Topic: 2009 Elantra Touring

[Slow_lane]

The 2009 Elantra Touring is finally released on Hyundai Canada web site.

http://www.hyundaicanada.com/Pages/showroom/showroom.aspx?model=Elantra%20Touring

This car was rumored to be released as far back as March 2008 and has now finally been released almost a year later. So much for rumors.

I been anxiously awaiting this car as it seemed to have everything I wanted in a car. Attractive, roomy, reliable, quiet, smooth ride, excellent cargo space, manual override shifting on automatic, fairly economical and very attractive dash design. 

But from what is on website presently I suspect I am in for a few disappointments.

1) Color selection is limited and no too interesting.
2) Mentions 4 speed auto but no mention of Manual shift mode.
3) Steering only tilts and does not telescope.
4) Only interior seating color is black and I suspect that means that dash will not have the nice 2 tone beige and black I have seen on so many web sites.

http://cars.about.com/od/hyundai/ig/2009-Elantra-Touring-pics/2009-Elantra-Touring-interior.htm

Any bets USA get 2 tone interior and we don't. Why is it the USA always seems to get better packages that we do.

5) No leather seating option.
6) Sun Roof (which I want) only available with sport package. This includes 17 inch wheels and low profile tires that are expensive and might provide a ride too rough for my tastes.

I hoping a lot of these problems are just oversights on the web site. Looking forward to seeing and test driving this car. If it disappoints I will be off to check out the new Vibe (despite it ugly interior and lifeless steering).

[marineboy]

The steering wheel telescopes on the GL and above.

Disappointed with the 4 speed auto though, no Electronic Stability Program and lack of a 16" alloy option.

[Ice]

The 4 speed auto is a bit disappointing but considering the horsepower of the engine and say compared to something like the Corolla or base Matrix the specs are fairly similar.

I think this car will probably be a hit here in Canada seeing as we love hatchbacks generally and this is an economical way to haul stuff around.  I think it looks fantastic from the front...but the rear is much less inspiring.

[Minou]

$14995. for the base model.  A good price but it will be bashed for not having the side and curtain airbags nor the ABS brakes.

The GL ($18795.) still comes with the same steel 15" wheels as the base model and doesn't have the remote audio controls on the steering wheel.

The Mazda 3 Sport 2010 will open at $16995. so Hyundai will have a tougher time selling the high end trims but base models should be very popular.

Depends also what kind of incentives they'll have down the road.

[Dante]

This car is kind of a-typical for Hyundai: not very well equipped and not cheap either.

[Thinking Out Loud]

Personally, I think it is a handsome design.....as to pricing, Hyundai is leaving the bargain-for-the-price level to Kia and is rightly moving upmarket.  It is not longer 100% dependant on that excuse to get people into showrooms like it did even 5 years ago.

Kudos for another wagon-ish compact for us Canadians (Ford, in this regard, can kiss my FocASS).   

[kenobe23]

This car is kind of a-typical for Hyundai: not very well equipped and not cheap either.

Agreed. Electronic Stability Control is an enormous omission. It would probably cost them under $500 to add this feature. Without it the car is already dated.

[Slow_lane]

While I agree Hyundia has come a long way I would still hope for some kind of price advantage over a brand like Toyota and the model like the Matrix. The reason is that Hyundia brand has yet to demand a high resale value so in the end it will cost you.

In fact I always said you would be crazy to buy a Hyundia new when there is so much to be saved buying a 2nd hand one. But in this case this is a new model and I do not have that option.

It is a car I have been waiting for a long time. I just hope it does not disappoint.

I was fed up waiting for the Elantra  so a couple months ago I went cheque in hand to buy a Mazda 3 sport touring. Had color & options all picked out. Test drive was surprising. Ride was just to rough for me. I know others with disagree but I did not find it refined at all. Also I found displays extremely hard to see in daytime with our middle aged eyes. I hated the red displays Mazda seems so in love with. My wife felt the same. We walk away surprised how much we did not like it.

Went back to waiting for the Elantra.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

This should do well. Very practical and reasonably priced.

It was delayed but thought it was coming soon. Co-worker of mine bought an Elantra sedan this past week as the dealer claimed the Touring was a year away 

[sailor723]

This should do well. Very practical and reasonably priced.

