Faults:

Steering wheel vibration when brand new, headlights aimed too low when new, recently clutch beginning to slip.

General Comments:

Nice car, good size, good features, but quality has been poor. Recently, the clutch has begun to slip (at only 35,000 miles). I have been driving manuals for 12 years and have never had any problems.

Dealer and Hyundai 1-800 number refuse to help, and say it's wear and tear.

I now know Hyundai is unfortunately nowhere near up to the levels of Honda/Toyota.

You may save $2,000-$3,000 on the intial purchase price, but in the long run, the Honda/Toyota will be a better value.

Faults:

Front speakers are a little wonky other than that car runs great :)

General Comments:

This car is great, with the hatchback its extremely utilitarian. I can fold the rear seats flat which gives me plenty of room for my 100 plus pound dog. A little searching on forums and such have stated that the car is capable of towing 1800lb trailer with brakes which is nice to know. The ride is definatly soft and the transmission is slow and steady for the most part. However I see this as a plus over other econo cars such as the Corolla which is constantly revving to get the most torque. While this is great for performance it makes for an irritating ride in stop and go traffic. Overall the sedate driving makes for safer driving as you don't feel like trying to beat someone off the line at a red light or anything. Sitting inside as the driver you feel like you're in a much bigger car. I particularly like the angle of the controls slightly towards the driver, my car = my radio. This car came with tints which makes it really easy to cool in the summer. The power steering is nice for tight maneuvers although the turning radius is a little tight. Ride is quiet despite crappy dealer tires on it right now. Lumbar support is a lifesaver for me on long trips. Overall this car does all the right things in the right places. With the new Elantra models out now and that great Hyundai depreciation you can pick up a sweet hatchie for not too much money. One word of advice is get a loan in advance through a credit union or something ahead of time. I financed through the dealer and now Im upside down on my loan. Although the car is so nice I don't mind too much.

Faults:

Where to start!

After the first 1000 or so kms, the engine started to develop an odd... rattle / knocking sound.

Took the dealer forever to find the fault and then to fix it - I had to get a new Short motor, and even then the problem didn't disappear!

TPS was replaced due to the 'characteristic' of the car 'flaring' between gear changes, which made the car very difficult to drive without lurching all over the place.

Handbrake cables BOTH (for some reason these cars have TWO cables for the hand brakes) fell to pieces within 5000km..

General Comments:

Was a good looking car and had a fair bit of get up and go.

It wasn't as cheap to run as I had hoped it would be.

Driving position was generally very good for around town only, taking the car on any form of long trip results in an uncomfortable drive.

Part of my experience was diminished though because of really bad dealer service when I was having the problems with my car.