The Price Was Right!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Overall we feel as if we have made a great decision and are very happy with this car.

Cons: The buckle of the seat belt.

Author's Review
I needed a new car. I had been in a car accident (not my fault) and had on short notice replaced my totaled car with a '96 Ford Contour. After several months of driving what I came to call the poop car - I wanted something new.

My husband and I sat down and listed what we wanted to look for in a vehicle for us. Safety was #1 for us. Most of my injuries from my accident had been as a result of the poor design of the car I was driving. #2 Price. Plain and simple we are just starting out and are saving for a house. So we did not want a big car payment. #3 Gas Mileage. We live in Michigan and often drive up north for fishing, hunting and camping. We would be racking up a ton of miles on it and we did not want a big bill at the pump. #4 Warranty. It came down to the money thing again. We did not want to support a car bill and a repair bill at the same time. #5 Performance. We wanted it peppy on the highway and maneuverable in the city. With winter driving we needed front wheel drive. #6 Room. I am almost 6' and my husband is 6' 5" we knew we would be looking at smaller cars with our price range, but we did not want to feel like we were crammed into a clown car.

We drove, searched the internet, asked friends and family and checked out different consumer reports. Finally we choose the Hyundai Elantra. We picked it up on November 7th with only 7 miles on the odometer - we now have almost 2,000 miles on it less than two weeks later. This is what we think.

#1 Safety. It has front and side impact airbags. The passenger compartment is comprised of a steel cage. The car was designed with front and rear crumple zones to absorb impact in the event of a crash. The engine was also designed in a front or off center front impact to disengage and drop down to avoid it getting launched into the passenger compartment where it could potentially crush the drivers or front passengers legs and feet. All 3 rear seats have shoulder restraints. This car scored very high in every safety test that I looked over.
#2 Price. $14,100 for a car with Air conditioning, tilt steering, CD player, keyless entry, alarm, auto side mirror adjustment, cruise control, front and side airbags, automatic transmission, auto windows, and auto door locks. We were happy - compared to other cars in its' class that we had looked at we felt as if we were getting the most bang for our buck.
#3 Gas Mileage. 26 in the city and 33 on the highway if memory severs me right was on the window sticker. I check my mileage each time I fill up and we drive a combination of both - I have been getting 30 - 30.5 per fill up.
#4 Warranty. It is the best one out there. Period. 5 year 50,000 bummer to bummer with road side assistance and 10 year 100,000 on the powertrain. This was not an add on warranty but the one that was included in the price of the car.
#5 Performance. It runs quiet, handles nice (I like it TONS more than the Contour I owned) and has proven able to speed up and move in and out of traffic well on the highway. My husband is happy with it as well and his normal vehicle is a Ford 150 truck. The cruise control is in a strange spot to us and did take some getting use to use. The dashboard is large and easy to read. It is no turbo but considering its engine size it was surprising how well it dose.
#6 Room. You have to adjust the seat using a turn knob - so changing drivers is a pain. We have a ton of head room and the drink cup holders are in a nice spot between us. The glove box is full size even with the airbag and is down low. There is space on both sides of the driver and passenger that servers as arm rests, and we have never felt crowded. We have a bigger friend and the seat belts had plenty of slack in them so he was able to buckle up. He told us that often he can't as some are not long enough. The latches for the seatbelts are low in the seat and it feels like you are sitting on them - latching them is the one thing we do not like about this car. The seats are firm but mostly because of the side impact airbags that are located inside. You can't put seat cover on them to make them more comfortable as a result of the airbag - but for greater safety I was willing to have them less comfortable. The trunk is higher than most cars with not a deep lip to the trunk floor. When we were removing hunting gear recently that was heavy we both noticed how much easier it was getting items in and out. We both agreed that the trunk lid did not look like it was very reinforced so we made note to be careful about anything sticking up and out when slamming it close as it seems like it would put a dent into it. The back seats fold forward for placing longer items inside.