I bought a 2011 Elantra

So I ended up trading in my old 2004 Elantra GT for a new 2011 Elantra GL sedan. I'll miss my old hatchback fake Saab...


In Loving Memory


I thought this would be a good time to discuss how life with the new car has been thus far, given that I already gave my initial driving impressions.

The car I picked up is a model not available in the US. In Canada there's the bottom feeder L model, lacking A/C, yet still including power windows and locks, traction control, and a CD player with auxiliary inputs. The GL I picked up (with a 6 speed manual) ads to this heated front (cloth) seats, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel audio controls, trip computer, larger 16" steel wheels (with hubcaps), and a telescopic steering wheel. The latter I embarrassingly didn't realize my car had until now - thought that was a GLS feature. The GL lacks the GLS model's heated rear (cloth) seats, aluminum rims, fog lights, sunroof and other small details. The Limited ads to this leather, navigation, keyless entry, a chrome grille (I actually prefer the stock grille), amongst other details.


The hubcaps do a pretty good imitation of aluminum rims. The headlights are a bit large, sweeping back overtop of the front wheels. But they're beautifully detailed and the swept back look fits in with the character of the car.



First things first, I think it's safe to say I don't find this car fugly. Given it's extreme new looks, I'm sure there are others on the opposite side of the fence. I personally dig the evil smile the car has, and the design overall is very cohesive, but I went over that before. My only beef on the outside is the aforementioned lack of fog lights, although the black plastic fog light voids don't look too bad. The 16" wheels look a bit small, but at least the hubcaps manage to look convincingly like aluminum rims.


Controls in the centre stack are intuitive and well located, especially the stacked rotary climate controls shown on the right. The audio control can be a bit of a reach, but thankfully there are controls on the steering wheel.



Inside, the interior continues to impress. It's an attractive two tone layout, with soft touch materials (at least on the top most surfaces, and the ones you interact with most) and well damped controls. The stacked rotary climate control is as beautiful as it is easy to use. It's extremely intuitive - you need nothing more than a glance to adjust it. The 6 speaker stereo also has a good sound and has all the features you would now expect, with USB and auxilary inputs. These are hidden under a cover in the centre console with a power outlet so they're easily at hand by can be hidden from sight. Speaking of power outlets, there's also one for the front passenger, in a little pocket to hold their cell phone. The steering wheel controls are a god-send as well, saving you from having to fiddle with the main controls, which I find to be a bit a of a stretch to reach. However they are highly visible and mostly intuitive, and this display is large and easy to read. All in all, the swoopy design inside and out and a smaller diameter steering wheel give a sporty coupe type of impression, even though that's not really the feedback you get actually driving it. I've read of others complaining about lack of visibility and rear blind spots, but I find it no worse than my last daily driver. It's A-pillars are a bit thick, but I'm driven many cars far worse in this regard (cough-Caliber-cough).


Room inside the car is expansive, yet I can't vouch for rear seat passengers as I haven't had any. You do have to duck a bit to get in the rear doors because of the roofline however, and I imagine taller passengers might have a bit less headroom. The trunk is pretty huge, and the pass through when you fold the seats is quite large for a sedan. However the seatbelts do cross this void as mentioned before, and the trunk hinges are large goosenecks that cut a deep swath into your trunk space when it's closed.


There's a fair amount of room in back, and passengers get door mounted cup holders as well as two in the fold down armrest. Gooseneck hinges cutting into the trunk space are visible when viewed through the trunk pass through.


There are some interior quibbles though, starting with the stereo. For a stereo that allows so many options to play digital files, there is no folder browsing buttons on the steering wheel. You can browse between songs and adjust the volume, but if you want another folder you have to reach over to the dash. I have yet to find a "shuffle" option as well. Right now I have 2 Gigs worth of albums hooked up via a USB drive - if you have things sorted in folder by album, you have no choice but to listen to them straight through. The new interior is a lot larger than my old car, and although roomy I find that my elbows don't easily fall at hand with the armrests on the console and door as they're too far away (although at the right level). Telescoping the steering wheel some might help that... There's also less storage space than I'm used to in the dash. Possibly due to making more room for the front seat occupants (as the console looks narrow) but more likely a result of form following function. Oh - and the seat fabric feels and looks a little cheap. I'm not sure that it is, but I would have preferred more of a woven look.

Now an update on driving dynamics... As I mentioned before the steering feels a bit overboosted, but not as bad as some car's I've driven lately. It's weighted pretty nicely though, but I still wish for more feedback. The 148hp 1.8L engine is standard across the lineup, and puts down pretty good power, although it prefers to hang out in the higher rpm - max hp arrives at 6500rpm, and max torque at 4700rpm. Although Hyundai boasted a pretty substantial weigh reduction compared to the previous model, this new car weighs about the same as my 2004 model. With only 10 more hp and 7 lb/feet less torque, there isn't much of a noticeable difference in performance. If anything, it feels slower due to the fact that there's less torque down low, and because of the tall gearing of the 6-speed manual.


