2004 Hyundai Elantra GLS review from North America

The passenger side seat belt tensioner broke. It was just a defective part, and the warranty covered it.

Airbag warning light came on for no particular reason, it was determined that the airbags were still operational and only the light was lit. It was reset free of charge.

It has decent acceleration and braking performance, on par with other vehicles within this class.

There is significant body roll in turns, however. The suspension is somewhat soggy, which contributes to this, and it's noticeable even in regular driving conditions. In more extreme conditions, the amount of roll is highly exaggerated.

The interior is made up of various gray fabrics and plastics, but there is enough variety to prevent it from being completely boring and depressing. It's tolerable. The cheapness of the fake aluminum/chrome accents on the a/c vents detracts from an otherwise pleasant interior. However, given that the car is as cheap as it is, there aren't any horrible plastic seams in sight.

The standard stereo system is actually quite good, and has lots of bass considering it just has standard size speakers. A thoughtful touch on Hyundai's behalf.

The exterior styling is simple and inoffensive. Panel gaps are actually fairly small and consistent, a positive mark for an inexpensive car such as the Elantra. The trunk line and tail lights emulate those of the more expensive Nissan Altima.

The trunk is quite spacious and the seats fold down to make for even more space. I can fit my BMX bicycle in there with the rear seats folded down, which is perfect because I enjoy taking it to the university with me. The materials in the trunk, however, are quite cheap and have suffered moderate damage from me simply loading and unloading the bike.