2002 Hyundai Elantra from UK and Ireland - Comments

Rented the car for 7 days and

nothing significant went wrong over that time. The glove compartment

wouldn't close unless it was slammed

several times though.

Drove the car for a week. This is the

first car that I've driven where I've

had to take care when going around

corners... on the motorway! It

wallows like a rocking chair.

The engine had some punch for a 1.6

but boy was it thirsty. A whole tank of fuel (50 litres?) consumed in just 250 miles!

The cabin was comfortable enough and the seats were easy to adjust. However, the heater wouldn't direct hot air onto my feet... I had to rest them on the clutch and brake pedals to revive them.

The looks aren't great. It looks so anonymous. No character at all. The plastic wheel trims don't suit the wheels which makes the car ugly to

look at.

I live in the USA and just bought a 2002 Hyundai Elantra GLS (the 4-door sedan, no the GT hatchback). I do not have the problems with the glove compartment at all. I traded in my 1999 VW New Beetle for the Elantra. I was impressed with the amount of features available for a much lower cost, more space, less reported repair problems, longer warranty, etc. than my 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle.

The Elantra handles well. It does seem to not handle corners as well as the New Beetle (big price difference to be fair). Excellent ergonomics. Love the 60/40 seat split and cup holders (even rear seat cup holders!) which are definitely features one would appreciate after having owned a bug. The overall handling of the car surprised me for a car with this price tag. Also a friend of mine had the 2001 Hyundai Elantra with no problems so I decided to go ahead and get the Elantra GLS. I think it's a good car and worth the money. I think it's unfair to expect 100% perfection for a car of this class. For this car, I would give it a couple thumbs up. I think the New Beetle had more style but far less reliability, which in the end does matter a lot.

By the way, 2001 and 2002 Hyundai Elantra's have a 2.0 L ENGINE, not a 1.6... I do not think this review was effective, It is a great car for the money, try to find a car with as many standard features as this car without taking out a second mortgage to pay for it...

Besides, I think the car is cute, Better than the Toyota Echo that looks like a wedge of cheese...

The comment about the car having a 2.0L is incorrect because this reviewer is from the UK (Great Britain). Hyundai offers the Elantra with different engine configurations depending on the country it is targeted for. In the United States, gas is probably the cheapest in the world, so such luxuries as a 2.0L engine are available. In europe, gas costs about the equivalent of $8 a gallon and thus people cannot afford to be as frugal with engine sizes so Hyundai has the Elantra there as a 1.6L.