior. The info cluster is kind of old school sporty. You also have a choice of several delicious seat upholstery designs including a two tone option called Cocoa Casmere leather (shown is the Ebony/Brick leather). It's fun and upscale. Sort of like the ritzy beach town where it gets its name from.
One thing puzzling is that it offers a hybrid model that gets not even 3mpg more than the normal 4-cyclinder (24/32 vs 22/30 according to fueleconomy.gov). Is Chevy and Malibu also ditzy like a stereotypical blonde from a beach town?

Hyundai should get into the beach car name thing...the Hyundai Hollister...gnarly, huh?

Look, I got it for my car!

Buying anything big leads you to buying accessories either out of real need or out of temptation.

The first thing I bought for my car was an Ipod Nano, since my "budget econo-box" has a port for an MP3 player. Before buying the car I never seriously considered buying a Ipod -- even though ITunes has transformed my computer into my primary music player at home. Ipods are great, but I just thought they were a little overpriced.
Now I have gone ahead and bought a used one for $100 on Craig's List. Since it was formatted for Windows and I have a Mac, I am unable to load music from my Mac onto it unless I erase all the music the guy left on it. Among the 4GB of his songs, I did find a few dozen that I liked (but didn’t have) so I have postponed erasing it. So instead of listening to my music, I am listening to Snow Patrol, Kanye, and Fergie, courtesy of the previous owner. Truthfully I’m not using the Ipod much, since I have 3 months of free XM radio. Since my Ipod is being underused, I am thinking about buying some portable speakers for it, so I can listen at home or at work.

See how this buying thing sort of builds on itself.

Do I feel guilty? Should I? I figure I'm just spending a tiny bit of the thousands of dollars I saved by buying an Elantra instead of a Civic or Mazda3.

Backstory: Doing My Homework

When I bought my last car, I didn't even know what the internet was. When buying this car, 90% of the car research as well as the car pricing research was done online.

I think lots of research is supremely important on ‘big’ purchases. I spent a month researching a digital camera. I probably spent over 2 months researching my car purchase.

My sources:
1. I hit many websites with expert reviews like on Car & Driver, Edmunds, Car.com, About.com and many others. There is almost no reason to buy car magazines anymore. By reading multiple reviews from different sources, I was able see that there is a consensus that Hyundai can build a reliable high quality car. And they said Elantras have been fairly reliable since 2001, and have been steadily improving.

2. I read owner reviews from Edmunds and Yahoo!Autos. Though these reviews may lack the depth of the experts, they sometimes see things that experts miss. One owner complained it was hard to see out the rear window, something no expert reviewer mentioned. But I do believe some of the "overly positive" reviews are "plants" so you have to read with discernment to weed out the fakes.

3. I hit forums like Edmunds Towntalk. This is a great place to look for issues/problems that your car may have. This ’07 Elantra was a brand new design, so I was concerned with possible "first year" bugs and I was hoping since I was shopping 7 months into the year that some issues would have presented themselves. It was a chore to sift through hundreds of comments to find those pertinent to my purchase, but worth it. I found out about the Elantra speedometer issue on this forum (as well as complaints that the cloth seats are so light, that they show dirt easily. But I didn't find any deal breakers. I also found people divulging how much they paid for their car.

4. I visited dealerships because nothing replaces sitting in a car and actually driving it. But going in with all the internet research makes a big difference than going in "stupid." Try taking a car to rougher roads or hills. Any car these days perform great on flat smooth roads.

5. I got internet quotes from dealers in NorCal and SoCal, but sometimes they require you to act right away to get that price. I used the lowest prices I found as negotiation tools. Sometimes the dealers were kind of vague on the model/package they were quoting on.

6. I did pricing models on each trim on Edmunds and CarsDirect.com. Edmunds True Market Value tool gives you what the average price people are paying in your area for the car you want. CarsDirect.com give you a price quote, which they guarantee to be the lowest for a limited time. Both tools are valuable. The CarDirect price was also a tool I used for negotiation.

7. I did research on how dealers generally price their cars. This page on LeaseGuide.com is pretty interesting.

8. I did ask friends and relatives, but mainly about cars I already liked. Just to see if they can spot something negative that I might have missed.