Seats folded, but unfortunately the centre belt remains. The seats don't fold flat either, but the pass through is large for a sedan.


Speaking of the transmission, it's relatively easy to use with smooth shifter action, short throws and a well defined gate that makes it almost impossible to choose the wrong gear by mistake. But because of the taller gearing than I'm used to, I find I often shift too early (especially 1st to second) which sometimes results in little lag. Although clutch takeup is smooth, I feel it's difficult to feel where the sweet spot is. The gas pedal also conspires against you in this regard, as it's unlike the rest of the pedals in that it's floor mounted (possibly a reaction to Toyota's sticky gas pedals) and it has a little bit of a dead zone when you first step on it which can make 1st gear starts a little tricky until you're accustomed. That being said though, I just had to get used to the new driving style. Another Canadian tid-bit about the manual transmission - because there are more options packages in Canada, the manual is available with more features than the US. The manual is available in all but the Limited model, which means you can pretty much have loaded shift-for-yourself Elantra. Not with leather on anything but the steering wheel, unforunately.


The rear wheel arches look a bit bulbous from behind, but the indent on the bottom bumper does a good job of shading the lower portion of the bumper, reducing the visual height gained out back from the rakish greenhouse.


As for handling characteristics, I find them a bit hard to describe. The car is definately tuned to the softer side of life floating over minor bumps and imperfection - it feels a bit more mature than my last car. But at the same time, it seems to corner flatter than my old car (although pushing too hard results in understeer which starts to intrude a bit earlier). Although smaller road warts are taken with ease, the car seems to clomp through larger ones - some of them even upsetting the tracking of the car a bit.

Fuel economy so far has been great. Not near the posted EPA quotes, but better than some of the reviews I've read have gotten. For some reason, the car is rated more fuel efficient in Canada than in the US. Canadian models with the manual are rated at 6.8L/100km city, 4.9L/100km highway, with automatic models ranking 0.1L/100km higher. This works out to 34mpg city / 48mpg hwy. US cars are rated at 29mpg city /40mpg hwy regardless of transmission. On my first highway trip in the relatively virgin car (34kms on the odometer), I averaged 6L/100km driving 100km/h for most of the drive, with periods at 110km/h. My second trip taken a couple weeks ago I averaged 5.8L driving a steady 110km/h. Same roads, but opposite direction. I suppose this difference could be attributed to many factors, but it's possible the car will get better mileage with age. Oh - and to note, 5.8L/100km is 40.5mpg, meaning my car was getting slightly above the US average highway figure. In day to day driving however, I average 6.8-7.1L/100km (34-33mpg), depending on how much city driving I do. I've never seen it go above 7.3 though. My daily commute however contains a fair bit of highway driving mixed with 80km/h backroads and stop and go city traffic. So it's far from a good city driving estimate.

My final opinions thus-far? I'm satisfied in my purchase. It's a much more comfortable place to be than my last car, and at $18,000 CAD (before taxes and destination), it's also comfortable on my wallet. There are cheaper cars out there, but I found it difficult to find one with the same level of equipment, let alone the same level of interior finish. In the end most faults I've found tend to be relatively minor, and are overshadowed the car's better qualities.

Review: 2011 Hyundai Elantra

My daily driver is a 2004 Hyundai Elantra GT, so it's safe to say I'm pretty familiar with the car. When the 2006 Elantra came out, I was anxious to see how they'd improved it, given how impressive their recently reinvigorated 2005 Sonata was. Unfortunately, I walked away a little disappointed. Although larger with vastly improved interior quality, I found the new bloated exterior style a bit too bulbous. It suffered a bit in the driving dynamics as well, as I found the new electric steering over-boosted, and the shifter action of the manual a bit vague and rubbery. Suffice to say I was hoping the new 2011 model would fix some those issues. And after some time with the 2011 model today, I can comfortably say that they have.




Starting with it's exterior, the 2011 looks as if it hit the gym. There's some similarities to the last model in it's looks, but the new car has shed the last car's visual chubbiness and is now refined and muscular. The "fluidic sculpture" lines share a lot with the sleek new Sonata creating a family resemblance, yet the Elantra fares slightly better in this regard as it lacks the chrome Klingon forehead of a grille. Unfortunately the style injection is a double edged sword - some may find the new look a bit too different. For example, the car looks great to me from most angles - but it does look a little funky around the heavily sculpted rear wheel wells, with it's overly tall sheet metal resulting from the aggressively raked greenhouse.



