2005 Hyundai Elantra vs a 2005 Honda Civic

[West]

Opinions? Looks like you can get a lot of bang for your buck with the Elantra...any Hyundai testimonials?

[M2d]

[ QUOTE ]
Opinions? Looks like you can get a lot of bang for your buck with the Elantra...any Hyundai testimonials?

[/ QUOTE ]
if you drive a Hyundai, there will be no banging going on.

[DasLeben]

I can suggest Hyundai solely due to the warranty. 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain if I recall correctly. That's one of the best in the industry (right along with Kia), but you WOULD be driving a Hyundai. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[namknils]

Personally, I would go with the Honda and it's not even close. Because the Hyundai is well, a Hyundai.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
I can suggest Hyundai solely due to the warranty. 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain if I recall correctly. That's one of the best in the industry (right along with Kia), but you WOULD be driving a Hyundai. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
There's a reason it needs a 10 year warranty.

Honda >>>>>>>>> Hyundai

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I can suggest Hyundai solely due to the warranty. 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain if I recall correctly. That's one of the best in the industry (right along with Kia), but you WOULD be driving a Hyundai. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
There's a reason it needs a 10 year warranty.

Honda >>>>>>>>> Hyundai

[/ QUOTE ]

[astroglide]

yeah, because everybody knows that power train problems are the ones that are most frequently experienced. right?

if the OP is really comparing these two cars it's probably hopeless anyway. buy a daewoo! i, like, had a friend that had one. do you care about resale value at all?

the elantra has actually managed to become a consumer reports recommended vehicle, but the civic still seems way ahead of it. 31/38 vs 24/32 gas milage, higher predicted reliability, higher owner satisfaction, better reliability history, better crash test results (elantra got a poor on side impact). the fact that one is a honda and one is a hyundai really makes this not close to me.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

It seems like you're looking for a reason not to get a Civic. Check out a Subaru Impreza.

[AncientPC]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I can suggest Hyundai solely due to the warranty. 10-year/100,000 mile limited powertrain if I recall correctly. That's one of the best in the industry (right along with Kia), but you WOULD be driving a Hyundai. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
There's a reason it needs a 10 year warranty.

Honda >>>>>>>>> Hyundai

[/ QUOTE ]

[DasLeben]

Well if it's anything like a Kia, it'll leak oil from the rear main seal right on the clutch. Bye bye clutch, hello warranty. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
Well if it's anything like a Kia, it'll leak oil from the rear main seal right on the clutch. Bye bye clutch, hello warranty. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. I've found that it's always a good thing to have your car compared to a Kia.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
if you drive a Hyundai, there will be no banging going on.

[/ QUOTE ]

...like a fat chick...yadda...yadda....

[DasLeben]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Well if it's anything like a Kia, it'll leak oil from the rear main seal right on the clutch. Bye bye clutch, hello warranty. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes. I've found that it's always a good thing to have your car compared to a Kia.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ahh hell, I'm just joking. I have a friend with a Tiburon, and he loves it. I'm sure reliability is fine.

What's up with me and insulting other people's cars lately? First it's the guy with the BMW 330Ci SMG, and now it's the Hyundai crowd. C'mon people, where are the GM drivers?!

By the way, for my penance: I have a '94 Toyota Pickup with 179k on the clock. Have at it! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[groo]

Check out what the insurance costs are on both. These rates are largely based on the expected medical bills associated with an accident. I really dislike Honda. Given their relative (in comparison with other manufacturers) downhill slide over the last many years, I feel they have become over rated based on past reputation. Even given that, go with the Honda and it's not even close.

If you are still open to looking around try Toyota or Mopar (Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep). They are, in my opinion, the best mass produced vehicles on the road today.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are still open to looking around try Toyota or Mopar (Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep). They are, in my opinion, the best mass produced vehicles on the road today.

[/ QUOTE ]
You're not seriously going to suggest that he should buy a Neon, are you?

[astroglide]

reliability is a big problem on tiburons. consumer reports cites poor (the worst) for predicted reliability, and indicates electric, power equipment, paint/trim, body hardware, and body integrity as problem areas.

a friend owned one and he just traded it in. he was upside-down on the loan and had numerous reliability problems related to electric, even the clock failed. power window issues, and the body seemed to ding if you looked at it wrong.

[West]

Just to clarify, I basically was down to a Civic or a Mazda3i, which I am planning to go drive this weekend. Although with what I want to spend, if I want to get the Mazda, it will be a pretty bare bones version.

Today someone mentioned the Elantra to me, starting by pointing out that I could get power everything for significantly less money. The reviews on it seems to say that it basically is giving you a comparable car for significantly less money. Of course the question then is reliability. It's nice though that they offer such great standard warranties.

Reading some consumer reviews, it seemed like most people thought the car was a complete steal at the price, but there were the odd review here and there of somebody who had problems.

