Topic: 2011 Hyundai Elantra

[rrocket]

$450 is "absurd" for an OE spoiler with integrated brake light?  Since when?  I can remember spending a good deal more than that for OE spoilers from Honda and Nissan in years past.

OK, I admit I don't have a basis to compare it against, but considering the prices of some of their other options I figured it would be similarly out of line.
Anyway, for a compact car, does a spoiler serve any functional purpose?  And what impact, if any, would it have on fuel economy?

Most spoiler serve no real purpose.  Even on the high end cars, they serve no purpose until you reach X km/h.  For example, the gigantic spoiler on my Supra didn't make additional downforce until 160km/h.

Unless it's a HUGE spoiler, most normal spoilers on cars won't hurt your MPG at all.

[Jaeger]

$450 is "absurd" for an OE spoiler with integrated brake light?  Since when?  I can remember spending a good deal more than that for OE spoilers from Honda and Nissan in years past.

OK, I admit I don't have a basis to compare it against, but considering the prices of some of their other options I figured it would be similarly out of line.
Anyway, for a compact car, does a spoiler serve any functional purpose?  And what impact, if any, would it have on fuel economy?

I'd say it rarely serves much of a purpose on any car save a VERY high performnace machine.  On the Elantra it would have zero functional purpose.  I would suspect that any impact on fuel economy would be minimal, but negative.  Hyundai went to pretty significant lengths to reduce drag on the Sonata and Elantra in order to improve fuel economy - my guess would be that sticking a spoiler on the Elantra will increase drag and therefore increase fuel consumption.

Jaeger

[tpl]

There has been a thread on this before. IIRC it contained a discussion on downforce on Wing's S2000 amongst other things.

Spoilers generate drag and use that drag for something... downforce usually on cars. Losing a lot of airspeed quickly on aircraft.
The 2011 F1 cars with a moveable rear wing may gain 20 + kph when the wing is "lowered" into a low drag configuration... and lose many 100's of kilograms of downforce.

[rrocket]

There has been a thread on this before. IIRC it contained a discussion on downforce on Wing's S2000 amongst other things.

Spoilers generate drag and use that drag for something... downforce usually on cars. Losing a lot of airspeed quickly on aircraft.
The 2011 F1 cars with a moveable rear wing may gain 20 + kph when the wing is "lowered" into a low drag configuration... and lose many 100's of kilograms of downforce.

As long as it's not surfboard sized, I don't think it will be an issue on the Elantra...

[dougjp]

$450 is "absurd" for an OE spoiler with integrated brake light?  Since when?  I can remember spending a good deal more than that for OE spoilers from Honda and Nissan in years past.

OK, I admit I don't have a basis to compare it against, but considering the prices of some of their other options I figured it would be similarly out of line.
Anyway, for a compact car, does a spoiler serve any functional purpose?  And what impact, if any, would it have on fuel economy?

I'd say it rarely serves much of a purpose on any car save a VERY high performance machine.  On the Elantra it would have zero functional purpose.  I would suspect that any impact on fuel economy would be minimal, but negative.  Hyundai went to pretty significant lengths to reduce drag on the Sonata and Elantra in order to improve fuel economy - my guess would be that sticking a spoiler on the Elantra will increase drag and therefore increase fuel consumption.

Jaeger

Exactly. Most of these spoilers don't have any working inverted wing shape, thank heavens because its a FWD car. A working wing at the back would make handling worse. All of them create drag by disrupting airflow, although at highway speeds it wouldn't hurt much. Their practical purpose is exactly the same as a coffee can exhaust tip. Nil.  

[rrocket]

FYI, just because it's a FWD doesn't mean a rear spoiler can't be functional. The extra down-force is key in corners and at high speed. You'll note that FWD cars on touring series have rear spoilers.

All this spoiler talk brings me back to the old SS S/C days 

That wasn't a spoiler.  That was an small airplane wing.....

[vdk]

I think when Dave called it an ironing board it was my favorite term of endearment.


Hey, at least the transmission never need replacement 

Yes but then the Subie never left you like this in the pouring rain.

[Ice]

$450 is "absurd" for an OE spoiler with integrated brake light?  Since when?  I can remember spending a good deal more than that for OE spoilers from Honda and Nissan in years past.

OK, I admit I don't have a basis to compare it against, but considering the prices of some of their other options I figured it would be similarly out of line.
Anyway, for a compact car, does a spoiler serve any functional purpose?  And what impact, if any, would it have on fuel economy?

I'd say it rarely serves much of a purpose on any car save a VERY high performance machine.  On the Elantra it would have zero functional purpose.  I would suspect that any impact on fuel economy would be minimal, but negative.  Hyundai went to pretty significant lengths to reduce drag on the Sonata and Elantra in order to improve fuel economy - my guess would be that sticking a spoiler on the Elantra will increase drag and therefore increase fuel consumption.

