So after a whole lot of driving in our new Elantra Touring (and one panic attack later about a low-speed tow-hook impact), we're finally back home from vacation, tired and with over 2,000 miles on the odometer.

Overall, we really like the car -- mainly for the utility. The "best-in-class" interior room being the big selling point. While it's more my wife's car than mine, despite what the registration might say, I did most of the driving for our trip, being more comfortable with new places and with a better sense of direction.

Apologies in advance -- before I type this I can already feel it coming on as a comparison with our other hatch -- a Pontiac Vibe. The car it's replacing is a Chevy Impala, but we don't expect the same experience out of the two cars.

What we liked:
- Interior room. We packed way too much for the trip -- it's our first travel with our baby, so we were packed to the gills. We managed to fit it all. My Vibe would have been cramped.

- Passenger room. An extension of "interior room," sure, but with a rear-facing child seat, there's actually enough room to sit comfortably in the front passenger seat, and the seat behind the driver is comfy as well. Our new baby seat is a bit more space-efficient, but there's clearly more passenger room in the Elantra than in the Vibe.

- Climate control. Less noisy than the Vibe by a pretty considerable margin when at full blast. The fact that the glove box is cooled too was great.

- Cabin noise. At the best of times it's a nicely quiet, comfortable ride.

- Gas mileage. Slightly better than 31MPG over the course of our trip (including city driving)

What I didn't like:

- Our little tow hook impact has made me nervous about the car... I don't think it's good design... we'll be investing in a guard/apron if one is available to prevent similar impacts in the future. Clearly there is a bracket to have a guard in place... not sure why there isn't one there standard.

- The tires. The Hankooks we're riding on felt a little smooshy in curves at higher speeds... the bigger deal was the road noise. We rode on some pristine new asphalt and it was fantastic. But riding on older pavement it was very loud. Maybe it's the car, but I would prefer to believe it's the tires, because they're more easily replaced

- Hills. Generally, we weren't bothered by the engine, but whether it's the automatic tranny or just the guts, we noticed in the hillier parts of our journey (and there were lots of steep hills -- we crossed mountain passes both ways), the RPMs got pretty high. Luckily, the most challenging parts were well past our first 1,000 for break-in, so on those occasions where the car felt compelled to buzz above 4000 RPMs we were a little less worried about it.

- I can totally get what reviewers are complaining about on the steering. Vague/soft/whatever you call it. Impala reviews complained about similar issues, but to me there more noticeable here -- probably 'cause it's not a boat. It was my main issue before buying and it still bothers me a little.

All in all, I was very happy to get back home and get back in the driver's seat of my Vibe... and to be honest, I felt a few pangs of buyer's remorse because to me a Vibe/Matrix is such a known commodity (and to be honest I prefer the ride in my Vibe... although I don't believe my wife feels the same way). As well, Hyundai is a bit of a mystery to me and I've put a lot of faith in professional sources and research that declares the company has come a long way on quality and reliability. So there is a little bit of a concern and I hope it's unjustified.

Having said all that, it might sound like I don't like the car. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our trip wouldn't have worked the same in a Vibe. And despite my complaints about steering and climbing, it's a pleasant ride and generally well-behaved (and I think generally the transmission is nicely predictable and provides sufficient power for highway passing when you're not on a mountian).

Now we're eager to see how the car behaves in the long haul in terms of service needs, etc. It's Hyundai's chance to prove itself to us... and how it goes over the next few years will be key to whether we're in the market for a new vehicle after five years or looking forward to a nice 10-year relationship with the Touring. I hope it's the latter.

 

Thanks for the review. I enjoy reading personal experiences with vehicles like this before I make a purchase. I will be shopping for a 5spd this fall/winter when the next round of incentives hopefully come out. This review makes me want to get the base model with the 16" wheels, and then buy my own 17" wheel/tire combo as I've read other people complain about tire noise. Going this route will be less expensive as well (don't really need a sunroof or heated front seats).

 

I used to own a 2003 Vibe. Loved it.



I traded it in on a 2004 Tiburon and then that on the 2006 Tucson I own now. I still miss the Vibe (and the Tib).

 

Just turned 3000 mi. on our touring 5 spd. Agree with other posters that the steering takes some getting use to. After 3000+ miles i'm adjusting to the lightness? of the steering but have to admit it is an adjustment from the steering "feel"of the '03 Elantra GT that this car is replacing. Am driving around 400 mi. round trip every weekend over flat as well as low mountain roads and can say i'm impressed overall with the Touring's comfort and handling.
However, I do believe I will replace the Hankook's when wear start to show and jump back to Goodyear TripleTreds due to the excellent mileage I've been getting with these tires on the GT(around 65,000). Also I tend to push the car's I've owned and I like the way the Goodyear's stick and the little sidewall flex while I'm on the mountain roads here in New Mexico.

I guess the one nitpick I have with the car at this point is the vagueness when I shift into reverse. There's no noticeable seating(?) and if I'm not careful I miss setting it in reverse and hear the grind of a transmission not fully engaged. And yes I use the shift collar before shifting and shift to neutral before moving to reverse. Not to mention I've driven stick shifts for most of my adult life(40+ yrs.). Is anybody else finding this a problem with their manual Touring?

As mentioned in other posts I hope this car is as reliable as the Elantra GT that is still in the family and has over 200,000 rode hard put up wet miles on her.

 

Great review! It's nice to here every day users impressions.
I had a look at the new Touring earlier this year and found out that the power steering pump was missing under the hood. The car has an electric power steering. I drove Honda Accord and Mazda 6 with electric power steering and the feel is quite different than hydraulic power steering. I think your impression regarding the steering is right but it's probably suitable for any vehicle using this technology. The good thing about it is the free space it leave under the hood for a timing belt & water pump job . As for reliability the last JD Power initial quality survey puts Hyundai way in front in 4th place behind Lexus, Porsche and Cadillac. Yes you're right Hyundai has come along way just like other Asian manufacturer before them... I hope your new car meets your expectations.

 

I had an HHR before I traded in for the touring. It too had electric steering and people complained about it so I don't see a problem with the steering. Guess I am used to it(but then again I don't play Mario Andretti either so maybe I am missing something)

 

We now have over 3,600 miles on ours. I love driving it. It's quiet, comfortable on long trips and a pleasure to drive. We are now averaging 33 to 34 mpg on highway trips. Great car.

The steering does not seem as bad or noticeable to me. It was a little different but I had no problem getting used to it.

As for the ride, it is a little stiff/harsh but I can live with it. It does corner nicely at high speeds and hold the pavement. We have Kumho Solus KH16 (17") on ours. I do not know if they contribute or offset the stiffness of the ride. I plan on putting either Gislaved or Goodyear Triple Tred Assurance tires on t for the winter. Otherwise, I see no need to swap what is there now.

As for quality, we had a 2001 Elantra GLS (which we traded in on this one) and never had one problem with it. The quality is there, so rest your mind, your purchase will turn out to be a great deal in the long run.

Enjoy

 

As I've posted on the Forum previously, I strongly disliked the OEM Kumho tires and after considerable research settled on Bridgestone G019's in the same size. Greatly improve ride, handling and steering, most notably sharpening that "syrupy" steering feel you so well describe.