2002 Hyundai Elantra GLS review from North America

Replaced factory tires at 35,000 miles.

Replaced both low beam headlight bulbs (one bulb was out) at 37,000 miles.

Replaced front brake pads and rotors at 62,000 miles.

Replaced rear drum brakes (resurfaced drums) at 67,000 miles.

Had timing belt replaced (preventative) at 76,000 miles.

Replaced water pump (under warranty) while dealer replaced timing belt at 76,000 miles.

Replaced front brakes and rotors and 1 caliper at 79,430 miles.

Replaced exhaust manifold (cracked) at 88,800 miles.

Replaced exhaust flex pipe (had pin hole) at 88,230 miles.

Replaced both oxygen sensors (front and rear) at 89,100 miles.

I bought this car new in May of 2002 after researching new economy cars for about a year. After reading numerous reviews on all of Hyundai’s products, as well as reviews on the economy cars I was considering, I decided to give an Elantra a try. I decided on the Elantra on its own merits, I suppose I did think about the long warranty, but I also realized that I don’t care how good a warranty is if you end up using it month after month and wasting time sitting at the dealer. I don’t care about resale value and such because I buy a car and keep it until I think it needs too much work or is just too worn out (my last car I put 250,000 miles on it before I got rid of it). A car is never an investment (unless it’s a collectable) and you will never get your money out of it so it just makes sense to keep it as long as you can. Let’s face it; it is far cheaper to keep the maintenance up on a car that is paid for than to spend 15,000 – 35,000 dollars on a new car.

All and all this car has been very reliable. Most of the issues listed above I consider routine maintenance except for the replacement of the right front caliper and the exhaust manifold. The car has never left me stranded.

The car handles well for an economy car, is fairly comfortable and quiet. It still feels tight and has no rattles or shakes after almost 90,000 miles. I routinely change the oil myself and I always inspect the engine and transmission for any leaks or issues. I have yet to see any leaks or issues of any kind since I have owned the car. I live in the northeast United States and I have not found any significant rust anywhere on the car either.

The only thing I wish was better is the gas mileage, I average about 25-26 miles to a gallon overall though I travel about 100 miles a day back and forth to work at an average speed of 75 MPH so, the gas mileage I am getting is probably a direct result of my speed.