Jaeger

Exactly. Most of these spoilers don't have any working inverted wing shape, thank heavens because its a FWD car. A working wing at the back would make handling worse. All of them create drag by disrupting airflow, although at highway speeds it wouldn't hurt much. Their practical purpose is exactly the same as a coffee can exhaust tip. Nil.  

Actually they do have one functional purpose that some overlook. Some spoilers are handy in figuring out where the decklid of your car ends which makes backing into extremely tight spaces easier. It's like a super poor mans back up camera   I don't usually need the spoiler on the back of my Corolla but it does complete the look and it has been handy once or twice since I bought the car. I could have done without personally... but many are less confident than I am and the spoiler may serve said function.

Just not what spoilers are normally named for

[Triple Bob]

$450 is "absurd" for an OE spoiler with integrated brake light?  Since when?  I can remember spending a good deal more than that for OE spoilers from Honda and Nissan in years past.

OK, I admit I don't have a basis to compare it against, but considering the prices of some of their other options I figured it would be similarly out of line.
Anyway, for a compact car, does a spoiler serve any functional purpose?  And what impact, if any, would it have on fuel economy?

I'd say it rarely serves much of a purpose on any car save a VERY high performance machine.  On the Elantra it would have zero functional purpose.  I would suspect that any impact on fuel economy would be minimal, but negative.  Hyundai went to pretty significant lengths to reduce drag on the Sonata and Elantra in order to improve fuel economy - my guess would be that sticking a spoiler on the Elantra will increase drag and therefore increase fuel consumption.

Jaeger

Exactly. Most of these spoilers don't have any working inverted wing shape, thank heavens because its a FWD car. A working wing at the back would make handling worse. All of them create drag by disrupting airflow, although at highway speeds it wouldn't hurt much. Their practical purpose is exactly the same as a coffee can exhaust tip. Nil.  

What you want is one of these!

[rrocket]

^^I know that car..that was Rado's car.  And it was the fastest FWD track car in the nation.

[vdk]

^^I know that car..that was Rado's car.  And it was the fastest FWD track car in the nation.

On what track?

[rrocket]

^^I know that car..that was Rado's car.  And it was the fastest FWD track car in the nation.

On what track?

All of them.  It's beat every FWD record on any track it's been on.  Mind you, not a stock Scion. (these records are from 2009)

FWD Record 1:03.623 Phoenix International Raceway, AZ
FWD Record 2.27.xxx Spring Mountain Motorsprots Park Parhump, NV
FWD Record 1:35.989 Carolina Motorsports Park,SC.
FWD Record 1:03.084 Nashville Super Speedway, TN.
FWD Record 1:22.623 Willow Springs, Rosemond, CA. (FWIW, this is 5+ seconds a lap quicker than a 2011 BMW M3 with a professional race driver)
FWD Record 1:30.717 Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL

[Triple Bob]

^^I know that car..that was Rado's car.  And it was the fastest FWD track car in the nation.

On what track?

In the 24hr Ironing Challenge.

[vdk]

^^I know that car..that was Rado's car.  And it was the fastest FWD track car in the nation.

On what track?

All of them.  It's beat every FWD record on any track it's been on.  Mind you, not a stock Scion. (these records are from 2009)

FWD Record 1:03.623 Phoenix International Raceway, AZ
FWD Record 2.27.xxx Spring Mountain Motorsprots Park Parhump, NV
FWD Record 1:35.989 Carolina Motorsports Park,SC.
FWD Record 1:03.084 Nashville Super Speedway, TN.
FWD Record 1:22.623 Willow Springs, Rosemond, CA. (FWIW, this is 5+ seconds a lap quicker than a 2011 BMW M3 with a professional race driver)
FWD Record 1:30.717 Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL

But how much time would it lose without that ridiculous front spoiler?

[vdk]

^^I know that car..that was Rado's car.  And it was the fastest FWD track car in the nation.

On what track?

In the 24hr Ironing Challenge.

That's an easy one -- with twice the ironing surface!

[rrocket]

But how much time would it lose without that ridiculous front spoiler?

Alot.  Bear in mind, the car makes a few hundred HP.  So it needs all the help it can get to keep the tires glued down.  The first time out with the set-up, it ran 5 seconds a lap quicker.

[Gamefreak]

4 weeks and still no car.  Dealership wants $525 for the OEM spoiler.

[rrocket]

4 weeks and still no car.  Dealership wants $525 for the OEM spoiler.

Time to take business elsewhere....

[vdk]

A friend of my girlfriend's bought an Elantra 2 weeks ago. No issues. Go somewhere else.

[Gamefreak]

I find it hard to believe the wait would be any different at another dealership, because they'd just have to order it as well.