2011 Hyundai Elantra Review and Prices

by Chuck Giametta
2011 Hyundai Elantra Review and Pricing
2010 Hyundai Elantra Review and Prices
2009 Hyundai Elantra Quote

2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Hyundai Elantra is the best car for you if you’re more about value than vanity.

• The 2011 Hyundai Elantra will come in two distinct flavors: a doughy four-door sedan and a delightful four-door wagon. The sedan is a great value in everyday transportation, but utterly unexciting. The wagon, called the Elantra Touring, also is smartly priced, even more versatile as everyday transport, and thoroughly entertaining to drive.

• Should you buy a 2010 Hyundai Elantra or wait for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra? If you’re shopping the sedan, buy a 2010 model. Interested in the Touring? A 2010 or 2011 will do. Here’s why: The sedan is slated to be replaced in model-year 2012 with a fully redesigned model. So if you buy a 2011 Hyundai Elantra sedan, you’re purchasing a car with a short shelf life. The Elantra Touring, which already rides a more-modern chassis than the sedan, won’t be redesigned before model-year 2013. So a 2010 or 2011 Touring will be fresher, longer.  

2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA CHANGES

• Styling: No changes of consequence to the look of either the 2011 Hyundai Elantra sedan or the 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring wagon. The sedan retains styling it’s worn since its model-year 2007 introduction. It’s a nondescript jellybean in most ways. By contrast, the Touring has European genes that it shows off with crispy defined body lines and a trendy big-mouth grille. Both are among the roomier compact cars. In fact, the Touring’s 65.3 cubic feet of cargo space exceeds that of many midsize wagons equals that of some compact SUVs. The real distinction between the 2011 Elantra sedan and the 2011 Elantra Touring is beneath the skin. Both have front-wheel drive, but the Touring bowed for model-year 2009 as an Americanized version of a sporty wagon this South Korean automaker sells in Europe. The sedan’s chassis is tuned mostly for comfort. It rides fine, is a competent handler, and accounts for about 80 percent of Elantra sales. But it can’t match the moves of the Euro-tuned Touring, which hugs the road and soaks up bumps with a degree of composure designed to please haughty German drivers.  

• Mechanical: Despite differences in chassis engineering, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra sedan and the 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring will continue to share the same engine, a rather prosaic 138-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder. And both again will be slightly behind the times transmission-wise. They’ll offer a choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic; top compact-class rivals offer six-speed manuals and five-speed automatics. A special high-fuel-economy edition of the sedan will likely continue. It’s part of Hyundai’s “Blue Drive” campaign to modify specific models with gear ratios, low-friction components, and other tweaks designed to squeeze out a few more miles per gallon. Otherwise, expect the 2011 Hyundai Elantra sedan and Touring to return in base GLS and better-equipped SE models. All Elantras come with antilock four-wheel disc brakes. SE sedans and Touring models should continue with an array of standard safety technology impressive at these prices. They have traction control for less tire slip off the line, and brake assist that automatically applies full stopping power in emergencies if the driver fails to completely depress the brake pedal. Included as well is an antiskid system. Also called electronic stability control, it modulates engine power and activates individual brakes to combat sideways slides.    

• Features: Starting prices under $15,000 would continue to put the 2011 Hyundai Elantra among the least-expensive cars in the compact segment. But where rivals’ entry-level models often are strippers, even the lowest-priced Elantra comes standard with heated power mirrors, remote keyless entry, power windows and locks, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, and split folding rear seatbacks. As Elantra ages, Hyundai ought to make air conditioning standard on the base GLS sedan; it unfortunately has been available only as part of an option package that costs almost $1,800. Adding a factory navigation system to Elantra’s list of options would erase a deficit, too. That would likely require more extensive changes to the dashboard than warranted at this point, however. Still, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra will continue to make available a laudable array of amenities, including a power sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and Bluetooth wireless cell-phone linking. Audio systems include satellite-radio-ready units that include USB and auxiliary-jack connectivity for iPods and other MP3 devices.       

