$14 830 for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra

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This is for a base model.
And still is much cheaper than all of the new competition like the Cruze, Focus and Jetta.

All models come with a 148hp engine rated at 29/40 MPG. Almost as good as VW’s DTI.

I can see this becoming one of the most popular cars in the US very soon.

Conversation 21 comments

  1. The base model has no a/c and no radio. Not a fair comparison to the two cars that have those items standard. Start the comparison with the GLS Popular and its much closer – $16,080 for the Elantra, $16,270 for the 2012 Focus S sedan.

  2. The Hyundai-Haters will inevitably spew venom to the contrary, but the 2011 Elantra seriously looks to be Best In Class (by a rather wide margin).

  3. Gorgeous. Bravo Hyundai, sorry Chrysler et al. Of course, we laughed at Hyundai in 1986 the way we laugh today at Chinese brands … what will we be driving 25 years from now?

  4. The feeling here is that the Elantra will dominate the segment. I do like the Cruze and new Focus which I think will be very competitive and heat up the segment.

    The new 2012 Elantra is ready to romp up some serious sales and go head to head with the likes of Civic and Corolla.

  5. "Nothing interesting here. To attempt to charge anything close to 20k is laughable." –
    November 18, 2010 5:30 PM

    I've been saying this about the Honda Civic for years now.
    The big difference here is that you can see the improvements so the price jump is justified.

  6. I'm not a fan of this styling.
    It seems kind of "fan boy, speed racer" to me.
    The rising belt line means the rear seat will be claustrophobic for most people, and shorter adults and most kids won't be able to comfortably see out of the side windows.
    One of the earlier commentators had a great point: comfortably optioned, this car costs about the same as a base Sonata. I would much prefer that car: bigger, more comfortable, nicer styling.

    What I'd like from Hyundai is the following: a revamped Touring, with the same/similar styling as the earlier edition, but 6-speed auto tranny and a nav option.
    The Touring, BTW, was one of the nicest looking Hyundais I've seen: nice, neutral, clean, practical design.

    The US market does not have a comfortable, affordable, modern station wagon: Mercedes, Volvo, BMW and Saab cost $40k+. Offer a nicely equipped mid-to-large station wagon for about $20k and you'll get a lot of customers.

  7. "Anonymous said…
    Beauty is only skin deep…you get what you pay for in the end.

    November 19, 2010 5:04 AM"

    Tell that to my neighbor who is a pharmaceutical sales rep. He drives all over the US for a living.

    He has had six Hyundai vehicles in the past 15 years, Elantra, Sonata x2, Santa Fe, Azera, and now a Genesis.

    He put over 200,000 miles on each of them but the Azera which he sold with 170,000 miles because he had to have the Genesis which now has 60,000 miles. His Santa Fe was one of the very first 2001's to hit these shores and he put over 285,000 miles on it with NO mechanical issues but fix a leaky rear diff at 220,000 miles.

    The quality is there, you are foolish to think otherwise as you have no proof.

  8. You are comparing to a discounted Sonata…This is $18K with proper features (Yeah…The low start price is a pathetic stripper) but will be discounted after initial high demand tapers off…So…This will cost $16K discounted.

  9. it definitely has the best profile of almost any car . .dare i say . . .ever?

    Ummmm…No.

    Its a nice car and well worth the money at $14k+

    But at $22k it's a bit small. And starting to run into competitors from Ford, Nissan, Subaru and Chrysler that are argueably more car for the money.

  10. Compared to a Civic or a Corolla, this thing looks as modern as a spaceship. But compared to the upcoming Focus or the Mazda 3, this looks dopy. And, it's a Hyundai… So blech.

  11. This is a great looking car and it will compete well with others in the class.
    I really like the upcoming Ford Focus but I think it will appeal more to the younger crowd. The Elantra is nice enough to attract a wide range of people.
    It would be nice to have a 'sport' model Elantra however. I heard Hyundai has a DI version of the 'Nu' engine that has about 20 more horsepower. Maybe they are saving that for the sport model.

  12. "it definitely has the best profile of almost any car . .dare i say . . .ever?"

    Is this actually your own opinion, or are you being paid to say it?

    The profile looks like the car was deformed, stretched, and later partially melted. One of the most goofy side profiles I've seen in a long time.

    "The Hyundai-Haters will inevitably spew venom to the contrary, but the 2011 Elantra seriously looks to be Best In Class (by a rather wide margin)."

    And the Hyundai paid PR people, I mean Hyundai "supporters" will do whatever it takes to hype up this car like other new Hyundai products.

    Don't be ignorant, so you honestly think your anecdotal story is "proof"? You want proof, it's simple. Look at ALL the long-term reliability surveys out there. Look at warranty data and warranty surveys. Hyundai is NOT leading in any of them. There is your proof. Anonymous was right, you DO get what you pay for in the end.

    "Compared to a Civic or a Corolla, this thing looks as modern as a spaceship. But compared to the upcoming Focus or the Mazda 3, this looks dopy. And, it's a Hyundai… So blech."

    Except … we ARE talking about cars here, NOT spaceships. The spaceship blog is not this site.

  13. If you don't like the style… oh well. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
    I'm looking to get either a Sonata SE or a loaded Elantra. If one of these Hyundai PR people can give me a discount that would be great! LOL

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