In the space race for 40MPG highway, here’s the value leader:
A comprehensive press release can be found here. I’m not sure all the details are right, particularly the claim that the 2011 Focus has a four-speed automatic, but no effort has been spared to paint the Elantra as the far-and-away best car in its class regardless of price.
Both transmissions — a conventional slushy six-speed automatic and a six-speed manual — make it to 40MPG on the highway. There’s no dual-clutch transmission, which is surprising since Ford will have one in the Focus and Chrysler is planning (sssshhhhh) to debut one in the 200 later this year for further use in its 40MPG small car.
In recent Hyundai tradition, the pricing is aggressive but not Excel-cheap.
Production is already underway, and your dealer will have a car by Christmas. Speaking personally, I’d wait for the new Focus before putting my money down on anything in the segment, but those who elect to give the Elantra a try are unlikely to regret their choice.
Those center dash vents are so low. Didn’t they learn anything from the previous generation Sonota’s poorly placed vents?
Good point.
The wee wee and the conchita deserve to be cooled too.
More like the “knee-knees” and nipple-ees. Still, they can be directed upwards, so it’s not a deal-killer.
But the bulging console is a nasty trend – takes away effective leg room for Hermann Munster types (I am 1)
Stingray you made me crack up, yeah the new Elantra is a beaut!
Look at the pics versus the 2011 Toyota Corolla a couple of days ago, especially the interior. And loaded out the Hyundai is as usual cheaper, gets better MPG, has Japan grade quality, and a 10/100 warranty. You’d buy a Corolla why??? Or a Civic for that matter??? Or worse yet for Honda, an Insight why??? The interior “appears” to be on par with the Cruze, at about $3K lower price point and incrementally better MPG.
Hyundai is doing everything right. Be afraid, be VERY afraid.
Never, ever believe press photos. The car can look one way when photographed under perfect lights and at gorgeous angles, resplendent in the loving glow of it’s instruments and Photoshopped to perfection, and quite another when seen in the harsh, cold light of day.
Or, to put it another way, I remember people gushing over the Pontiac Sunfire.
Why does the Big Mac I buy never look like it does in pictures?
Yeah. It looks to me like the put the Civic in their sights more than anything, all the way down to the drooping proboscis and the wavy Trek interior.
If I’m not mistaken, the current gen Corolla started production in Jan. 2008. When people start buying this Elantra, the Corolla will be 3 years old.
Rear 3/4 looks good on this car, and overall it looks a bit better than the Sonata, but the front is just difficult to look at. This is another Hyundai screaming for the attention they haven’t gotten for years, and its working for them!!! We’re just not sure if there is still a bit less car under the nice clothing. And the Japanese still show better reliability numbers.
So, VERY afraid? not so much. Should Honda and Toyota and others be ready for battlle? That’s more to the point.
Anecdotal remarks from the car shows seem to suggest that the new Elantra translates into 3D quite well. The Sonata translates well (dugong-nose notwithstanding).
One thing I cannot figure out is this baby-blue theme in most of the Avante/Elantra press photos. This colour seems to pop up every few years, presumably when some automotive designer decides that it looks “futuristic”, only to be dropped a short time later. It reminds me of the original kitchen colour we found lurking in the suspended ceiling of our 1950s house.
The new Elantra actually looks much better in person than it does in photos.
Why does the Big Mac I buy never look like it does in pictures?
Campbell Soup Syndrome, the agency is allowed to fill the trunk with marbles.
“Never, ever believe press photos.”
The new Elantra looks better in person (or barring that, in video) than in photos.
This is the one instance where the Hyundai model is better looking than its Kia counterpart, the Forte sedan (not including the Forte Koup).
+1 to psarjighhinijinajinian. Some detailing, some careful lighting, a tripod, and a Nikon D80 and you turn my ’95 Mercury Mystique into this and this and this.
