Round 2: 04 Hyundai Elantra vs Honda Civic

[madmax-im]

Tod your numbers are intriquing...BTW i'm not at all pissed off...I actually agree with your statistics...but the car itself is still pretty good. Sure the civic has been around 41 yrs now and has undergone many model changes and refinements. I would not argue that the Honda is better quality. As far as the Elantra interior is concerned it has not broken down...the air duct vents are funky for directing the airflow where you want it and the passenger vanity mirror is awkward to open...but the biggest complaint are the uncomfortable seats... Overall if you're not looking to trade a car in every 5 yrs then the Hyundai is still a viable option.

[Ivan]

Escudo.... it's only a 6 second 1/4 mile car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VafUi...eature=related

Didn't the early ones have 2 V6 engines? One in front and one in back?

[Montreux_Blue]

I only really know a little about the 96-98 model which was mid-engine. Ugly car but moves like crazy!

[Shuriken]

What is the max you would pay for a 2003 Civic LX with 80k miles? Manual, clean, good condition.

[Montreux_Blue]

I use NADA as a basis to start with and then factor in things like needs tires, wrecked........

http://www.nadaguides.com/usedcars.a...da=-1&mi=80000

[Shuriken]

I did not find the Civic soon enough. The ad was only up 10 days and it was a goner. So no Civic for me. Sad, because I think that one could have been a deal.

The Hyundais come with a 10/100 warranty, but that's good only for the first owner. It turns into a 5/60 for the next owners. I'm seeing a lot of Hyundais for sale with just over 60k miles. One or two pop up at 50k, so you still can get a small warranty at least for 10k miles or for a year or so.

Resale isn't so much of an issue for me. I drive all of my vehicles until they are no longer good for me or anyone else.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

I'm seeing a lot of Hyundais for sale with just over 60k miles. One or two pop up at 50k

Be scared.... be very scared!

[Shuriken]

Well, my understanding is that the 1st owner gets the 10/100 warranty and it turns into a 5/60 warranty for the 2nd owner. If the vehicles that are being sold around 60k are 2nd owner vehicles, I could see why people would just trade them in or sell. Also, at 60k, they are all going to need a new timing belt and some maintenance.

Drive the Hyundai until the warranty is up, then trade it in for a newer one or another vehicle? Or the flip side is that it was a problematic 60k mile ride....

Since I've been comparing, I've been noticing a lot of Hyundais on the road, though....

The Civic LX (80k miles) might still be for sale.... I will know today...

[Shuriken]

I want a car that starts every time I turn the key. If it has a seat, a steering wheel, a couple pedals, and some kind of radio to break up the monotony, I'm good. All the other "Stuff" is just more crap that can go wrong.

Just my 2 cents.


Tod

I'm that way to a point, also, which is why I'm still driving a 26 year old Honda. You described all of its remaining working features!

But it's only good for 2 people and I need at least 3 seats and a little more comfort for the fam.

[Shuriken]

My friend's daughter walked away from an accident she should have died in, according to cops on the scene. She was driving an Elantra. She bought another one the next day. Still has it 5 years later. She is a VP in one of the largest auto insurance companies in the US, can afford what ever she wants. She wants a Hundai.

I like the traction control, ABS, dual front, and dual front side airbags on the Elantra.

[Shuriken]

I went with an 06 GLS Elantra.

Pros:
-bang for the buck
-lots of nice features
-awesome gas mileage (38 highway)
-nice suspension/comfortable ride
-only 65k miles
-etc.

Cons:
-shady seller - car has a replaced transmission (so who knows it's condition) and there is a very faint smoke smell (when it was claimed that the car was a non-smoker car)
-fleet vehicle
-optional ABS/TCS not installed on this model

So... it's probably a pretty hammered, even due to low miles, as evidenced by the original transmission being replaced. I'd probably go with one again but I'd pay a little more and get a cleaner one. Fleet vehicle can mean many things, so I hope for better, not worse!