2008 Hyundai Elantra User Reviews

Pros

Fun to drive, fuel economy, reliability, warantee, price

Cons

Somewhat noisy engine

Purchased As New

I purchased this car new in July 2008. I have since put 34k miles on it, mostly driving all around Michigan on horrible roads. I have not babied this car in the least. I have not had a single problem except the windshield washer sprayer pump stopped working. I got it with the 5 speed manual and was pleasantly surprised to find that the car actually has pretty good acceleration and is all around fun to drive. I was expecting the economy, which is there in spades as well, with cheap maintenance costs and good mileage.

I really like this car and if all goes well I will remain a loyal customer of Hyundai for years to come. I think that people discount Hyundai too easily. The only possible downside of this car is that the resale value does not hold up as well as honda or toyota due to perception.

Reviews knock on the soft ride and conservative styling, but being a previous lifetime owner of American cars I did not find the ride too soft. It can be a bit soft over rolling bumps, but generally handles pretty tight and has precise steering. The turning radius is also amazingly small. I like the way the car looks, especially compared to the bug-eyed look that the newer corollas have....read morehide

Pros

GREAT fuel economy, good acceleration, great comfort

Cons

No bluetooth in my model, fuel tank spills over when fueling

Purchased As Used

I purchased this car over 2 weeks ago, and have put almost 2000 miles on it already. I researched cars for at least 2 weeks before deciding I wanted to buy a Hyundai, mostly for the warranty. I initially looked at the Hyundai Accent, but they seemed a little cramped. The dealer I was at had this car for the same price as a new Accent, and I liked the features on this one much better (other than no bluetooth in mine). I bought a 4 door sedan, with 14,000 miles, power windows, locks, cruise, a/c, and (most importantly) manual transmission.

This is a GREAT car! I traded in my 2001 Ford Taurus (which I adored) for this car, and I am not sorry!

The Elantra is smaller than my old Taurus, however, it does not feel cramped inside. I am a large woman, and my boyfriend is very tall (6' 4"), but neither of us are uncomfortable in the front seat of the car. I have plenty of room side-to-side, and he has more than enough headroom (as opposed to his mother's Cobalt, he turns his head to the side or hunches over to fit). The back seat is roomy enough for 2 kids, and they love the fold-down cup holder.

Fuel economy is amazing. I am very adamant about resetting my trip meter with every tankful of gas, and the last time I got fuel, I put in 10.2 gallons of fuel. Ihad gotten 379 miles on the previous tankful. I know I consistantly get more than 33mpg, and that is more than enough for me. I do a lot of country driving, living in Western New York, so it's always a mix of 'highway' and 'city' driving.

The trunk is large enough to hold more than 5 large duffel bags, despite looking small from the outside.

The ONLY 'complaint' I have about this car is with the fuel tank. When fueling, you have to be careful not to 'top it off'...something I was used to doing with my Taurus (and every other vehicle I've owned or driven). However, if you do that with this car, the gas will immediately start flowing out of the tank, down the side of the car and onto the ground. After the second time, I just decided that once the nozzle shuts off, it's done, no matter if it's at a whole dollar or not.

My mother just bought a 2008 Ford Focus about a week before I got the Elantra. She wishes she had held off and gone with me to get an Elantra. Mine has more features, better gas mileage, and is more comfortable than hers, yet ultimately cost less....read morehide

Pros

XM, voice activated bluetooth handsfree system, fairly roomy, lots of toys for the buck

Cons

no power seats (why?), telescopic steering wheel could come out more, factory tint isn't dark enough

Purchased As New

The model I have has every toy and feature Hyundai offered and they are a lot of them for the price.

The interior leather is not bad, and it meshes nicely with the plastic trim. Steering wheel controls are nice, except it's missing a mute button. Lot's of storage for the size, good cupholder placement, good lighting and mirrors. Aux dock for MP3 players, 2 power outlets/cig lighters. Why didn't Hyundai throw power seats on this? That bugs me.

Everyone says this is a compact car but it is a lot closer to a mid-size in my opinion.

I downgraded from a big v6 with a supercharger, so I had to get used to a slower car... it's not as bad as I thought it would be. This does have DOHC and it seems quicker than the new Malibu's that I tested.
The engine has a somewhat hard time accelerating 45mph and up, and it gets a little loud at freeway speeds. But, this could be just me being used to the previous car's powertrain.

Exterior is fairly plain even with the chrome and sunroof. The wheels are nice (5 spoke has always been my preference) and not too flashy.

I've tested ESC, TCS, ABS, and electronic steering and so far it has handled everything I have thrown at it, both on the freeway and in the city. Tire pressure monitoring system is nice, never had that before.