It actually does have a pretty nice interior, all said. Good materials, great seat fabric – hell, the door handles are lit, and even my Saab 9-5 hasn’t got that! That said, it was a $21k car or so in 1995, so accounting for inflation a chunk higher than the Elantra. A reasonably throaty V6 slung it to 60 in under 8 seconds, which was pretty snappy for its time.
I inherited it from my grandfather in 2003 with 25,000 on the clock and in better-than-new condition. I absolutely loved that car (particularly with the aftermarket head unit…). The best part is that my grandfather, who hated all things of excess – he had a Cutlass Sierra but blacked out the multiflag emblems – bought the top-end young america edition. He was 85 at the time…
It’s now a run-around-town for my uncle, with 100k; unfortunately it got the back bumper crunched by an idiot in Brooklyn and the front bumper crunched by a snowstorm and subsequent snowbank a couple of years ago. The paint is still damn near flawless, though.
If it wasn’t a death trap I’d still be driving it, and probably finding a way to replace the bumpers…
I’ve input pricing and features into TrueDelta’s database. To see how the new Elantra truly compares:
http://www.truedelta.com/prices.php
It will be interesting to see what the real reviews say. There was much pre-press gushing about the Fiesta, only for it to turn out to be, well, adequate.
The existing Elantra is already very good, and there’s no magic at this price range. Let’s not go all Autoblogish about what the car might be based on prerelease puffery and wait for what’s actually on dealer lots. I’m expecting, well, a good car, but not something that will redefine the class.
In fairness to the Fiesta, it turned out to be really good in some places and rather deeply flawed in a few others. I don’t think there will be any similar problems with the Elantra, but I agree it won’t necessarily be a class-leader either. I know I for one find the Cruze and new Focus far more attractive inside.
Those MPG figures are very, very impressive though.
psarhjinian
Agree 1000% on the Fiesta!
But why does everybody STILL give it the top position?? Tha’s the question.
When I drove it, the end all feeling was…oh, wish it was more.
More power.
More room.
More vrooom less angry buzzing sounding.
Just more.
I’m personally expecting to be underwhelmed by the 1.8-liter engine and perhaps the handling as well. But the styling, price, and fuel economy seem to be excellent. I’ll get the prices and features into TrueDelta’s database soon, perhaps tonight, for some detailed comparisons.
Reliability should be at least average, judging from the Sonata, Tucson, etc. But there’s always the chance they’ll drop the ball on something. Might know as early as May, if we can get enough owners involved in the Car Reliability Survey soon enough.
To participate in the survey, with just about any car:
http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php
You’ve come a long way, baby.
Finally, a car with push-button start I can afford!
Looks nice, at least. Sort of a mini-Genesis coupe vibe.
So – would we categorize this as “The Baruth About Cars”?
I know. It’s sort of surreal to be getting press releases translated into Baruthian.
While experience tells me a Baruthian translation of any OEM presser is necessary to cut through the BS, I only really get interested when he actually gets in the car in question and hoons the everlovin’ snot out of it.
And with that, it’s time to turn the new Elantra over to TTAC’s tame racing driver. Some say…by the time he’s done with it, it’ll slip well under the $500 value limit Miss Murilee will need to enter it in the next LeMons race. And that his Hyundai-lovin’ brother will be so distraught, he’ll revert back to seeking comfort in the arms of a pole dancer.
All we know is, he’s called the Jack.
When did Jack become tame?
Memo to GM/Daewoo: This is style. Learn it. The Snooze needs it.
Exactly. Most cars are just a simple collection of lines, no imagination, no flow. The new Sonata and now the Elantra have flowing lines that start at the front and flow all the way around the car and back to the front.
This car flows better than the Sonata. The Sonata is a definite collection of mish-mashed character lines, an odd nose, and a strange trim piece between the hood and fender.
The moron speaks,nothing useful of course.
C’mon stones, even Simple_Silvy is more creative than that.
Damn, now I want flowing lines, and I just had Chinese.
I think the idea of styling is very subjective.
