I'm downsizing from a mini van (20 MPG) and looking for a daily commuter.
I'm considering the Elantra and Elantra Touring. I have three kids and commute 65 miles a day. The kids are just going to get bigger (12, 10, 7) and the commute will not change..

which do you all think is better? and why?

I saw different posts regarding actual MPG and 40 MPG on the Elantra is elusive. So, should I discount that and place more consideration the Touring?

thanks.

 

Are you buying new or used? The current Touring is nice but uses an older engine design that is not as efficient or as powerful as the newest Elantra sedan. If fuel economy is you concern, the sedan would be a better option in my opinion.

If you want a little more space I would suggest you also check the Kia Forte hatchback (or even the Forte sedan as another option to the Elantra sedan). Kia and Hyundai are sister companies and have the same quality and warranty. Both the Forte hatchback and sedan have a slightly larger engine than the Elantra sedan and more efficient design than the Touring.

About fuel economy: The driver and type of driving has a lot to do with the real-world numbers you will get. Driving over the limit, hard acceleration from stops, a lot of city and stop-n-go traffic, transporting a lot of weight (cargo or passengers), heavy A/C usage are all things that will lower your MPG.

 

thanks for the info. I'm looking at new. interest rates are much lower on new than used.. even considering depreciation. and for the warranty, I think its a better way to go right now.

I test drive a forte 5 door. It was nice. leaning towards that now.

What package item has heated seats? Its confusing on the kia web site.

 

Heated front seats are only available optionally with the leather seats in the SX level. They are not available with cloth seats or in the LX or EX levels.

 

I have a 2011 Forte 5 door because I had looked and driven the Elantra Touring which frankly speaking is more luxurious in my opinion. But two things kept me from purchasing it. I didn't like that it only came with the four speed and the 2.0 engine. Otherwise I was immediately attracted to it.

Out of curiosity I went to the nearest Kia dealer to see if they had anything comparable. When I drove the Forte and it had all the equipment I wanted I wound up buying it. It has the 2.4 engine and the six speed transmission. The new GDI engine would have made it even better with somewhat better fuel economy. I am getting 25.2 mpg over 5,600 miles.

Practically speaking, I think the Elantra Touring is more suitable for cargo and has a superior cargo cover. I do not care for the cargo cover in the Forte and the cargo volume is about five feet less than the Touring. A lot of people complain about the "waggony" look of the Elantra. I could live with that with the roof spoiler but the styling does detract somewhat. The instrumentation is superior in the Touring and the seats being leather better than the "sport" cloth of my Forte.

As to the driving experience, the Forte is great. That would be a concern with the transmission and engine in the Touring especially when passing acceleration is required such as in a recent trip through the Ozarks mountains of Arkansas. I think the Touring would have posed a problem in that regard because I had to nail the pedal on those winding two lane roads to get around slower traffic.

Anyone considering either model should get the SE in the Touring and the SX in the Forte.

It is my understanding that the present body style of the Touring is going to be changed to more that of the Forte and with a six speed transmission and probably the GDI engine which will give better fuel economy and acceleration. Oddly enough the Touring seems to have poorer fuel mileage than my Forte but that may be due to the transmission. Supposedly the six speed gives 8% better fuel economy over the four speed.

Personally, I wouldn't mind having another car in the garage as we are down to one car at the current time. I would strongly consider the Touring. As for the new Elantra, that is a fine car but I would bump my head being 6'6" tall but it was well laid out otherwise. The Touring has more than adequate room.

This is going to be the new Touring. It looks very much like the Forte.

http://macedonemiles.blogspot.com/20...py-photos.html

 

If you want to see what people are getting in real world MPG's. I suggest fuelly. I track all my fillups there. Here, for example, is my fuel mileage on my '09 Elantra Touring:

My Red ET (Hyundai Elantra Touring) | Fuelly

Here's all Elantra Tourings:

Hyundai Elantra Touring MPG Reports | Fuelly

Here's all Elantra's:

Hyundai Elantra MPG Reports | Fuelly

 

I signed up on fuelly to track the mileage on my New 2011 Elantra Touring SE. I just searched all the forums for fuelly and this is the only mention of it on this site. It would be great if we could get more 2011 Elantra Touring Owners to join as I make the 8th on fuelly.

Also I checked your stats there and saw that awful Packers plate on your car
This will force me to find a Bears plate holder for mine