For all you get in creature comforts, fun gadgets, warranty, and value I am happy....read morehide

Pros

Great MPG, Roomy interior, quick handling

Cons

Can only get a sunroof in Limited or GL Sport, was set on GLS though.

Purchased As New

I just pruchased a 2009 GLS.
No long term report yet obviously, just first impressions.

Got many options standard on the GLS that the competitors charge an arm and a leg for. Price in front and rear side curtain airbags (important with kids for me), abs brakes, heated seats and mirrors (essential here in the winter), etc on the competition and see what a value the Elantra GLS is.

Peppy little 2.0L in the 2009. Passes nice on the highway, wish the speed wasn't limited to 183KPH (had another 2,200 RPM to go), not that I'd ever use it, but one of those things you have to know.

Quiet ride. Very responsive, even on icy roads. Brakes are touchy, but that takes very little to get used to and better touchy than soft.

Got it in Indigo Blue, tinted rear windows, hood deflector and mud guards. Looks very slick and most people have been thinking its a 2 door at first glance. Stereo slightly towards basic, but still sounds pretty good.

Seats a little hard, hoping they brake in quickly.

Wanted a sunroof, but not the leather seats of the limited, or losing all my other options with the GL Sport....read morehide

Purchased As New

Overall, this car is a very good looking, well equiped car for the price. This is our third Hyundai and we have not had any major problems with any of them. Mileage on the Elantra has varied from 35mpg to 25mpg. Front legroom space and trunk space is very good We have the SE model and chose it for the added safety features it comes with ....read morehide

Pros

Nice car for the money

Cons

Gas Mileage

Purchased As New

Overall, I'm happy with the car. It is solid, fairly quiet, and nicely finished. It has ABS and and ES. I like the radio controls on the steering wheel. Has a really nice sunglasses holder. In my ratings there I had to mark down the performance and value because I'm only getting 17.2 miles a gallon (via the very nice trip/mileage monitor the car comes with!) The ride is a little harsher than I remember from the test-drive....read morehide

Pros

reliable. Lots of value for the money

Cons

fuel consumption

Purchased As New

I have a 2003 Elantra and have put 120,000 miles already. It still runs pretty good. I had to change tires, brake pad and the spark plug only so far. I change engine oil every 5000 miles average(I believe it should be more often) but haven't had any major problems yet

Pros

room, gas milage, price, safety, std features

Cons

little more pep with the same milage

Purchased As New

I drive 100 miles a day my 08 Elantra has a little over 20k on it, and i love it. as much room as my older camry i traded, and what a great car to pass down to my 12 yr old son. my wife drives a 2002 Honda Accord, I love Honda, BUT my wifes next car will be a Sonata, great product, great warranty

Pros

Great fuel economy, alot of standard features for the buck, comfortable ride, XM stereo

Cons

Fuel pump replaced at 1500 miles, low tire pressure guage, weak acceleration

I purchase my 08 Elantra in June 2008 and I am very satisfied with this vehicle. I currently own a Honda and Toyota vehicles and so far I been impressed with my Hyundai Elantra performance. It is a smoothe ride and it gets great gas mileage. I averaged about 420 miles per tank on a trip from Texas to California. The only problem I had so far with this vehicle is that the fuel pump went out at the 1500 mile mark but the dealership replaced it with no problem. It is a little slow at accelarating but once you get going you are fine. I feel very comfortable driving this vehicle on long road trips it was a penny saver when gas was over $4.00 a gallon in California this past summer. I love all the standard feature that this vehicle came vehicle a great deal for the price. There is no way I would have been able to purchase a Corolla or Civic at the same price with all the extra features my Elantra GLS. I plan to give this car to my teenage daughter next summer as a graduation present. She is going to need a reliable car that gets her great gas mileage when she leaves for college....read morehide

Pros

VG fuel economy, 30mpg avg., gd room for seating for 5, nice ride and surprising good acceleration

Cons

electrical problem with electric doorlocks, but fixed w/o a problem.

I've compared this car with Honda, Toyota and Mazda and the Hyundai offered more features, equipment and better warranty.


This is my second elantra and it's better designed this year. My other elantra is a 2002 with 88K! and it's still running great. the problem I had was the electric windows, but it was fixed by replacing the motor and it's been fine. Easy to drive and with surprising power for acceleration. The gear ratio is developed by smart engineers because I can see the RPM low when I am at high speeds, that just shows me that the car is not running that hard and that saves gas. It's not as quiet as when I first brought the car, but my wife and I are still happy. The warranty and servicing is great. The shop replaced my whippers, light bulbs, brake pads for free the first five years! Keep up the maintenance (oil, lube, filters, coolant, antifreeze) and the car will take care of you. Very nice car for the money. That's why we bought another Hyundai. Planning on buying another Hyundai for my daughter next year....read morehide