A nIce looking and driving, practical 4-door hatchback - something you sadly do not see much of in the USA
Overall, I like this car a lot. I have a few minor quibbles with it, mainly related to features as opposed to functionality, but it drives well and looks nice, is the right size (for me at least) and will hopefully be as reliable as the prior Hyundai that it replaced. I could have kept that car but bought this one as I could see that the more affordable end of US car market was evloving to consist mainly of SUVs/CUVs or trucks, none of which appeal to me or suite my priorities in a vehicle. That you do not see many 2017+ Elantra GT's means I am in a somewhat exclusive club apparently? I did a lot of research prior to buying this car and test drove and considered several others including the standard VW Golf (not the Golf GTI, which cost above what I could financially justify), Nissan Versa Note and Mazda 3. Based on my prior Hyundai, I felt that a Korean built car would be better made and last longer than one from Mexico like the VW is. Also, the VW interior had too much shiny black plastic and I did not want a car with a turbocharged engine. While I know I’m an outlier in the US, smaller, hatchback type vehicles are my preference as I’m originally from Europe. Over there that type of vehicle (or a smaller MPV) are seen as the most 'logical' choices for what most peoples day-to-day needs are. Sadly, there were very few other smaller, manual transmission (yes, my car is one of the few with a 6-speed gearbox) hatchback type cars still available in the US when I bought mine (after 2020 Elantra GT now also gone from US and Canadian markets) so there were few choices available. I also tested the Mazda 3 (prior generation) but the infotainment system was genuinely terrible and it didn't really dive as well as I had expected with all the 'Zoom Zoom' advertising.. They are also far less of a value when you compare asking price to standard features. I also looked at and drove the Civic but the styling, both inside and out, really did not appeal to me at all.
Recommended
Verified Owner
