Is this the modern five-door family funster? Hyundai has always combatted negative associations with its name, although it seems to have turned this around and made it work for them during our currently listless economic situation. Truly, it's one of only a handful of manufacturers seeing sales rise as economical becomes chic. Still, one recession does not a corporate strategy make.
The Hyundai i30 has been a wild success everywhere it’s been introduced – pretty much everywhere but here – winning Car of the Year awards across the globe. Still, when Hyundai decided to offer the i30 to Americans, they named it the Elantra Touring? Known for making sure “cheap” and “economy” are forever intertwined, the Elantra is everything the i30 isn’t. Europeans have been enjoying high-quality economy cars for years, and the i30 is no exception. Certainly a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but why ice-skate uphill?
Illogical naming aside, the Elantra Touring made a splash upon its introduction here in the States back in 2009. For the 2011 model year, Hyundai is upping the value of an already good deal by adding standard features to its two trims, the GLS and sporty SE.
Both GLS and SE trim levels will now come standard with Hyundai’s “EZ Lane Change Assist” feature, a system that initiates three sequential blinks of the turn signal with just one touch for easy highway passing. The headlight welcome feature is also now a standard feature on all trims, lighting the headlights when the car doors are unlocked with the key fob.
The SE got some attention as well, with standard leather seating, and both trims have the option of three new colors – Atlantic Blue, Shimmering Silver and Titanium Gray Metallic.
Truly, the jump between trims is a stepped one, as the features included in the Popular Equipment Package for the GLS are all included as standard on the SE. That package adds a telescopic steering wheel with audio controls, trip computer, power driver’s seat and silver roof rails, along with smaller incidentals. The SE, however, tries to create sport appeal with a leather steering wheel and shift knob for the B&M sport shifter, foglights and 17-inch alloys. There’s also a touch of luxury added with heated leather seats and a power sunroof.
Does any of this make the Elantra Touring the logical successor to the Griswold’s chariot? It’s certainly a fair deal, with even the most decked-out versions barely passing the twenty grand mark. But looking a bit deeper, the Elantra Touring fails to stand as king of the compact wagon hill. The MAZDA3 offers a “wagon” configuration that has a better engine and a much better suspension. The Volkswagen Jetta does the same, and perhaps better. This doesn’t negate the value or quality of the Hyundai, and perhaps only reinforces what a good job Hyundai has done in making itself competitive with brands that don’t suffer the same branding woes. Besides, what’s in a name?
If I shouldn't have to reset my car, what else could it be? The battery is in correctly and it will crank up.
Steering is vibration at 75 mph or more shakes too
I have 2011 elantra touring
I bought an Elantra Touring last fall and after the winter I noticed that the insert on the bumper underneath the passenger headlight is peeling. I have been waiting to hear from my dealership to see if this will be covered under warranty and now have noticed that this is starting to happen on the piece with the hyundai symbol as well. Has anyone else noticed this problem?
Air Conditioning
Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: mast · Auxiliary audio input: jack · Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · Total Number of Speakers: 6 · 172 watts
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.8 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 10.3 · Rear brakes: disc
Comfort Features
Armrests: rear center with cupholders · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Material: carpet
Convenience Features
Assist handle: rear · Center console: front console with split-level storage · Cupholders: rear · Multi-function remote: keyless entry with panic alarm · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): three 12V · Power steering: speed-proportional · Power windows: lockout button · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls · Storage: accessory hook · Vanity mirrors: dual
Driver Seat
Manual adjustments: 4
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 4.19
Exterior Features
Door handle color: body-color · Front bumper color: body-color · Grille color: chrome accents · Mirror color: body-color · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate · Window trim: black
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3
Instrumentation
Warnings and reminders: coolant temperature warning
Lights
Exterior entry lights: security approach lamps
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: manual day/night
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Roof
Roof rack: with crossbars
Safety
Active head restraints: driver · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: front
Seatbelts
Emergency locking retractors: front and rear · Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Front seat type: bucket · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Spare Tire
Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary
Spare Wheel
Rim Type: steel
Steering
Steering ratio: 13.8 · Turns lock-to-lock: 2.8
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Stabilizer Bar: diameter 24 mm · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Stabilizer Bar: diameter 21 mm · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link
Telematics
Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: steel
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Liftgate window: fixed · Rear wiper: with washer
Air Conditioning
Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: mast · Auxiliary audio input: jack · Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · Total Number of Speakers: 6 · 172 watts
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.8 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 10.3 · Rear brakes: disc
Comfort Features
Armrests: rear center with cupholders · Door trim: cloth · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Material: carpet · Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Assist handle: rear · Cargo cover: retractable · Center console: front console with split-level storage · Cupholders: rear · Multi-function remote: keyless entry with panic alarm · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): three 12V · Power steering: speed-proportional · Power windows: lockout button · Reading lights: rear · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls · Storage: in dash · Vanity mirrors: dual illuminating
Driver Seat
Adjustable lumbar support: manual · Manual adjustments: 8
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 4.19
Exterior Features
Door handle color: body-color · Front bumper color: body-color · Grille color: chrome accents · Mirror color: body-color · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate · Window trim: black
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3
Instrumentation
Warnings and reminders: low fuel level
Lights
Exterior entry lights: security approach lamps
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: manual day/night
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Roof
Moonroof: one-touch open/close · Roof rack: with crossbars · Roof rails: silver
Safety
Active head restraints: driver · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: rear
Seatbelts
Emergency locking retractors: front and rear · Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: height · Front seat type: bucket · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: leather
Spare Tire
Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary
Spare Wheel
Rim Type: steel
Steering
Steering ratio: 14.0 · Turns lock-to-lock: 2.7
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Stabilizer Bar: diameter 24 mm · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Stabilizer Bar: diameter 21 mm · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link
Telematics
Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Liftgate window: fixed · Rear wiper: with washer