It was delayed but thought it was coming soon. Co-worker of mine bought an Elantra sedan this past week as the dealer claimed the Touring was a year away 

Dealers lie.....or at least "sell what they've got"

[Diesel Advocate]

The 2009 Elantra Touring is finally released on Hyundai Canada web site.

http://www.hyundaicanada.com/Pages/showroom/showroom.aspx?model=Elantra%20Touring

This car was rumored to be released as far back as March 2008 and has now finally been released almost a year later. So much for rumors.

I been anxiously awaiting this car as it seemed to have everything I wanted in a car. Attractive, roomy, reliable, quiet, smooth ride, excellent cargo space, manual override shifting on automatic, fairly economical and very attractive dash design. 

But from what is on website presently I suspect I am in for a few disappointments.

1) Color selection is limited and no too interesting.
2) Mentions 4 speed auto but no mention of Manual shift mode.
3) Steering only tilts and does not telescope.
4) Only interior seating color is black and I suspect that means that dash will not have the nice 2 tone beige and black I have seen on so many web sites.

http://cars.about.com/od/hyundai/ig/2009-Elantra-Touring-pics/2009-Elantra-Touring-interior.htm

Any bets USA get 2 tone interior and we don't. Why is it the USA always seems to get better packages that we do.

5) No leather seating option.
6) Sun Roof (which I want) only available with sport package. This includes 17 inch wheels and low profile tires that are expensive and might provide a ride too rough for my tastes.

I hoping a lot of these problems are just oversights on the web site. Looking forward to seeing and test driving this car. If it disappoints I will be off to check out the new Vibe (despite it ugly interior and lifeless steering).

I assume that the Specs for this car will be very similar to the Elantra Sedan. The 4-speed Auto is extremely disappointing and outdated. This should be 5-speed minimum. I am sure too that the fuel ecomony will not be as good as the competition because it uses older engines and transmissions. I had the previous Gen Elantra GT and that was a very good car in it's time. Now fuel economy is a big concern I would probably look elsewhere for a vehicle and that's shame because I liked my Elantra GT. It gave me 136,000Kms without trouble.

[random006]

4 speed auto? Get with the times Hyundai! No way I'm test driving that! It looks nice though - how the Rondo should have looked. I haven't compared the Touring vs Rondo dimensions yet. Oh and it only comes with a 2.0L? odd. I thought there would be an option for the 2.4L.

Have to disagree quite strongly here.  The Rondo is a vehicle unto itself and quite rightly too.  Its main competitor is the Mazda 5; some might say its only competitor.

The Elantra, on the other hand, is a small wagon.  As such it fills a need here satisfied only by a few, such as the VW Jetta wagon and possibly the Mazda 3.  I say possibly because the image of the Mazda is a sporty one, whereas nobody will confuse the Touring with a true sport wagon, regardless of the low profile wheels.

I do agree with the criticisms of the trim levels.  Both Hyundai and Kia are now reserving too much for their top end trims, forcing people to get stuff they don't want or need for a price they don't want to pay.  As one poster here wrote, I probably would find the ride rather harsh as well on the low profile tires, so why should I have to buy that trim just to get a powered sunroof for example?

[Slow_lane]

Dropped by dealer today to see if they had new Elantra Touring. They did not. They are expecting it soon but do not know exactly when.

I asked about if there would be a shiftronic auto. He said there will not be. Not the end of the world but it was on my wish list as my wife does not drive manual. I thought it might be fun to try it.

Poorly handled launch IMO. They show the car in local ads (Montreal gazette) and on Internet before the dealers even have them ready. Like another poster stated the build and price does not work in web site. The ads in the paper just show the new car along with other models. Not much fanfare or details.

[carcrazed]

Hyundai doesn't want to spend money on marketing its compact car; it'll put its marketing fund into the Genesis, not the Elantra Touring.

As long as the 4-speed does the job properly and returns a decent fuel efficiency, I don't see too much fault at it.

However, offering 15-inch steel wheels for GL trim is going too far..

I'm sure they'll change the standard equipment for each trim levels next MY like they have done for many of their vehicles.  I'd just wait a year for the next MY.

[whistler]

Checked it out today... VERY nice car... I like its styling a lot more than the bloaty jellybean look of the sedan...

The interior is nice too... same basic design as the regular Elantra, but has some more upscale touches. Has a nice blue VW style rectangle display in the center of the gauges.