First Drive: 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring

Two weeks ago I got the chance to drive an early version of the Elantra Touring due out later this year. I was impressed with the little wagon as were others on our staff like Bill Jackson, our resident Weekend Athlete. We’ll be posting a video with his thoughts on this car in the near future, but for my initial impressions and a photo gallery keep reading. 

I enjoyed driving this economy car a lot more than I thought I would. Besides a lot of buzzy engine noise — it’s amazing how you rarely hear buzzy engines anymore — the little wagon did everything right. The ride was comfortable, and there wasn’t a lot of road noise. The manual transmission was a joy with light clutch feel and smooth shifter.

As a package, the Touring seemed a bit nicer inside than the Elantra sedan. The backseats folded flat with one button, and there was a lot of cargo room. But I was shocked by the starting price of nearly $18,000 for a manual transmission. Although Hyundai hasn’t announced its official pricing yet, there was a sticker inside our test car, so I assume the price is accurate.

While the Elantra Touring is a nifty economy wagon, the Scion xB offers more utility and style, the Pontiac Vibe is more fun to drive, and a base Subaru Impreza gives you all-wheel drive. And all can be had for a similar price. Economy car indeed.

Comments

[Ken]

Too bad about the buzzy engine - otherwise this might be my next car!

I notice how small the "Elantra" name is on the back. Should have just kept the "I30" name of the Euro model!! Esp. since it looks nothing like the Elantra sedan, looks more like a Saturn/Opel Astra in front!

[Tony]

I wouldn't worry about price too much. come to
Hyundai dealer 6 months from now and you'll buy it under invoice price anyway.
One thing Hyundai still not getting is how to remove that rear hump on the floor. Toyota somehow figured it all out. Do they actually have a single car with the hump?

[Tony]

I wonder if this baby will make 32MPGs?
It has iron block = heavy. Come on! I thought, noone makes an iron block anymore. And Hyundai has that global engine which is actually a global aluminum block, in Hyundais, Mitsus and Chryslers. May be Hyundai does some cost cutting by using iron?

It has the Genesis genes by the way it looks in the front.

Other than the interior, I really fail to see the Elantra likeness of it, just like the Genesis Coupe to the sedan.

Not bad though; the steering wheel reminds me a lot of the one in the Genesis coupe. I was expecting more Sonata quality over the Elantra sedan, but this looks fairly promising :) Just get rid of the iron block!

[Mart]

I think everyone needs to get used to the idea of paying a little more for their cars. Especially so called "economoy" cars.

I mean, come on. Increased quality doesn't come for free. Back in the day, Hyundai was cheap, but they were also rubbish. Slowly, their quality has increased and new models like this are as good as their competitors. As this has happened though, prices have crept up too. Could this POSSIBLY be because increased quality actually COSTS more to produce??

Maybe the other manufacturers haven't been resting on their laurels after all and have actually been charging rock bottom for the quality they are offering. It seems that the once budget makers are now finding that to make competitive cars they have to charge higher prices.

We'll probably find the Chinese or Indian makers enter the market at some point, selling cheap cars of inferior quality. And then they will start to improve and start to charge more and then eventually everyone will be priced roughly similar. Low employment costs obviously have an effect on cost, but I'd imagine it's negligible between USA and South Korea, for example.

[Dave T.]

mileage is 23/31 manual, 23/30 auto

[Dave T.]

Mart,
My point on the price was that the competition is less money with more features. Not that small cars aren't getting more expensive.

[Tony]

Mart,
the quality of the car doesn't affect MSRP or dealer's price. Demand does. For example, in the recent forum we discussed the Volvos. They not hight quality or high tech cars but their price is high and now, since their sales went 50% into pipe they give you $5000 off.
What really makes manufacturers charge more is standard equipment that didn't exist on older cars. Like, stability control or limited slip differencial, which now standard on many models. Then full set of airbags. Go 8 years back and you'll find 2 airbags per car in most cases. With all this equipment cars start to weight more. So the manufacturers have to work technology for stronger, lighter materials and more new engines,which will be more powerfull and at the same time more frugal, as reliable, as light or lighter, etc. And as you know, technology cost money.
Here is another major reason cars are expensive - the materials. You can make fortune by selling scrap metal to SE Asian countries. The oil has been as expensive as ever and so all the polimers used in the interior. Copper is really expensive now and that drives cost of wiring in the car.
I would say, this is why cars are generally more expensive but not because their quality improved.
Of course, when Koreans will build a loyal customer base, they will go for higher price more easily but this is still not the case. They still sell mostly because improved quality (not meaning excellent), great warranty, great deals (discounts), improved drivability and refinment.
But their resale still very bad and this is big deal. May be one single reason not to buy one. And Koreans know well, that without vast discounts they will not sell untill their customer base will grow well, so that they can guarantee that in 7-8 years time they will sale again and this time they can charge a little more. But they need another 10 years to grow to such onditions.