This and the Sonata don’t do a thing for me. The Cruze is a nice clean design. This is far too busy. For the reasons that Canuck stated, its just messy and will probably not age well.
You all can have the chic Hyundai stuff… I’ll stick to the Cruze and Jetta.
“… I’ll stick to the Cruze and Jetta.”
I believe I speak for a sizable chunk of the market when I say, “you can have them.”
And, best of all for you, you’ll have thousands of Snoozes and Jettas to choose from, idling on dealer and rental lots… whereas I suspect Hyundai won’t be able to keep enough of these in stock for a good long time. Just like the Sonata.
The 2011 Focus does indeed have a four-speed automatic (or five-speed manual).
The 2012 version (the new generation) will have the six-speed DSG (or five-speed manual).
AND 240 HP with twin turbo.
Please…they (Hyundai) need to offer more here.
I find it hard to believe the Focus has a 4 spead when the Fiesta has a 5 speed dual.
Copied directly from Ford Focus sight:
6-speed PowerShift™ automatic transmission
Part of what makes Focus so satisfying to drive is its fully engaging available six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission, which delivers seamless gear changes and excellent responsiveness. And because it’s also designed to be fuel-smart, you can have plenty of fun, without paying the price at the pump. Select models also include SelectShift technology which allow you to change gears at the touch of a button. SelectShift is optional with the SE Sport Package, and standard on SEL and Titanium.
I hate to sound like a parrot, but…
The 2011 Focus has a 4 speed auto.
The 2012 Focus has a 6 speed dual clutch
As a bonus, please note that the Fiesta doesn’t have a 5speed dual clutch, it has a 6 speed.
TrailerTrash, the 4-speed auto is on the outgoing Focus (whose last year of production is 2011 and it won’t even be a full year). It is not worth making comparisons to that outdated car, which is going out of production anyway.
The new one has a 6-speed dual-clutch auto tranny. The 2012 Focus will be in the showrooms not too long after the Elantra, so it is fair to compare the Elantra to that Focus, not the old one.
Brian P
I simply presumed we were speaking of the next generation.
I am confused as to why anybody would compare the new Hyundai to a vehicle that was outdated years ago?
I am confused as to why anybody would compare the new Hyundai to a vehicle that was outdated years ago?
Because it’s Hyundai doing the comparing in their own press release, and this is clearly an easy way to impress the 99% of the population that doesn’t know the current Focus is a lame duck.
This is what marketing people do all day.
Um, didn’t the DSG in the fiesta sort of… suck?
Any idea if they fixed it for the Focus?
I’m enthused. Great price and good pedigree, and Autoblog reports they should be bringing the wagon to us shortly. 40mpg on 87 octane, no turbos, no hybrid, no Diesel…that a nice combo of simplicity that should resonate with buyers.
Ditto on waiting for the new Focus, though.
If only they had a hybrid E-assist green option, they could charge $23k for a base car that gets 42 mpg. – end sarcasm –
Yes, the simplicity of 40 mpg is compelling.
Isn’t it crazy that we are all talking about deciding between the Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus?! And we now dismiss out of hand the Civic and Corolla. Times have changed.
dwford,
Of course you would like everyone to dismiss Civic and Corolla…. You work for HYUNDAI!!!
The vast majority of people do not belong to the enthusiast crowd and are looking for reliabilty and good value retention with more mature styling and driving dynamics….Enter Civic and Corolla for the masses. This car is a huge leap for this company, and will help them continue to forge ahead. But it won’t be “dismissing” other high volume sellers before they start offering improved products. And then the cycle will begin again.
Let us keep in mind that Honda has a new Civic coming, and although we’ve seen pictures of it, on technical matters Honda hasn’t shown their cards yet.
I don’t have my hopes particularly high … but it has to be said.
The Corolla update is a snoozer.
“…mature styling and driving dynamics.”
