Great value, even better fuel efficiency
Let's be honest here. This car isn't going to win any drag races, it doesn't turn very many heads on the street, and it won't impress any date you are lucky enough to be driving around, unless for whatever reason they are also extremely passionate about fuel efficiency in budget commuter sedans. I went to the Hyundai dealership looking for a car that gets me the most bang for my buck, and by god did this vehicle exceed all my incredibly modest expectations. For under 30K, I got some unmatched value when going up against its competitors. This Elantra has the fuel efficiency of a Prius, the looks of a Civic, and just enough "regular traffic NPC" reputation akin to that of a Corolla. People will look at this thing and be like: "Yeah it's an Elantra, it's fine. It gets 55 miles per gallon? Huh, that's pretty good."
Just under two years with this thing. 35K miles, hundreds of dollars saved on gas, zero complaints. My last car got a putrid 18mpg, honestly I was just looking for something better than that. Low bar, I know. But hey, not having to worry about gas anymore might just be the best thing this car has ever done for me. My friends told me, "139hp doesn't seem like a lot." And that's because it isn't! But c'mon now, I'm not trying to race that broken headlight 380i driver that just cut me off, I'm too busy playing the game where I keep the "EV" light on and see just how high I can actually get that gas mileage number (Personal record is 111mpg during a light downhill cruise to the grocery store btw).
This car is everything I could have ever asked for, plus it has WIRELESS CARPLAY, like damn guys how did you manage to figure that out while some luxury brands are still fumbling around with a wire?? Color me impressed. Plus the Bluelink? Love it. Comes in clutch during the summer and winter when I want my car to be a habitable temperature. I am dreading having to make a decision on whether or not I want to start to pay for it in November, but I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.
Now for the downsides. Leather seats? Nope. Adaptive cruise control? Nada. Heated steering wheel? Please. Sunroof? Naw. Rear AC vents? In your dreams. But those are things you would expect when you're buying a car that costs twice as much. I went to the dealership with a budget and a mindset, and let me tell you, it was NOT the kind of mindset that tells people to splurge on a brand new G80. Now you might say: "Well a lot of those 'downsides' are included in the Limited trim of your car! Why not upgrade?" To which I say: Yeah, you're right. Am I having some regrets about not handing out the extra 4 grand it would have cost me to get a limited? Yeah sometimes. But I know what I paid for and got exactly what I paid for. No regrets.
Love this car, and I have no doubt in my mind that I will be it's only owner. 5 stars.
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