[Tony]

So, with mileage of 23/30 (seriously - not many people buy stick) they are not exactly in good position because Matrix is in the close price range with what, 26/33? Slap Toyota name into the argument and there goes obvious choice for many. Don't understand me wrong way - I don't say Matrix is a better car. Likely - not. Just perception.
I don't know about xB. Still, many call it ugly and not interested in it just because of that. But I agree that xB is a good alternative for comfort and utility. Drivability - I don't know.

[Red]

Tony is right. The Matrix is a nicer car with better mileage. If you can do without the wagon, the Corolla gets 40 on the highway.

[Cj]

Red check your numbers. The EPA on the Corolla tops out at 35 mpg.

The Matrix gets up to 32 with the manual and up to 31 with the auto, so it's not a huge difference in mileage.

If you really want an affordable high mileage hatchback/wagon wait for the Honda Insight. It'll only be $18,XXX and get up to 45 mpg.

[rwcmick]

I think the dash looks a little plain around the HVAC controls, but exterior wise I like it!

[allen]

Does anyone know when we will be able to purchase this car in the U.S. ?

[fc]

Remember Hyundai offers one of the best warranties in the USA like the 10 year or 100,000 powertrain warranty and the basic warranty 5 years or 60,000, not to forget the roadside assistance for five years.

I agree Hyundai's are getting more expensive, now Nissan offers the Versa sedan 1.6 model which is about $2,000-3,000 less than a Hyundai Accent GLS sedan.

[bluto]

I am sure Hyundai isn't intending to charge a premium on a cheap car.

Just because it is a stick shift doesn't mean this a base model. If you look at the accompanying video (on youtube), this test car has a sun roof. It might also have 16" or 17" alloy wheels...the Elantra touring is meant to be slightly mid-end compact, not an 'economy car'. You won't find one with 15" steel wheels and without AC and cruise control. Regarding gas mileage and the added wt of the iron block engine, it isn't all that bad considering it is also giving you more cargo capacity than its competition...8 cubic feet more rear storage than a Mazda3.

[Art]

If you read some of the European and Australian road tests and translate liters per 100 km to American MPG you'll find that they're getting 33 MPG under road test conditions (and that's gotta be really thrashing the things). The Brits are running the 1600 gas engine, which might have a slight effect, but the Aussies have the 2 liter, same as we'll get. Under gentle driving, the smaller engine will give better mileage, but when leant on hard, it's all about the weight.

[Gary]

I recently inspected the Touring and found the front legroom to exceed that of any vehicle I've examined, including Corolla, Civic, Malibu, Mazda3&6, Fusion, and my wife's Olds Intrigue. The rear legroom was greater that the Civic by over 6 inches. Ease of entry was outstanding (I'm 6'1" & 235#). Front/rear seats were comfortable & large enough in all dimensions (contrary to many of European origin). Build quality was excellent. A drive will be next...I'm concerned about a reported buzzy engine and road noise (thrum).

[M Hepner]

I was with my brother this weekend when we ended up at a Hyundai dealership. After looking at a variety of hatchbacks and wagons over the last few months, my brother and I immediately fell in love with the Hyundai Elantra Touring. We have been hard-core Honda owners/lovers for over 20 year but have found that you now have to pay extra for everything in a Honda and the fun factor has disappeared from this trusted reliable automobile. So we found ourselves looking at the competition for the first time in years. Out of all the car companies - Hyundai was the last on our list - we just check it out just out of curiosity. I didn't think we would find anything there worth looking at. Then we saw this wagon and it was sporty and the test drive felt real good. There was a definite fun factor. Even the GL model with out the alloy tires and sunroof would great to own but my brother opted for the fully loaded sports model. This came in around 24G CDN - a little more than we were looking to spend but when I compare this to my own 2009 Mazda 3 which I bought 3 months ago - this care offers more and the same gas mileage with 8 cubic feet more of cargo room then my hatch. If you would have asked me last week about buying a Hyundai - I would have laughed in your face - Now, I can't help but feel a little envious of my brother's new car and a little disappointed that I didn't see this vehicle a few months ago when I was in the market to buy mine. My opinion - for a wagon, this is a pretty sweet ride that drives and handles well and keeps the fun alive.

[jerseytomato]

We bought one a month ago and we love it. Like the brothers, we expected to get another Honda since we love our 2005 Accord. But Honda is resting on its laurels. Salespeople at two Honda dealerships were so lazy that no one even got up when we walked in (and they wonder why sales are down?) The Fit is a dumpy little box with no seat adjustment except forward and backward--not good as I'm 5-feet and my husband is 6-foot. Civic is nice but everything is extra.