The former doesn’t apply to either the Civic or Corolla and the latter doesn’t apply to the Corolla.
bd2,
mature styling = can see out the rear window and far less zigzag character lines.
mature driving dynamics = don’t need to corner at 80mph and will trade for supple straight line.
I’m not sure about Honda, but I believe Toyota’s pres. has expressed an interest in shedding some of the mature styling and the mature driving dynamics. I for one will miss not having the option to buy something smoother and simpler.
I was just talking about the comments here. There are plenty of people who will still choose the Civic and Corolla, but very few here are comparing the new Elantra to the Civic or Corlla except in derogatory terms. I doubt any pro-Hyundai comments I make here will be reflected in my paycheck.
Canuck129 –
Methinks you have mistaken practical but bland styling for “mature styling” (there’a reason why current Toyota and Honda models get low grades by auto designers).
Based on your definition of “mature styling” – the previous gen Sonata and Elantra have mature styling as well and they totally blend in w/ the other beige-mobiles out there.
Based on your definition, sedans like the VW CC, Mercedes CLS, Jaguar XF, etc. don’t have mature styling.
And as for mature driving dynamics, I hardly think that prodigious amounts of body roll and near zero steering feedback (applies to the Corolla, not the Civic) constitutes mature driving dynamics, much less any driving dynamics.
bd2
Methinks it’s nice to see you understand my point of view.
Funny, I’ve never noticed the body roll in most of the cars I’ve owned, when I drive like a normal person is supposed to drive.
I am so excited about selling this car. I have been trying to get my hands on as many 2010 Elantra as possible so when this car comes out, I can show a great deal on the 2010 or let the customer pay the extra for the 2011. Win-win for me!
Hmmm. My local Hyundai dealer seems to be doing the same thing. He’s swimming in Elantra sedans and Touring Editions right now.
I would be sold out of the 2010s already if I wasn’t swapping out Sonatas to get 2010 Elantras.
I just don’t get it, who would base a car buying decision on one car getting 40mpg compared to another getting 35mpg? The difference amounts to less then a litre per 100km which even with the insane price of that litre in Europe does not count at all compared to the other aspects of the cars in question. That it matters over there with the petrol half the price is simply ridiculous, I suspect all is just marketing mumbo jumbo, there is no way many people will care about few mpg up or down.
In the US people will drive miles out of their way to save $.02 per gallon on gas. So yes, people will be swayed by 40mpg vs 35mpg. Most US drivers wouldn’t know a good driving car vs a bad one, so other details are more important – window sticker numbers, cupholders, color, etc.
Most US buyers, when faced with a $15k car vs a $14k will reflexively take the $14k car, without bothering to investigate whether the $1000 extra provides any sort of value for the money.
If this was a GM product it would have been trashed long ago. At least by 3rd comment no?
Rear visibility looks to be atrocious even for today’s so called standards…
Dear NHTSA: F-you and your rollover regs.
@Bridge2farr: You ask an impossible question. GM couldn’t build a car like this.
@ihatetrees
Do you actually know it’s the rollover regs? If they were indeed the reason for the super-high beltline, why are the beltlines jacking up gradually year after year, while the regs (afaik) stay constant?
The beltline thing smacks of fin-like style oneupsmanship, along with the stretchy headlights. Modern engineering can products exceptional rollover protection with very little material, and there are significant variations in beltline height within brands as well.
I know the TTAC knee-jerk reaction to any kind of undesirable car characteristic (weight, length, high beltlines, lack of colors other than grey) is to blame safety regulations, but me-too styling seems a more likely culprit.
Might the “stretchy” headlights be part of a pedestrian-protective design trend? (Don’t know, just wondering.)
I’ve read that high belt lines are appreciated by women – makes them feel safer. So, with the realization that women buy 50% of the cars and have a deciding vote on another 25%, manufacturers have been raising the belt line. Personally I hate it, I like being able to rest my arm on the door sill.