9. Lastly after deciding on the car and the price I want to pay for it, it came down to figure out how to pay for it. How can I maximize savings? To get the $2000 rebate from Hyundai, I was required to finance $10k with Hyundai. Play it right and I still come out ahead. Play it wrong and I would piss away the rebate on interest. I might share how I am financing this car later.

One of the biggest strikes against the Elantra was the 5-Year Cost of Ownership factor. The COO Elantra was as high or higher than its competitors! Yahoo!Autos and Intellichoice have Cost of Ownership calculators. When I ran the Elantra against the Civic and even Toyota Prius, the figures were very close surprisingly. I thought I’d be saving money by buying the Elantra.

Three main factors for inflating the Elantra's COO were:
a.Insurance costs. For some reason, the Elantra is more expensive to insure than a $25k Prius. Something screwy there since the Elantra has 6 airbags.

b. Depreciation: The Elantra loses its value faster than Toyotas and Hondas. This is the biggest ‘cost’ in the calculation. But this is a non-issue if you plan to keep your car long term, which I hope to do. After ten years resale value gets really low on any make of compact car.

c. Repairs: Elantra parts may cost slightly more than more common Toyota and Honda parts.

So how did I justify still getting the Elantra. As I said depreciation is a non-issue for me and the Elantra has a longer warranty that may help offset some repair costs. BUT if you plan of selling your car in five years, the Elantra may not be that excellent a value as you thought. Also the pricing models these calculators use are based on MSRP's, not "street" pricing. One can bargain a much better price on an Elantra these days than on a Civic.

Hyundai Does the Decent Thing

Hyundai has finally addressed the issue of some Elantras not telling the right speed and the right amount of mile driven. Some complaints I read on Edmunds.com's Elantra forum reported differences of up to 10%. I heard about this before I bought my car, so I test drove my car along with my friend's Acura TL to check speed and it was spot on with it.

I won't retype the whole letter but it says automatic equipped Elantras made thru 5/28/07 MAY indicate fasters speeds and more miles than actual.

They are asking us to take our car to the dealer (call for appt)and they will reprogram the Electronic Control Unit at no charge.

They will also extend the mileage period of all warranties provided with your vehicle by 3.0%
(the percentage was red in my letter so I made it red here)

Good to know the company cares about our satisfaction and is doing something about this.

Backstory: Figuring Out What Car I Wanted

Here were eight of the major things I was looking for in a new car:

1. I wanted to spend about $14,000 to $18,000, though the more I could save, the more I could put into another project I am working on. $20,000 was doable, but not palpable.
   
   
2. It had to be a killer bargain. Whether I spent 14K or 18K, I wanted to make sure I was getting the most car for my buck.
   
   
3. I wanted high reliability. An inexpensive car that requires a lot of repairs is not a bargain. A sexy powerful car that falls apart after a few years is not a turn-on for me. I previously drove a Civic and a Corolla and a Geo Prizm (which is basically an American Corolla). Those are my benchmarks.
   
   
4. I like my creature comforts and safety features: Sunroof, AC, ABS, comfortable seats, front and rear airbags, power windows, powerful sound system. Extras would be an MP3 player or auxiliary port for one.
   
   
   
   
5. It had to be a compact. No SUV for me. In parking-tight San Francisco, a car under 180 inches long has A LOT more choices. That is definitely more important to me than 4-wheel disc brakes. Also I am kind of environmentally conscious and wanted to get something with at least as good or better gas mileage as my old car. While car marketers are bent on convincing us to “graduate” to bigger better gas hogging vehicles, I truly feel as I get older, I should be more responsible and be graduating to cars that save more gas and pollute less.
   
   
6. But not a subcompact. I want to sit comfortably. I want others in my car to sit comfortably. I want a trunk to haul stuff.
   
   
7. Decent engine power and performance. The 105-hp on my Geo Prizm was not terrible by any means. I usually kept my Geo Prizm under 3000 rpm when accelerating. Never needed to go to 4000 rpm even on short highway onramps. But I don't mind getting a little "juice" in my new car.
   
   
8. Looks: I am a graphic designer. I like to look at pretty things. My car doesn’t have to be the sexiest thing on the road, (I don’t want to tie my ego to my car), but I admit I need my car to be fairly good looking - at least to me. Smart ergonomics are important to me, too. And yes there are some cars I would refuse to consider outright just because of the way it looks...like the Malibu Maxx.