2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA PRICES

• Prices for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra won’t be released until shortly before the 2011 models go on sale. But the lineup is again likely to start with the GLS sedan, the most-popular version of this car. It should be priced to start at just under $15,000 with manual transmission and slightly below $16,000 with automatic. (Estimated prices listed here include Hyundai’s mandatory destination fee, which was $675 for 2009.)

• The 2011 Hyundai Elantra Blue edition sedan should be priced similarly to the GLS sedan, with the 2001 Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring having an estimated starting price around $17,000.

• Estimated prices for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra SE sedan are $18,000 with manual transmission, $19,000 with automatic. The 2011 Hyundai Elantra SE Touring should be priced from around $19,000 with manual transmission, $20,000 with automatic. SE models get a leather-wrapped steering wheel that telescopes as well as tilts and has audio controls. Alloy wheels, fog lamps, and a trip computer have been among the SE’s added standard features.

• Adding to Elantra’s value proposition is Hyundai’s strong warranty coverage: 5-years/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper, 10/100,000 powertrain, and 5/unlimited roadside assistance.

2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA FUEL ECONOMY

• The 2011 Hyundai Elantra fuel economy ratings should again be competitive with compact cars of similar horsepower. Look for sedan ratings of at least 24/33 mpg (city/highway) with manual transmission and 25/33 with automatic. Elantra Touring should again rate at least 23/31 with manual, 23/30 with automatic.

2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA RELEASE DATE

• Release date for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra is likely to be summer 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE HYUNDAI ELANTRA

• The redesigned 2012 Hyundai Elantra sedan should deliver much of the driving poise found in today’s Elantra Touring. That’s because the next-generation Elantra sedan transitions to a version of the Touring’s European platform. The sedan is likely to grow only slightly in the process, but styling should leap ahead with more contemporary shapes and proportions.

• The future of the Hyundai Elantra Touring could be even more interesting. Hyundai sources suggest it could be replaced for model-year 2013 by a compact crossover-SUV wagon that would offer all-wheel drive.

• Whatever shapes future Elantras assume, Hyundai’s committed to sustaining them as value leaders in the compact class. That probably excludes expensive, cutting-edge powertrain technology, so don’t look for exotica such as an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 210-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that debuted in Hyundai’s Genesis coupe would be a nice fit for a sporty Elantra model, however. A gas-electric hybrid could also be part of the next-generation Elantra story. It would support Hyundai’s goal of fielding an eco-friendly lineup that achieves a fleet average of 35 mpg by 2015, five years ahead of federal requirements.

2011 HYUNDAI ELANTRA COMPETITION

• Toyota Corolla: This car defines refinement in the compact-car class, but also exemplifies an anesthetized driving experience. Corolla trumps Elantra for resale value, though the two are surprisingly close in terms of interior materials and solid feel. The Toyota Matrix is a wagon version of the Corolla and serves an Elantra Touring alternative – with the added bonus of available all-wheel drive. The Corolla and Matrix won’t change significantly before model-year 2014.

• Ford Focus: Ford’s finally dumping its archaic Focus for a global replacement that looks to be a compact class game-changer. The all-new 2011 Ford Focus rides the sophisticated chassis that underpins Ford’s European small cars (and the highly regarded Mazda 3 developed in partnership with Ford). The 2011 Focus promises two- and four-door hatchbacks with futuristic styling and levels of ride and handling that should set new standards for the category.

• Nissan Versa: Versa’s roomy four-door hatchback is a budget-watcher’s dream. Starting under $15,000, it’s a fine counterpart to the Elantra Touring and nearly as rewarding to drive. The Versa four-door sedan offers the same surprising polish and passenger space, but in a body that looks even weirder than the nonconformist hatchback’s. Versa’s next full redesign is due for model-year 2012 or 2013.