Curious if anyone has any experience with them beyond a test drive? Reviews I've read say they're much better handling than the Elantra sedan, due to chassis stiffening and a different suspension tune. They have great mpg ratings, and you can pick up a loaded (huge sunroof, heated leather, nav, etc...) '13 low miles 6spd for around $14k. I'm a big fan of Hyundai/Kia, but never had one of these. We had a 2011 Kia Forte wagon and really liked it.
Had one as a demo once. I liked it a lot, felt very solid with a lot of usable interior space. My only complaint about it was the steering, it was very on/off feeling when doing highway driving. Around town and on some twistier roads it felt composed and capable, overall for the money and options I would have to recommend it.
My MIL has one and I have an Elantra sedan. The suspension is "Sportier" but not really any better. Though both are competent. I prefer the dash and seats in the sedan as the seats are a bit wider and the dash center stack narrower giving more room. The sedan is a bit longer which makes legroom better in the back. Overall I am pleased with my Elantra GLS. It delivers good MPG (36 overall) and had been reliable with no issues in 60k mlkes.
I spent time with a 2014 as a loaner while the engine was replaced in my 2011 Elantra sedan. I picked it up with 450 miles and returned it with around 3000 miles. I used it for commuting as well as a trip to NYC from central MA.
It drove nice and felt sportier than my sedan. Part of that may be my sedan had 90,000 miles at the time so I would expect the GT to feel tighter. The one I had also included the selectable steering settings, so I left it on "Sport" which made the steering a bit heavier and less boosted. I think the one I had also had the 2.0L GDI engine, so that would also explain some improved pickup over the 1.8L in my sedan.
I did find the hatch to have less usable space than the trunk of my sedan. I can fit my son's hockey bag (player or goalie) and stick in the trunk of the sedan, but with the hatch it would have been tight for his player gear and required one seat folded down for the goalie gear.
I think the biggest benefit is that you can get them with the 6 spd, 4 drs, and all the options that are only available with the automatic in the sedan.
It looks nice but I really hate the new trend of making the end of the hatchback slope down so sharply. I know all of the company's are doing it now. But it ruins the practicality and usefulness of having it. End rant. We have a 2014 forte sedan and like it ok, these do look sportier.
I'm a huge hatchback/wagon person, so I wouldn't have much interest in the sedan. I'd be looking at the 6spd with every factory option Hyundai offered. I don't expect to storm a road course with it, but don't want a wallowing pig either.
For me, I have some pretty specific needs, and the Elantra GT is one that's checking all the boxes.
I drive 35k+ miles per year. For that reason I need a car that's:
Dead nuts reliable with cheap consumables. I don't have time or money for a high needs car.
A nice place to spend 3+ hours a day in. Which is why I wanted the loaded model (leather, sunroof, etc...)
Won't have a massive depreciation cost (i.e. cheaper buy in).
Cargo hauling ability....I have three active kids and constantly carry football, lacrosse, etc...gear.
Good mpg, with the amount I drive, it matters a lot.
Fun to drive, or at least not a total snore.
As much as I love them, I'm a bit gun shy on turbo/DI motors...see my first point above. The '13 Elantra was port injected.
Not a ton of cars on that list that would be under $17k or so. I love the Mazdaspeed3 and FoST, but poor fuel mileage, turbo DI motors and ability to take a beating are concerns for me. The Elantra is one car that fits my needs, and I see it as a heck of a bargain. The 2012 Acura TSX wagon is another, but it's autotragic only.
Klayfish wrote: I'm a huge hatchback/wagon person, so I wouldn't have much interest in the sedan. I'd be looking at the 6spd with every factory option Hyundai offered. I don't expect to storm a road course with it, but don't want a wallowing pig either. For me, I have some pretty specific needs, and the Elantra GT is one that's checking all the boxes. I drive 35k+ miles per year. For that reason I need a car that's: Dead nuts reliable with cheap consumables. I don't have time or money for a high needs car. A nice place to spend 3+ hours a day in. Which is why I wanted the loaded model (leather, sunroof, etc...) Won't have a massive depreciation cost (i.e. cheaper buy in). Cargo hauling ability....I have three active kids and constantly carry football, lacrosse, etc...gear. Good mpg, with the amount I drive, it matters a lot. Fun to drive, or at least not a total snore. As much as I love them, I'm a bit gun shy on turbo/DI motors...see my first point above. The '13 Elantra was port injected. Not a ton of cars on that list that would be under $17k or so. I love the Mazdaspeed3 and FoST, but poor fuel mileage, turbo DI motors and ability to take a beating are concerns for me. The Elantra is one car that fits my needs, and I see it as a heck of a bargain. The 2012 Acura TSX wagon is another, but it's autotragic only.
That's pretty much every reason to own one. The other option is the Forte5, but I'm not really sure they are available with anythiung but the T-GDI engine. Chassis is the same as the 10-13 Forte, so there's no surprises there. simple, reliable and works.
The '13-current Elantra GT is built on the '10-'13 Forte chassis? Didn't know that. We owned an '11 Forte wagon for quite a while, really liked the car.
What about the Elantra Touring? It looks like it might have more usable space since it looks more like a traditional wagon than a hatchback.
nepa03focus wrote: It looks nice but I really hate the new trend of making the end of the hatchback slope down so sharply. I know all of the company's are doing it now. But it ruins the practicality and usefulness of having it. End rant. We have a 2014 forte sedan and like it ok, these do look sportier.
they are trying for the "fastback" look 
Klayfish wrote: The '13-current Elantra GT is built on the '10-'13 Forte chassis? Didn't know that. We owned an '11 Forte wagon for quite a while, really liked the car.
