hyundai elantra touring

[Raymo853]

What do folks think of the new Hyundai Elantra Touring versus the Mazda 3 Five door. I am seriously considering it as a viable alternative after sitting in one this past week.

 

[GoFast]

I think it is a decent alternative. Contrary to popular belief, or what anyone will actually admit, Hyundai seems to make a pretty decent car from what I have seen. I have a co-worker that loves his elantra and never has any issues with it. I do however, think that the Mazda looks better

 

[Raymo853]

I too agree that Hyundai has totally addressed the reliability concerns their cars had when they first entered the US market.

Now on looks I disagree, I think the Elantra Touring is better looking than the 2010 Mazda 3s. Now the Elantra sedan looks very bad to me.

Of course I am so disappointed Hyundai decided to delete the roof rails from the US version. Why they would do such a bone-head thing is beyond me.

 

[coolmazda5]

Yes Hyundai is way ahead of what it used to be, agree but just couple of things to consider if you care about it:

• Handling, Handling and Handling. I've driven many Hyundai and KIA rentals, and their drive is so bland
• The Mazda3 has been around for some time already, so chances are most of the bugs are fixed
• Resale value, whether or not they are getting better, they are still Hyundai

As per the roof rails, same as the Mazda5, it has to do with costs, nothing else. US is one of the cheapest countries to buy a car, so they have to balance the must vs. the nice to have.

Anyway, too much (blah), test drive both (if you haven't done so already )

 

[NCZ13]

the new elantras are fairly reliable. I dont believe ive seen any come in for other than maintance at my work. Although i dont think the Touring version is the best looking car. the 3 certainly trumps it in looks.

The manual elantra sedan i drove didnt inspire any sporty feelings whatsoever.