2011 Elantra Spec Improvements Addresses Most Of Its Perceived Shortcomings

Odometer: about 23,000
Back in June when the new Avante was unveiled for the Korean market, it was not known whether the US would get a new Elantra in 2012 or 2011. In recent months, it has been confirmed that it will be 2011...perhaps as early as January.

I haven't been keeping up with news in the summer. I come back and the official press release is up at hyundainews.com, the page is up on the official consumer site, and it has debuted at the LA Car Show and is now at the SF show as I type.

Hyundai is aggressively designing and marketing this to not just be a "car to be considered" in the compact segment, but to be the class leader. Especially with no redesigns from the Japanese brands, Elantra has a good chance of doing just that in 2011.

Note the killer specs:
- Economical pricing as expected
- Feature-filled
- Roominess
- Safety
- Sleek styling that no one can say is boring or anonymous
- 40mpg highway (that is a huge engineering feat for a car this large-- this is not a tiny Fit or Fiesta) (up from 33 hwy)
- 6-speed transmission with a "Nu" engine (up from 4-spd AT)
- 148 hp (same as Mazda3, 10 more hp than last year)


Hyundai already had the first 4 nailed in the 2007 re-design; it addresses its most talked-about shortcomings with the last four points. The only thing we don't know about is ride quality: Does it still ride a compact Buick or does it have some sportiness like the Mazda3 and Civic?

This killer makeover as well as Hyundai's brand reputation skyrocketing led ALG to name the 2011 Elantra, its top pick for its 2011 Residual Value Awards.

"Hyundai’s win of the mid-compact segment highlights the growing reputation of the brand, as well as its impressive new product push,” said Raj Sundaram, Senior Vice President, Solutions Group and ALG. “The all-new 2011 Elantra shines with standard luxurious features and a modest price tag, and it’s expected to be a favorite of young drivers like the VW Jetta and Mazda3 before it.”

So for the first time (maybe second), people are betting on Hyundai to do well, instead of just being shocked by it.

It is really tempting to trade up, not only because it looks like a great car on paper, but it is a shining achievement for a brand I've been looking closely at for over 3 years. I just got another invitation to turn in my 2007 to the dealership I got it from. In it they didn't mention this new Elantra though. I don't want a Sonata (too big for my needs/wants) and I don't want a 2010 Elantra either. But this 2011 is really tempting me to screw with my long term plans for my car.

Seeing Elantras Almost Regularly Now

You know when you get a new car, you kind of have an eye out to see who else has gotten one. It's just some weird thang. Over a year ago I found this blog in SE Asia where this dude camera-phoned every Elantra/Avante he saw and he saw lots.

Even just 8 months ago, it was difficult for me to spot another late model Elantra. Spotting one was like seeing a rainbow. I know it has been selling decently, but because of the lack of sightings, I thought the Bay Area still wasn't giving Hyundai respect.
But in the last 4 months or so, I have been spotting an Elantra or two almost every other day. Yesterday I spotted an Elantra, a Genesis coupe and a new Sonata on the same morning drive into the City. The only Hyundai that still being shy so to speak is the Elantra Touring wagon. I might've seen one on the streets so far. But it seems that seeing an Elantra sedan no longer can be classified as an unusual experience and more and more Californias are opting for one over a Corolla or Civic.

Hyundai Unveils New Avante at the Busan(China) Motor Show

Odometer: 20,210

It is the 2011 Avante and most car journalists are calling it the 2012 Elantra.
This car is going to get a Hyundai’s brand-new 1.6L Gamma engine with Gasoline Direct Injection -GDI technology. It will be the first time Hyundai's equipped a 6-speed automatic on a compact car.

The sheet-metal is quite sexy. They aren't designing these for the fuddy-duddy's that's for sure.
It doesn't look as much like a Prius as I first thought it would when the disguised prototype photos came out.

So the horizon where my new car becomes an old car now becomes visible. Sure my car nearly 3 years old already, but when the body style of the model gets totally changed, then it becomes obvious to everybody. You have the old body style, not the latest and greatest one. And your puffed up chest shrinks a bit. And you know it will shrink a little more each time you see someone driving that newer model. Let me take a few seconds to cry a little...OK...finished.

I am adamant that keeping your car as long as you can is the practical thing to do with a car. As long as its safe and doesn't cause headaches for you, you shouldn't see a need to trade up. Doesn't make financial sense even with a car that's as good a deal as an Elantra. You don't need to have the latest gadgets. Plus insurance is much cheaper on an older car. I kept my last car ('93 Geo Prizm) for 12 years! But this new Elantra coming out when my car will turn 5 years old will surely test my resolve.


The not-so-new Hotness. : (

It is unreasonable that I should feel a tinge of pity for myself now. It is unreasonable and stupid. My car just went over 20,000 miles. When I bought my used Prizm, it already had about 20,000 miles. And I was happy it only had 20,000 miles, because it was low mileage for a car that old. It meant that I had the potential to have a sound working car for a long, long time.