Yep. My K-sports on the '10 SX were made for the Veloster, but came with Elantra tophats. The bolt patterns are a little different for the three bolts that hold the strut on top, but everything else is interchagable. Rear sway bar is from the Veloster/Elantra as well.
92dxman wrote: What about the Elantra Touring? It looks like it might have more usable space since it looks more like a traditional wagon than a hatchback.
While a nice car, it's built off the older platform with a durable, but gutless engine and trans. Fuel economy is well below the newer platform and driveability is much different. That engine dates back to 1995 in it's roots and still uses a timing belt that has a 60k mile/5 year service life.
When I looked on Wiki...not that it's ever wrong...it says the current Elantra platform is the "UD", where the '10-'13 Kia Forte is the "HD" platform, which was shared with the previous generation Elantra? Usually you see similarities in interior when platforms are shared, but the '13 Elantra looks very different than the '11 Forte. Our Forte also had a much more powerful engine, 2.4L IIRC. Are you sure the old Forte and current Elantra are the same platform?
Yep. The HD platform Elantra (07-10) used the old beta engine and a multilink rear suspension. The first gen Forte came out in 09 with the "new" theta engines (2.0 and 2.4), 5spd auto and 6spd manuals and the torsion beam rear suspension. The non-SX cars use the same brakes as the new gen elantras (11-15), same rear shocks, beam etc.
There is NOTHING in the HD on the Forte. If you're going on interiors alone, the new forte and elantra are completely different as well, same with the Optima/Sonata. The Koreans don't do platform sharing like GM/Toy/Honda. They actually make them look different and a lot of times offer different drivetrain packages just to mix it up.
AS for hte "much more powerful engine"... the new 2.0L offered in the GT and top level sedan makes the same power with better economy than the old 2.4.
So the first gen Forte was the UD platform? Our '11 Forte was the SX with the 2.4L, and yeah fuel economy wasn't great.
I was looking at the '13 Elantra GTs, as even though the new 2.0L is probably a good engine, it's DI. With the amount I drive, I'll wind up with carbon issues darn quickly. So while I haven't ruled DI out, I'm looking at port injection where possible. If I decide to go with DI, it opens up a whole basket of choices... used FoST or MS3 just to name a few.
Just popping my head in here to glean information for future reference, but isn't carbon buildup in DI engines caused mostly by repeated short trips without getting fully up to temp? Carbon might be a non-issue depending on how those 35k miles are traveled.
What are the short lists of multi port injection cars with turbos. I know the fiat 500 Abarth /Turbo has it.
In reply to Coldsnap:
Almost anything between like, 1985 and 2010 or so with a turbo. There were a few TBI holdouts and some early DI uses in there, but by and large almost everything was port injected; all turbo Supras, 300ZXs, VAG products, Subarus, Saabs, etc.
My miles are a very even mix. A lot of 75-80mph highway cruising, just as much bumper to bumper on those very same highways, sprinkled in with a good amount of suburban country road driving.
And so theirs some cars the use DI and PI? Right i'm not thinking this up. I think the FRS uses direct injection for some periods then port injection for some driving..
In reply to Coldsnap:
Yes but they are uncommon. As far as I know the FR-S/BRZ is one of a very small subset of cars using such a system, possibly some newer Toyotas as well. Most companies just use one or the other, and port injection was pretty much the norm for turbo cars from the advent of Bosch CIS all the way through DI becoming commercially viable.
You were waiting for me to comment, my 2011 Elantra GLS manual has 210k, has one replacement part, rear shocks, has never broken down, interior looks almost new, all accessories work, gets run hard every day, carries anything including wheelchairs in the trunk, can fit a 6'8" 500 lb passenger in it and still gets looks. I average 40mpg, yesterday was 41mpg
aussiesmg wrote: You were waiting for me to comment, my 2011 Elantra GLS manual has 210k, has one replacement part, rear shocks, has never broken down, interior looks almost new, all accessories work, gets run hard every day, carries anything including wheelchairs in the trunk, can fit a 6'8" 500 lb passenger in it and still gets looks. I average 40mpg, yesterday was 41mpg
And that's the part that very strongly appeals to the sensible/logical part in me. But things like the FoST are oh so much fun, and I spend so much time in the car.
In reply to aussiesmg:
Your experience with yours is partly what guided me into a 2016 GT 6 sp manual,test drove the car I bought right off the truck and the shifting was pretty slick and since then its been getting a little notchier.Not stiff just clearly not what it was,occasional it feels like a syncho catching with an upshift and more often with a downshift. Is yours an auto or manual?,just kinda looking for fluid options for improvement.I'm positive the hour long drive to the dealer will result in "its fine go away".
kevlarcorolla wrote: In reply to aussiesmg: Your experience with yours is partly what guided me into a 2016 GT 6 sp manual,test drove the car I bought right off the truck and the shifting was pretty slick and since then its been getting a little notchier.Not stiff just clearly not what it was,occasional it feels like a syncho catching with an upshift and more often with a downshift. Is yours an auto or manual?,just kinda looking for fluid options for improvement.I'm positive the hour long drive to the dealer will result in "its fine go away".
Common with Hy/Ki products. Change the fluid, change it often in my experience. IIRC, the older recommendation was every 15-30k (depending on severity of conditions). I do mine every 30k.
In reply to Bobzilla:Common problem but every 2500 miles is a bit much for fluid changes to smooth it out again.
Fluid type for improvent over stock stuff?
You'll need to log in to post.