Other Cars on My List and Why They Didn't Meet My Requirements:

1. Honda Civic: Was only interested in the 06-07 body style. Heard some bad things about it dash layout, but I didn’t think it was troublesome at all. Excellent well rounded compact, but it was difficult to get a good deal on one either new or used. Demand is too healthy for it. Even a 2005 Civic EX with 24, 000 miles on it cost more than a well-equipped brand new Elantra.
   
   
2. Scion TC: Love the look of this car inside and out, but it is too small and gas mileage is not very good for a small car.
   
   
3. Mazda3: Very popular with its zoom-zoom sportiness. Interior is very cool. But again even a used one with the features I wanted(like the sunroof) cost at least 17,000 used and 19,000 new. I did find an automatic for 15,000 but it had manual windows. Also my gut feeling says Mazda's reliability is not as good as Hyundai's.
   
   
4. Nissan Sentra: Very roomy new design (also classified as mid-size), but I heard questionable things about their CVT. Reliability not as good as Hyundai.
   
   
5. Pontiac Vibe(used): (Runner-up) This is the twin of the Toyota Matrix, so the reliability is there. I thought it was cool that it is built at the same plant in Fremont, CA, my Prizm was built. It costs more than a Matrix when new, but it doesn’t hold its resale value as well. So a used Vibe can be an excellent value. I really loved the way the seats fold completely flat. I could’ve put my bike in the back without taking off its wheels or putting on a rack. It was fun to drive, too.
   
   
   
   
   
   I found one with a sunroof for about $13,900, but it did not have ABS or rear air bags and the interior is very bare bones, unrefined feeling. If I spent 14,500 on an Elantra GLS it would have ABS, 6 airbags, bunch of other stuff, and the interior of the Elantra just makes you feel like you are sitting in a nicer car. Plus it would not have 25,000 miles on it and almost no warranty left. So in the end a used Vibe just didn’t stack up as well value-wise to a new Elantra. But still very nice...it's very under-appreciated car in this class in my opinion.
   .
   
   
   

So how well does the Elantra meet my 8 requirements?

1. Price: My negotiated price was under $17,500 including tax/fees for a SE (middle trim) with a sunroof...well within my price range.
   
   
2. Was it a bargain? By far the Elantra has the most features for the price of any compact car. But with the $2000 rebate, it was an even more appealing deal. Plus there was room to negotiate even lower.
   
   
3. Reliability: Time will tell for this new redesign, but according to Edmunds and other hearsay, Hyundai’s quality/reliability has come a long way. Kelly Bluebook highly recommends buying a used Elantra. That speaks volumes. JD Power Initial Quality rating is very high on this car. Great warranty to back up the quality.
   
   
4. Features: It is the only car in its class with 4 disc brakes. And it is the least expensive! The features list is absolutely stellar. front, rear and curtain airbags, heated mirrors, 16” alloy wheels, steering wheel mounted stereo controls, ABS with Electronic Brake Force Distribution, illuminated door switches on all four doors, cabin air filter, fog lights….Sweet! My sunroof was installed aftermarket, but it was included in my negotiated price.
   
   
5. It is a compact 177 inches, which means I am hunky-dory in the parking fight dept. But it is also roomier enough inside to be classified as a midsize. But at the same time it gets a decent 28/36mpg and - bonus - it is classified as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle. Very green.
   
   
6. It has pretty decent leg room even in the back. You don’t feel you are sacrificing comfort for space or for price. The trunk is a nice size, too.
   
   
7. Decent engine power and performance? The California SULEV version gets 132-hp out of its 4-cyclinder 2.0 liter engine. It has some pep to it. Performance-wise it is not a slalom king, but some reviewers called it a fun car to drive. Suspension could be better damped and less floaty, but otherwise it meets my expectations fine.
   
   
8. Looks: Its exterior doesn't have the distinctiveness of a current Civic or a Mazda3. But in my opinion, it does look a lot more cooler than the previous Elantra or the bland '05 Civic. The rising beltline and wide stance gives it much more confident look.
   
   The 5-spoke Euro-flange alloy wheels adds sportiness, without being too pretentious. The straight-on side view reminds me of some Dodge or Pontiac sedan (especially how the rear window tapers), but from most angles it is really handsome. The interior, as I said before, makes you feel like you are in a more expensive car. It is mostly plastic, but the California Hyundai design team makes excellent use of textures and metallic tones. The cloth seats have a plush feel, but I think the material attracts dirt too easily.