2011 Hyundai Accent/Verna - Subcompacts Get Sexy

Odometer: over 19,000
MPG: 27.2

While there have lots of buzz over the new Sonata, especially with the announcement of turbo and hybrid versions, I found this story even more exciting.

While I may be totally wrong about this Verna from China to become the Accent in the rest of the world, (Many times Chinese models just stay in China) this maybe the sexiest, most sophisticated looking subcompacts ever. Most sub-compacts are econo-boxes and look like toys....stubby, tiny wheels... remember the Chevy Chevette and Toyota Tercel. While the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris have significantly added more style to the sub-compact segment, this new Verna leapfrogs the competition.

While the previous Accent in my opinion still played the ugly runt car that seemed designed to soley make you move on to the next segment up, this new Verna borrows significantly from the new Mercedes CLS-inspired Sonata. It also has some of the sleek looks of the current Elantra. It doesn't make you look like a cheapskate or that you haven't "made it" yet.

While I have no specs to see how the designers did it...lower the roofline or did they lengthen the car? Where did they hide the stubbiness? Autobog reports this: "Verna's wheelbase-longest-in-class-and its low overall height, give it extra stability and a very stylish look but without incurring a penalty in cabin size. In fact, the overall cabin dimensions are bigger than any rivals. And the trunk, measuring a spacious 454L can easily accommodate as many as four golf bags plus three small tote bags. So not only does it look great, but it's very practical." Pictures from Autoblog

Car is Fixed Good As New

Odometer: 17,709
MPG: 29.6

I got my car back from the auto body place a couple of days ago.

As you know, I've been driving a Nissan Versa for almost 2 weeks.

How was it getting back in the driver's seat of the Elantra?
Very different. My mom said that the seats on the Versa were higher. I didn't believe her. But after sitting back in the Elantra, it did seem noticeably lower. The dash of the Versa is also higher making it slightly harder to see over the hood, so the height of the seats don't compensate for that.

Also it seems the new Versa felt like it had more low end torque than the Elantra.
Getting back in the Elantra the accelerator seemed a little spongier and lighter. That is funny though because when I first started driving the Elantra the low end torque seemed pretty high to me. It was hard for me to gently accelerate. Don't know if the car has changed or have I just gotten used to the car.

Parting comments on the Versa. I like the steering wheel on the Versa better than the leather wrapped one on my car. It has grooves for gripping, thick and thin sections which I just liked. Also the door armrest is better padded and it is located in the right position for me. It is a competent vehicle, definitely not as filled with creature comforts and extras as the Elantra, but a nice driving vehicle.

Riding In The Versa

I've been driving the Nissan Versa rental for a week now and actually it has grown on me.
I am not driving it like Rhys Millen going up Pike's Peak, but I've put almost 200 miles on it.....lots of stop and go city driving, night freeway driving, wet driving and up and down on some majorly steep hills in SF. It performs quite confidently thanks to decent low end torque. The engine is sounding less harsh...maybe because it is breaking in now. It has a slightly whinier pitch, but I wouldn't call it unpleasant. The shifting in city driving is smoother and more predictable than the Elantra. Go to 3000 on the odometer and it goes to the next gear immediately. On the Elantra there was a weird lag in one of the gears when it was new. Where I see it slightly weaker than the Elantra is accelerating from 35mph to freeway speed. It definitely takes longer. Also the Versa's gaps between gears on the shifter is very short. I find myself shifting from neutral all the way to 2nd gear sometimes.



Having a chance to drive another new car I kind of marvel at how the designers implement the different features in cars.

1. The Versa automatically locks the doors when the car reaches a certain speed and automatically unlocks when you turn off the engine. The Elantra does not.
2. If you manually lock the door and close the door, the Elantra actually will arm the alarm silently. The Versa will only arm the alarm when use the keyfob and horn will beep.
3. The Versa has a tone if you leave the lights on after removing the key. The Elantra turns off the lights for you when you take the key out. You cannot even turn on the headlights without the being engine on.

I will have this car for perhap a week more. I won't be getting the Elantra until next month.

Do I miss my Hyundai? Not really. Maybe a tiny bit. Though this week while driving the Versa, I've been seeing more and more Elantras on the road. I have seen one almost everyday this week. So it seems they are gaining ground finally in Northern California.

First Accident, Part 2

Odometer: 17608
MPG: 30.1

So far the accident handling has gone smoothly.
Though I got a few suggestions for autobody shops from friends and relatives, I decided to rely on Yelp. I selected a shop near me with stellar reviews called Gava's. They seemed pretty straightforward and unshifty, so first impressions were good. Got me an estimate in about 15 minutes. Found additional damage the metal floorboard where the spare rests.

I called the guy that hit me with the autobody shop's estimate (over $4000) and he on the spot decided he can't pay out of pocket.
By the time I called AAA, they had already found out the guy filed a claim with his insurance.

AAA was pretty quick in getting Hertz to call me. The only thing I needed to do was call State Farm to let them know I intended to seek some medical treatment/diagnosis.

