2002 Hyundai Elantra GT 4.0

Summary:

Great car for the money

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

What a wonderful car for the money.

It handles very well at high speeds. Acceleration is very quick- I don't realize how fast I am going sometimes.

Shifting is a little bit touchy (or maybe I just am not very good at driving)

The interior lights are great, the dashboard layout is very easy to read.

Visibility on the rear drivers side is not the best, there is a large blind spot.

The room in the back is great, but the seats are kind of hard to figure out how to put down the 1st time.

The cargo net is a plus.

I really like all of the standard features with the GT, like leather, DC, etc.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th August, 2002

2002 Hyundai Elantra 4 cylinder

Summary:

The car is great, but I am worried about the service I will get with this

Faults:

Before my first payment was due, the paint went bad. Little pits all over the trunk, roof, and hood. The dealership tried to tell me it was caused by bird droppings, but there had not been a dropping on the car at all. It's black, and they tried to tell me that the dealership I bought it from (not them, by the way) had left a black car on their lot covered in bird droppings. Baloney. Anyway, I left the car, called back a week later and they hadn't started painting yet. Everyone else came before me. the guy admitted he had moved me to the back of the line, but didn't way why. When I got it back, after a total of 3 weeks, the electric windows didn't work. They changed a fuse, but two days later, the windows didn't work again. It took them two more days to find a crimped wire and fix that.

I understand that things will happen, but I really have a problem with a dealership that will let a brand new owner sit without a car they are making payments on for over 3 weeks. And because I live in a rural area, each trip to the dealership, round trip, was about 45 miles. That's 180 miles and a lot of time on the road for a working woman.

General Comments:

I love the car, no doubt about it. But the uncaring manner of the dealership has taken the "joy" out of this new car for me. And, believe me, I waited a long time to make this buying decision.

I am also worried about the the power surges I feel when I am driving with the air conditioning on. I have a standard transmission, and when I have the air conditioning on I lose power during turns and going up even mild grades and hills. I have a 91 4cyl. Chevy S-10 truck and never had this problem with it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 16th July, 2002

2002 Hyundai Elantra 4 cylinder

Summary:

Perhaps the World's Best Car!

Faults:

None. This car is incredibly dependable.

General Comments:

Hyundai must be one of the world's finest automakers, although it may be a well kept secret. My Elantra is a better car than those priced 3 times as much! It may lack some minor froufrou, but this car is downright amazing!

The styling is absolutely ritzy! It makes a Mercedes-Benz look downscale by comparison!

The dash panels are clearly of high quality craftsmanship. The texture, durability, and alignment of panels are better than that of much much more expensive cars!

The high-quality upholstery is not only comfortable and attractive, but is stitched to extremely high standards. I am often amazed at how rich the fabric is, and the quality to which it is crafted. The craftsmanship here also excels that of American and Japanese cars costing much more. I can throw my kids in the back, and they'll have plenty of room, and be very comfortable back there. They even think it's a luxury car, and most people who ride in it think it is too!

The ride is outstanding. It's smooth, silky, yet is still a blast to take into hairpin turns! This car gives you so much enjoyment when you need it, yet doesn't give you a punishing ride in the least bit.

The motor has plenty of power. I'll often pass people in their more "expensive" cars with plenty of ease. Yet it doesn't howl like most other 4 cylinder engines do. To put it short, it's all of the perks of a 4 cylinder engine, with none of the setbacks. I should also add the shifter is terrific. It shifts so precisely, you could swear it was made by Rolex.

The air conditioner and heater also work very well. It takes very little time to heat or cool the car.

The quad headlight system also works well, and illuminates the road brightly. Usually you have to look for more expensive cars to get a quad-headlight system, and even those don't work as well as the Hyundai's!

The dash layout is perfect. Every control is right where it should be, and every button and switch clicks solidly, not like those tinny Japanese or junky American cars can sometimes do.

This car has terrific structural integrity. If you slam the doors, they slam shut. Period. No rattles, no squeaks, no doors falling off the car. When you take it over rough roads, it tackles them with ease, while leaving the driver in total comfort and control. I put tons of miles on my car, and I often go out of the warranty period within the first year. But I can rest assured that when my car has 3 times the miles it has now, it will still be under warranty. Even a BMW can't do that.

This car is so amazing, if they were to dress it up with froufrou, it could easily wallop the Lexus ES 300, Infiniti G20, BMW 3 Series, etc.

There's a reason Hyundai keeps selling more cars, and that is that despite their misunderstood reputation, they're turning out some of the world's best cars, and the Elantra is a shining example.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th April, 2002

11th Jun 2002, 07:21

I read your review with great interest. It quickly became very obvious that you are employed, by Hyundai, as a professional writer/car reviewer. I owned a 1994 Excel CXL. I put over two hundred thousand kilometers on the car. I gave it to my daughter and hopefully it will keep on ticking. I noticed also that you did not dare compare your Elantra to the Acura Legend - I was thankful for that! Hey, the Hyundai is an excellent buy - but no car (not even yours!) is perfect. A review like yours may keep prospective buyers away because, "if it's too good to be true then maybe it isn't".