Backstory: When is it time to buy a new car?

There is a personal thing really. Some people think they ought to buy a new car every five years. I am not one of those people. I bought a 1993 Geo Prizm LSi back in 1996. Found it in the paper. (This was before I knew what e-mail or the internet was!) It was 3 years old and only had 24,000 miles on it. Very clean. . It had an alarm, sunroof, and 10-disc CD player installed by the previous owner. With all that and a price of $10, 500, it seemed a great deal.
After 11 years of ownership, it turns out to be a one of my best buying decisions. The car was generally reliable except for occasional electrical problems early on. The car still runs well and gets good gas mileage. The seats are still supportive and in good condition. But the rear seatbelt does not work, the light on the clock/stereo display is out, and the right passenger inside door handle recently broke. I lived with the stereo display out for years, but the door handle is more a safety issue than a mere inconvenience. That was the probably what pushed me to look for new car.
I still have not sold the Geo yet. I still drive it to work, when I don’t ride my bike in. The Elantra is now my weekend car and the car I use when I need to carry passengers. Why? A friend of mine actually encouraged me to keep it for a while, so I would put less wear on the Elantra. Makes sense, but it can be a hassle to keep two cars….Insurance, finding parking spaces, registration, upkeep. Eventually I will unload it, but there is no rush I guess.

Ownership Upate #1

Had the car 5 weeks.
Odometer: 730 miles


Just filled my tank for the second time(third tank of gas overall, since dealership gave me a full tank to start). According to the trip meter, the average gas mileage on this second tank was 27.2mpg, which to my relief is a lot better than the 23.9(or so) from the first tank. This car is supposed to get 26/36! And the mpg from that first tank was making we wonder if I should've sprung for a Prius!

When I got gas I just let the pump auto-stop. It made a disconcertingly loud sound at shut-off. I hope it is OK. I've heard on one Elantra owner who's gas pump interface malfunctioned. I've had a Mustang rental that did this. We thought we would run out of gas because, the interface refused to engage the pump. Eventually we found a trick to let us get some gas in it.

Tonight on an 8 mile stretch of highway I averaged 38.5 mpg at the end of the stretch, so that was pretty impressive. So I guess the engine/transmission is breaking in OK. (No I wasn't going 55)

Today I found a crack on the foot rest (area for your left foot to rest). The foot rest is made of gray plastic, but I didn't expect it to crack. The foot rest on my Geo had a rubber layer like the gas pedal. I wore out the rubber, but never broke it. I am definitely going bring this up to the dealer to see if the bumper-to-bumper warranty covers this. I don't remember accidentally putting excessive weight here or kicking it. Even so this area should be engineered to withstand long-term use. It is not a big deal. I can still rest my foot on it, but Hyundai should redesign this.

First Post: Chronicles of A Hyundai Elantra Owner

This might be a terrible idea for a blog, because I don't intend to obsess over my new car for much longer. But after buying my first new car ever I find myself thinking about it way too much. I am not a car nut. I generally don't care that much what people think of me and especially what I drive. But after finding myself the owner of a new Elantra, I feel compelled to find out as much as I could about the car (as if I didn't know enough already after many hours of research on it and other cars over the course of two months.) It is a strange feeling...it's not like I bought a BMW Z4 or an Orbea Orca.

After a few weekends of Googling.

-I have went on YouTube and looked at the Elantra commercials (old and new) and the TV car reviews.
-I've seen home-made videos of dudes racing their Elantras.
-I've discovered that there are not one but two Elantra enthusiast sites. (Elantraclub.com and ElantraXD.com). People actually trick out their Elantras. People are actually proud of their Elantras. Shocking.
-I found out that the previous Elantra platform was known as the XD and the new 2007 platform was codenamed 'HD'.
-I found out Hyundai had a JDPower Ranking about Toyota and Honda in 2006, but went down to #12 in 2007 because of issues with their mini-van or SUV(not sure which). But the Elantra fared well fortunately.
But this isn't half of what I've learned on my web surfing binges.

I will first be posting some backstories of how I came to buy a Hyundai, a brand that still doesn't get much respect in the US, especially in the SF Bay Area, where Hondas and Toyotas have ruled for eons.