Nothing so far.
I do notice that the engine takes a few RPMS for around a second to shift gears and others have noticed this as well. To me its not that bad and its not noticeable unless I look carefully. But it might bother others. My Honda civic did this as well, but it was old when I purchased it.
The car is a wonderful value and its the first new automobile I have ever owned.
The car looks and feels more like a car worth at least $20k. For $14600 the hatchback model came with power windows and mirrors, dual airbags, remote alarm and door lock, mirror defogger, side and back moldings, 6 speaker CD system, and an automatic transmission. A civic with the same features starts at 20k.
The car handles great and is a little loud over 70mph with its 2.0 liter engine. But otherwise its great to drive.
I love the storage and roomy feel of the hatchback model. Hyundai advertises that the Elantra has more cabin space than a civic or Corolla. It feels very roomy and it's a perfect car for those with a family who live on a tight budget.
Besides room for 4 people, the car has child protection controls and restraint hooks for children's seats which make it family friendly.
Consumer reports rated this year's Elantra quite well and the selling point for me was safety and reliablity. It rates high on both and the hatchback model has a rollover bar in addition to impact bars in side doors and dual airbags.
I also own an 05 Elantra hatch, I basically agreed what you said, I have put 20k miles on it, no problem so far. The Elantra just as good as Civic if not better.
Just got a 2005 Elantra GLS hatchback too to replace a much beloved, but totalled Mazda Protege 5. I just passed 1000 miles this weekend and I couldn't be happier. Gas mileage is improving consistantly with each tank and the car feels pretty solid & refined.
The 1'st to 2'nd shift is delayed on purpose to prevent the low-rpm high-torque nature of this engine from jolting the passengers. It is normal for the automatic transmission to have a 1 second delay between 1'st and 2'nd shifts. All other automatic shifts should seem as normal as any other car.
My son has owned two Elantras, a 2002 and a 2005. Both automatic, air, power locks and windows.
A singular problem occurred in both cars. Each required the power window motors in all four windows to be replaced shortly after the warranty expired.
Has anyone else experienced this? Our local Hyundai dealer said this only happened to my sons vehicles.
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