Yeah, and in my 5-hour driving course, the VHS tape they played said that women need to have it carefully explained to them that seat belts won’t trap them when they crash and are unconscious.
Oh, those silly women.
@Shaker — I believe it’s related to the new “pedestrian-friendly” regs. Stretchy headlights help to visually mask the artificially-high front end.
Lots of very utilitarian cars, some of which are quite heavy (minivans), can meet rollover regulations without barn-door-wide pillars. The wide pillars are a designer’s choice, not a safety issue, and are at their worst not on the heaviest cars, but on the most overstyled.
The “pillbox” look is very much in vogue these days: if designers had their way, we’d be driving cars with 30″ rims with a rubber varnish for tires, the same glass area as an oven and a front grille large enough to consume children.
Will Hyundai be bringing a Touring (wagon) version of this to the US?
Yes they will!
Sweet! Found some more info here:
http://www.hyundai-blog.com/index.php/2010/11/15/next-generation-hyundai-elantra-touring-to-be-based-on-2011-elantra/
Looks like a Mazda3, albeit one with a slightly more shit-eating grin.
You know what I first thought when I saw this? “This is what the 2000 Neon should have been.”
Extreme cab-forward design? Check
Wheels fill out the corners? Check
“Expressive” front end? Check
Kicked-up rear quarters? Check
Interior? Actually, I think the Chrysler of 1999 could have pulled off a better interior treatment than Hyundai managed here.
Hyundai has been using various forms of a hexagonal grill since 2006/7 on its concepts; the Mazda3 otoh got its “smiling guppy” face from Peugeot.
hoon
Please. This isn’t Autoblog or Jalopnik. We use the full ‘beat the living shit out of’ phrase.
The current Elantra was remarkable enough to get my thumbs up (I’m the family and work car guru) over the Corolla, Focus and Civic as a well-built, reliable keeper with long-lasting potential. This new one looks 100% better. Can’t wait to see the wagon….
The hits keep coming, the Koreans are really on a roll.
I’ve never owned a Hyundai, but if they can prove their quality is on par with Honda and Toyota in addition to making attractive vehicles that can undercut the competition, they’re going to dominate.
Crosley
I am starting to think the days of anybody dominating are long gone.
In fact, I think this is starting to look like an NBA game in the last quarter!
The lead is changing with every possession…or new model!
The auto game is BRUTAL!
But for us, it’s like kids in a candy store!
I am sooo looking foward to LA this weekend!
I don’t think the Cruze or Focus need be worried. If the Elantra is like the Sonata the engine will be buzzy and not all that smooth. The interior will look nice but the materials will not quite be there. the ride will be a little rough and it won’t be all that quiet. The Cruze I drove was a vault. But since Americans are stupid and hate GM I hope you all die in your foreign cars.
In fairness, GM has given us many, many reasons to hate them over the last few decades. I still hope they make it, but only if they produce decent vehicles. They seem to be listening.
Yeah. Because the Cruze is an American car…
Nevermind that it was designed in Korea off of a German platform.
But since Americans are stupid and hate GM I hope you all die in your foreign cars.
I suppose smarter Americans would just keep buying the lousy GM cars that were produced throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, as a form of patriotism?
And by ‘foreign cars’ do you mean Chevys built in Canada, Fords built in Mexico, or Hyundais built in Alabama, or perhaps the union-built Hyundais from Korea? Hmm, so confusing….
The Cruze and Focus might be nice cars, but well-equipped with autoboxes can run easily 23-25k. If you buy one of those, you *will* be “voting with your wallet”.
gslippy you have proven your stupidity. TTAC is definitely the right place for you. You need an economics lesson, or2 or 3.
I think stones is too stupid to realise that the Chevy Cruze is actually Korean…LOL!
The only thing GM NA about the Cruze is the automatic tranny.
I like the elantra. The south koreans have got it going on.