The hatchback option has me kind of curious. Outside of the reliability question, the one thing I read in a review that I particularly didn't like was that to get the power out of the engine, it needed to rev high, which they said meant that drivers with an automatic might be wondering where the power was, and drivers with a stick would need to get used to shifting at high rpms to take advantage of the engine. I was looking at switching to an automatic, so I don't want to hear that the best bet is to stay with a stick, and that I'll have to get used to driving differenty if I do.

Obviously I really just need to go test drive everything, but was trying to figure out if it was worth my time to seriously consider an Elantra. Still not sure.

[nolanfan34]

Mrs. nolanfan has an Elantra, and it's run pretty well for the past few years. I think they're not as bad as the Hyundai reputation.

That being said, we didn't get her a similar year/mileage Honda, because we couldn't afford it at the time. So I'd go with a Civic if you can afford it.

[adamstewart]

I fail to see how there's any decision to be made here.

One option is gives you one of the best quality cars on the market, that holds it's value and will be problem-free for 300,000+ kilometers.

The other is a depreciating piece of sh;t.


Adam

[West]

Anyone driven one of these?

[FatOtt]

[ QUOTE ]
even the clock failed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome

[M2d]

if you can afford it, how about a prius or a civic hybrid?

[West]

Yeah those are out of my price range.

[MelchyBeau]

[ QUOTE ]

What's up with me and insulting other people's cars lately? First it's the guy with the BMW 330Ci SMG, and now it's the Hyundai crowd. C'mon people, where are the GM drivers?!

[/ QUOTE ]

I drive a 2k Bonneville, the only problem I have had with it was some crazy woman hitting one car, then swirving out, then swirving back into my rear end.

Melch

[trotski]

I drive a 2005 Civic, and I like it a lot. It's kind of weak(being 4-cylinder and all) but it gets the job the done. My next car will definitely have more HP.

The dealership I went to was trying their damndest to get me in a Kia. I won't be caught dead in one of those things, there's a reason they're cheap.

[Sooga]

Keep in mind this was back in 2001, but when I was new-car shopping then, I test drove both the Civic and the Nissan Sentra. The Sentra to me, just felt a lot better driving it. Maybe I test drove a bad Civic or something, who knows. But I ended up buying the Sentra and I haven't regretted it since.

[West]

[ QUOTE ]
the one thing I read in a review that I particularly didn't like was that to get the power out of the engine, it needed to rev high, which they said meant that drivers with an automatic might be wondering where the power was, and drivers with a stick would need to get used to shifting at high rpms to take advantage of the engine. I was looking at switching to an automatic, so I don't want to hear that the best bet is to stay with a stick, and that I'll have to get used to driving differenty if I do.


[/ QUOTE ]

Acutally just read essentially the same thing about the lower end Civics, except that it less power to begin with.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
Just to clarify, I basically was down to a Civic or a Mazda3i, which I am planning to go drive this weekend. Although with what I want to spend, if I want to get the Mazda, it will be a pretty bare bones version.

[/ QUOTE ]
The Mazda3 is a good car too. I've got the last production year (2003.5) of Protege5, which is what the hatchback 3 replaced. It's a great little car and at the time I bought it (January 2003), it was easily the best car in the market for the price (mid teens). It excells in handling, but it's a bit underpowered. A lot of people say they prefer the Protege5 to the 3, but the 3 does have a few more interior bells & whistles and a bit bigger engine (I think that's an option, though). They're good cars. If you can go a little higher in price, then I'd check out the Impreza, but I guess maybe you can't if you can only get the barebones 3. Whichever it is, if it were me, I'be choosing between a 3, an Impreza, or a Civic.

[gvibes]

The hyundai would definitely have a lower TCO, due to the warranty and lower purchase price, assuming you are going to keep it a long time. Cars are a huge waste of money, so you want to limit losses as much as possible. I don't think the Elantra hatchback looks too bad, but the Tiburon kind of hurts.

If you don't mind driving a hynudia, go ahead and buy it.

I am the proud owner of a '95 civic. 102 raging ponies. Sweet.

Manual of course: 40 mpg highway, 31 city, even though I drive like an idiot. I rule.

EDIT: and I agree that Hondas have a rep that their engines don't act nice unless they're revved quite high. I don't make significant horsepower at any point in the power band, so I can't say.

[AncientPC]

[ QUOTE ]
EDIT: and I agree that Hondas have a rep that their engines don't act nice unless they're revved quite high. I don't make significant horsepower at any point in the power band, so I can't say.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's why you get you get 31/40mpg. Or would you rather have a boosted car running rich on 15mpg?

[West]

Yeah, the Impreza's a bit out of my range. Looks like it's gonna be a Civic or the 3. Thanks for the advice.

[groo]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are still open to looking around try Toyota or Mopar (Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep). They are, in my opinion, the best mass produced vehicles on the road today [ QUOTE ]
You're not seriously going to suggest that he should buy a Neon, are you?

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, it would be hard to be taken seriously if I did, even though the quality is there. I think the Sebring/Stratus is more in line with the Elantra or Civic. And it's available in a sporty 2-door 5-speed.