Next stop was the Matrix. It felt clunky while the Elanta feels like a nice sedan inside. Didn't have to pay extra for ESC and traction control, as Toyota makes you do. We got the Touring for $135 more than a similarly equipped Corolla would have cost--and we have a heck of a lot more room. We didn't consider Subarus because we don't need AWD.

On road trips with the Touring we've gotten 34-35 mpg; around town (crowded suburb) we get 28. Like others we never expected to go for a Hyundai--but so far we're very glad we did.

[new owner]

I have had my Touring for 4 weeks now and am a satisfied owner. I have put over 900 miles on it so far. I get 29+ mpg commuting and about 34+ on highways. For a while, easy driving at 50+ mph, I got it up to 35.8 mpg but I was really trying hard to drive "green" and see how high I could get it. Normally, I like to have fun and really drive my cars and the average still stays around 29 mpg.

I traded in my old Elantra GT hatchback with 84,000 miles. I enjoyed it but wanted a car with ESC and other newer safety features without spending a lot of money. With the economy the way it is, I was also looking for a good deal.

I looked at the Honda Fit, Toyota Prius, Suburu, Mini Cooper, Mazda and a number of other highly rated cars from Consumer Reports. I did not want a big car like the Rav4, newer Forester, etc. But I did not want too small of a car for safety reasons and I wanted something with plenty of trunk space. I also considered the Matrix, Vibe, Scion, Element and a number of other such cars but I wanted something more upscale and more comfortable for long trips this summer.

I have read all the reviews of it and I can see people finding little faults here and there. But I do not mind them. The positives out weigh the negatives. All in all, it is a great car. It is comfortable and fun to drive. I like all of its amenities and nice touches. It has plenty of passenger and hauling room but is still economical to drive. The long warranty is also nice although in 7-8 years, I had no trouble at all with my last Elantra.

I got the sport model with auto transmission, sunroof and 17" wheels. It would have been nice to have a Nav unit but I open up the small hatch on the dash and prop up my Tom-Tom GPS unit there and it works just as well. The stereo is great and I like the XM but I will probably not pay for it after the free trial period runs out. I will then switch to my iPod and leave it in the center console all the time, hidden away.

As I said before, I am a satisfied customer and would recommend it with no qualms. It is a great car and I am looking forward to taking it on a really long trip in a few weeks.

[Joan]

My last car was a 2000 Hyundai station wagon.
I always got 25mpg in the city and 33mpg on the highway. I loved it!

Other than regular maintenance, brakes, and tires, the car was never in the shop. It was totalled with 105,000 miles on the odometer.

I replaced it in August 2008 with a Toyota Scion XB because Hyundai didn't make the station wagon anymore.

My Scion is terrific, but time will tell.

[Perry]

We recently traded a Nissan sedan for an Elantra Touring. I am 61 years old and have bought Nissan cars and trucks since they were Datsuns. I still love my Frontier. All that said, Hyundai has a wonderful car in the Elantra Touring model. We bought ours about a month ago. Our first lengthy round trip of seven hours was to pick up a Doberman from a Rescue shelter. There was plenty of room-- and height-- in the back for his large crate and for our other dog, a Black Lab, who came with us to meet her new companion. The entire trip to the shelter and back was in heavy, driving rain. The Touring handled magnificently in the Philadelphia-area traffic and on the winding roads of a hilly section of Pennsylvania. Wipers, lights, air-conditioning, windows all worked beautifully. The interior fit and finish are in my opinion excellent. Seats very comfortable. Gas mileage on that rainy day averaged 33 mpg. I always buy a manual transmission and this car has a particularly smooth one. It took a bit of getting used to having reverse at the upper left rather than lower right of the gearbox, and the apparent safety feature which requires the driver to pull up on a ring just below the knob of the gear-shift when shifting into reverse is a little awkward. But this is a great car that has outstanding cargo room, lots of extras that are standard in this model, good safety ratings, and a reasonable price. We love ours!

[Mike]

Just bought this car and really like it. Plenty of room and while not quite as comfortable as my wife's Lexus, it is quite pleasurable. I opted for the 5-speed manual (which are very hard to locate) and the premium package. The 5-speed is very easy and fun to drive with the short throw shifter. I strongly recommend the premium package with the 17" wheels, heated seats and sunroof. The only stereo available with MP3 and XM Satellite is a nice touch. It is a fun car to drive and rivals many SUVs with the available space while being more fun and economical to drive. Forget about what you have heard and read about the Hyundais of old, this car is exceptional. Check pricing available through zag.com before making a deal. I was able to purchase for $4,000 under invoice!