The early ’00s Elantra (the ‘breakout’ model, imo) looked great on paper but a lot of them started to look and feel very worn down after 5 years. That’s the Corolla’s and Civic’s selling point – they’re still like new when they’re 10 years old.
I’m sure Hyundai’s improved, but I’ll wait until I see an Elantra generation do well at 5-10 years before I start recommending them.
I’m with you. I’ve driven two of the previous generation Sonatas as rentals in the past week, and except for the underpadded driver’s seat base, couldn’t fault them.
But looking on the road, I’m not seeing the pre-2005 generation Sonatas in good condition.
That’s quite the 7K price range on the 2011 Elantra <15 to <22 for the Premium.
I assume just one body style and engine? So the rest is just tack-on options? Reminds me of the old K car days where the dealer never had the base model on the lot…
Yes Hyundai have come a long way but when will they hold value Honda/Toyota style?
According to some they will exceed Honda/Toyota residual value.
http://www.finchannel.com/news_flash/Oil_%26_Auto/75862_Hyundai_Elantra_Earns_Highest_Residual_Value_in_Its_Class_in_the_2010_ALG_Residual_Value_Awards/
The Koreans are dumpnig cars at a loss like toyota did to gain market share. If americans weren’t so stupid they would see this.
Call me a fool but if you’re going to give me a good car cheap, I’m gonna buy it. And the Chinese will kill the Koreans in a few years, like the Koreans are killing the Japanese now.
You do realize that GM sold cars at a loss to maintain market share too, right? That’s been one of their fundamental strategies for the last 30 years or so – sell at a loss, make it up on volume!
Well, sometimes it was to maintain market share. Other times it was just the only way to get people to buy them.
“The Koreans are dumpnig cars at a loss like toyota did to gain market share. If americans weren’t so stupid they would see this.”
– And yet (funny), Hyundai and Kia are making record profits
Perhaps merely a confirmation of my Old Coot status if I were to approach the conveyance under consideration I would peer at the engine and its surroundings contemplating accessibility to component parts such as pumps, belts, spark plugs, replacing the battery, wiper motor etc. and ponder the time and effort needed to repair/replace those components when/if they require replacement.
After that endeavor, having again defied the relentless tug of gravity as I struggled to maintain my fully upright position with a few periods of bent-overedness with my hands assisting the gravity-defying event by pushing downwards against my knees and thighs, depending upon hand placement, I would recoup some strength by oozing downwards until my body was fully horizontal upon the planet surface allowing my gaze to fall upon the vehicles’ underpinnings to ascertain, to some extent, the general “beefiness” of the suspension and other related components along with service access points such as the possible presence of zerks, location of drain plugs, oil filter and its mounting position/accessibility, ease of viewing brake pads and other items of interest to an old codger whose innards are more excited by the looks of an ancient Mopar Duster of the early 70s than today’s new-fangled curvaceous admittedly much more high-tech conveyances.
Wanna’ witness the Disgruntled Old Coot sigh with ecstasy? No need to toss her lithe young body into my bed. Nay!!!!
Allow me to peer into the engine bay of a 60s era pick-up truck with a straight-6 engine and minimal accessories; sans A/C, power steering, etc. thus maximizing the empty space under the hood.
Espying enough room to clamber within and stand alongside the engine allowing one access to repair/perform maintenance is a liver-quivering delight.
Along with the older trucks allowing one to peer up under the dash and see/touch much of the goodies there unlike today’s hidden-by-plastic-panels and other look-good coverings that merely add to the mayhem involved in accessing components requiring repair.
I’ll wait to see one in person with plastic hubcaps, rusty rear drum brakes and under the normal daylight.
Else, it looks better than anything out there on this segment.
I wonder, with all of these cars that are compact and mid-size approaching 40 MPG highway, will we see the same paradox as we do with pickup trucks in North America? Will these bigger high mileage cars relegate the subcompacts and minis to redundancy, like standard size pickups have done to compact pickups?
Just a thought.
It looks good in that picture but looks like crap in the youtube video posted.