I saw a chiropractor yesterday. They said basically what State Farm said, that they wouldn't pay me or AAA until all medical treatments were concluded.

Hertz gave me a brand new Nissan Versa sedan (under 80 miles on the odometer). It is a cheap little car, but it drives fine. Engine has pep though harsh sounding. I expected it to feel roomier based on the first commercials, but most of the space is headroom. Worse thing about it is that the new car smell is almost overwhelming.

Sweet Dream

This probably wouldn't happen in real life, but Elantra owners can dream, right?
2009 Elantra commercial from Canada. Cute. Too bad Hyundai doesn't make these fun commercials for the USA. The actress is Elisabeth Abbott.

First Accident

Odometer: 17,524
MPG: 32 (higher b/c i took a long trip down to Santa Cruz over the weekend)

Last Tuesday in rush hour stop and go traffic I got into my first accident in the Hyundai.
Traffic was going from a decent pace to a full stop. The guy in front of me stopped. I stopped. The guy behind me also stopped but I had to help him a little with my bumper. He turned a little to try to avoid me, but only succeeded in hitting my car more squarely behind the driver's side. It was a pretty hard hit. I heard breaking plastic or lamps.
We both had to move from the passing lane all the way to the right shoulder We both came out to survey the damage. It was kind of getting dark, so visibility was limited. His bumper had a pinch in it. It looked pretty bad. My initial thoughts were that he was in a previous accident, but I did not ask. His car was a 2000 Civic according to his insurance card.
The main damage I saw was a heavily scratched and slightly deformed bumper on my car.
He remarked about the Elantra....whoa, these things hold up pretty well. I didn't really answer him.
I took some pix the next day to FB, but only took some quick pix of the bumper.
Only today after getting back from a weekend trip, did I looked really close to the whole rear half of the car. It wasn't just the plastic bumper...
1. The force of the hit on mainly the left side of the car generated enough force to buckle the metal panel in front of the wheel well. The panel is push so it is contacting the door panel.
The rear door now closes with a weird sound because it isn't engaging with the locking mechanism.
2. The trunk opens and closes normally, but the left side is higher than the other.
3. There is a crack on the underside of the bumper.





Injury? I didn't feel any pain right after the accident. I continued on my drive to my night class.
It wasn't until I went to bed and was trying to lay down that I felt pain in the muscle on the left front of my neck. And when on my back, I felt a pain between the spine and right shoulder blade. I could only sleep on my back or left side. Sleeping on my right side would require using that muscle in my neck that was strained. The first morning my shoulders were achy and I could feel a similar pain on the right side front of my neck, but not as bad. A friend said the first morning is often when most pain after car accidents manifest themselves. Hot showers are a must to try to ease the tension.

Wasn't until Sunday night that the ache subsided enough that I could bear sleeping on the right side, though it is there. Still considering going to a chiropracter to get checked out.
Need to get an estimate to relay the cost to the guy who hit me.

Super Bowl Commercials

Odometer: 17, xxx
MPG: 25.7

Nothing new going on with the car. I've been logging more freeway mileage in the last couple of weeks, but haven't seen the MPG's jump higher yet.

Just found out Hyundai will be showing 7 different commercials on the Super Bowl broadcast, including one featuring Brett Favre playing himself 10 years in the future. Companies consider it a big deal just to have one on. Hyundai is freaking ambitious! I don't plan to watch the game, but the videos are already on YouTube. Here's a link to the extended version of the Favre ad where he espouses blueberries as helping him make it 29 years in the NFL!

Elantra MD Spy Shots

Revealed on TheCarBlogger site (the Canadian-based blog that covers Korean car news) are spy shots of the 2011 Elantra (Codename: MD). Body style is getting total revamp. From these pix it looks like a morphing of the current Elantra and the new Prius. It hardly looks like a sedan anymore, which can become a sales obstacle in the U.S. market. Not a fan of the tinier windows either. It makes the car look bloated. Hopefully the concave character lines on the side will help offset that effect.

Counting Cars

Last Sunday afternoon, I spotted three Elantras when I was driving about doing errands. Even more unusual is that two of them were SE's with spoilers. Very rare site in these parts, because I can still go days or weeks w/o seeing a post 2006 Elantra. The other was a 2010 GLS with the new wheelcovers.

I still have yet to see an Elantra Touring, the wagon, on the streets.

Two weeks ago I was able to ride in a friend's older hatchback style Elantra.
The engine sound and comfort was very similar to my car, so I assume they've been keeping it in good condition. This is the only other Hyundai I have ever ridden in (besides test drives).

In car news, the site for the 2010 Tucson is up.
It is definitely a sleeker more compelling piece of sheet metal than the old Tucson that was anonymously boring. The headlights and the rear window really gives it family resemblance to the Elantra, which is only right don't you think.

Not very powerful with 176 hp, but gas sipping with a 22/28 mpg. It's a crossover, not a true SUV.... I don't think there is even a 4WD option. I wonder why they bother with the bigger tires on these cross overs. (Not really...it's the LOOK of course) They just make for a noisier ride. Panoramic roof option is a nice touch.