I've been with my '06 Sonata (I-4 GLS) for just over 2 years now and I LOVE her dearly.

My daughter drives a leased '06 Civic LX. We both DON'T LIKE it. It's underpowered, noisy, and I don't think it's very well built car.

We chose the Civic over the Mazda 3 because the Civic was so much more spacious inside.

This morning I was notified I may be able to end the lease sooner than planned, and am wondering about the new Elantra, a car that got some good reviews, and it's from the family...

I admit, I don't have the time to go back and read the threads of this forum, sorry.... I may have to make a quick decision, and I/we haven't even gone to our local Hyundai dealer to test drive the Elantra...

SO I AM ASKING, what are the "issues" with the 4G Elantra that I should take in consideration? What are her strong points and what are her weak ones?

...And if someone here is familair with the new Civic, or if there was a comparison posted here, or elsewhere, I'd like to read that comparison.....

Thanks! :thumbsup:

It has been my observation that every time Hyundai redesigns any platform it becomes very to close to "world class".
The reason I bought my '04 Sonata was largely that it was Hyundai's newest platform. That observation continues to hold true, at least IMO.
I believe the new Elantra to be superior to the older one, I also believe the new Sonata is better than the older Sonata.
Pick the model that has the size, or features you need. Test drive the next model up, or down in the lineup just to make sure. Then make your decision.

Yes, I will have me and my daughter test drive the Elantra, of course...

But since we both won't be able to do it for another 2 weeks (she lives away from us, and our schedules keeps clashing), while the leasing company is putting some pressure on us (I guess they want the Civic back, heh...) I thought I could use the time more efficiently if I got some BACKGROUND info from current 4G Elantra owners....

While never driven the Elantra I had the opportunity to rent the Getz in Europe, and compare it to the Mazda 3 and Mazda 2 (great little car, btw) that I had a chance to drive for a few days, I felt the Getz was softer, less stable, with a bit too much roll in the corners... Both Mazdas were really HUGGING the road, with better cornering grip... I also find the Civic very firm (maybe too firm) and stable.

How's the Elantra compared to the Civic in this aspect? And other aspects?....






This post has been edited by mamamia: Apr 8 2008, 06:27 PM

I bought the 2007 Elantra GLS for my son...has been trouble free for just about a year. Wonderful car. Quick enough, quiet, great ride, comfortable, spacious. I've had Civics and Accords as rentals and I really do prefer the Hyundai. Then there is the better warranty and lower price as well...

My dad wanted a new Elantra because his 02 GT served him so well. I warned him against buying a first year car. We bought the car Feb. 24th of last year and we have not had one problem with it. He loves the car and averages 27 mpg combined, mostly city.

Just purchased 07 Elantra myself.

Love it!

The only issue I've had with my Elantra in almost a year of ownership is a speedometer TSB and now I think a speed sensor might be bad. But the car is great. It's attractive, very comfortable, incredibly roomy (I let my sister drive it one time, and she's really short - 5'2"; when I climbed into the back seat behind her, I could literally cross my legs in front of me and not touch the front seatback - it was awesome!), and gets good fuel economy. I currently average 33 mpg in mostly highway driving. The ergonomics of the car are much better, IMO, than the Sonata. I would definitely put this car up against the Civic, Mazda3, Corolla, etc. Another car you might keep an eye on is the Kia Spectra. If I'm not mistaken, it's Kia's sister model to the Elantra.

All things being the same, if I had to go back and purchase the Elantra again, I still would. But I would probably opt for the Limited trim level to get the 6-CD in-dash changer and trip computer. But I'm perfectly happy with the GLS I've got.

Good luck whichever way you decide to go.

Chris

I actually changed plans and have to WAIT another 6-7 months before opting out of the current Civic lease. The bank would not take back the Civic, unless I pay a hefty penalty.

...So in another 6-7 months the 2009 Elantra will be out, I guess, and from what I saw here, it's gonna have some nice new features....