Inside is the same story as the exterior. The 2006 Elantra's interior's fit and finish was a great improvement over the previous generation, but the look was a tad boring and generic. The 2011 keeps the improvements in fit and finish and revitalizes the interior with an attractive and aggressive new look similar to that of the Sonata and Genesis Coupe. From behind the wheel, the raked windshield, small diameter steering wheel and stubby shifter give a sporty impression - not unlike the Genesis Coupe but in a smaller scale. Unfortunately I didn't fiddle much with the user friendliness of the audio system as I chose to focus more on how it felt to drive. Maybe I'm getting old, but I often find many of the newer more integrated audio systems in cars to be a bit overwhelming initially as everything isn't organized in a defined rectangular area of the dash like they used to be. Makes you wonder if aftermarket systems are going the way of the dinosaur... That's a rant for another time, however. What I did fiddle within comfortable reach and had nicely damped motions.

I was also amazed at the content for the price. The car I drove was a 6 speed manual GLS (a Canadian package most likely differs from that in the US of A), whose window sticker was priced at around $21,000 CAD after destination charges. What do you get for this? A sunroof, aluminum rims, heated front AND rear seats (cloth though - however I prefer cloth seats as they're grippier when you're hustling), traction control, 6 speaker stereo with MP3 player/USB connectivity, Bluetooth, and steering wheel audio/cruise/Bluetooth controls. Oh - and a spoiler (something I personally don't pay attention to unless absolutely necessary as an aerodynamic aid). In fact the 2011 Elantra is cheaper than the outgoing model. Compared to that car's so-so looks inside and out, this car comes of as somewhat of a bargain.Even bare bones models contain more content based on their spec sheets than the outgoing model as well - a lot of content for $16,000 before destination.

Another area of note that I always look at being a hatchback owner is the space and accessibility of the cargo area. Not only does the Elantra have a huge trunk, it also has a rather large pass through area - rare in sedans. A couple faults here though - the seat backs don't fold flat and the seat bottoms don't fold forward to allow them to (most likely because of the heater mechanisms). It's possible that's a hatchback thing I've just expecting to see in all cars. The biggest irritation however is that the seat belts shoulder harnesses remain attached to the brace below the rear window with the seat backs fold, leaving seat belts criss-crossing the open hole. The sidemost belts aren't too in the way, but the centre shoulder harness definitely could get tangled in your cargo. It might be a safety issue, but I wish they folded with the seats.

But how does it drive? Quite a bit better than it's predecessor. I for one am not a fan of the electronic systems in newer cars. I definitely did not like of the steering of the last car. It had the steering feel and feedback of a video game steering wheel controller in that it felt disconnected and seemed to remove you completely from the driving experience. Unfortunately the new car still lacks feedback in the form of road feel, so it's still feels a bit distant when you're driving. However, it's now nicely weighted, and it no longer feels like you're in a driving simulation.

The shifter action is much improved as well, with short throws and a more solid feel than my 2004, with none of the rubbery action of the 2006. I was not a fan of the clutch and gas pedals though - they seemed to protrude too far, and offered too much resistance in my opinion. In fact, the clutch seemed too offer both too much and too little resistance. Lifting your foot felt as if the pedal was being propelled by a tight spring, while depressing it seemed to offer little resistance as your foot sank toward the floor. Due to this coordinating the gas and clutch took a bit of learning. That being said, it was easy to feel the soft spot in the clutch, and takeup was smooth and easy. The extra gear of the 6 speed is also a welcome addition, allowing you to cruise on the highway at 110 km/h at around 2000rpm. Although it was a little tough to engage (I accidentally downshifted to fourth a couple times).

The new Elantra is powered by a new 1.8L engine with 148hp and 131lb-feet of torque. The engine replaces the long serving 2.0L that carried over the last two generations. Offering similar power to that engine, fuel economy soars in comparison. Being used to the 2.0L, I found the 1.8L offered comparable power, although it felt a little less powerful most likely due to weight gain and gearing optimized toward fuel economy. It's still a peppy engine though, and quite quiet compared to my engine (although it sounded more industrial - like a turbine - compared to more pleasing growl the 2.0). Not to say that the car is superbly quiet though - a fair amount of road and accessory noise still makes it to the cabin.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good feel of the suspension, due to some slick roads. But from the driving I did do it feels a tad more sporty and less floaty than the last couple generations, although it was harsh is some of the rougher spots.

All in all, I left pretty impressed. It has healthy doses of style and substance, and if it meets the fuel economy numbers Hyundai quotes it may be hard to top. Rumors swirl that a hatchback will follow, making this package even more attractive (to a hatchback and wagon fan, anyhow). Now, if it only had a turbo...

Attack of the Clones: Dongfeng H30

I suppose a good sign of your success in the automotive world is if the Chinese start cloning your models. Hyundai should take it in stride then that Dongfeng is preparing a new model called the H30, which looks remarkably like the Hyundai C30 wagon, aka the Elantra Touring. Well - a C30 wagon with the front of a Chrysler Sebring grafted on for whatever reason. Still - the even cloned the name! Congrats Hyundai - you've officially hit the bigtime.