2006 Hyundai Elantra XD-GLS 2.0 DOHC from Iran
Summary:
In general very good car
Faults:
"Moaning" noise at engine idle speed presumably coming from the steering hydraulic pump. Some dealer say it is nrmal for this car and the other says wait until the car is fully broken in and if the noise does not go away, it might be needed to replace the hydraulic pump.
The car is brand new with only about 400 kms on the clock.
General Comments:
The way engine responses, it seems like you need to shift to lighter gears sooner than expected especially from 1 to 2nd gear.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th October, 2006
6th Dec 2006, 02:36
Sorry, I do not agree with you. I bought myself a new car this month after considering different brands. I considered the Elantra mainly for its low price and good looks. So I visited a dealer some months back to pick up some brochures and a test drive. I browsed the documentation when I waited for the demo car to come in. What struck me was that this car is many years behind the leading brands in technical design. The test drive was a total disappointment as well, it's all very nineties: Cheap materials, noisy on uneven road surfaces, poor handling especially in sharp bends. It's like the 95 Corolla that a collegue of mine used to have. Compared to the new German built 2007 Ford Focus MkII, its worlds apart even if the Ford is more expensive. The Ford has better safety (5 star NCAP rating and 6 airbags), 15% better gas mileage in average, lower emissions (Euro stage 4), better ride and quality feel, tons of more standard equipment (like ESP). The Ford simply feels like a new car where the Elantra feels like an old car. When you buy a new car you have to shell out a lot of money anyhow, why not buy a car that has modern technology? I think that Hyundai has copied some 10-15 years old blueprints when they designed the Elantra.